KEY CONCEPT 4

Principals and Methods of Training

Once you have collected data and identified your strengths and weaknesses, you must start to plan a training programme in order to improve. To do this, you need to take into account the important PRINCIPALS of TRAINING and the different METHODS of TRAINING you will use.

Remember – Training can be completed WITHIN THE ACTIVITY or OUTWITH THE ACTIVITY and we will look at examples in both for Football.

PRINCIPALS OF TRAININGFor your training programme to be effective, you must apply the principals of training...

SPECIFICITY

Specificity is crucial to performance development. It means that you must ensure that your training is SUITABLE TO YOUR ACTIVITY and your CURRENT LEVEL OF FITNESS and ABILITY.

PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD

Progressive Overload means that the performer progressively adds to the demands of the training programme as their body adjusts to their current programme.

When Overloading your training programme, you will take into account:

FREQUENCY

HOW OFTEN?

To Overload your training programme, you may increase how often you train. You may go from two times per week, to three times per week.

DURATION

HOW LONG?

To Overload your training programme, you may increase how long you train for. You may go from training for 35 mins to training for 40 mins.

INTENSITY

HOW HARD?

To Overload your training programme, you need to make sure that you are working in your training zone: 60 – 80% of your maximum heart rate.

REVERSIBILITY

Reversibility is what happens to a performer when they stop training. You may stop training due to lack of motivation or injury but this will mean that you will lose your current fitness and level and revert back to your original starting point.

Reversibility will also occur if you do nor progressively overload your training programme.

So as you decide which methods of training to use, you need to make sure that you take these PRINCIPALS OF TRAINING into consideration:

- SPECIFICITY

- PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD

- DURATION

- INTENSITY

- FREQUENCY

- REVERSIBILITY

TYPES OF TRAININGSo to improve your fitness, there are several methods that you can use.

CONTINUOUS TRAINING

This includes:Any exercises (running, swimming, cycling) that make sure the heart rate is working in the performers training zone for more than 30 minutes, 3-4 sessions per week

BENEFITS- Can be done indoors or outdoors- Develops AEROBIC capacity- Easy/straightforward to plan

OVERLOAD can be achieved by increasing how often you train (FREQUENCY), how long you train for (DURATION) or by exercising faster (INTENSITY)

FARTLEK TRAINING (VARIED PACE RUNNING)

This includes:Continuous running or swimming with short sprint bursts followed by a slower recovery and then more continuous paced running or swimming. In this training you will vary between Sprinting, Jogging, Half Paced running and walking.

BENEFITS- Develops AEROBIC capacity (from the continuous running)- Develops ANAEROBIC fitness (from the short sprints)- Can be adapted to terrain (e.g. Using hills etc)- Excellent method for games players

OVERLOAD can be achieved by increasing how often you train (FREQUENCY), how long you train for (DURATION) or by exercising faster (INTENSITY)

CIRCUIT TRAINING

This includes:- Fixed circuit of set tasks suitable to the performers needs- Multi Station circuit- General exercises focussing on specific large muscle groups- Planned circuit focussing on specific fitness development

BENEFITS- Develops both general and specific fitness- Exercises can be adapted to suit fitness factors- Can be done indoors or outdoors

OVERLOAD can be achieved by increasing repetitions of exercises or work time at each station, or by decreasing the rest time.

WEIGHT TRAINING

This includes:- ISOTONIC exercises = moving a weight through a range of movement. E.g. A Shoulder Press. Develops Dynamic Strength- ISOMETRIC exercises = holding or resisting weight. E.g. The Plank. Develops Static Strength- You can do both ISOTONIC and ISOMETRIC exercises in the gym with free standing weights and weight machinesBENEFITS- Develops both general and specific fitness- Develops muscular endurance, speed and power- Relatively easy to calculate personal levels (e.g. 40 – 50% of 1RM)OVERLOAD can be achieved by increasing weight (INTENSITY) or by increasing the number of repetitions (FREQUENCY)

