If I can improve my stamina it will mean that I will be able to supply my muscles with oxygen for longer periods of time using aerobic respiration methods. This should significantly improve my performance in a match and it will help me perform better in later stages of a game and hopefully with this extra stamina I may have an advantage over the opposition.
Strength
There are three main types of strength:
- Static strength. You use static strength to exert force on an immovable object. Muscles stay the same length, there’s not much movement.
- Explosive Strength, you use explosive strength to exert force in one very short, but very fast movement, this is very like power.
- Dynamic Strength, you use dynamic strength to apply force repeatedly over a long time.
Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise
The aim of my programme is to improve my stamina and speed and I will do this by doing aerobic training. Our aerobic system provides us with long-term energy. We use it in most daily activities and it gives us energy, which is slowly released. This is released over a long period of time and a lot more slowly than the creatine phosphate system or the lactic acid system. This is used in most sports as it gives us almost limitless energy for long periods of time, however if we do really hard work then we will use our anaerobic system.
When our muscles have enough oxygen they are able to break down more carbohydrate and fat, to get this energy. So, the aerobic system can only work when enough oxygen is being supplied to the muscles. The aerobic system needs oxygen to work, provides energy slowly but enables us to keep working for long periods of time. This is where it is relevant to my programme and why I will be trying to improve my stamina. My football will improve if I can keep going and influencing the game for a longer period of time.
This is how our aerobic system works:
ATP energy + ADP
ADP + glycogen ATP + pyruvic acid
Pyruvic acid + O2 CO2 + H2O
This is what I will be training on to improve my aerobic fitness but during the training sessions there will be some work on anaerobic fitness like at the end of my shuttle runs because I would of used up all my energy I will be using either the creatine phosphate system or the lactic acid system.
The one thing I must do is make sure that my training is effective. If my training is too easy I will not be improving my aerobic fitness. If the programme is too intense I will start using my anaerobic system and will not be training my aerobic system at all.
The level of intensity I need to train at depends on my current fitness levels. My fitness levels are measured doing fitness test, which are in a different parts of the plan. Using these tests I have calculated my VO2 max and this is the maximum amount of oxygen that we can transport, and our muscles can use in exercise. From this I will work out my individual training threshold for both aerobic and anaerobic training threshold. Obviously as I go through my programme I will be able to get a better idea of my threshold.
Aerobic Threshold
Above the level of our aerobic threshold, continuous exercise will have a training effect on our aerobic fitness. In other words, we can push our limits as far as we possibly can to get more aerobically fit.
Anaerobic Threshold
When we reach our anaerobic threshold, it means that we are working so hard that we cannot get enough oxygen to our muscles quickly enough. Our muscles will have to get energy from the anaerobic energy system instead. Lactic acid will immediately start to build up. This causes pain, makes us tired and we will not be able to continue at the same intensity for very long. We will build up an oxygen debt and we will also use up our limited supplies of oxygen.
Although not aiming my programme on improving my anaerobic fitness I will be improving it as my general fitness improves, also having a high anaerobic fitness level will help in my football because it means I will be able to keep going for longer when I have very little oxygen left.
What I need to consider
When designing my training program there are two acronyms that will be very important to consider and use. To complete the program adequately and efficiently I must make sure that I meet all points. The first one to follow is FITT:
F- Frequency of activity- how often we should exercise. For example if you just want to stay healthy you should exercise for at least twenty minutes twice a week. After each hard training session I should give my body at least 24 hours rest before I exercise again.
I -Intensity of activity- how hard I should exercise?
T- Time of activity- how long I am going to exercise. Aerobic training sessions tend to last for 20 minutes or longer where as strength training sessions are generally shorter and less sustained.
T- Type of activity- what exercise I should use.
The second acronym I need to consider is SPORT:
S- Specificity- Every person will need a different training program- we’re all different and we all do different things.
- Train the right parts of the body- there is no point making a weightlifter run 10 miles a day-it wont improve his weightlifting.
- Train to the right level-if someone is unfit don’t start him or her with a long run.
P- Progression- Steadily increase the amount of training that’s done-but only when the body has adapted to the previous training.
O- Overload- You’ve got to make your bodywork harder than it normally would. It’s the only way to get fitter. You can overload by increasing any of these three things:
- Frequency of training (train more often)
- Intensity of training (lift heavier weights)
- Duration of training (training for 5 minutes longer each session)
R- Reversibility- Our fitness levels change all the time and it will down if we stop training. It takes a lot longer to gain fitness than to lose fitness meaning that we have to keep up with the programme of we will not get fitter.
T- Tedium- We must make sure that what we are doing is not boring and tedious and that we are not doing the same thing everyday. If the programme is boring then it is unlikely that I will complete the programme to the best of my ability.
It is essential that all these points are met for my program to be successful and I will ensure they are.
