Fitness Training

Plyometrics

Speed and strength are integral components of fitness found in varying degrees in virtually all athletic movements. Simply put the combination of speed and strength is power. For many years coaches and athletes have sought to improve power in order to enhance performance. Throughout this century and no doubt long before, jumping, bounding and hopping exercises have been used in various ways to enhance athletic performance. In recent years this distinct method of training for power or explosiveness has been termed plyometrics. Whatever the origins of the word the term is used to describe the method of training which seeks to enhance the explosive reaction of the individual through powerful muscular contractions as a result of rapid eccentric contractions. The maximum force that a muscle can develop is attained during a rapid eccentric contraction. However, it should be realised that muscles seldom perform one type of contraction in isolation during athletic movements. When a concentric contraction occurs (muscle shortens) immediately following an eccentric contraction (muscle lengthens) then the force generated can be dramatically increased. If a muscle is stretched, much of the energy required to stretch it is lost as heat, but some of this energy can be stored by the elastic components of the muscle. This stored energy is available to the muscle only during a subsequent contraction. It is important to realise that this energy boost is lost if the eccentric Contraction is not followed immediately by a concentric contraction.

Running Economy

In many sports speed is an important attribute and ways to improve speed are sought after. In a simplistic view, to improve speed you need to increase stride length and/or stride rate. Many athletes and coaches initially concentrate on improving stride length only to find that both stride rate and speed decrease. It is perhaps more effective to work on stride rate because this increases the power in the leg muscles which in turn naturally increase stride length. In a number of sports (e.g. football, basketball, netball, hockey) the athlete is required to conduct short bursts of effort and is then able to recover by getting oxygen back into the system. There are sports (e.g. running) where there is a long sustained burst of effort and oxygen consumption (breathing rhythm) needs to be effective and efficient.

Sports Coaching

Planning the Training

The purpose of a Training Plan is to identify the work to be carried out to achieve agreed objectives. Training Plans should be drawn up to identify long term (4 years) objectives as well as short term plans for the forth coming season. In its simplest form the plan could comprise of a single, A4 sheet identifying the overall plan for the year, and more detailed weekly plans identifying the specific activities the athlete is to carry out. The process of creating a training program to help develop an individual's level of fitness comprises of 6 stages:

• Stage 1 - gather details about the individual
• Stage 2 - identify the fitness components to develop
• Stage 3 - identify appropriate tests to monitor fitness status
• Stage 4 - conduct a gap analysis
• Stage 5 - compile the program
• Stage 6 - monitor progress and adjust program Stage 1

Communication Skills

Communication is the art of successfully sharing meaningful information with people by means of an interchange of experience. Coaches wish to motivate the athletes they work with and to provide them with information that will allow them to train effectively and improve performance. Communication from the coach to athlete will initiate appropriate actions. This however, requires the athlete to not only receive the information from the coach but also to understand and accept it. Coaches need to ask themselves:

• Do I have the athlete's attention?
• Am I explaining myself in an easily understood manner?
• Has the athlete understood?
• Does the athlete believe what I am telling him/her?
• Does the athlete accept what I am saying?

Sports Science

Fat Burning Zone

Researchers from Birmingham University's Human Performance Laboratory attempted to pinpoint the exercise intensities at which fat metabolism is maximised in a study of 18 male endurance cyclists with a training background of at least three years. Their work found that the Fatmax Zone is between 68% and 79% MHR Alternative research has suggested that when you cycle, swim, row or run at a modest intensity of only 50% VO2max (about 69% MHR), fat provides about 50% of the calories you need to keep going for the first hour or so. If you keep going after that, fat becomes even more generous, providing around 70% of the total energy after two hours and 80% or more if your work duration exceeds three hours. If you increase the intensity then the Fat contribution decreases - at 75% VO2max fat provides 33% of the energy.

Psychology

The increased stress of competitions can cause athletes to react both physically and mentally in a manner which can negatively affect their performance abilities. They may become tense, their heart rates race, they break into a cold sweat, they worry about the outcome of the competition, they find it hard to concentrate on the task in hand. This has led coaches to take an increasing interest in the field of sport psychology and in particular in the area of competitive anxiety. That interest has focused on techniques which athletes can use in the competitive situation to maintain control and optimise their performance. Once learned, these techniques allow the athlete to relax and to focus his/her attention in a positive manner on the task of preparing for and participating in competition. Psychology is another weapon in the athlete's armoury in gaining the winning edge.

"A" Level and GCSE

How do we develop Speed?

The technique of sprinting must be rehearsed at slow speeds and then transferred to runs at maximum speed. The stimulation, excitation and correct firing order of the motor units, composed of a motor nerve (Neuron) and the group of muscles that it supplies, makes it possible for high frequency movements to occur. The whole process is not totally clear but the complex coordination and timing of the motor units and muscles most certainly must be rehearsed at high speeds to implant the correct patterns. Flexibility and a correct warm up will affect stride length and frequency (strike rate). Stride length can be improved by developing muscular strength, power, strength endurance and running technique.

The development of speed is highly specific and to achieve it we should ensure that:

• Flexibility is developed and maintained all year round
• Strength and speed are developed in parallel
• Skill development (technique) is pre-learned, rehearsed and perfected before it is done at high speed levels
• Speed training is performed by using high velocity for brief intervals. This will ultimately bring into play the correct neuromuscular pathways and energy pathways

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate is stored as glucose in the liver and muscles and is the most efficient source of energy as it requires less oxygen to be burnt than either protein or fat. The normal body stores of carbohydrate in a typical athlete are:

• 70kg male athlete - Liver glycogen 90g and muscle glycogen 400g
• 60kg female athlete - Liver glycogen 70g and muscle glycogen 300g.

