A warm up, a cool down and stretching are all vitally important when performing an intense activity because they prepare the body for what they are about to endure and prevent the likelihood of injury.
When doing an exercise programme of any sort, it is very important that you take into account all safety aspects. There are some safety considerations that cover all types of exercise programmes and there are also some that are specific to doing a weights programme, which is what I am doing.
Safety Considerations for Weights Training:
1) Do not do too much too quickly - it is important to make sure you take breaks in between doing your sets of weights and it is also important to make sure that you don’t lift more than you can manage. By doing this you reduce the chances of getting injured.
2) Use the correct technique - this is essential when doing weight training because if you carry out the exercises in the wrong way then you can easily injure yourself and it is possible to damage the equipment. When doing weight training, it is also vital to put the collars on the ends of the weight to stop them falling off and either harming you or people around you.
3) Suitable clothing - when doing a weights programme it is important that you wear the correct clothing. The clothing that you wear must not inhibit movement, must not get caught in the equipment, but should keep your body at the correct temperature. If you wear the correct clothing when carrying out your exercise, you will be able to perform more effectively and also help prevent any injury.
4) Wear suitable footwear - wearing the correct footwear is necessary because it provides grip, which will help prevent the likelihood of injury.
5) Awareness of others - when using public facilities it is important to make sure that you take into consider the people around you and don’t do anything to endanger them or disrupt what they are doing.
All five safety factors are in some way relevant to performing a weights programme, but I have chosen the first two (highlighted in blue) as the most pertinent. As well as there being safety considerations to take into account, there are also personal factors that you should keep in mind: age and gender.
Age Related Factors:
Young Children - with young children it is important that they don’t do repetitive training because it can often cause long term injury. Also young children have small hearts and lungs and are therefore unable to cope with as intense exercise as more developed individuals. Younger children have a large surface area compared to their volume and therefore they find it hard to regulate their body temperature – this must be taken into account when they are doing exercise. The best type of training for younger children is training that involves using their own weight such as press-ups and sit-ups.
Children during Puberty - at this age it is important to do lots of exercise because it reduces body fat and increases muscle strength. Also slightly more training can be managed than younger children, but under no circumstances should weights training be done because it can still cause long term injury.
Gender Related Factors:
When considering the gender related factors it is important to remember that females go through puberty approximately tow years before males. This means that the ages at which females need more exercise and are able to do various things (eg. weights) are different to that of males. However, if females are lifting weights, its is important that they do not lift too heavy weights because their muscles are smaller than males and so unable to cope with the excess weight.
Suitability/Purpose of Exercises:
The benefits of carrying out strength training are that it is very adaptable in the fact that you can choose which energy system you train. Also you can personalise the training by carrying it out at your limit by adjusting the weight to suit you.
This is the training method, which I am going to use because it is a weights programme I want to carry out in order to train my ATP-PC system and so strength training is the most relevant and suitable for what I am hoping to achieve.
All of these types of training methods have different benefits and are relevant for training different energy systems. However I decided that strength training is the most appropriate method for me to use.
When carrying my weights programme, there are a number of different exercises I am going to be doing, each training different muscles in the body:
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Shoulder Press – this is an upper body exercise and involves pushing a weight up using two separate handles. It is very good at training your deltoids, which are the major muscles at the back of your shoulders. I chose this as one of my exercises because it will help strengthen my shoulders, which are very important when playing rugby as they are needed when tackling and going into contact.
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Sit Ups– this exercise works on developing your abdominals (trunk flexors) and requires very little as far as machinery is concerned. I intend to use an ab – cradle which just assists the sit up action enabling me to increase the number of reps for this exercise. This exercise strengthens the front of your upper body and will therefore protect you slightly more when you get a knock in the stomach.
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Leg Press – when using this machine, you are working on your quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteus maximus. It involves sitting at a 45° angle with your back against a pad, and then placing your feet on a flat platform and pushing the platform away from you (pictured left). This exercise will help make my leg muscles larger and therefore hopefully help to make me faster and more powerful on the pitch, which is what my aim is.