Feedback:
Feedback is the response you get to your performance and there are two kinds. The first being Knowledge of Performance (KP), this tells you how well or badly you performed. You can obtain KP from many sources. These sources include coaches, teachers, teammates and friends. In my program I can get feedback from friends when I play squash and in some of the sessions, this feedback can tell me how much effort I am putting in and thus how much I need to improve. KP can also be obtained through proprioception, this is called internal feedback. This comes from me during a training session only I know how much effort I have really put in and how much more I can put in so I will record my internal feedback so I can study any improvements.
The second kind of feedback is Knowledge of Results (KR), this tells you whether you got the result you wanted. I will be using this when recording results of my weekly tests I can then look at the results and work out what needs improving. The four main principals that I will use for my feedback to be beneficial are:
- Feedback is essential for improvement (both KP & KR)
- It should be given as soon as possible after the performance. (Otherwise you forget)
- It should be clear to the point, so you know what to do next time.
- You must have enough time to think it over before the next attempt.
Targets:
For my program I am going to set myself 3 targets that I will try to achieve throughout my program. As the program progress I must make sure that all these targets are being met and if I feel they are not being worked towards accordingly I will make changes to the program so that they are. The three targets are as follows:
- To improve all tests that will be done weekly to show improvement in both stamina and strength.
- To enjoy the program, by doing this I must make sure that the programme does not become boring.
- To improve my general fitness, and feel in myself that when playing I am a fitter competitor.
Fitness tests:
By using testes of fitness I can observe how my fitness improves throughout the program, this is very important as I need to know whether the program is working or not and these tests will help me adjust it accordingly. I will perform these tests once a week to find these results and thus my progress. I also perform them before the program and after this will give a clear indication of how I am getting on.
Stamina Test:
To see if my stamina is being improved I am going to use two tests. The first test I am going to use is the cooper 12 minute run but I will only carry out this test before my programme and then once after the programme has finished. This will show how much I would have improved over the six weeks. The Cooper 12 minute run is a very simple test all we have to do is see how far we can run around a marked area in 12 minutes, the distance we run is then recorded.
The other test I will use is the Harvard step test. I will carry this test out once a week to see if I am making a gradual improvement. I will also do it at the start and end of the programme. To do this test our resting pulse rate is taken before the test begins. We then step on and off a 45cm high bench at the rate of 30 times a minute for a period of five minutes. We must start with the same foot each time and we must also fully extend our leg at the top of each step. At the end of the five minutes our speed of recovery is recorded. This is done by taking our pulse for 30 seconds at three different time intervals: one minute after the end: two minutes after the end of the exercise and three minutes after the end of the exercise.
The greater our aerobic capacity, the lower our pulse rate will be at the end of exercise. Also it will return to normal more quickly. I will work out my fitness score using the following formula:
Strength:
To test the improvement of my strength I will use two tests as I am going to be mainly focusing on my upper body strength I will use both the press up test and the one rep max test. The press up test is basically the amount of press-ups that I can do in one minute. The one rep max test is the amount of weight I can lift in one bench press, the weight must be lifted twice to qualify as the maximum weight I can lift.
Personal Program Timetable:
Detailed Personal Program Timetable
Monday
This day will be a day of rest allowing my body to recover after the previous days and previous weeks activities. This is very important as doing too much exercise can create a negative effect rather than a positive one on my fitness and my two specific fitness points. During the day I will also perform tests, these are stated earlier in the planning, the results of these tests will help me to know whether my fitness is improving and therefore I can change the program accordingly.
Tuesday:
This day is for continuous training, continuous training is when we exercise without rest intervals. There are two types of continuous training these are long, slow distance training and high intensity continuous training I will be doing the first of the two, long, slow distance training. For this I will work between 60-80% of my maximum heart rate. The activity, which I will be doing in this training, is running/jogging, I will do this for a time period of 30-60 minutes. Starting with 30mins I will work my way up to find the most appropriate time. This is important, as I must make sure that I am training at the right intensity. This type of training is usually used in out of season training however it is a training method, which I feel, will prove very good on improving my endurance and stamina.
Session:
- Warm up
- Jogging at 60-80% of my maximum heart rate for a set amount of time, which will increase as the program, goes on.
Wednesday:
This day will only contain one activity and this is squash. I will play one session of about one hours squash at a high level. Squash is a very high intensity game and is good for all aspects of fitness. Playing squash also breaks up the training giving it more variety, as I enjoy playing it, making sure it does not get boring and therefore me losing interest.
Thursday:
Today’s session will be circuit-training session. Circuit training is a method of training. A circuit usually has 7 to 15 stations, where at each station a different exercise is carried out for a certain amount of time. Circuit training can improve muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, aerobic fitness, muscular strength, speed and agility. My circuit will focus on muscular endurance and strength this being upper body strength. It is important that each station work a different muscle group so that one group does not get over worked and cause damage to my body and that group. Due to this I will ensure that in my program a different muscle group is worked in each station.