During hard exercise, carbohydrate can be depleted at a rate of 3-4 grams per minute. If this is sustained for 2 hours or more, a very large fraction of the total body carbohydrate stores will be exhausted and if not checked will result in reduced performance. Recovery of the muscle and liver glycogen stores after exercise will normally require 24-48 hours for complete recovery. During exercise there is in an increased uptake of blood glucose by the muscles and to prevent blood glucose levels falling the liver produces glucose from the liver stores and lactate. Consuming carbohydrate before, during and after exercise will help prevent blood glucose levels falling too low and also help maintain the body's glycogen stores. Many athletes cannot consume food before or during exercise and therefore a formulated drink that will provide carbohydrate is required.

New Articles

Without a plan, you will be mediocre at best

The most common problem facing Trainers & Coaches today with respect to developing young athletes over time is the ability to plan long-term. The personal training and coaching professions are most typically based on a session-to-session consideration - clients pay per session most often and Trainers create training programs one session at a time. The same is true for coaching sport - most Coaches script out one practice plan at a time, rather than create a relative flow for an entire month or even season.

No one can learn how to create 6 or 12 month plans in a day. It takes time and diligent effort to acquire this skill, but your ability to get better over time will have a direct and positive impact on both your young athletes' success rate as well as your businesses/teams ability to attract new clients. Set an objective for yourself to create a system or plan that allows you to develop long-term and wide-focused agendas for your young athletes. Take several days or weeks if need be to create a system that is streamlined and easy to implement - although your are looking for a comprehensive system, the more basic you make it, the more easy it will be to adhere to.

Static Contraction Training - Maximum Overload in Minimal Time!

Static contraction training, instead of focusing on the amount of exercise and frequency, emphasizes intensity of the workout session. This is done by working with weights that are far in excess of what you would use during a traditional strength training workout routine. In order to understand the theory behind static contraction training, you must first understand how muscle's work, and what causes muscles to grow. Each muscle in your body contains a variety of fibres. Without going into detail for our purposes, each fibre type becomes involved in physical activity at different levels of stress. In other words, if the physical requirements of a particular activity are very light, only certain muscle fibres of the involved muscle group may be needed to complete that activity. If the physical demands are more strenuous, the muscle may require the involvement of an additional group of muscle fibres. If the physical demands are very strenuous, the muscle may require involvement of all muscle fibres simultaneously. In other words, the muscle fibres in each muscle are recruited into activity based on the amount required to complete the activity.

Stamina - the unwelcome word in rugby training

Stamina work is something that most players love to hate and finding an effective way to develop stamina, one that the players will accept and do willingly (happily is maybe not the best adjective), is an important area of the coach's job. When we broached the subject at my own club last year and talked about the need for running, our captain growled, "I did not join the rugby team to do track and field!" Other players nodded and the search for hard-working, yet rugby-based, stamina activities began. The key element is the players' willingness to participate with a positive frame of mind and a willingness to see the task through to the end.

Generally accepted research indicates that the amount of actual playing time has, in recent years, risen to about one third of total game time. So, in an eighty minute game, we should be looking for between twenty five and twenty six minutes of full-time activity, undertaken at top speed and full power. The target, therefore, is to create/build a series of activities in which the players would be active for a certain period of time and the rest/recovery time would be double. For example, a one minute activity would be followed by a two minute recovery period. Few plays last that long, though, so we mainly focused on a thirty second activity followed by one minute for recovery.

Developing your speed - Learn to land softly and quietly

This month's speed secret is both a cue for your athletes and a foundational concept for applying plyometric training to your program: "Learn to land softly and quietly. Absorb each landing with the muscles in your legs so you do not place extreme stress on joints, bones, ligaments and tendons." If athletes are making loud noises with their feet or landing stiffly, then they are not performing the exercise correctly. Always err on the side of caution when using plyometrics. Of course, when done correctly, plyometrics are an excellent supplement to your speed, strength and power training program. They can greatly improve your power levels and help increase body control since they deal with moving your own bodyweight. I am sure you have done, or had your athletes do; bounding exercises, box jumps or medicine ball throws before. The question is: how do you know whether athletes are actually benefiting from these activities as opposed to putting themselves at risk for injury?

The power of thoughts

There is scientific proof that negative thinking does play a role in producing negative outcomes. If you do not believe it then try this experiment: You will need another person to serve as a volunteer. Tell the volunteer that you are going to be conducting a test in muscular strength and how positive and/or negative thoughts and words affect muscular strength. Make sure that your volunteer has no arm, shoulder, or elbow injuries before undertaking this test.

Extend your arms straight out to the side, shoulder height, parallel to the floor. I am going to place two fingers (index and middle) on your wrist. I am going to push down on your wrist, trying to force you to lower your arms. I want you to resist my pressure. Ready? Go. (Push slowly until their arms begin to lower.)

Okay, that was great! For this experiment that will be your base strength. We will use it to compare other tests. Now close your eyes and lower your arms. See yourself doing something negative. It could be failing a test, not playing well, blowing a sale, or even tripping and falling. Say out loud your favourite putdown words. Repeat them out loud several times. After they repeat their favourite putdown words out loud 6-8 times, have them raise their arms again. They are to continue saying their favourite putdown words. Once again place the two fingers on their wrist. Ready? Go.