BTEC Sport 6 week training program

AS and A Level Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

After speaking to Johnathon I have come to the conclusion that his main priority is to improve his speed. He plays football for a local club and trains on a Wednesday evening and plays on a Saturday. However before we start a training program we need to consider the smart principles of training:

Specific – the training needs to be specific to your sport, there is no point in doing swimming if your goal is to improve your speed for football.

Measurable – the goal we are trying to achieve is to improve Johnathon’s speed, but by how much? I have come to the conclusion that we need to improve his time for 50m by half a second.

Agreed – myself and Johnathon have to agree on the program otherwise Johnathon will loose motivation and will simply not want to participate in it.

Realistic – our goal has to be realistic otherwise the athlete will loose motivation and interest if the goal is set too high.

Time – without a time based training program the athlete will get bored and have a tendency to just stop training. This is why this program has a duration of six months.

Also whatever your training goal is will have to suit what cycle of training you are at. In terms of individual training sessions or training for just a week or two are microcycles. However to be training for months or even up to a year are mesocycles. Some people though opt for a macrocycle which can last between 1 to 4 years. Short term goals suit microcycles, medium term goals suit mesocycles and long term are for macrocycles.

Week 1

Monday

First of all you need to test and analyse your speed with a recognised test like a 50m sprint. Do this three times and then record your best time. Make sure you stretch all your muscles and especially in your legs before and after. Take the rest of the day off and prepare for a hard day tomorrow!

Tuesday

Shuttle runs are a great way to not only work on your short sprints but also your anaerobic endurance. Start your training session by at least 4 cones at about 5m apart, then run to the first one and back then to the second one then back and so on. Do this five times. After you have recovered from the shuttle runs I would like you to do some ladder drills and at the end of the ladder do approximately a 20m sprint. Do this three times. Don’t forget to stretch before and after the training session. After doing some work on the ladder do a 6 minute light jog to cool down.

Wednesday

You have training for your club this evening so before that just get plenty of rest and eat healthy.

Thursday

This is a preview of the whole essay

Wednesday

You have training for your club this evening so before that just get plenty of rest and eat healthy.

Thursday

Like every session make sure you stretch before and after, remember this from now on and make it a good habit. After stretching I would like you to do some plyometrics which simply involves lots of skipping and jumping. The first plyometric exercise I want you to do is to skip with your arms and legs as far apart as possible about 30m as fast as you can, do this three times. Then after getting your breath back I want you to do frog leaps 15m as fast as you can five times. Then do some jumps with your feet and arms together as fast as you can for 15metres. Cool down with jogging side to side for 2 minutes.

Friday

Day off but try not to be a couch potato and eat food with plenty of Carbohydrates such as pasta.

Saturday

Match day, do your best and perform warm ups and cool downs exactly as your coach says.

Sunday

Plenty of interval training today. Try to run on the pavement in a street of lampposts and simply jog to the first one, sprint to the next and walk to the one after. Do this until you simply cannot do any more. Do not be lazy, you are only cheating yourself!

Week 2

Monday

If you look at sprinters you will notice they have impressive muscular figures, this is because they need their muscles to work as hard as possible in order to use their power which is a combination of speed and strength to go as fast as possible. So today I want you to engage in an hour and a half weight training session training your whole body in particular your biceps, triceps, glutes, quads and calves. After this go on the rowing machine for 4 minutes to cool down.

Tuesday

Hill training is a brilliant way to develop short bursts of speed and anaerobic endurance. Find a hill close to you approximately 30 metres and at an incline of about 60 degrees which will hopefully challenge you a great deal. Start at the bottom of the hill and sprint to the top, then jog down to the bottom lightly and as soon as you reach the bottom sprint back up. Do this three times. You will most likely be very tired after this so take an approximately 5 minute break but then do the same again. Make sure your sprints are sharp and intense.

Wednesday

Training for your local team again this evening, don’t forget to pay great attention to your coach and train hard.

Thursday

Towards the beginning of this training program you done shuttle runs and some ladder drills, do this again today; Start your training session by at least 4 cones at about 5m apart, then run to the first one and back then to the second one then back and so on. Do this five times. After you have recovered from the shuttle runs I would like you to do some ladder drills and at the end of the ladder do approximately a 20m sprint. Do this three times.

Friday

Your rest day.

Saturday

Match day, try to use your speed throughout the match and hopefully you will notice improvements.

