Cool down after a game us usual a five minute cool-down period which allows heart rate and breathing to return to normal. A cool down can just be a walk or a very slow jog just so you can naturally reach your normal heart rate. Doing stretching exercises is also helpful as it can prevent the muscles from getting sore and stiff.
When I have carried out the fives sessions that I need to do for my personal exercise programme, I hope to have improved my muscular endurance in legs, abdominals and arms. The fitness tests that I took before starting my programme will be taken again so I can see if they have improved at all. The test results that showed that I was below average may be up to an average by the end of my training sessions. The purpose of the personal exercise programme was to improve the muscular endurance specifically for netball as so my overall aim is to become a better netball player and to perform better in a game. I think improving my muscular endurance will help this a lot.
Stations of circuit training to improve muscular endurance
Station 1- Press Ups – improved upper arm strength to make swift passes
Station 2- Lunge and Knee Drops- improved leg power for dodging to make space so a pass can easily be received
Station 3- Sit Ups – improved general endurance in the game
Station 4- Calf Raises – improved dodging so
Station 5- Weights - improved upper arm strength to make swift passes
Station 6- Wall Sits - improved general endurance in the game
Station 7- Oblique Curls - improved general endurance in the game
Station 8- Step Ups – improved leg power for dodging to make space so a pass can easily be received
improved
Station 9- Passing against the wall - improved upper arm strength to make swift passes
Station 10- Leg Squats - improved leg power for dodging to make space so a pass can easily be received
A circuit is usually a selection of exercises or activities arranged in a specific order.
When organising it the principles of training must be taken into account and applied.
Normally there are between 6 and 10 stations. It is important for each muscle group to recover in between different exercises b working other muscle groups.
My circuit
My circuit will be carried out in the following order to reduce the risk of fatigue and tedium and to allow appropriate recovery between exercises.
Week One
Station 1- Press Ups –2 sets of 25 reps
Station 2- Lunge and Knee Drops- 2 sets of 30 reps
Station 3- Sit Ups –3 sets of 25 reps
Station 4- Calf Raises – 2 sets of 35 reps
Station 5- Weights - – 4 sets of 30 reps
Station 6- Wall Sits – 1 set of 40 reps
Station 7- Oblique Curls – 3 sets of 20 reps
Station 8- Step Ups – 2 sets of 40 reps
Station 9- Passing against the wall – 3 sets of 15 reps
Station 10- Leg Squats – 2 sets of 30 reps
I found the first session quite a hard work out. Instead of passing against the wall I took 40 shots at the netball post as I worked outside due to good weather. I found that I did not have very much time to get all of my equipment ready and only got to do one set of leg squats and I will reduce some other stations so I can fit all the sets in.
Week Two
Station 1- Press Ups –2 sets of 25 reps
Station 2- Lunge and Knee Drops- 2 sets of 30 reps
Station 3- Sit Ups –3 sets of 25 reps
Station 4- Calf Raises – 2 sets of 30 reps
Station 5- Weights - – 3 sets of 30 reps
Station 6- Wall Sits – 1 set of 40 reps
Station 7- Oblique Curls – 3 sets of 20 reps
Station 8- Step Ups – 2 sets of 30 reps
Station 9- Passing against the wall – 3 sets of 15 reps
Station 10- Leg Squats – 2 sets of 30 reps
I made alterations to three different stations to improve my circuit training. I reduced the number of weights as it became tedious and tiring after 3 sets. I also reduced calf raises and step ups so I could perform the second set of leg squats.
Week Three
Station 1- Press Ups –3 sets of 25 reps
Station 2- Lunge and Knee Drops- 2 sets of 30 reps
Station 3- Sit Ups –3 sets of 25 reps
Station 4- Calf Raises – 3 sets of 30 reps
Station 5- Weights - – 4 sets of 30 reps
Station 6- Wall Sits – 1 set of 40 reps
Station 7- Oblique Curls – 3 sets of 20 reps
Station 8- Step Ups – 3 sets of 30 reps
Station 9- Passing against the wall – 3 sets of 15 reps
Station 10- Leg Squats – 3 sets of 30 reps
I added an extra set to press ups, calf raises, weights, step ups and leg squats. I did this to apply the sport principle overload. The principle of overload is when you place more stress on your body your body will adapt to this and potentially be able to perform better. If you stop overloading your body and do not keep up constant exercise then your fitness will decrease again. You must continue frequent training to keep this component of fitness
Week Four
Station 1- Press Ups –2 sets of 25 reps
Station 2- Lunge and Knee Drops- 2 sets of 30 reps
Station 3- Sit Ups –3 sets of 25 reps
Station 4- Calf Raises – 2 sets of 35 reps
Station 5- Weights - – 4 sets of 30 reps
Station 6- Wall Sits – 1 set of 40 reps
Station 7- Oblique Curls – 3 sets of 20 reps
Station 8- Step Ups – 2 sets of 40 reps
Station 9- Passing against the wall – 3 sets of 15 reps
Station 10- Leg Squats – 2 sets of 30 reps
I went back to the set amount of sets and reps as when I first planned out my circuit training to see if I could perform it with more ease. I found that the circuit was completed a lot faster than it had been in previous sessions therefore my fitness must be increasing.
