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Sports Specific Fitness Training and Conditioning...

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Interval Training: Sport-Specific Conditioning.

By: Craig Ballantyne

In many sports, a high level of aerobic fitness is necessary for optimal performance because it promotes endurance and assists recovery in "stop-and-go" type sports, such as ice hockey.

To improve aerobic fitness, coaches have traditionally prescribed long and tedious sessions of continuous sub-maximal exercise for athletes, regardless of their sport-specific metabolic demands.

Most team sports are not characterized by continuous sub-maximal movement speeds, but rather these sports demand periods of high-intensity effort interspersed with maximal bursts of speed and periods of almost complete inactivity.

Take soccer for example, a player may move at a moderate speed for minutes while following the play and then will be forced to sprint at their maximal pace for the ball. After that, the player could be faced with a stoppage in play of up to a minute due to various factors.

Considering the endless possibilities, is long-duration, moderate-intensity aerobic training the best method of conditioning these types of athletes? In my opinion it is not. What then are the alternatives?

Let us consider "Aerobic Interval (AI) Training" as a more beneficial manner at increasing the aerobic fitness and sport-specific muscular endurance of an athlete in a "stop-and-go" team sport.

Aerobic Interval (AI) Training

Aerobic interval training provides a more sport-specific training intensity; a greater training stimulus that can be applied to the muscles used in the specific activities, and may also be an advanced training method for endurance training athletes looking to overcome a plateau in their aerobic fitness levels.

The intensity level of this training technique is much higher than the intensity level commonly associated with aerobic training. The exercise stimulus may in fact be very damaging to the muscle in its initial attempts, and can result in muscle soreness in the days following the training session.

Therefore, prior to beginning a "full-blown" training regimen of AI's, the athlete should develop general muscular strength and endurance and perform a short "lead-in" program of general aerobic exercise (2 weeks; 3 sessions per week; 20 minutes; high-intensity; sport-specific activity).

The initial (first week; 2 sessions) AI training sessions should be conservative in training volume (3-5 intervals) to accustom the muscles and joints to the intensity. As well, a thorough and specific warm-up should be performed as well as pre- and post-exercise flexibility routines.

AI training involves alternating bouts of exercise with recovery periods. A sport-specific mode of exercises is performed for a short duration (2-5 minutes) and followed by an equal length rest interval. High-intensity work is the key factor in this type of training.

By incorporating rest intervals, the athlete can work at a much higher (and more sport-specific) power output in comparison to traditional aerobic training.

Determining Intensity

Determining the intensity of the exercise bout is definitely the trickiest component of the training prescription. The "work" pace should elicit the individual's maximal heart rate by the end of the exercise bout. For example, if a 20-year old athlete (max HR = ~200) ran a 3-minute interval then their 10-second heart rate count should be ~33 beats (33 x 6 = 198) at the end of exercise.

An example distance for a 3-minute running interval would be ~800m. Basically, the athlete wants to pick a training intensity that they believe they could hold constant for up to 10 minutes.

Obviously, picking the intensity can be very subjective unless the facility has "high-tech" training equipment. As the AI intensity should correspond to about 95-100% of the individual's VO2max, if the athlete has access to high-tech training technology then a more accurate training prescription may be allowed.

Providing an adequate and complete rest interval is paramount! The rest interval must be of an extremely low-intensity so that sufficient recovery will occur, and the next work interval can again be performed at a high power output. Do not sacrifice the quality of rest because this will only reduce the benefit of AI training.

A reduced recovery will prevent lactate clearance (lactate = muscle fatigue), phosphate energy (CP & ATP) recovery, and improvements in aerobic metabolism. Remember, this is not continuous training!

Many athletes that have traditionally trained with only long, slow distance workouts may have difficulty with this concept at the outset of the program; however these athletes will soon become more comfortable in taking a full-length recovery interval.

At ~2 minutes of maximal exercise, the contribution of the anaerobic & aerobic energy systems are nearly equal, and at 5 minutes, the contribution is 30% anaerobic & 70% aerobic. Therefore, the high-intensity, short-duration nature of AI allows sport-specific demands to be applied.

Training at such a high-intensity recruits the fast-twitch muscle fibers. These fibers are predominantly responsible for anaerobic performance, but by improving the aerobic system of these fibers, they will be able to recover quicker and be ready to contribute to sprint-performance with less rest time.