Sunday

Just continuous training today just to keep your anaerobic endurance up. Do a 15 minute jog and then 45 minute cycling at a continuous pace, either in the gym or on the road that’s up to you!

Week 3

Monday

Weight training, full body work out but this time for 2 hours not just an hour and half, make sure to give yourself plenty of recovery time between each set, make sure you stretch before and after.

Tuesday

Resistance training for running is a very popular method athletes use to improve their speed, if a weight sled or a speed parachute are unavailable just get a bag and fill it up with heavy items (not too heavy as this can damage your joints) then do 5 sets of 50m sprints with the bag/sled/parachute on your back.

Wednesday

Training for local club, don’t be lazy!

Thursday

Plyometrics again, skip with your arms and legs as far apart as possible about 30m as fast as you can, do this three times. Then after getting your breath back I want you to do frog leaps 15m as fast as you can five times. Then do some jumps with your feet and arms together as fast as you can for 15metres. Cool down with jogging side to side for 2 minutes.

Friday

Rest day.

Saturday

Match day; remember to drink plenty of fluids during, before and after the game to keep yourself hydrated. Avoid fizzy drinks, drink either water or isotonic drinks.

Sunday

Hill training. Start at the bottom of the hill and sprint to the top, then jog down to the bottom lightly and as soon as you reach the bottom sprint back up. Instead of doing this three times I would like you to increase it to five. You will most likely be very tired after this so take an approximately 5 minute break but then do the same again. Make sure your sprints are sharp and intense

Week 4

Monday

Weight training session. Lower body workout for an hour make sure to include exercises like squats, leg curls and leg press. Like every session give yourself plenty of recovery time between each set, make sure you stretch before and after.

Tuesday

Another one hour weight training session again although this time concentrate on your upper body. Include exercises like bicep curls, tricep flick backs and chest press. Later on as you progress you will start to exercise particular muscles more.

Wednesday

Training this evening.

Thursday

Interval training. Try to run on the pavement in a street of lampposts and simply jog to the first one, sprint to the next and walk to the one after. Do this until you simply cannot do any more. Do not be lazy, you are only cheating yourself!

Friday

Rest day.

Saturday

Match day, good luck.

Sunday

Continuous training today just to keep your anaerobic endurance up. This time do a 20 minute jog and then 55 minutes cycling at a continuous pace.

Week 5

Monday

An hour weight training working on your chest, shoulders and triceps. Half an hour rest, then some plyometrics skip with your arms and legs as far apart as possible about 50m as fast as you can, do this four times. Then after getting your breath back I want you to do frog leaps 15m as fast as you can five times. Then do some jumps with your feet and arms together as fast as you can for 15metres. Cool down with jogging side to side for 2 minutes.

Tuesday

Hour weight training on your legs, don’t forget to give yourself plenty of recovery time between every set.

Wednesday

Training for your local club, keep it up!

Thursday

Hour weight training session concentrated on your back and biceps. Then after a half hour break you are going to do some shuttle runs again. Start your training session by at least 5 cones at about 5m apart, then run to the first one and back then to the second one then back and so on. Do this five times. After you have recovered from the shuttle runs I would like you to do some ladder drills and at the end of the ladder do approximately a 20m sprint. Do this five times.

Friday

Rest day.

Saturday

Match day, by now you should be seeing improvements in both your speed and fitness.

Sunday

Resistance training. If a weight sled or speed parachutes are unavailable just get a bag and fill it up with heavy items (not too heavy as this can damage your joints) then do 5 sets of 60m sprints with the bag/sled/parachute on your back.

Week 6

Monday

Two hour full body workout weight training.

Tuesday

Interval training. Try to run on the pavement in a street of lampposts and simply jog to the first one, sprint to the next and walk to the one after. Do these until you simply cannot do any more.

Wednesday

Training for your local team this evening.

Thursday

Hill training. Start at the bottom of the hill and sprint to the top, then jog down to the bottom lightly and as soon as you reach the bottom sprint back up. Do this five times. You will most likely be very tired after this so take an approximately 5 minute break but then do the same again. Make sure your sprints are sharp and intense.

Friday

Rest day.

Saturday

Match day, do your best.

Sunday

Continuous training today just to keep your anaerobic endurance up. This time do a 20 minute jog and then 55 minutes cycling at a continuous pace.