Dad Strong

Stronger Faster Fitter

What is Dad Strong?

At Valor Athletica, we believe regardless of family commitments, work stress and age everyone can reach their fitness potential. Our specifically tailored programme will get you looking good, feeling young and confident and being able to keep up with your kids.

Our Dad Strong programme is backed by evidence based research and focuses on improving your fitness by addressing the two main components of ageing; sarcopenia and osteoporosis. We address these components with a combination of strength and conditioning exercises.

Scroll down to learn more about our methods.

Testimonials

Mark, 52

“I’m the fittest I’ve been in my life because of Vasos’ individualised methods and attention to detail. I’m feeling better at the age of 61 than 31.”

Ivan, 38

“I gained a lot of weight and stopped going to the gym after having my 2 kids. The Dad Strong programme at Valor Athletica has helped me get back into shape.”

Lewis, 52

“My strength and mobility took a hit when I turned 50. But after following the Dad Strong programming for over 2 years I’ve noticed a huge difference. I even get to train with my teenage son!”

Our methods

Sarcopenia is an age-related progressive loss of muscle mass and strength. After the age of 30, a 3-8% loss of muscle mass per decade is normal, as well as reductions in muscle twitch time and twitch force (explosiveness).

Our solution to sarcopenia: increase motor unit size and force production through consistent, intense, and methodical training that improves both strength and power.

  • Examples of this include: multi joint exercises like squats and shoulder press, as well as olympic weightlifting, where coordination and strength is enhanced.

  • Refining your technique is the first step followed by hypertrophy (muscle building).
    Where imbalances or weaknesses are found, mobility and supplementary exercises are introduced to avoid injuries and reinforce good lifting habits.

  • This is followed by the strength stage (lift heavier) leading to the final stage, which focuses on power (lift heavy and fast).

  • In addition to resistance training, body weight exercises are a fundamental part of our training regime. Based on individual abilities each exercise is modified to meet individual goals. This approach will help with moving your body better and more efficiently.

Osteoporosis is an age-related disease that makes bones thinner and less dense, resulting in increased susceptibility to bone fractures. It’s estimated that bone mass decreases about 0.5% per year after 40 years of age.

Our solution to osteoporosis: implement the 3 main principles for osteogenic response through strength and impact training: specificity, overload and reversibility.

  • By utilising the same exercises as above in addition to some plyometrics (jumping continuously) the bone reconstruction continues at a high rate, minimising osteoporosis.

  • Firstly, before the jumping journey begins, you need to learn how to balance using the right muscles.

  • After being able to activate and strengthen the right muscles and positions for landing, the next stage of jumping is learning how to land with correct mechanics.

  • The next stage is improving the technique and coordination for jumping. Jumping requires quick and high magnitudes of force production,

  • The final stage is to jump repetitively without deterioration of power production (jump height), which will make you faster and more explosive.

  • In addition to being athletic this helps with everyday life as most falls happen due to lack of strength and balance as well as slow reacting muscles.

“Look well into thyself; there is a source of strength which will always spring up if thou wilt always look.”

―Marcus Aurelius, Meditations