The adaptations in the body will be occurring predominantly at the muscle level. The muscle fibers will increase their ability to extract and use oxygen, but the improvements on oxygen delivery (heart and lung adaptations) may be minimal.

The athlete will also improve their ability to tolerate lactate (lactic acid buildup in the muscle and blood) and will be ready to start Anaerobic Interval training in the pre-season.

Anaerobic Intervals

Anaerobic intervals match precisely the demands of the sport. For example, a hockey anaerobic interval would be maximal exercise for 30-45 seconds followed by 1-3 minutes of recovery.

An anaerobic interval training prescription needs to be addressed in, and deserves, an article of its own - perhaps in the near future... (Stay tuned.)

Aerobic Intervals

Fluids should be available at all times throughout the training session to help combat dehydration. Unfortunately, many athletes may not feel comfortable consuming a high-volume of water or sports drinks while undergoing this intensity of training.

To compensate, ensure adequate pre-hydration (make it a habit to drink sufficient fluids daily) and excess post-exercise fluid intake.

The athlete should use AI to train the body to consume fluids during rest intervals of competition. Remember the importance of being well-hydrated (dehydration can cause a reduction in endurance).

Warning

Your legs will feel like Jello upon completion of this workout for the first time! The muscle glycogen (carbohydrate energy) stores will be extremely depleted, and muscle fatigue will be high also due to lactate accumulation.

Therefore, take caution in the scheduling of the remainder of your training day and the following day because of reduced neuromuscular coordination and fatigue.

However, full recovery should occur within 24-48 hours. Make sure to consume a high-carbohydrate snack immediately after exercise, and to maintain a diet with sufficient carbohydrate foods and fluids.

Therefore, AI training should occur in a sport-specific manner. The intensity and duration of the intervals should increase in specificity as the pre-season draws closer. Therefore, AI's train the body to perform repeated intervals of high-power outputs, with the end result being an increase in sport performance!

Courtesy Bodybuilding.com

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10 Keys To Athletic Success!

So you consider yourself an athlete? What does that mean? How can you be sure that you will be successful as an athlete? Here are 10 things that I consider keys to athletic success.

I have considered myself an athlete since I joined the varsity tennis team in high school. That was about 8 years ago now, and I still consider myself an athlete, but the big difference now is how I define being an athlete. I used to think being an athlete just meant playing a sport competitively and being "athletic." Well now I'm older and wiser, and I know that being an athlete is something that becomes a part of all aspects of your life, and comes to help define who you are as a person.

I have learned a lot over my time as an athlete, from many places including; friends, family, teammates, books, and the internet. There are some ideas that seem to be constants when it comes to athletics, in that they are mentioned by all of the sources I just listed and more.

After I gave this fact more thought, I decided maybe these are the keys to athletic success; By athletic success I don't mean only bodybuilding, I feel these can apply to any athlete in any sport, and many of them can apply to anyone in general.

Here is a list of my top 10, and a short description of each. In no particular order:

Top 10 Keys To Athletic Success

1. Mindset:

This in my opinion is the hardest part of being a successful athlete. Without mental discipline you will never be able to reach your goals as an athlete. The fact that there's a whole segment of Bodybuilding.com dedicated to the mind, is really no surprise. Having the correct mindset all begins with deciding for yourself that you are an athlete, and believing in yourself.
A lot of people may give you a weird look when you refer to yourself as an athlete, I'm a tall skinny guy, and I've dealt with this for years. It's important to stay focused and not be distracted by negative outside influences. For me one of the best things about being an athlete is surprising people and proving people wrong.

2. Set Goals:

This is a large part of creating the correct mindset, and could have probably been placed as a sub section of that key. However I feel it is important enough to warrant its own section. Goals are very important when it comes to staying motivated, and having a sense of accomplishment.
A goal can be something as simple as losing 5 pounds in 1 month, or as detailed as transforming your entire body and changing your life. The important thing to remember is to set realistic goals that are within your ability to achieve. Too often I've seen people set unrealistic goals, and give up frustrated, blaming their failure on a variety of excuses, don't let this happen to you.

3. Weight Training:

Everyone can benefit from weight training, not only athletes. However for athletes, a consistent and focused workout program is absolute necessity. I'm not sure about you, but I feel much better in general when I've been lifting weights consistently. You may have noticed that I mentioned consistency twice already, and I believe that is the most important part of this key.
Find a workout that works for you and stick with it. You don't have to be a bodybuilder to lift weights, I'm quite tired of hearing people say: "I don't want to lift weights, because I'll get all scary and too muscular."