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Peck Deck – this machine will aid me in developing my pectorals in my upper body. Like with the shoulder press, it will increase my strength in my upper body and therefore make me harder to stop when playing rugby.
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Knee Extensor – by doing this exercise I will be working on my quadriceps. Just as with the leg press it will help increase the strength of my leg muscles and therefore help me become faster and more powerful. To do this exercise you sit down with your legs hanging down behind a bar with the weights attached to it and then extend your leg so you push the bar upwards and outwards. You then slowly let the bar come back down before repeating the exercise.
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Bicep Curl – this is another upper body exercise and works on increasing my bicep strength. Again this will make me stronger in the trunk of my body and help make me that bit more difficult to stop when playing rugby. This exercise will involve me using dumbbells of different weights and curling my arm up while holding them.
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Bench Press – the bench press (pictured right) exercises almost all of the upper body muscles, including triceps, biceps, deltoids, and major pectorals. It involves lying flat on a bench with a weighted bar directly above your shoulders, and then lowering the bar to your chest and raising it back to full arm extension. Bench pressing increases overall upper body power; essential for a rugby player
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Assisted Dips – exercises the triceps and major pectorals. It is a simple exercise and is performed by suspending your body between two bars and then lowering your entire body weight until your lower arm is at 90° to your upper arm. Repeating this exercise several times will increase arm and chest strength, further suiting my body to rugby when I will be able to withstand heavy hits.
9) Lat Pull Down – this exercise involves reaching up to a bar above your head (which has weights attached to it) and then pulling it down behind your head to the top of your back (shown right). This action will improve the strength of your latissimus dorsi, your major pectorals and your lower back. This exercise will also help develop the strength in my upper body.
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Calf Press – this final exercise will help strengthen your calves and will help increase your speed and power by developing your leg muscles more. This exercise is carried out by sitting on a seat (positioned at an angle) and then by pushing yourself back and upwards on the seat using only the tips of your feet.
Application of Theory
When doing a fitness regime, there are various principles of training that must be considered. Each one of these principles is important for your routine to be successful and for you to achieve your aim.
Specificity:
Specificity is concerning the relevance of the training, to the activity that you are training for. The training that you are doing must be relevant to the activity and the muscles used, the actions done, and the fibre types must also all be relevant to the activity.
E.g. if you are training for a swimming competition, there is no point doing lots of running because it is not relevant to the sport. Your training should be done in the swimming pool in order to achieve the best results.
I am training my ATP-PC system by doing a weights programme in order to help me when I play rugby. When playing rugby, it is important to have good upper body strength (arms and abdominals) and it is also important to have strong leg muscles. In my exercise programme I am doing weights for all of these parts of the body, in the hope of getting stronger in all these departments, therefore my exercise programme is specifically related to the activity I am training for.
Progressive Overload:
The intensity of the training session must be such that the body is overloaded so that it has to adapt to improve. This should be done in stages or breakdown can occur. When you start doing your training there is a ‘point’ (whether it be a distance or a weight) that you have to push your body to the limit in order to achieve. However as you continue to do your training, this ‘point’ becomes easier to reach. Once it can be reached, you should increase the distance or weight in order for you to have to push your body hard again and allow your body to adapt. This continuing increase is known as ‘progressive overload’ and is necessary for you to improve what you are doing.
As I am doing a weights programme, I will start on a weight that I can only just do 6 repetitions on (this is the number of repetitions I am doing in order to train my ATP-PC system), but then when I am able to do this weight easily I will increase the weight, so I can only just do the 6 repetitions again. By doing this, the weight will continue to increase as my muscles get stronger and my muscles will have to adapt (i.e. get bigger) in order for me to be able to lift this increased weight.
Effects of Overload – when you overload your body, it has various effects on your energy systems, it has effects on your muscles and soft tissues and there are also some respiratory effects. The effects that overloading has on your ATP-PC system (this is what I am training) are that the stores of ATP and PC within the muscle cells will increase and therefore more energy is available. This is from doing training that lasts less than 10 seconds.