Week Five
Station 1- Press Ups –3 sets of 25 reps
Station 2- Lunge and Knee Drops- 2 sets of 30 reps
Station 3- Sit Ups –3 sets of 25 reps
Station 4- Calf Raises – 3 sets of 30 reps
Station 5- Weights - – 4 sets of 30 reps
Station 6- Wall Sits – 1 set of 40 reps
Station 7- Oblique Curls – 3 sets of 20 reps
Station 8- Step Ups – 3 sets of 30 reps
Station 9- Passing against the wall – 3 sets of 15 reps
Station 10- Leg Squats – 3 sets of 30 reps
I added an extra set to press ups, calf raises, weights, step ups and leg squats as I had previously done. I did this to apply the sport principle overload. This is so that I could become fitter so that I could continue these exercises at home after I had done the personal exercise programme for my sports science lessons. Now I have seen my potential I will continue to do some of these exercises at home so I can keep up the fitness that I have gained by doing my personal exercise programme.
I recorded my heart rate and recovery rate after the first and last training session I did so I could compare them. My training programme was not to do with cardio vascular fitness. This is why I only did it after the first and last. These are indicators of general fitness therefore I thought they could be useful for my person exercise programme. By carrying out 5 intense training sessions then I presume that the general fitness should improve. The amount of exercise carried out and heart rate an recovery rate are indirectly proportional.
Pulse is usually measure by the wrist or in the neck. Pulse is measured by counting the number of beats that occur in one minute. The average resting pulse, or heart beat, is 72 beats per minute. The lower your resting heart is the more general fitness you have.
Recovery rate is the time taken for your pulse to return to its normal level after carrying out strenuous exercise. The quicker this time, the fitter you are. It is measure by recording your pulse after exercise and recording how long it takes to go back to a normal level.
From the table you can see that my recovery rate halved between session one and two suggesting that I have improved my fitness. Both my resting heart rate and my heart rate after participating in exercise were lower in session five also. This is because my body has adapted and now has a higher level of fitness although this can only be maintained if I keep doing these exercises. I know this because of the SPORT theory of which “R” means Reversibility. Reversibility is a natural process where the body tends to lose conditioning, strength, and endurance once training is stopped or interrupted. This is relevant to my personal exercise programme as my endurance will go back to what it was before I started the programme if I do not continue to work on it.
Before I began this personal exercise programme. My levels of fitness in muscular endurance were average and now I have improved significantly on them which will help me to become a better netball player. You can see this from the tables below showing tests that I did before and after my personal exercise programme.
From the table of results it can be seen that the muscular endurance of both my abdominal and arm muscles is improved significantly. After completing 5 weeks of circuit training my scores where above national average instead of below. A bigger improvement was made on the NCF abdominal curl test therefore I think that my abdominals were developed better than my arms.
From the results obtained it can see that overall carrying out my personal exercise programme has improved my general fitness. My resting heart rate has dropped from 70 bpm to 64 bpm. It can clearly be seen from fitness tests carried out that my muscular endurance has improved. Both my tests for muscular endurance in abdominals and arm muscles were below average. Although, after 5 sessions on my training programme the tests were repeated and my scores were better than the national average.
Overall, it can be concluded that my levels of fitness have improved through training. It shows that I have I have improved my muscular endurance the amount that is necessary to become a more competent player has been greatly improved therefore this training programme designed to develop muscular endurance through circuit training can be deemed a success.
Evaluation
Was the programme at the right level?
Overall the training programme was at the right level for me. Due to the amount of exercise I undertake in a typical week I have a basic fitness though muscular endurance is probably my weakest factor which is why my personal exercise programme was based on it. By taking this and other factors like age and gender into account I designed my preliminary plan. After my first session I thought about if it was at the right level and was suitably adapted. I found that the last session was very hard for me as I used the principle of overload. Overload is needed if improvement is to occur but I found it was very demanding. I only just got it done and I was in a lot of pain after. My body eventually adapted to the extra stress I was putting on it.
