Diagram:
- Burpees
- Crunchies
- Lunges
- Triceps Dips
- Shuttle Runs
- Sit Ups
- Step Ups
- Squats
- Press Ups
- Agility Run
- Bench-Raises
The muscles that need to be stretched are:
1.Hamstrings
2.Quadriceps
3.Gastrocnemiuis
4.Triceps
5.Deltoids
6.Trapezium
Training Zones
Training zones are based on a percentage window (60% to 70%) of your maximum heart rate. Within each training zone subtle physiological effects take place to enhance your fitness.
The Energy Efficient or Recovery Zone - 60% to 70%
Training within this zone develops basic endurance and aerobic capacity. All easy recovery running should be completed at a maximum of 70 %. An advantage to running in this zone is that you will be allowing your muscles to re-energise with glycogen.
The Aerobic Zone - 70% to 80%
Training in this zone will develop your cardiovascular system. The body's ability to transport oxygen to, and carbon dioxide away from, the working muscles can be developed and improved. As you become fitter and stronger from training in this zone it will be possible to run some of your long runs at up to 75%.
The Anaerobic Zone - 80% to 90%
Training in this zone will develop your lactic acid system. In this zone your individual anaerobic threshold is found - sometimes referred to the point of deflection (POD). During these heart rates the amount of fat being utilised as the main source of energy is greatly reduced and glycogen stored in the muscle is predominantly used. One of the by-products of burning this glycogen is the runner’s worst enemy, lactic acid. There is a point at which the body can no longer remove the lactic acid from the working muscles quickly enough. This happens at an individual heart rate for us all and is accompanied by a rapid rise in heart rate and a slowing of your running pace. This is your anaerobic threshold or POD.
The Red Line Zone 90% to 100%
Training in this zone will only be possible for short periods of time. It effectively trains your fast twitch muscle fibres and helps to develop speed. This zone is reserved for interval running and only the very fit are able to train effectively within this zone.
Resting Heart Rate
To determine your resting heart rate (RHR) is very easy. Find somewhere nice and quite, lie down and relax. Position a watch or clock where you can see the second hand. After 30 seconds remain where you are, do not sit up, and determine your pulse rate (beats/min). This is your RHR.
As you get fitter your heart becomes more efficient at pumping blood around the body. As a result you will find your resting heart rate gets lower so you will need to check your RHR on a regular basis (e.g. Bi-Session ally). My resting heart rate is 66 beats per minute.
Calculation of a zone value
The calculation of a zone value, X%, is performed in the following way:
Subtract the RHR from your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) giving you your working heart rate (WHR)
Calculate the required X% on the WHR giving us "Z"
Add "Z" and your RHR together to give us the final value
Example: The athlete's MHR is 180 and her RHR is 60 - determine the 70% value
MHR - RHR = 180 - 60 = 120
70% of 120 = 84
84 + RHR = 84 + 60 = 144 bpm
So therefore to work out my zone values I would have to work out
180-66= 114
So 70% of 114 = 79 bpm
So 80% of 114 = 91 bpm
So 90% of 114= 103 bpm
The following are examples of exercises that can be used in a circuit training session:
• Upper-body:
Press ups, Bench dips, Pull-ups, Medicine ball chest pass, Bench lift, inclined press up
• Core & trunk:
Sit ups (lower abdominal), Stomach crunch (upper abdominal), Back extension chest raise
• Lower-body:
Squat jumps, Compass jumps, astride jumps, Step-ups, Shuttle runs, Hopping, Bench squat
Burpees, Treadmills, Squat thrusts, skipping
Duration
• 20 to 30 seconds work on each exercise with a 30 second recovery between each exercise
• 2 to 5 sets with a 3-minute recovery between each set
The duration can be based on time (e.g. 30 seconds) or set to half the number of repetitions of the exercise the athlete can complete in 60 seconds of 100% effort.
If training is based on the number of repetitions then regular testing (e.g. every 4 Sessions) will need to be carried out to determine the maximum number of repetitions that can be completed in 60 seconds for each exercise.
Training can be based on a four Session cycle comprising of an easy Session, medium Session, hard Session and test/recovery Session. Changing the number of exercises, duration, sets or repetitions can vary the workload. But I have decided to create a ten-session circuit with two sessions a week.