The effect that overloading has on muscles and soft tissue is that it causes the muscles to adapt. Hypertrophy (enlargement) occurs in fast twitch fibres due to more fibres, actin and myosin being generated.
There are also some respiratory effects from overloading. When overloading occurs, more alveoli is utilised and therefore the capillary network around the alveoli increases, causing an increase in lung volume. Another important effect is that the respiratory muscles become stronger.
One final effect that overloading has is that it enhances your recovery. A more efficient system is formed that not only helps with the active phase of exercise, but also with the recovery.
Recovery:
Recovery is concerning how quickly and efficiently you are able to recuperate after doing your training. Initially, as exercise begins, ATP is consumed, but then replaced via the ATP-PC anaerobic energy system. However if the exercise is intense enough, the active cells run out of PC and so ATP cannot be replaced. This is when you reach the lactic acid ‘threshold.’ If you are training your ATP-PC system like I am, recovery is all about how quickly you can replace the ATP that has been consumed. By doing a weights programme for my ATP-PC system I am hoping that by the end of it my recovery speed will be enhanced.
Reversibility (Regression):
Reversibility is based on the fact that if you don’t use it, you lose it! I am doing a weights programme for 6 weeks and by the end of it I am expecting my muscles to have got larger. However if, having finished my programme, I don’t continue to train then my muscle mass will decrease. Training has to be maintained in order to keep what you have previously achieved.
Overtraining:
Overtraining is doing more than your body can handle and this is the biggest cause of injury. It results in muscles and soft tissues breaking down. However there are many signs of overtraining:
1) Constant muscle soreness
2) Sleeplessness
3) Loss of appetite
4) Injury 5) mood swings 6) decrease in motivation 7) decrease in performance
Before starting your training, all of these principles of training must be taken into account in order to aid you in achieving the best results.
When doing an exercise programme it is important that before starting the training you calculate how much you are going to do and how many times you are going to do it. If you are doing running training then you have to decide how far you are going to run, how many times you are going to that distance and how long you are going to rest for between each run. If you are doing a weights programme you have to calculate the weight you are going to do, the number of repetitions and sets you are going to do, and again the rest in between each set. All of this information that has to be calculated depends on which energy system you are trying to develop. If you are working on your ATP-PC system the intensity is high, but the duration is short and the work: relief ratio is 1: 3. However if you are trying to improve your aerobic system the intensity is moderate, but the duration is long and there is a work: relief ratio of 1: ½.
I am training my ATP-PC system by doing a weight programme and so when calculating the intensity of the workload, I have to make sure that it is high. Normally the intensity used for your ATP-PC system is about 80% of your one repetition maximum. To find the intensity you use, you find your one repetition maximum (the weight that you can only do one repetition on) and then you take a percentage of that depending on which energy system you are going to be training. The intensity that you use for training your ATP-PC system is so high, because the duration of the raining is very short. When doing a weights programme like I am, you would usually only do between 2 and 6 repetitions. The heavier the weight you use, the fewer repetitions you are able to do.
However as I continue to do my programme, I will hopefully be getting stronger which means I will find the weights that I started of using easier to do the 6 repetitions on (the number of repetitions I am doing). In order for me to keep overloading my body and allowing my muscles to adapt, I will have to increase the weights that I am using so again, I can only just do 6 repetitions. I will not increase the number of repetitions I am doing! If I did increase the number of repetitions, rather than the weight, I would stop training my ATP-PC energy system and probably start training my lactic acid system, which is not what, I want to do.
There are also other relevant factors to consider when doing a fitness regime such as ‘periodisation’.