Were the exercises in the correct order?
The exercises of the circuit were arranged in such a way so that stress was not placed on the same muscle group at two consecutive stations. This is important when planning the circuit as the body needs time to recover between similar exercises. Although there are more exercises that focus on legs this is because they are most important when playing a game of netball and when trying to meet my specific targets. Despite there being more leg exercises in my circuit the stations where they occur are spread out in the circuit.
Each session training progressed in one of two ways: the number of repetitions or the amount of sets.
When the principle of overload was used in session 5 one of these two variables where adapted. This means that my body had to work much harder therefore being overloaded.
The other principles of sport were used in my training programme.
Specificity- The chosen exercises were all specifically chosen to help muscular endurance. Where possible the movements of, or closely resembled ones, were performed.
Reversibility-Training was carried out once a week for 5 weeks whilst normal levels of other exercise were still going on. This prevented fitness levels being lost over time
Tedium- Circuit training means you can use lots of variation. This helps to prevent tedium. Each station was different and I varied the parts of the body used. This made my circuit more interesting.
Were the exercises the correct ones to choose?
Every exercise included when planning the circuit was designed specifically to develop muscular endurance, the component of fitness identified as being weak. Muscular endurance is needed in three areas when playing netball which is your legs abdominals are arms. It means that you can make more powerful jumps and you will be much better at interception. Improved levels of muscular endurance will enhance a player’s performance generally.
Circuit training is the best method to use when improving muscular endurance because it allows so much variation. This helps you to reduce tedium and it’s easy to apply to specificity as it is so easily adapted. The only bad things about circuit training are that it can get very repetitive so will stop you from being so motivated.
Evaluation of Performing
When carrying out the training programme both progression and overload were applied. Progression occurred between one session and the other as I repeated the amount of sets and reps. The exercises that were undertaken were done so that the stress on the muscles was just gradually increased. I did this so that no injury would occur from stressing out my muscles too much. The body was made to work much harder by progressing more than usual. Overloading the body made it adapt so fitness levels were heightened.
Every exercise performed in my circuit was specifically chosen to develop my muscular endurance. That was my specific improvement as it is the weakest component of my fitness.
My exercises were put in an appropriate order. I ordered them so I would not work on the same part of my body twice in a row. I did this to avoid fatigue and tedium. You can see that I have done this in the table below.
Was the programme easy to manage?
Despite having a restricted space and equipment available for use I found my circuit easy to manage. The equipment that I was using was very basic so there was no big safety risk. It was quick and easy to set up for my circuit also. I found the programme quite challenging at times but I think if I hadn’t pushed it like I did then the circuit would have had no effect on my fitness. It also would have been very boring as it would have been so simple to complete and a challenge is more fun. The exercises were easy enough but thinking about the mount of sets and reps that I gave myself to do they become much harder for me.
How enjoyable was it to perform?
I found that the training programme was quite enjoyable to perform. After the first session I felt more confident and it was interesting for me therefore I found it fun to complete. The sense of achievement at the end of each training session also drove me on. The design of the training programme helped me to be motivated to reach targets. I think that this was a very enjoyable programme as I did exercises that I found enjoyable and varied the type of exercise. This avoided tedium and made my programme very fun to carry out. It has motivated me to carry on these exercises at home to keep up my general fitness. It has also motivated me to carry on as now I know how fit I could potentially be I wish to carry on so I can perform better in netball and have a general better fitness. I would add some different more interesting exercises so as to not cause tedium when I am performing at home.
How do you know that you worked to your limit?
I know that I worked to my limit as I became hot due to an increased rate of respiration and my skin became visibly redder. I also began to sweat to try and reduce the temperate of my body. My pulse also increased from 70 bmp to 140 and I became very out of breath. My muscles also ached when I was training as they were being worked harder than normal which is what develops muscular endurance.
Evaluation of Monitoring the Programme
My exercises were put in an appropriate order. I ordered them so I would not work on the same part of my body twice in a row. I did this to avoid fatigue and tedium. You can see that I have done this in the table below.
The exercises of the circuit were arranged in such a way so that stress was not placed on the same muscle group at two consecutive stations. This is important when planning the circuit as the body needs time to recover between similar exercises. Although there are more exercises that focus on legs this is because they are most important when playing a game of netball and when trying to meet my specific targets. Despite there being more leg exercises in my circuit the stations where they occur are spread out in the circuit.
