What do I want to improve!
In the above I already have above average speed, but I will still want to improve this as speed is an ideal strength to have. Also I have good agility which helps me to turn defenders, but I need to learn more skills to get past defenders. These are the two that I will not be concentrating on as much as the other aspects. I will be hoping to good at all aspects by the end of the training schedule.
I will be concentrating on specific fitness because skill is the main requirement of playing football although you do need general fitness to help in playing all sports not just football. I will also be concentrating on the leg muscles, because they are the main muscles that I will use in football, I will try to strengthen my leg muscles in order to improve the power and speed of my shots therefore beating the keeper more often, I need to improve my stamina so that I can last the full ninety minutes.
I am going to test and evaluate my fitness level before and after I do my training programme, and after each week, this is to gradually see how I am improving, each week I will up the amount of reps or time that I perform each exercise. I will test my fitness by doing the bleep test and the Harvard step test these both test my stamina. This is important in my training programme.
As I am looking at developing my leg muscles I must ensure that I balance out each muscle so that I do not damage my joints. Some tests that I could do to strengthen my leg muscles would be squats, shuttle runs, skip jumps and jumping on the spot.
The importance of a warm up is to avoid injury and loosen up the muscles, to warm up the muscles so they can fully contract, to prepare the body for exercise by increasing the heart rate and breath rate, mentally prepares mind and body for exercise so that you are ready to take part in the sport. A cool down is important because it, gets your body back to normal, lowers your heart rate and breathing, replaces the oxygen debt in your muscles, this gets rid of lactic acid which causes stiffness, gets rid of the extra blood in your body and muscles, sends a message to your brain saying that you do not need as much oxygen.
In my warm up and cool down I will include stretches to prevent pulling my muscles; these stretches will include the groin stretch and the hamstring stretch, the quadriceps, the calf and the triceps.
1. Groin stretch: stand with feet shoulder width apart, and lean to one side as far as you can and hold it there.
2. Hamstring stretch: stand with feet shoulder width apart put one foot forward and put your weight on it and hold that position.
3. Quadriceps stretch: stand with feet together and lift one foot with your hand and make your heel touch your gluteus maximus.
4. The calf stretch: stand with feet together and lift at your foot not but not at your knee and hold your foot in that position.
5. Triceps stretch: hold your arm across your body with your other arm and hold it there.
Also in my warm up and cool down I will do a jog to get my heart rate up I will gradually gain pace to a sprint but a short distance sprint.
- jogging: do a slow run
- jogging backwards: slow run backwards
- short sprints: full speed run for a short distance
- then re-do the stretches
- shake of all joints.
I will prior testing my training programme with the bleep test and the Harvard step test because the bleep test tested stamina which is needed in football and the Harvard step test, tests muscular endurance which is also needed to perform a game of football. This will be a pre season programme as it will be carried out to keep the footballers level of fitness up and also to improve the footballers skills. I will need to consider the SPORT principle,
Specifity
Progression
Overload
Reversibility
Tedium
Also I will need to consider the FITT principle
Frequency
Intensity
Time
Training activity
I will record my heart rate before and after I do my training programme. I will take my pulse for a minute before and after exercise. I must ensure that I consider safety at all times, in order to avoid injury or damage to equipment, firstly I must not use a weight which ids too heavy for me, I must always use two people to carry benches or crash mats and I must always put weights onto crash mats. I will need to use weights, benches, stop watches, crash mats and a tape measurer.
I will include the following in my circuit: press ups (for upper body strength to win air challenges), sit ups (for upper body strength to win air challenges), shuttle runs (to help muscular endurance), squats with weights (for leg strength), bench presses (to level the triceps and biceps balance), bench squats (to help leg muscles), skipping (for quick feet and agility), and the sit and reach test(to help flexibility although it is not essential in football you are less prone to injury)and step ups
Safety!
Press ups: hold in a straight position to avoid back injury.
Sit ups: hold your temples not the back of your head to avoid neck injury.
Chin ups: must hold the bar with your hands on the opposite side to your body with your hands facing you.
Squats with weights: do not use a weight too heavy for you.
Bench presses: you must always put your whole hand on the bench so that they do not slide of and hurt yourself.
Sit and reach test: you must hold the position you reach for at least two seconds,
Step ups: put your whole heel on the bench to avoid knee injury
How to perform the activities!
Press ups: you lay down with your arms taking your weight then lower and lift yourself repeatedly.
Sit ups: sit down with your knees up, and pull your head to your knees and then lower
Chin ups: put your hands on a beam above your head then lift your chin up above the beam and then lower.
Squats with weights: hold weights above your head and then lower yourself at your knees.
Bench presses: have a bench behind you and you sit with your buttocks slightly of the ground keeping it of the ground by putting your hands on the bench you then lower and lift yourself.
Sit and reach test: you sit with your feet against the box, and then stretch your hands as far as you can and keep that position.
Step ups: step up onto a bench with both feet then step down.
30 seconds rest between each exercise
I have chosen to structure my circuit in this order so that there are not the same muscle groups being used next to each other, this will help prevent fatigue.
