Conditioning
When
we talk about conditioning it is actually the process of improving the
capacities of the heart and lungs (cardio-respiratory system) whereby nutrient
rich blood, namely oxygen, is transported to the working muscles in an
efficient fashion. Legendary football
coach Vince Lombari is famed for saying that "fatigue makes cowards of us
all". We see this game in and game out
in many sports. If you "run out of gas"
in the second half and can't perform at your best, more often that not we lose
that game. You can have the best skills
in the world but if your fitness level is not up to the task those skills are
virtually useless late in the game.
Physiologically
speaking the energy systems we are addressing with our conditioning programs
are the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems and every athlete needs to train
both systems in order to succeed.
Aerobic System
Aerobic training provides several health
and fitness benefits. Its primary
purpose is to develop cardiovascular endurance or strengthen the heart and lungs. Secondary benefits include a method of
caloric "burn", which is vital to a weight management plan; as well as aid in
recovery from intense activities as common during athletic competition.
This system is best developed by.....
- Performing
movements that engage large amounts of muscle in a rhythmic and continuous
fashion. Examples include jogging,
swimming, biking...
- Performing
said activity for a period of time, usually 20-30 minutes at a moderate
heart rate (65%-85% of max heart rate)
- The
activity should be performed multiple times each week depending on the
time of year (off season or pre season) 2-4 days each week.
Anaerobic System
The process of anaerobic glycolosis is one
where ATP (energy) is supplied or restored to the working muscles without the
presence of oxygen, unlike in the aerobic system where oxygen is present. This system is the focal point of any sport
where sprinting and / or changing of direction in a high intensity fashion are
required; which evidently is all of them.
This system is best developed by.....
- Performing
short duration high intensity sprints with a recovery time. This is commonly called interval
training and the sprints commonly last between 15sec and 1 minute with a
recovery time of 2-3 times that. (15 sec sprint = 30-45 sec. recovery)
- Allowing
adequate recovery between training sessions. Follow the same guidelines as strength
training, which is every other day.
In fact interval training is recommended prior to weight training
in order to facilitate recovery.
- Being
consistent. Interval training is
not always fun and at times leaves you in an uncomfortable state, but it
is very productive and will get you ready for your sport.
Since All
sports require the use of both
energy systems - both systems should
be trained. As a general rule, early off season should focus on developing the
aerobic system. As the season approaches
interval running and agilities should be used to anaerobic system.
Interval Workouts
