Strength and conditioning (S&C) practices and perceptions among kickboxing coaches and S&C coaches: A survey study

Objective This study investigated the strength and conditioning (S&C) practices and perspectives of sports coaches and S&C coaches working in kickboxing. Methods Forty-two participants, comprising 29 kickboxing and 13 S&C Brazilian coaches, completed a one-time anonymous online survey. The survey included six sections: (a) informed consent; (b) background information; (c) education, qualifications, and prescription; (d) opinions on S&C; (e) exercise selection; and (f) issues and improvements. Frequency analysis was used to report responses to fixed-choice questions, and thematic analysis was used for open-ended questions. Results Overall, S&C coaches were predominately responsible for S&C programmes (59%), which were deemed highly significant for kickboxing performance (78%). Strength development was predominantly based on multi-joint resistance exercises (e.g., deadlift), while speed and power were mainly developed through plyometric methods. Agility (e.g., agility ladder), flexibility (e.g., static stretching), and injury prevention (e.g., squats) strategies were also employed, whereas sparring was the preferred method for kickboxing-specific conditioning. Conclusion This study offers insights for current and developing kickboxing and S&C coaches to compare, clarify, or modify their S&C practices. Although broadly evidence-informed S&C practices are used within kickboxing, there may be areas for improvement, such as strength, agility, power, and speed. Therefore, wider education and accessible resources (e.g., evidence-informed social media) may further support the scientific underpinning of S&C practices used. Our study was conducted by Brazilian coaches and S&C coaches, therefore it does not encompass other countries.