what are the three components of a training session?
- warm up
- conditioning phase
- cool down
what is the warm up?
the warm up lays the foundations for the main workout or conditioning phase. It allows the body to adjust to the physiological and psychological demands that are going to be places on it during the session
purpose of warm up
- prepares the body physically and psychologically
- increases muscle temperature
- reduces risk of injury
- increases blood flow to working muscles
what are the stages of a warm up
stage one- cardio component
stage 2- stretching
stage 3- sport specific
cardio component of warm up
should be gradual, starting with 5-10 minutes of slow activity at low intensity, comprising general aerobic exercise such as walking or low intensity jog
stretching stage of warm up
dynamic stretching should be introduced into the warm up stage, further stretching tendons, muscles and joints for the work that follows
sport specific stage of the warm up
more sport specific based movements at an increasing intensity working towards an intensity just below main training. This prepares the body for the intensity that is required during the conditioning phase
what is the conditioning phase?
the main point of exercise training session that targets to maintain or improve a specific fitness component. Different sports and physical activities have different physiological requirements. Key considerations are, volume of work and intensity of the exercise. This will help determine which fitness components we target
why is the cool down phase of workout needed and what is it composed of?
A planned structured cooldown after the main workout plays a vital role in recovery. A cool down aims to reverse effects of fatigue
- best form of cool down is performing the same locomotion patterns at a reduced intensity
- cool down also presents as best time to perform stretching exercises, while body is warm and will benefit from some flexibility work and can reduce chance of muscle stiffness
purpose of a cool down
- allows for gradual recovery of heart and blood pressure
- returns body to pre-exercise levels
- allows for the removal of metabolic by-products
- decreases risk of DOMS
what is interval training?
consists of repeated periods of work followed by periods of rest and recovery. A greater volume of exercise can be performed by breaking the exercise into shorter more intense bouts, interspaced with rest. It can be tailored to the specific energy system needs of a sport
what are the benefits of interval training?
- higher intensities can be maintained
- specific energy systems can be targeted
- sessions are highly structured enabling progressed to be measured
types of interval training
- short interval training
- long interval training
- intermediate interval training
- high intensity interval training
what is short interval training?
the work periods in short interval training are dominated by the ATP-PC system and targets the fitness components anaerobic capacity and speed
what are the requirements of short interval training?
- work periods shouldn’t last longer than 10 seconds - this allows the ATP-PC system to have a predominant contribution
- work to rest ration should be no less that 1:5
- rest component should be passive - allows for more efficient recovery of ATP-PC system
- participant should be thoroughly warmed up before participating in conditioning phase due to the high intensity of training session
- work period intensity should be between 95% max HR or 10 RPE
what is the aim of flexibility training?
aims to train flexibility by stretching our muscles in different ways- static, ballistic, dynamic and PNF
benefits of flexibility training?
- reduce likelihood of injury
- reduce DOMS
- increase sporting performance
- release stress and tension
what is static stretching?
when a person stretches to a position, holds it for 10 seconds or more. Static stretching shouldn’t be performed as a warm up because it may lead to injury
what is dynamic stretching?
involved moving a joint through its full range of motion with controlled momentum. Ideal as part of a warm up and should mimic some of the movements about to be performed
what is ballistic stretching?
involves performing the same movements as dynamic stretching but with greater force. Can be dangerous as the increased momentum can lead to muscle strain if not controlled correctly. Only suitable for highly trained athletes
what is PNF
proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
when the muscle is stretched against a resistance until slight discomfort, then is isometrically contracted for 6 seconds. This is repeated after stretching further
requirements of flexibility training
- flexibility training should always be performed after body has warmed up
- can be done interdependently with any other training method
what is plyometrics training?
explosive training methods that involves the use of stretch shortening muscle cycles to produce powerful and explosive movements. It is an effective training method to target:
- speed
- power
- agility
what is the stretch shortening cycle?
involves rapid eccentric contractions of the muscles (muscle stretches) followed by a rapid concentric contraction of muscles (muscle shortens) causing an explosive action