‘Periodisation’ is dividing the year up into stages of training that allow an athlete to build up to a peak of fitness. The body cannot cope with hard training all of the time (over training). If hard training is too close to a competition, then the athlete will not perform as well. ‘Periodisation’ should start off with a bit of foundation fitness (endurance, technique, strength etc.) for a few months before moving onto a bit of pre-competition stuff such as sport specific conditioning and mental preparation. This too should last for a few months. Having done this you move to the competition through which you should try and maintain your fitness. With the competition over, you should then spend a couple of months resting and recovering before starting the routine again.
My fitness programme is only lasting for 6 weeks and there is no competition at the end of it therefore it is not really necessary for me to divide the time up as if I were training for a much longer period of time and for a specific reason, such as a major competition.
When doing a fitness programme I must also consider any other types of training I will be doing during the week. In my rugby sessions (3 times a week) I expect to be doing some sort of strength training (e.g. press ups, burpees). However, because the strength exercises are so few I do not expect them to have a decisive effect on my muscles or overall strength. I don’t plan on going to the gym during the 6 weeks, except for carrying out my weights programme. This will make my conclusion more accurate when I come to consider on the results.
Ongoing Evaluation
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
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shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 43kg
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calf raise: 2 × 6 – 136kg
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lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 58kg
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combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
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peck deck: 2 × 6 – 38kg
-
sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
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assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
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leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
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bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
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preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 1 – Session 1 (Monday 7th November)
I intended to use a work: relief ratio of 1:3 (10secs on 30secs off) but I didn’t time how long I was exercising for, so the ratio might have been inaccurate. I felt that the exercises are suitable to my aim as they will increase my overall body strength. I managed the session with relative ease and even had to do 3 sets (instead of 2) on some of the machines; lat pull down, calf raise, shoulder press. Next session I will increase the weight on the 3 machines listed above. I was slightly affected by post-rugby match fatigue, but I do not believe that Saturday matches will have a decisive effect on my performance of the programme. It is too soon to notice a difference to my pitch skills and performance yet.
The aim of this session was really to just to get to know the routine I was going to be carrying out and to get into the swing of going to the gym to do a particular programme.
Week 1 – Session 2 (Wednesday 9th November)
I altered the programme slightly by increasing the number of sets from 2 to 3 on lat pull down, calf raise and shoulder press. I found the workout harder than session 1, perhaps due to fatigue from Monday’s session. I still believe the weights to be suitable to my aim, but have not yet realised a change in my on-pitch performance.
The gym was very busy during this session and I therefore had to wait quite a long time in order to get onto the machines I wished to use. I was training my ATP-PC system and the usual work relief ratio was 1: 3. Because the gym was so packed and I had to wait in order to use each machine, the work relief ration was much longer than it should have been. Although I had to wait a long time for each machine, I completed the entire training programme and at the end I didn’t feel as if the delay had affected my progress too much.
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
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shoulder press: 3 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 47kg
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calf raise: 3 × 6 – 140kg
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lat pull down: 3 × 5 – 63kg
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combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
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peck deck: 2 × 6 – 38kg
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sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
-
assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
-
leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
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bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
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preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 1 – Session 3 (Friday 11th November)
Today was the hardest day yet, but hardly surprising considering that I had already performed two sessions this week. However, I still feel that I can increase every weight for next week so that I am really pushing myself (progressive overload). I failed to keep to the 1:3 work/relief ratio, as I took longer breaks than I should have done. I have started to notice a couple of small changes on the rugby pitch. My muscles are not tiring as quickly as before, and the flexibility in my legs (especially hamstrings) seems to have improved.
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
-
shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 43kg
-
calf raise: 2 × 6 – 136kg
-
lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 58kg
-
combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
-
peck deck: 2 × 6 – 38kg
-
sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
-
assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
-
leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
-
bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
-
preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 2 – Session 1 (Monday 14th November)
By now I was beginning to get into the routine and going down to the gym three times a week to carry out the same programme each time became natural. For this session I had no injury worries and I had not had any sport prior to my session and was therefore not tired when I started the session.
