Principles of Training & Conditioning

Conditioning

Principles

• Warm-up/cooldown

  • Prepare the body for upcoming work

  • Allow the body to absorb work that was put in and return to resting

    • Flexibility limitations - bone, fat, skin, muscles/tendons, neural tissue tightness

    • Stretching - AROM/PROM, dynamic, static, PNF, neural, fascia

      • Agonist - a muscle that contracts to produce a movement; Antagonist - muscle being stretched in response to contraction

• Motivation

  • Variety

• Overload

  • a. SAID principle - specific adaptations to imposed demands

• Consistency

  • Regular schedule

• Progression

  • Increases gradually

• Intensity

  • Intensity over quantity

• Specificity

  • Goals

• Individuality

  • Every athlete is different

• Minimize stress

  • Don't push past limits

• Safety

  • Proper technique

Strength, Power, Endurance

• Muscular strength - the maximum force that can be applied by a muscle during a single maximal contraction

• Power - a large amount of force generated quickly

• Muscular endurance - ability to perform repetitive muscular contractions against resistance
   

• Isometric contraction - muscle contracts to increase tension, no change in length of the muscle

  •  

    • Concentric contraction - muscle shortens in length while contracting to try and move some resistance

    • Eccentric contraction - resistance is greater than the muscular force, the muscle lengthens while contracting
       

    • Slow-twitch/type I - more resistant to fatigue, longer time to generate contraction; long-duration --> aerobic activity

    • Fast-twitch/type IIa - moderately resistant to fatigue, short term, high intensity --> anaerobic activity

    • Fast-twitch/type IIb - fatigue rapidly, short term, high intensity --> anaerobic activity
       

    • Hypertrophy vs atrophy - increase in muscle size due to cell growth (from increased training); decrease in muscle size due to decrease in cell size because of inactivity
       

    • Determining muscular strength

      • Size of muscle

      • Reason for muscle hypertrophy

      • Improved neuromuscular efficiency

      • Physiological response to resistance exercise

      • Biomechanics

      • Overtraining

      • Reversibility
         

    • Resistance training

      • Isometrics

      • Progressive resistance exercise (PRE)

        • Isotonics - concentric or eccentric

        • Strength - higher weights, lower reps 3 x 6-8

        • Endurance - lighter weights, higher reps 3 x 10-15

      • Isokentics

        • Biodex

      • Circuit training

        • Variety, different stations

      • Calisthenic

        • "free exercise"

      • Plyometrics

        • Hopping, jumping
           

    • Female athlete and adolescent athlete

      • Female - Increased testosterone = increased strength; strength gains plateau; strength to bodyweight ratio

      • Adolescent - Can do all types of training but need to be monitored

Cardio

• Cardiorespiratory endurance - the ability to perform whole-body, large muscle activities for extended periods of time

  • The cardiorespiratory system provides oxygen to the body and its tissues

  • Increased endurance = increased capability of the heart, lungs, blood vessels, and blood to provide oxygen to tissues

    • VO2max - greatest rate of oxygen can be taken in and utilized

      • Average for college-age athletes = 45-60 mL/kg/min

• The heart pumps oxygenated blood to meet demand

  • Heart rate increases proportionally to exercise intensity;

  • Increased stroke volume

  • Increased cardiac output - the maximal rate of oxygen consumption

    • Cardiac output = increased stroke volume x decreased heart rate (at given intensity)
       

• Energy systems

  • ATP: The Immediate Energy Source

    • ATP is produced in muscle tissue from blood glucose or glycogen

    • Glucose is stored as glycogen in resting muscle and liver then converted back to glucose

    • Once depleted, fats stored in adipose tissue are used for energy

    • During rest & submaximal exertion, substrate usage is 60% fat, 40% carbohydrates

  • Aerobic versus Anaerobic Metabolism

    • Glycogen metabolized in muscle cells to make ATP

    • Usually function simultaneously (degree determined by intensity & duration)

      • Low intensity enough that oxygen is substantial --> aerobic

      • High intensity with insufficient oxygen --> anaerobic
         

• Increase cardiorespiratory endurance

  • Continuous training

    • Aerobic --> running, biking, swimming

  • Interval training

    • Alternating intensities with rest

  • Fartlek training

    • Cross-country running
       

• ​​​​​Fitness assessment

  • Flexibility = sit-and-reach test, trunk extension test, shoulder lift test

  • Muscular strength, endurance, power = one-rep max - timed push-ups and sit-ups, chin-ups, bar dips, flexed arm hang, vertical jump

  • Cardiorespiratory endurance = Cooper’s 12-minute walk/run, 1.5-mile run, Harvard step test

  • Speed = 6-second dash, 10-60 yard dash
    Balance =Stork test
    Agility = T-test, Edgren side step, SEMO agility

Periodization

Conditioning for peak performance while reducing the risk of injury and overtraining through program development through seasons

• Macrocycle = total training period

• Mesocycle = divisions of macrocycle; varying time periods, weeks to months
   

• Training period

  • Unstructured - after the last competition through the early part of the offseason

• Preparatory period

  • Off-season, with no competition

  • Hypertrophy/endurance - early offseason

  • Strength - offseason

  • Power phase - preseason

• Competition

  • High intensity, low volume
     

• Cross-training

  • Training and conditioning for sport with alternate activities that have similarities

    • A swimmer can run for cardiorespiratory conditioning

    • Useful in transition/early prep periods

    • Variety in training; not sport-specific