A circuit-training program may also be designed for a certain sport. Circuits for this purpose will include exercises to improve all the muscles and skills associated with the sport. Example: A circuit training program for basketball should include skills like jumping, catching or throwing.
As my sport is football and I am in mid season I will incorporate ball skills into my circuit. These activities will keep my skills sharp so that my performance in games stays at the every maximum that it can.
Throughout the program as my fitness increases I can make the circuit harder thus improving my fitness even more by a number of things these are:
- Increasing the number of stations
- Increasing the time spent at each stations
- Increasing number of complete circuits.
- Decreasing the rest time between each station.
So a circuit is a perfect example of progression, your body takes time to adapt to the increased demands on it. So you should build up your exercise level gradually. But once it reaches a certain level when it can comfortably deal with the level of exercise, it will not improve anymore. This is called plateauing. To prevent this from happening the exercises must be made progressively harder to ensure that the body continues to improve.
Equipment
· 20 Cones
· 10 Soccer Balls
· 1 Measuring Tape
The Circuit
The order in which the exercises are to be done are:
Warm up >> Stretches >> The Circuit, each station will last for 1 minute and there will be a 30 second break between stations this will decrease as the program progress >> Warm Down
The circuit is as follows:
Station One: A shuttle run, this consists of sprinting a distance of 10metres and then back again and continuing this for the period of 1 minute at the highest possible level. This will improve my stamina particularly muscular endurance of leg muscles this exercise is a direct link to football as in football you are constantly needed to sprint.
Station Two: This station is a press up exercise. Perform as many as you can in one minute. These will improve muscular endurance in the arm and chest muscles; this comes in handy when strength is needed to win or protect the ball.
Station Three: Step-ups is the exercise in this station, in this I will step onto a raised platform putting both feet on then stepping down. This improves stamina and muscular endurance of my leg muscles.
Station Four: The exercise on this station is kick-ups. Do as many as you can in one minute. This will improve ball control, and muscular endurance.
Station Five: distance or cones needs to be mentioned On this station I will 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 my speed, agility and muscular endurance of the quadriceps and hamstrings.
Station Six: 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 throw-in needs to be thrown over a long distance. This is explosive strength because it is done in one explosive movement.
Station Seven: Place six cones 1m apart then dribble a ball in and out of them and sprint back to the start, repeat this for 1 minute. This will improve ball skills, speed and agility. Record how many complete runs are done.
Friday: This will be a rest day letting my body recover ready to train again!
Saturday: still need to do this
Sunday: During this day I will play one game of 90 minute football for this I, as well as the whole team does a warm up first and a cool down afterwards this being for safety reasons. Apart from this activity the rest of the day will be used to recover.
Warm Up
At the start of each training session I shall conduct a warm up. My warm up should include:
- A period of gentle exercise using my whole body, for example light jogging. This will gradually increase both heart and breathing, ensure that blood flow to my muscles gradually increases, warm up my muscles and prepare myself mentally for hard work to follow.
- Gentle stretching. I should work on the joints most likely to be stressed during our main training session.
Safety:
Safety is a very important aspect to consider whilst designing and carrying out my program. The main things which I must make sure that I do is to warm up properly first and cool down after, this is to reduce the risks of possible injuries during the session which I will be just about to do and cooling down for future sessions. I must also ensure that the equipment I use is safe and appropriate for what I am doing. Footwear is a good example of this whilst playing football, football boots must be worn, obviously, whilst playing squash suitable footwear must also be worn. This applies to all aspects of training. Also when playing football shin pads must be worn. Also when training after school I must let my parents know where I am and what time I expect to be back so if something does go wrong they will know where I am. Also I must make sure that if I do get injured during training I stop, as carrying on will cause more harm to the injury.
My Warm Up:
To start my warm up I will go for a light jog which will last 3 minutes, while I am jogging I will be concentrating on the exercise I am about to do and making sure that all parts of my body are moving. When I have done this I will then move onto my stretching, these are the areas of the body I will need to stretch:
- Arms (biceps and triceps)
- Shoulder
- Hips
- Back
- Hamstring
- Groin
- Calf
- Quads
- Ankles
I must stretch all of these for between 7-10 seconds and make sure if needed I do for both left hand side and right hand side. When I have completed my stretching I will then go for another jog for 5 minutes this time maybe upping the speed a little. When this is done I will then start the training session.
Cool Down
I will always finish my training session with a period of lighter exercise. This is a cool down (or warm down). I should not go directly from hard exercise to rest. Light exercise shortens the recovery time necessary by helping to remove carbon dioxide, lactic acid and other waste products, which have built up in our bodies. It also ensures that our blood continues to circulate well and does not pool in the skeletal muscles. Pooling can cause a rapid lowering in blood pressure and make us feel light-headed or dizzy.
My cool down will be not far off identical to my warm-up except I will start with a 5 minute run then stretch then finish with a 3 minute run this is obviously so there is a de-progression in what my body is doing.