I was determined to stick to the intensities, and forced myself to only rest for a maximum of 30 seconds. I felt nice and refreshed after a weekend break, and thus increased every weight by 1 notch (bench press increased by 5kg) to really test my programme. Initially, I found the session very tiring, but as I progressed things started to get easier. All the exercises still appear to be suitable because they are increasing my upper-body strength, which is what I am hoping for. I don’t think any changes are required for the next session, and I am cautious not to take on too much too soon. There have been no noticeable changes on the pitch since last time.
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
-
shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 51kg
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calf raise: 2 × 6 – 144kg
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lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 63kg
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combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 67kg
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peck deck: 2 × 6 – 41kg
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sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
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assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (9kg)
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leg press: 2 × 5 – 195kg
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bench press: 2 × 5 – 65kg
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preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 41kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 2 – Session 2 (Wednesday 16th November)
A minor back injury prevented me from performing the programme properly, as I was unable to do some of the exercises (sit-ups and shoulder press). I was able to use the other machines without difficulty and continued to stick to the same intensities. All the exercises are still suitable, and I can see my strength gradually increasing, which means that my programme must be having a positive effect already. I am going to alter my programme for the next session by increasing the peck deck weight from 38kg to 41kg. This should work my upper-body a bit harder and allow me to progress in other areas that exercise my chest muscles (e.g. bench press).
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
-
shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 43kg
-
calf raise: 2 × 6 – 136kg
-
lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 58kg
-
combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
-
peck deck: 2 × 6 – 38kg
-
sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
-
assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
-
leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
-
bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
-
preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 2 – Session 3 (Friday 18th November)
For this session I decided to do a cycle for my warm-up rather than a jog. I thought that this would be best because by now my motivation was beginning to deteriorate and I thought that a break from the usual routine might be what I needed in order to try and keep my motivation up
I completed this session without problems, keeping to the same intensities as usual. The only change made to the weights programme was the increase in the peck deck weight. In my opinion, the training methods and warm up/down are still appropriate for achieving my aim because I am targeting the necessary body components and strengthening them. Next session I plan to increase every weight by another notch (bench press increased by a further 5kg).
Yesterday, I started to feel a few changes on the rugby pitch. My upper-body felt much more sturdy and powerful in areas of contact. For example, I was able to maintain a strong body position in the scrums and rucks, which I had previously struggled with.
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
-
shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 43kg
-
calf raise: 2 × 6 – 136kg
-
lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 58kg
-
combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
-
peck deck: 2 × 6 – 44kg
-
sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
-
assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
-
leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
-
bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
-
preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 3 – Session 1 (Tuesday 22nd November)
As it was a new week, I was feeling fresh and confident and so I decided to increase the weights by another notch. However, I have been struggling with the bench press as it is so I didn’t feel I would be able to manage increasing the weight of that exercise. I found this session very physically demanding (as expected!) but I managed to complete it without error. My programme will not be altered for the next session, and, because I don’t want to overstrain my body, will probably remain the same for the whole new week.
I continue to be surprised by the noticeable effect my programme is now having on my rugby. I am no longer feeling any strain on my back when scrumming and as a result my confidence has grown hugely.
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
-
shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 55kg
-
calf raise: 2 × 6 – 136kg
-
lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 58kg
-
combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
-
peck deck: 2 × 6 – 38kg
-
sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
-
assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
-
leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
-
bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
-
preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 3 – Session 2 (Thursday 24th November)
I carried out this session straight after a long rugby match and so I was feeling quite exhausted. This also meant that my usual warm up was not necessary as I had been running around for over 90 minutes, and so I just stretched off the usual muscles in the gym before starting my programme.
Despite feeling a bit fatigued, I completed the session without error and forced myself to stick to the work/relief intensities. I still consider all the majority of the weights to be suitable in accomplishing my aim and I am confident that I am now noticing changes due to my programme.