Safety
- Lift Correctly- when lifting heavy or awkward loads or weights always keep your back straight and bend your legs.
- Wear correct clothing/footwear for the activity
- Do not wear any jewellery
- Abide by the rules of the activity
- Check any of the equipment which is necessary and use it properly
- Wear protective items where it is appropriate
- Make sure the session is supervised by a member of the Games Department
- Warm up before taking part and cool down when you have finished.
- Ensure that if an athlete suffers from any medical problems that s/he has the medication required if an emergency where to arise.
Baseline Tests
My Baseline Tests
Average 16 Year Olds Results
As you can see from the tables above, I am generally fitter than the average 16 year old. But as you can see from my results, I am weak in bench jumps, yet I have a better rate of stamina than others. So for myself to improve of the general and specific areas of sport my overload will have to be allot more intense than the average 16 year old.
Flexibility Testing
Testing flexibility is quite simple and does not require a lot of expensive equipment. It is easy to perform flexibility exercises and keep a record of the amount of movement achieved. Simple exercises such as bending with straighten legs and trying to touch your toes, is an exercise where the data can be recorded and monitored. The most commonly used is the sit and reach test. This is where the distance you can move the slide forwards, is a measure of the amount of flexibility in your lower back and hamstrings.
Strength Testing
Strength can be a difficult component of fitness to test because it is often related to body weight and shape. Body sizes can be a dominating factor when testing for strength. Pure strength can be tested using weights or specialized equipment such as a dynamometer, which measures the strength of your grip. The grip dynamometer measures the highest piece of data recorded when the person squeezes the handle.
The Harvard Step Test
The Harvard Step Test is a test, which records the rate of recovery. The test is very easy to do and to administer at the same time. All that is need for the test is a bench, which is 50cm off the ground, a stopwatch, pen and paper. Before taking the test you should note your resting heart rate, in my case this is 66 beats per minute.
To take the test you have to perform step-ups on a bench continuously for five minutes, at the rate of 30 per minute. At the end of the five minute period note your pulse rate, try not to move, immediately and then at intervals of a minute for the next three minutes. The calculation below shows your the scores are calculated.
300 divided (Twice No of pulses you recorded) and multiplied by 100
Cooper 12- Minute Run
This is a test of anaerobic capacity, or VO2 maximum, so this test the same as the bleep test. The test involves running for twelve minutes around a marked out area and making a note of how far you get in the set amount of time. The results can be used in two ways a) investigate your cardiovascular endurance or b) compare you performance to the chart provided below.
Station One: Burpees
The exercise on this station are Burpees, Burpees are squat thrusts and star jumps mixed together. Do a squat thrust then stand up and do a star jump and then another squat thrust then stand up and do another star jump. This will improve your agility, cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance and strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings.
Station Two: Crunchies
The exercise on this station must be performed at 100% work rate, as it is a reasonably easy exercise. All I have to do is perform crunchies for one minute, rest for 30 seconds and, the perform the exercise again for another minute.
Station Three: Lunges
This station is designed to improve muscle endurance, as this is a major principle of the game of rugby. The main muscles that are improved are the main leg muscles, Quadriceps, Hamstrings & Gastrocnemius. The exercise is where you place two crash mats on top of one and other and I have to lunge on top of the mats for one minute. But to improve the exercise, as the programme goes on I will increase the time to two minutes.
Station Four: Triceps Dips
This station is designed to improve upper body muscle endurance, as this is another major principle of the game of rugby. The main muscles that are improved are the arm muscles, Triceps and Biceps. The exercise is where you sit with your arms at ninety degrees to the wall, and you raise your own body weight up and down from the floor. The exercise is important to my chosen sport as in rugby I require upper arm in order to pass the ball at a faster pace and possibly further.
Station Five: Rest
Use this time (1 minute) to rest and relax. Some light stretching can be done to remove the lactic acid that has built up in your muscles during the first four exercises.
Station Six: Shuttle Runs
On this station you have to start at the line, sprint to the first cone then sprint back to the line then sprint to the second cone, then sprint back to the line then sprint to the third cone, then back to the line. Then sprint to the second cone and back then to the first cone and back to complete the exercise. This will improve your speed, agility and muscular endurance of the quadriceps and hamstrings.