REMEMBER: To improve LME = High Reps + Low Weights

To improve Strength = Low Reps + High Weights

INTERVALTRAINING

This includes:- Any form of exercise that allows a work/rest interval to be calculated- Exercises chosen should be technically easy - e.g. 2 minutes work to 1 minute rest of swimming, cycling or runningBENEFITS- Develops both AEROBIC and ANAEROBIC capacity- Easily calculated- Allows high intensity work with limited fatigue

OVERLOAD can be achieved by carrying out the programme more often (FREQUENCY), Decreasing rest intervals (INTENSITY) or by exercising for longer (DURATION)

SKILL RELATED FITNESS TRAININGTo improve aspects of skill related fitness, it may be appropriate to train WITHIN THE ACTIVITY. The method of training needs to add skill demands to physical fitness demands. SKILL RELATED FITNESS CIRCUIT This is a circuit similar to the one you may complete to improve your Physical Fitness – but at each station the performer completes skill related tasks. Let’s look at a Football Example....

X X X XShooting practice

X X X X X X X X X X X XLong passing/Aerobic Running

X X X X X XX X X X X X

X X X X X XX X X X X X

Short Passing And

Moving Practice

Dribbling Practice

X X X X X X

Screening And

Tackling Practice

X X X XShooting practice

X X X X X X

X X X X X X

Volleying/HeadingPractice

MENTAL FITNESS TRAINING

Mental Practice before performing can help the performer manage emotions better during their performance. There are many approaches you can take to this type of training.

KEY POINTS - Select a QUIET AREA away from performance area- Get a MIND PICTURE of a quality performance

- BREAK whole performance into small parts- Be POSITIVE and imagine SUCCESS

KEY CONCEPT 5

Planning, Implementing and Monitoring Training in pursuit of personal goals

You will often plan and implement a personalised training programme in order to improve your performance. This training programme will usually be progressive in order to bring about continuous improvements. Many performers will structure their LONG TERM planning through PERIODISATION.

A periodized training year can be broken into three main PHASES OF TRAINING:

- Preparation Period

- Competitive Period

- Transition Period

Preparation Period

This includes PRE SEASON TRAINING. General Training is normally used at the beginning of this phase. This is followed by more specific training when there will be an INCREASE IN INTENSITY of physical fitness work.

This could be through more demanding aerobic work, or through an increase in strength requirements of exercises (weights or circuit training)

The fitness work at this stage will be:

- SPECIFIC to the NATURE of the Activity- SPECIFIC to YOUR ROLE in the Activity- Concentrates on SKILL RELATED and PHYSICAL ASPECTS of fitness

Competition Period

During the competition, you MAINTAIN your physical and skill related fitness. Your aim is to ensure that you benefit from your pre season training during full performance.

Within the competition period, there may be particular competitions of special importance to you – for example Cup Matches or a local derby match. You will want to PEAK for these competitions.For these “PEAKS” you will fine tune your preparation with the event in mind. Part of this preparation will involve a period of “TAPERING DOWN” your training prior to competition to AVOID TRAINING FATIGUE.

Following the peak event, you will need a brief recovery time before continuing with your training.

Transition Period

Following the competitive season you need a period of active rest. This period marks the divide between the end of one season and the beginning of a new preparation period for the next season.

During this break, it is important that there is a definite break from competitive activity. However it is still important to retain a level of general physical fitness during this time.

Let’s look at an example of a Football player’s periodized training year:

Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun

Inte

nsity

of t

rain

ing

High

Low

TRAINING CYCLES

Once you have identified your training priorities you need to set goals for what you want to achieve through training. This will help monitor your achievement and help increase your motivation.

You can describe your training patterns over TRAINING CYCLES. There are three training cycles:Micro CycleRelates to the immediate, day-to-day training targets. This could be looking at a week’s worth of training.

Meso CycleRelates to the short term, week-to-week training targets. This could be looking at a month’s worth of training

Macro CycleRelates to the long term, month-to-month training targets. This could be looking at a period’s worth of training. This will take into account special competitions and “tapering down” areas.