What muscles do you need to train to be able to bat more powerfully and with better timing?

I always thought I knew the answer to that question and could reel off a list of muscle groups involved in every shot. But now I'm happy to admit that I was wrong.

Hitting a ball with a cricket bat is not about what muscles you use and the strength of each individual muscle. It's about generating power through correct coordination and timing.

Recently I was lucky enough to speak to Michael Boyle, one of the foremost experts sport strength and conditioning in America.

Michael was kind enough to give me a series of tips for cricketers at any level who want to improve their game by being stronger, faster and more powerful.

1. Train for speed and power. Cricket is a sport built on fast, powerful movements. Michael was quick to point out that this is what you need to train: "Long runs won't help with cricket. Neither will the light weights and lots of reps crap. Train like a speed and power athlete."

I'm increasingly becoming a fan of core training. Not as some odd gimmick for gyms to use their Swiss balls, but as a way of teaching yourself to generate more speed and power for cricket.

That means doing core (or trunk or pillar) training in the right way: A way that allows you to transfer power from the "toes to the fingertips".

It's a way that we as cricketers can learn from the world of baseball.

This is the final part the "Principles of Cricket Fitness" series. To go to Part 1 click here.

The world of fitness is ever changing as new research, techniques and fads come to light. Some ideas work brilliantly for cricket and some are a waste of time.

That's why it's important to focus on the constants that have been proven over the years with real cricketers.

This is the 4th in the "Principles of Cricket Fitness" series. To go to Part 1 click here.

One of the most frustrating things about fitness training is as soon as you stop your improvements start to fade. Unlike getting back on a bike, your muscles and lungs do forget.

That's the third training principle: All fitness improvements reverse when training stops.

This is the 3rd in the "Principles of Cricket Fitness" series. To go to Part 1 click here.

It's been said before and will be said again: The best way to get fit for cricket is by playing cricket.

That, in a nutshell, is the principle of "specificity": Your body adapts to demand put on it in a highly specific way.

This is the 2nd in the "Principles of Cricket Fitness" series. To go to Part 1 click here.

Ancient Greece is more famous in sport for the Olympics rather than the smack of leather on willow. These two great endeavours do have an element in common and that's how the Greeks can show cricket the way.

Fitness for cricket is both simple and complex. Simple because it is built on certain principles that anyone can understand. Complex because there are a million ways to interpret those principles and turn them into a training plan.

It seems to me that a good place to start would be to understand these principles so you can see if your fitness programme is the best for your needs.

This is part 4 of the "Cricket Fitness for Older Players" series. To go to part 1 click here.

Balance and mobility are two often overlooked factors for all cricketers. For older players they are even more important.

Balance is vital because it is the starting point for both power and technique. Mobility is needed to reduce the risk of injury and increase power through having a greater range of motion through your hips, trunk and shoulders.

This is part 3 of the "Cricket Fitness for Older Players" series. To go to part 1 click here.

It's not a nice thing to think about, but as you get older there are increased risked related to both you cricket life and your real life.

As long as you are active you are helping reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis. As a cricketer you need to consider how age affects your game: