Preparation and training methods

• Explosive strength


  The ability to expend a max amount of energy in one sudden high intensity movement, e.g high jump
• Strength endurance


  The ability of a muscle to sustain repeated muscle contractions or a singular static action, e.g rower
• Static flexibility

  The range of motion about the joint without movement
• Dynamic flexibility

  The range of motion about the joint without movement, e.g dance
• Principles of training (MRSPOV)

  • Moderation
  • Reversibility
  • Specificity
  • Progressive
  • Overload
  • Variance
• Moderation


  Appropriate balance of training to gain necessary adaption gradually
• Reversibility

  Period of inactivity can lead to the adaptation being lost, aerobic reverses quicker than anaerobic (atrophy is the loss of muscle size)
• Specificity

  Training must be relevant to individual ability and sport, energy system and muscle fibre type
• Progressive

  An improvement is made in training must be gradually increased
• Overload


  Body must work harder than normal by increasing time, type, intensity and frequency of training
• Variance


  Range of activities should prevent boredom and maintain motivation
• Types of training

  • High intensity interval training (HIIT)
  • Continuous training
  • Fartlek training
  • Circuit training
  • Plyometric/SAQ training
  • Weight/resistance training
  • Flexibility training
• High intensity interval training (HIIT)


  • Periods of high intensity work followed by periods of recovery (aerobic capacity)
• Continuous training

  • Steady state low intensity work for long periods of time (aerobic capacity)
• Fartlek training

  • Continuous steady state aerobic training interspersed with varied intensity speed play (aerobic capacity)
• Circuit training

  • A series of exercise stations arranged in order of muscle groups usually with a set time (strength endurance)
• Plyometric/SAQ training

  • Speed/agility/quickness, series of explosive exercises to improve the speed a muscle shortens (explosive strength)
• Weight/resistance training

  • Physical training which involves overcoming a resistance to improve strength and size of muscles (maximal strength)
• Flexibility training

  • Stretched focused on increasing range of motion at different joints (flexibility)
• Warm up:

  Pulse raiser (50% VO2 max), mobility exercises and stretches. This increases CO/HR/SV, decreases blood viscosity/OBLA and increases efficiency of muscle contractions.

  Cool down:

  Pulse reducer (50% VO2 max) and stretches. This maintains venous return and blood supply to muscles, removes lactic acid/carbon dioxide, decreases the risk of DOMS and helps relax/realign muscles.
• Purpose of periodisation

  • Ensure athletes reach physiological peak at the correct time
  • Ensures general fitness can be maintained
  • To organise training into blocks
• Phases of training

  1. Macro cycle - long term training plan, 1 year and a long term goal

  2. Meso cycle - mid term training plan, 1 to 4 months and a mid term goal

  3. Micro cycle - short term training plan, 1 to 3 weeks and consist of several sessions including several units
• Meso cycle

  1. Preparative phase - approximately 6 to 12 weeks before competitive season, lots of progressive overload, intensity will increase and high training volume will drop before competition

  2. Competitive phase - training load decreases, rest days are important, maintenance of fitness is imperative, tactics/strategies develop and endurance performers continue with high intensity training (maintenance)

  3. Tapering - approximately 2 to 3 weeks before competition, training load gradually decreases, recovery increases, training intensity is maintained and training volume decreases

  4. Transition/off season - approximately 4 to 6 weeks, active rest/recuperation, varied activities that maintain aerobic fitness and motivation
• Double periodisation


  When an athlete needs to peak more than once in a season
• Undulating periodisation


  When an athlete changes the principles of training to achieve multiple peaks in different fitness components
• Factors affecting the planning of training programmes

  • Testing
  • Goal setting
  • Training diary
  • Ergogenic aids
• Testing

  • Important to know baseline fitness, plan intensity of training and measure adaptation post training
• Goal setting

  Use SMART goals
• Training diary


  • Record results of each session to monitor progress and manage progressive overload
• Ergogenic aids


  Supplements to support training, pre/during/post event meals and hydration
• VO2 max is the highest rate of oxygen consumption attainable during maximal work, 15 * (HRmax / HRrest).

  Factors that affect VO2 max:

  Physiological make up - greater efficiency of respiratory system, strong respiratory muscles inspire more air.

  Efficiency of CV system - strength of heart muscles.

  Age - peak age is 21, as age increases elasticity in heart is lost.

  Gender - females have 15 to 30% lower VO2 max.

  Training - aerobic training increases VO2 max by 10 to 20%.
• Direct gas analysis


  Athlete performs continuous exercise at gradually increasing intensities till exhaustion, expired air is collected via a gas mask so oxygen and carbon dioxide can be measured
• Direct gas analysis

  • Direct objective measurement, accurate/valid/reliable and can be done on a variety of sports
  • Motivation issues, only healthy people can undertake and expensive equipment/specialists are needed
• Multi stage fitness test

  Athlete runs continuous 20 metre shuttle runs at progressive intensities to exhaustion, each shuttle is timed to an audio cue and results are compared to a standardised table equating to a VO2 max
• Multi stage fitness test


  • Large groups are tested at once, simple/cheap and normative data
  • Prediction not an actual VO2 max measurement, motivation issues and only healthy people can undertake
• Queen's college step test

  Continuously stepping up onto a box of 41.3cm height at a rhythm of 24 steps per minute for men and 22 steps per minute for women, HR is taken 5 seconds after completion and VO2 max is calculated from HR
• Queen's college step test

  • Not exhaustive, simple/cheap and normative data
  • Prediction not an actual measurement of VO2 max, not sport specific and step heigh affects people of differing heights differently
• Cooper 12 minute run


  Continuous run to achieve a maximum distance in 12 minutes to exhaustion, performed on a 400 metre track with the number of laps being counted and VO2 max is calculated from the score
• Cooper 12 minute run


  • Large groups can be tested at once, simple/cheap and normative data
  • Prediction not an actual measurement of VO2 max, motivation issues and only healthy people can undertake
• Karvonen‘s principle: calculate the correct training HR within a particular zone.

  Training HR = resting HR + %(HR max - resting HR)

  HR max = 220 - age