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
-
shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 43kg
-
calf raise: 2 × 6 – 136kg
-
lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 58kg
-
combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
-
peck deck: 2 × 6 – 38kg
-
sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
-
assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
-
leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
-
bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
-
preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 3 – Session 3 (Saturday 26th November)
I was now nearing the end of my training programme and by this point my motivation had almost completely gone – I was tired and bored of doing the same routine over and over again. However I managed to complete this session even though I was very tired from the afternoon when I had been involved in a rugby match and the session went really well. For the first time in a while, I failed to keep to the work intensities of 1:3, taking much longer rests in between sets than I should have allowed.
No alterations to my programme were made for this session, but because I will be starting a new and final week I will have to decide whether to make any changes for next session. It appears that my stretching before and after each session has really improved my flexibility, especially my lower body. I can now touch my toes whilst keeping both legs straight, which I could never do previously.
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
-
shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 43kg
-
calf raise: 2 × 6 – 136kg
-
lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 58kg
-
combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
-
peck deck: 2 × 6 – 38kg
-
sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
-
assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
-
leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
-
bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
-
preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 4 – Session 1 (Monday 28th November)
Entering the final week now, which I reckon will be the toughest. I am lacking motivation and feeling tired of repeating this programme for 12 sessions. However, a weekend break allowed me to recover and so I arrived back feeling fresh. As a result I decided to increase every weight by one final notch (bench press by 2.5kg), and I hoped that this would force my muscles to adapt (i.e. get bigger!) to achieve this heavier weight. I was not at all fatigued and I had no injuries that would disrupt my session, thus enabling me to complete the hour-long work out.
My warm up/down and exercises are continuing to supply the required results. Since starting this 4-week long programme I have begun to observe developments in several areas of my body. My strength has been increased by a set amount at the beginning of each week and so I am able to track my progress. My flexibility has definitely improved due to my stretching either side of each session. Finally, it feels as though my fitness and speed have increased together because I have been faster around the rugby pitch and recovery time is less after each piece of intense exercise.
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
-
shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 43kg
-
calf raise: 2 × 6 – 136kg
-
lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 58kg
-
combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
-
peck deck: 2 × 6 – 38kg
-
sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
-
assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
-
leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
-
bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
-
preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 4 – Session 2 (Wednesday 30th November)
For some reason I had a sharp pain in my lower left thumb (perhaps due to a strain caused by overloading). This prevented me from doing a couple of my most important upper-body exercises (bench press and shoulder press), which is a shame so close to finishing my programme. Apart from these set backs, I was able to do the rest of the exercises and still benefited from the workout.
I don’t see it necessary to change anything for the final session because everything is feeling right. I am being pushed towards my limits, which is good, but I’m not really struggling to complete the sets. In my opinion this is the perfect balance and I hope to maintain it to the end.
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
-
shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 43kg
-
calf raise: 2 × 6 – 136kg
-
lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 58kg
-
combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
-
peck deck: 2 × 6 – 38kg
-
sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
-
assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
-
leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
-
bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
-
preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Week 4 – Session 3 (Friday 2nd December)
I was relieved to have successfully made it through the programme and now I had plenty of motivation to complete the final session. I decided to change the work/relief intensities from 1:3 down to 1:2 (10 seconds on 20 seconds 0ff). This of course made my final session the hardest one yet, but I was injury free and felt that I should end on a high note! I managed to accomplish this intense workout and, once finished, felt really good and pleased with myself. I had managed to fulfil my 4-week programme without missing a single session and now I just have to look at what effect, if any, all this training has had on my rugby performance.
Warm up: 5min on rowing machine *machine weights are highlighted
Static stretching in blue
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shoulder press: 2 (sets) × 6 (repetitions) – 43kg
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calf raise: 2 × 6 – 136kg
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lat pull down: 2 × 5 - 58kg
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combi-knee extensor: 2 × 6 – 64kg
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peck deck: 2 × 6 – 38kg
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sit ups: 3 × 30 – using ab-cradle
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assisted dips: 2 × 6 – (12kg)
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leg press: 2 × 5 – 190kg
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bench press: 2 × 5 – 60kg
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preacher arm curl: 2 × 6 – 38kg
Warm down: 5min on erg/running/cycling
Full static stretching (upper + lower body)
Summative Evaluation
Re-test scores:
Here I have listed my second lot of test results, performed after my 4-week training session. My original test results are listed underneath so that comparison is easy.