4. Diet & Nutrition:

More than anything this is mentioned in all the fitness research I have done. The standard answer seems to be that being fit is really 60% diet and 40% exercise. I'm not really sure if I agree with that since that statement doesn't take the mind into account. I am sure however, that a balanced diet is key when it comes having the energy it takes to be an athlete.
Another reoccurring theme when it comes to bodybuilding is adequate protein intake; the universal answer here is 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.

Personally I highly recommend taking a multivitamin daily as well. Another standard seems to be 4-6 meals a day, instead of the 3 large meals you probably grew up with.

5. Water:

I would hope that this would be obvious; water is pretty important as far as living in general it's second only to oxygen. A large percentage of your body is water, so it should follow by logic that if you plan on building your body, you should be drinking a lot of water. Just how much?
Is the next question, the recommendation for a non-athlete is about 64 ounces a day. All of the articles I've read involving water intake seem to use the baseline of 1 - 1.5 gallons a day or 1-3 ounces of water per pound of body weight.

All people can benefit from drinking more water, but for an athlete staying adequately hydrated is essential. Oh yeah, and water means water, this does not include soft drinks, iced tea, etc? you can drink those things as well, as long as you're drinking enough water along with them.

6. Rest:

I'm sure we've all heard the standard answer that the average adult needs 8 hours of sleep a night, to function normally and feel well rested. Well this certainly holds true, but rest is more than simply getting enough sleep every night. Another key to rest, is having adequate rest time between workouts, this is why a lot of people tend to split up their workout over the course of the week, focusing on specific body parts each day.
All of my experience and research has said that muscles grow during rest time not while you're in the gym, so by not getting enough rest you'll be cheating yourself out of progress.

7. Cardio:

Cardiovascular training is another one of those things that anyone can benefit from. For an athlete it is important for burning fat, increasing endurance, and improving your overall cardiovascular health. Personally I recommend doing cardio at least two days a week, for 15-30 minutes at a time.
The most important thing when it comes to cardio is to pick a time and intensity that fits your needs, and that you are comfortable with. In my experience it's best to start out with a short period of time, say 10 minutes, and add 5 minutes every 2 weeks till you get up to a solid 30 minutes. Unless you're training to run a marathon, a cardio session more than 30 minutes in length isn't really necessary.

8. Track Your Progress:

Tracking your progress is great when it comes to meeting goals and staying motivated. The most common way to track your progress is to keep a log. I find it easiest to make a log based on the goals that you have set, since every athlete has different goals a standard training log may not apply to your situation easily.
I find that simplicity is the key when it comes to a log, anything to complicated or time consuming is likely to be abandoned in a short amount of time.

Another way to track your progress is to take pictures; I got this idea by looking at the transformations posted on Bodybuilding.com. It's easy to look in the mirror and think you're seeing a difference, but photos take all the guesswork out. I generally take a photo after each month of training.

Last but not least here, I'd like to urge you not to live and die by the numbers on the scale. Checking your weight once a week is a good idea, but becoming obsessed with it can easily have detrimental effects on your motivation, mindset, and overall progress.

9. Mix Things Up:

The universal term that applies here is cross training. No athlete should only practice and compete solely in their sport. Different sports and exercises work your muscles in different ways, and this is the key to maximizing your progress. When it comes to weight lifting try and change exercises or the order you do them in every four weeks.
Muscles have memory and will stop growing if they perform the same movements for an extended period of time. Also be sure and increase the amount of weight you lift on a regular basis. Changing the type of cardio you perform is also a good idea as well. I find that changing your workouts keeps them fresh, and interesting, your worst enemy is getting bored and losing motivation.

10. Never Stop Learning:

Chances are if you're reading this article you spend least some time reading about fitness. However reading articles is really only one way to learn about fitness and athleticism. You can also watch videos or TV, read books, goes to conventions, talk to other athletes, go to sporting events, and visit bulletin boards, while always trying to keep an open mind. There is always more to learn when it comes to anything, and the same is true of athleticism.

Conclusion

There you have it the 10 things that I find most important when it comes to being a successful athlete. There are a lot of other things that are important as well, but these are things that an athlete in any sport should consider and make part of their lifestyle.