Station Seven: Sit Ups
This station is a sit up exercise. Perform as many as you can in one minute. These will improve muscular endurance in the abdominal muscles; this comes in handy when a pass needs to be made over a long distance. This is explosive strength because it is done in one explosive movement.
Station Eight: Step-ups
The exercise on this station must be performed at 100% work rate, as it is a reasonably easy exercise. All I have to do is perform step-ups for one minute, rest for 30 seconds and, the perform the exercise again for another minute.
Station Nine: Squats
At this station I am to improve my muscle endurance and possibly my cardio-respiratory fitness. Also I will work upon the muscle endurance in all three muscles required in my legs, as well as my anaerobic fitness as the program continues. I will make the sessions harder as the program goes on, by adding a star jump in between each of the squats.
Station Ten: Press Ups & Variations
The exercise on this station must be performed at 100% work rate, as it is a reasonably easy exercise. All I have to do is perform press-ups for one minute, rest for 30 seconds and, the perform the exercise again for another minute. Breathe out gradually as you push up and in on the descent. To make this exercise more enjoyable and less tedious I have involved the use of a rugby ball. Start from a neutral position - straight line through your body from your heels to your head. Activate ' abs' and 'glutes' and pull your shoulder blades away from your ears. The tempo should follow a pattern such as this 2-1-2-1 = 2 second descent, 1 second hold at end range, 2-second push-up, 1 second hold at start position. It exercises the pectorals, triceps & deltoids.
Station Eleven: Agility Run
On this station the aim is to improve my agility by completing the Illinois Agility Run. The course consists of the athlete running in & out and around cones at a high pace for a short pace of time. It should recreate the actions of a winger when he has to run for a short period of time, maybe 15 seconds avoiding defenders, by swerving or sidestepping. The diagram below shows the course laid out, and the way it should be performed.
Station Twelve: Bench Raises
This station is designed to improve the upper arm muscles, as these muscles are needed in rugby to make tackles in a match situation. The bench raises are meant to improve upper body strength. But for the exercise to be performed correctly, I must only use my arm muscles and not the back muscles. The arm muscles are extended, and the pressure is therefore put through the muscles and down on to the back. So when the exercise starts to get harder, the natural action is to start using the back. If this happens then there is no point continuing, as it is not exercising the muscles it is meant to, so it would be a waste of time.
Warm Down
Once the circuit is finished it can be repeated or a warm down will take place, the warm down will consist of gentle jogging and stretching to remove the lactic acid that builds up in muscles while they are being worked. The warm down should help you perform better next time you exercise. The muscles that were stretched in the warm up should also be stretched in the warm down. The stretches should be held longer then they were in the warm up to prevent stiffness and soreness.
Results
Session 1:
* Did not count number of step-ups, worked for 30 seconds at a constant rate.
Evaluation of Session 1
- I found my fitness programme hard to commit myself to as I already follow a programme that I have followed for the last four months. But I tried to maintain my work rate a reasonable level. This new fitness programme is better than the one I still follow as it exercise more muscles than just my upper body ones.
- I found one or two exercises hard to maintain at an easy pace, and they are Shuttle Runs and the Step Ups. I struggled to maintain a constant pace on the shuttle runs as when I turned I slowly started to slow down on each turn. So by the end of the exercise I may have only been working at 60 % of the original pace. The pace of the step-ups varied as I find them tedious to do and I needed to entertain myself in a way so varying the pace was a way to keep tedium at bay.
After the Session I felt:
- Tired- Lack of sleep from night before.
- Tight- this is due to the fact that I did not warm down enough. So in the next Session I will warm down for longer.
Session 2
Evaluation Of Session Two
- Triceps Dips- I found that the second set of triceps dips was harder for me than the first. I think this is due to the fact that I tried to train at a high intensity for the 30 seconds and lactic acid started to build up. The build up of lactic acid came about, as I did not exercise lightly when I had a break, so the lactic acid built up from the previous exercise, and I could not go on. This also happened in the second set of sit-ups.
- In the next Session I think I will edit my fitness programme in order to be able to train at a constant rate. In the exercises I find hard to remain at one constant rate, I will aim to do a set number of repetitions. This is because I believe that it is the quality of the exercise and not the quantity performed that improves the athlete.
- As you can see from my pulse rate table my heart rate decreased at a slower rate in the first session than it did in the second one. This could be because I worked harder in the first session so the body will take longer to recover.