Chest press: 124kg Improvement
(103kg)
Beep test: 11 laps Improvement
(10.5 laps)
30m sprint: 4.28 seconds Improvement
(4.32 seconds)
Grip strength: Left hand = 43kg; Right hand = 45kg
(Left hand = 45kg; Right hand = 45kg)
Vertical Sergeant jump: 53cm Improvement
(45cm)
Sit & Reach: 34cm
(36cm)
As my fitness tests show, my weights programme has had a significant effect on my upper body strength and power. The four main fitness tests that I hope to improve on were grip test, chest press, vertical jump and 30m sprint. I wanted to improve in these areas because these were all to do with strength and power, which were the aspects I set out to improve at the beginning of my PEP. I managed to increase my results on three of these four, but on one of them I failed to improve. The chest press exercise increased by over 20kg, and I was able to jump an extra 8cm in the sergeant jump. I had an inclination that my body strength was improving by what was happening on the rugby pitch. Since performing my programme I have been more sturdy in the scrums and much more confident in areas of contact (e.g. rucks and mauls). My time over the 30m sprint got faster by 0.4 seconds; a modest amount, but still an indication of an increase in power. The grip test results were worse than when previously tested, but only by a minor amount. This surprised me a little as I had worked hard to develop my forearm and wrist muscles, which are essential in this exercise. However, on the whole, my test results back up what I had already suspected. This shows that to a large extent, my programme has had a positive effect on my strength and power, which was one of my aims from the beginning.
I have also noticed an improvement in my stamina. Since finishing my programme I have been more mobile on the pitch and I have been able to run continuously for the full 70 minutes of a rugby match. My beep test results improved by 0.5 laps, which I am more than happy with. I think that my warm up and warm down was mainly responsible for this improvement in stamina, even though I only exercised for 10 minutes either side of my programme. I was also expecting to see an improvement in my flexibility (sit & reach test) but instead I saw a regression of 2cm. This surprised me, as I was convinced that since carrying out my programme I have felt more flexible (e.g. being able to touch my toes whilst keeping legs straight). This result could be inaccurate due to unreliable testing but I will investigate that later.
As far as skill improvement is concerned, my programme did not appear to have a major effect on this area. I developed my programme to develop my different areas of fitness (i.e. strength, speed, power), not to improve my skill on the rugby pitch. In my opinion, improving a sport-related skill cannot be done in the gym; it has to be taught on the pitch by a coach or another trained individual.
I believe that overall my training programme was effective as I improved in almost every aspect that I hoped to do so. I also feel the training has been effective because the weights that I was lifting at the end of my training programme were heavier than those at the beginning which shows that my overall body strength has increased which was really the main aim of all of the sessions. I also thought that the programme was effective because having completed it I then played some more rugby and found that I was much more effective when going into tackles and also when mauling and rucking.
I was trying to increase my strength and therefore using a weights programme was effective in trying to develop this. All the other methods of training (circuit training, intermittent training etc.) may have helped me improve my strength slightly, but that is not the specific aim of those types of training. Doing a weights programme directly targets improving your strength and so it is therefore the most effective type of training for what I was trying to do.
If I was considering carrying out a weights programme again then there are a few adjustments that I would make. One of the adjustments would be the work: relief ratio, perhaps reducing it to 1:2 instead of 1:3. This would make my programme harder work but I feel that I could cope with and benefit from the challenge. I would also perhaps change some of the exercises that I did. I found that a couple of them did not prove to be all that effective (e.g. calf raise & sit-ups) and I believe that I could replace them with ones that would have a bigger impact on what I was trying to do. Nevertheless I think that overall my programme was in most respects very successful and effective and there are only a couple of aspects that could do with some slight tweaking.