Every exercise included when planning the circuit was designed specifically to develop muscular endurance, the component of fitness identified as being weak. Muscular endurance is needed in three areas when playing netball which is your legs abdominals are arms. It means that you can make more powerful jumps and you will be much better at interception. Improved levels of muscular endurance will enhance a player’s performance generally.
Circuit training is the best method to use when improving muscular endurance because it allows so much variation. This helps you to reduce tedium and it’s easy to apply to specificity as it is so easily adapted. The only bad things about circuit training are that it can get very repetitive so will stop you from being so motivated.
Stations of circuit training to improve muscular endurance
Station 1- Press Ups – improved upper arm strength to make swift passes
Station 2- Lunge and Knee Drops- improved leg power for dodging to make space so a pass can easily be received
Station 3- Sit Ups – improved general endurance in the game
Station 4- Calf Raises – improved dodging so
Station 5- Weights - improved upper arm strength to make swift passes
Station 6- Wall Sits - improved general endurance in the game
Station 7- Oblique Curls - improved general endurance in the game
Station 8- Step Ups – improved leg power for dodging to make space so a pass can easily be received
improved
Station 9- Passing against the wall - improved upper arm strength to make swift passes
Station 10- Leg Squats - improved leg power for dodging to make space so a pass can easily be received
I did modify the programme slightly when I was performing it so it did not become tedious. I took away some sets and repetitions and also added some on. This was dependant on how helpful I found the exercises. I took away some repetitions of oblique curls and leg squats. I did this as I found them tedious. Another reason for deducting the amount of oblique curls was because although it did help my muscular endurance they do not directly help arms and legs which were my main focus in this programme.
There were no injuries or illnesses that effected my programme during the period of time when I was using the circuit training.
Final Evaluation
Recovery rate is the time taken for your pulse to return to its normal level after carrying out strenuous exercise. The quicker this time, the fitter you are. It is measure by recording your pulse after exercise and recording how long it takes to go back to a normal level.
From the table you can see that my recovery rate halved between session one and two suggesting that I have improved my fitness. Both my resting heart rate and my heart rate after participating in exercise were lower in session five also. This is because my body has adapted and now has a higher level of fitness although this can only be maintained if I keep doing these exercises. I know this because of the SPORT theory of which “R” means Reversibility. Reversibility is a natural process where the body tends to lose conditioning, strength, and endurance once training is stopped or interrupted. This is relevant to my personal exercise programme as my endurance will go back to what it was before I started the programme if I do not continue to work on it.
Also, before I began this personal exercise programme. My levels of fitness in muscular endurance were average and now I have improved significantly on them which will help me to become a better netball player. You can see this from the tables below showing tests that I did before and after my personal exercise programme.
From the table of results it can be seen that the muscular endurance of both my abdominal and arm muscles is improved significantly. After completing 5 weeks of circuit training my scores where above national average instead of below. A bigger improvement was made on the NCF abdominal curl test therefore I think that my abdominals were developed better than my arms.
Despite having a restricted space and equipment available for use I found my circuit easy to manage. The equipment that I was using was very basic so there was no big safety risk. It was quick and easy to set up for my circuit also. I found the programme quite challenging at times but I think if I hadn’t pushed it like I did then the circuit would have had no effect on my fitness. It also would have been very boring as it would have been so simple to complete and a challenge is more fun. The exercises were easy enough but thinking about the mount of sets and reps that I gave myself to do they become much harder for me.
I found that the training programme was quite enjoyable to perform. After the first session I felt more confident and it was interesting for me therefore I found it fun to complete. The sense of achievement at the end of each training session also drove me on. The design of the training programme helped me to be motivated to reach targets. I think that this was a very enjoyable programme as I did exercises that I found enjoyable and varied the type of exercise. This avoided tedium and made my programme very fun to carry out. It has motivated me to carry on these exercises at home to keep up my general fitness. It has also motivated me to carry on as now I know how fit I could potentially be I wish to carry on so I can perform better in netball and have a general better fitness. I would add some different more interesting exercises so as to not cause tedium when I am performing at home.
If I redid my programme I think I would add some more stations so there is more variety to stop tedium. I would have to reduce the number of sets and reps which would mean than it was more enjoyable. If I redid it I would have a longer session. Rather than having a one hour work out I would prefer to do a one and a half hour workout as there is more chance that there will be a significant improvement. I want to do this because although there was an improvement if I had worked that little bit extra there would have been even more improvement and I could be able to see what my true potential is.
