Each training session should commence with a warm-up that introduces aerobic activity (for example. jogging or skipping) and flexibility exercises. This should be followed by a phase that works on skill development and tactics, or strength conditioning, depending on the purpose of the session. The session should conclude with a warm-down to enable the athlete to recover. Each of these phases has a vital role to play in allowing the athlete to train safely and experience progression.

Warm-Up

A good warm-up should gradually increase the intensity the level of activity to activate the required muscles and joints that will be used during the main body of exercise. A tell-tale sign of a good warm-up is when the athlete experiences increased blood flow, raised muscle temperature and sweating in response to the gradual increase of intensity of the warm-up. The warm-up should prepare the body both psychologically and physiologically.

Stretching

A battery of appropriate stretches should follow the warm-up. The main aim of this phase is to increase the range of motion around the joints and reduce the likelihood of soft tissue damage. There are two types of stretching you can choose from; dynamic stretching and static stretching.

Skill Development

Work on skill development and tactics should take place before the athlete is fatigued and, while they are alert and able to focus so it should usually be completed before the main conditioning session. To add variety to a session, it can useful to have skill development performed under fatigue after the main conditioning session. Additionally, it can be just as good to perform a conditioning session while you are feeling fresh. This is a great way to avoid the monotony that can creep into a training program that is too structured. A good challenge for cocahes is to design training drills that achieve skill development and fitness development without compromising either one.

Main Conditioning Session

The main objective of this phase is to enable the athlete to achieve their main fitness goals. This session should be hard, pushing the athlete to there phyiscal and mental limits. Condition sessions can be swimming based, running based, cycling based, or even ball based for ball sports.

Try our suggested running sessions, swim sessions, and cycling sessions for ideas.

Recovery Cool-Down

Just as exercise intensity must be gradually increased by a warm-up, so to must it gradually taper off. Progressively reducing the intensity of the activity and incorporating some flexibility work (static stretching), will gradually bring the athlete back to resting levels. This will enable them to recover from the conditioning session without experience stiffness in joints and muscles.

DESIGN OF A TRAINING YEAR

The design of a training year can be broken up into three main periods.

Pre-season

In the pre-season period, the coach aims to devise a program that will provide a suitable foundation for the competition season. The initial preparatory phase should include a high volume of medium-high intensity endurance activity to develop the main physiological requirements of the sport. Initially, pre-season should include a high quanity of endurance activity to establish a base fitness level before the quality of work increased by raising the intensity. This will help avoid injury, fatigue and general soreness.

Any deteceted weaknesses hhould be corrected at this stage. Weaknesses in specific componenents of strength and power, for example, can be remedied.

Competition

By this stage, the athlete should have reached their optimal fitness level, and precision in the performance of skills should be evident. From now on, the goal should be to maintain fitness levels. At training, the intensity of activity and drills performed should be approximately the same intensity as the competition.

Off-Season

At this stage, the athlete should enjoy a well deserved rest but should still be mindful that the less work he does and the more stubs he puts down, the harder training will be when he returns. A maintainence of playing weight and fitness should try and be kept through a variety of activities with the objective of enabling physiological and pyschological regeneration.