Evaluation of Week One:
- This was my first full week on my new fitness programme and my body feels tired, as I have not exercised at such intensity twice a week for about a month now.
- In order for my fitness programme to be successful I believe that I must go for a light anaerobic jog once a day to keep my body in a good working condition
- The fitness programme had a few problems within it, but in the next week I hope that these problems will be overcome and the programme can continue in the way that I wish it to.
Session Three
* Reps of 15 Lunges
**Work For 30 Seconds At A High Rate of Intensity
*** Work For 30 Seconds At A High Rate of Intensity
**** Reps of 30 Squats
Evaluation Of Session Three
- This session seemed harder as I believe I have sorted my programme out which pushes myself to my full potential.
- I did feel dehydrated at the end of the session; this is due to the fact that I did not take any water into the Sports Hall. As I could not leave the Hall, as this would lower my pulse rate, I had to go with out water until the end of my circuit. So to solve this problem in future I will take a bottle of water into the Hall in the future.
- I felt bloated towards the end of the circuit, this is due to the fact that only an hour before my session I eat a lot of food and I have not had enough time to digest the food. I must remember to eat a larger breakfast in the morning and only take in a carbohydrate drink before my circuit.
Session 4
Evaluation Of Session Four
- This session was much easier than the one at the start of the week; this is because I have been more relaxed throughout the week. And also I have tried to go to bed earlier before a session, so that I feel refreshed and less tense.
- The circuit as a whole seems to have improved and I feel fitter, but the only way I can find this out is to see if my recovery rate is less than at the start of the circuit.
Evaluation of Week Two
- This was my second full week on my fitness programme and my body feels better for doing so, as I have started to exercise at more than twice a week and starting to return to the form I had at the start of the season.
- In order for my fitness programme to remain successful I believe that I must go for a light anaerobic jog once a day to keep my body in a good working condition and not eat immediately before starting an exercise session
- The fitness programme still has a few problems within it, but in the next week I hope that these problems will be overcome and the programme can continue in the way that I wish it to.
Session 5
Evaluation Of Session Five
- I felt at the end of the session that my body was exhausted as I think that I worked at a high work rate throughout, with hardly if not any rest breaks.
- I felt faint at the end of the session this is because I did not eat enough before the exercise session; this meant that the body did not have enough energy stores. However this did not affect my work rate. The recovery period was longer so I felt exhausted over the weekend, and could not perform as well I wanted to in my rugby game.
Session 6
Evaluation Of Session Six
- This was my third and final week on my fitness programme and my body feels better, and I feel more relaxed in myself, as I am able to release stress when I exercise.
- In order for my fitness programme to remain successful I believe that I must continue to do the exercise programme for a few more months to keep my body in a good working condition when I am not as active in the holidays.
Evaluation of Week Three
- My heart rate took a long time to decrease in the sixth session, due to the fact that I was out the night before celebrating my brother’s birthday. So a poisonous substance, alcohol, corrupted my bloodstream. Also the did not feel like exercising as I was hung-over and had a headache.
- This week has been considerably easier than any other week, this is due to the fact that my body has got used to the fact that it has to exercise at least twice a day.
Analysis of Results
From the graph I have created, graph 1, you can see that the majority of exercise I performed has increased in the number of repetitions I can do. There are three bars, which show week 1, week 2 and week 3, so in theory it shows my progression from start to end. From this graph I can tell that my fitness has improved as it shows that I have progressed a certain amount in a short time span.
Individual Analysis of each exercise:
- Burpees - As the graph shows I have increased my number of repetitions in a certain amount of time from 19 to 28. I hope that if the number of quality burpees I can perform in the time span increases then so does my cardiovascular & muscular endurance has improved. And this will benefit my game of rugby, as my muscles will increase in strength, so this means that the tackles I make in the game will not tire the body as much as they have before, and hopefully hurt less!
- Crunchies- The graph shows that I have not made a considerable improvement on the amount of crunchies I can perform. This is because after doing two weeks of the fitness programme I started to have strong stomach contractions, which hurt when I performed crunchies and sit-ups. The upper leg muscles, the quadriceps, feel strong and this was proved as I can now lift more heavy weights with my quadriceps than I could before the programme. Before the programme commenced I could only lift 25 kg but now I can lift 30kg with a considerable amount of ease.
