This is a guest article from Strength Coach, Fast Bowling Coach and Former First-Class Cricketer, Steffan Jones.

If a fast bowler isn't being physically stressed, you're wasting your time.

Too many bowlers focus on injury prevention as opposed to performance enhancement. It's costing pace and it's costing stamina. Most importantly, it doesn't even prevent injury. Thera band rotator cuff work, band glute walks and planks will not stress you sufficiently and prepare you for the rigours of bowling fast.

Constantly applying stress to the human body is the single most important component of any training program. Stress maximises athletic potential. This is why I believe coaches are stress managers. A coach must understand stress, its cause and effect relationship on the human body and how that relationship influences adaptations that improve pace.

Take a look at the lifting numbers most bowlers achieve. They are not elite standard, whether we like it or not.

Until you start overloading and stressing yourself without the worry of injuries, you will never achieve express bowling speed. It's a fine line, and that's why there needs to be understanding from the bowler, the coach and the trainer.

Risk is worth the reward

One thing I will never do is be ultra cautious and not stress bowlers enough because of the fear of injury.

This will achieve nothing.

Remember the goal is performance, not physiotherapy. The job is to bowl faster as a result of training. That's how all bowlers and coaches should be measured.

A quality program will enhance performance as well as make you more robust and less susceptible to injuries. Injuries will happen at some stage, that unfortunately is a guarantee. How you prepare them for that moment is what will make the difference. The risk far outweighs the rewards.

“Only when standing at the brink of destruction does man truly realises his potential” - Ancient Samurai Maxim

My take home message is simple.

Stress is builds fast bowlers, but it needs careful management. Never be over-cautious, fail yourself or your bowlers and hide behind low injury rates. You will learn how far you can fall over the cliff before pulling yourself back up.

If you bowl fast, or coach fast bowlers, learn the power of adaptation and recovery like a S&C Coach.

If you do this, you will be so far ahead of the pack it will give you the edge you need to become a cricketer.

For training plans that will stress you into bowling faster, download Steffan Jones' training plans from PitchVision Academy.