- Lunges – As I found performing lunges hard at the start of the programme, I decided to try and improve the quality of the exercise and not the quantity. This is why the graph shows that there has been not increase nor decease in the number of repetitions.
- Triceps Dips - In this exercise I had the most percentage increase, so this means that the amount of triceps dips performed were many more than before. Also I believe as the muscular endurance of the arm is meant to increase with the amount of triceps dips performed, I can say that the muscular endurance of the biceps and triceps has improved. So form this I can say that one part of my game may have improved, when tackling the arms are required to wrap around the opponent and pull him down. So I believe that my tackles could be more successful and perhaps more powerful.
- Shuttle Runs - The shuttle run exercise I believe was the easiest because after every time I performed this exercise I never seemed to feel tired. But as the graph shows the quantity of shuttle runs increased at a slow rate, I actually only increased the amount of repetitions by 7, but in theory this is actually about an extra 100 m. So I hope that the muscular endurance of the quadriceps has improved and perhaps the acceleration I have over the first ten metres has increased. This would be helpful for when I make breaking runs through the oppositions defensive lines!
- Step Ups - I decided not to count the number of step-ups performed, as I could not concentrate on counting the number of repetitions and keep the quality of the step-ups at a high standard. The step-ups should improve the explosive strength of my legs, so I hope that when I pump my legs in the tackle or maul to drive forward that I will go forward with a bit more ease.
- Sit Ups - As the graph shows I have improved the number of sit ups I can perform, yet my abdominal muscles do not look as if they have got any big, nor more attractive to the opposite sex. Also I am starting to be sick after eating a meal and I think this is due to the fact that everyday now I exercise the abdominal, and they are squeezing the intestines to hard, thus making the food come back up.
- Squats – This was the exercise I found the most hard whilst improving, this is because the quadriceps and other upper leg muscles hurt after performing this exercise. But I believe no pain o gains, so if this theory is correct then my quadriceps muscular endurance must have improved and also the strength of the muscle fibres. This was proved as I can now lift more heavy weights with my quadriceps than I could before the programme, before the programme commenced I could only lift 25 kg but now I can lift 30kg with a considerable amount of ease. So this is combination of the squats and burpees acting together with each other.
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Press Ups - I find performing press ups easy and extremely boring that is why my results show that they decreased in the 2nd week.
- Illinois Agility Run – I found this exercise seemed to get easier and easier every time I performed it. This is because my speed was increasing from performing the shuttle runs and I started to memorise the course I took. So maybe next time I should vary the course every time I do it, but not vary it so much that it is a complete and different circuit.
- Bench Raises – I think this was the hardest exercise to perform every time, and keep the quality and quantity of the exercise constant. As you can see I found the first week easy to performs, but whilst in the last session of the week, I think I pulled a muscle fibre in my biceps which meant for the next week the amount of bench raises I performed was less. So after the week of working with the e injury I had been carried the quantity of bench raises increased. But in comparison to the first week it still looks poor.
Baseline Tests Before Programme
Baseline Tests After Programme
As you can see from the tables above, before and after the fitness programme has been in place, I have improved in the majority of my baseline tests, so overall I believed I have improved my fitness levels. The only component of fitness I believe I have not increased as much as I could is Aerobic Capacity (Stamina). This is because after I had completed my three-week programme, I re-took the Cooper Run and my score nor distance increase.
As you can see from graph 1, the graph showing the heart rate against time, my recovery time is reducing after each time I perform my exercise routine. So these also backs up my statement that I am getting fitter, as the less time needed for recovery means the person is fitter
Evaluation of Fitness Programme
Progression/Development From the Programme:
As I have already explained, my general fitness was improved through serval aspects, by doing different exercise that I thought wee appropriate for myself to improve and develop. These aspects were:
- Aerobic Fitness
- Anaerobic Fitness
- Agility
- Speed
- Muscular Endurance in Legs (Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Calves) and in my arms (Biceps and Triceps)
- Muscle Strength in Quadriceps and Biceps
- Cardio-respiratory System
- Stamina
- Dynamic Strength
My recovery rate, as I have already explained, also improved as a result of the training programme. So overall my aim of the programme was achieved, as I wanted to improve my overall fitness and specific areas at the same time