Advantages and Disadvantages of fitness tests:
The fitness tests that I carried out before and after my exercise programme were reliable to a certain extent. They were reliable as far as the fact that I carried them out in the same place and under the same conditions. However there may have been a couple of tests that were not as reliable as they could have been. An example of this was the 30-metre sprint. Someone using a stopwatch timed this and so there was a fairly large margin for error. To make it totally reliable it would have to be done using electronic equipment, which was not available to us.
Appraisal of PEP:
When carrying out my training programme I had to make sure that I took into account the principles of training – specificity, progressive overload, reversibility and overtraining.
When designing my weights programme, I had in mind trying to improve my strength for rugby. I therefore had to make sure that the training I was doing was specific to what I was training for. I did this by using the weight machines that developed the muscles required for rugby – legs (calf muscles, quadriceps etc.) pectorals, biceps and triceps, abdominals etc. Had I not worked on these specific muscles then the programme would not have been effective for training for rugby.
Progressive overload was a very important principle of training I had to consider when doing this programme. I made sure I did this by increasing the weights when I found they had become a bit too easy to lift. Had I not increased the weights, then once I reached the stage where I could lift the weights with ease, my muscles would have stopped getting larger because I would not have been straining them and causing hypertrophy to occur. By increasing the weights my muscles had to keep getting larger in order to lift the new weight. By gradually increasing the weights my muscles were getting larger and that is how I made sure that progressive overload was occurring.
Throughout my programme, my motivation kept coming and going. However I had to make sure that I continued to carry out my programme so that reversibility (regression) would not occur. Reversibility is based on the fact that if you don’t use it, then you lose it. Had I stopped my routine half way through then my muscle mass would have decreased and my body fat would have increased. By continuing my routine I made sure that my muscles kept getting larger and that my body fat remained low. By doing this I made sure that reversibility was not an issue.
The final principle of training that I had to consider was overtraining. Overtraining is the biggest cause of injury and it was for that reason that I had to make sure I did not do it. I was able to prevent myself from overtraining by only doing three training sessions each week, with rests in between each one. The fact that the programme was only four weeks long also meant that I was protected against serious overtraining. Had I done five or more sessions every week for a long period of time and during each session pushed my body as hard as I possibly could then injury would have been a big possibility. I managed though to carry out my programme in such a way that I did not get injured as a result of my weights programme – there were however a few minor injuries during rugby practices which did affect a couple of my sessions.
If I were to do a weights exercise programme again in the future, then there are a few modifications that I would make in order to improve its effectiveness. One modification I would make would be the length of the programme. Although over the four weeks there was an improvement I believe that to make considerable progress then the programme would have to be quite a bit longer. Another adjustment that I would make would be to make sure I used the gym when it was not particularly busy; there were a couple of occasions when it was very crowded and I had to wait a long time in order to use each machine. By going to the gym when it was quiet I would be able to make sure I kept to the correct work relief ratio (1: 3 for ATP-PC system) by not having to wait to get on each machine. The final change I would make to the programme would be the way that I carried out each session. I found that my motivation disappeared very easily and I believe that this happened due to me getting bored and losing interest because each session was exactly the same as the previous one. In order to keep myself motivated I would alter the order in which I did each exercise every couple of weeks. I would make sure I still did the same exercise and the same number of each one, but I would carry it out in a different order. I would nonetheless make sure that the number of repetitions and the number of sets I carry out be the same because I found them to be manageable but also very effective.
As far as modifications for future use of other factors is concerned, there is only one alteration I would make. The lack of motivation was a considerable problem for me, and I believe that it could have been reduced by the introduction of a training partner. If I had someone to work with (i.e. swap machines in-between every set) then I would have had a source of motivation: someone who encourages me (and vice versa) and pushes me through each session.
Overall I feel that my programme was a success and that there are not any drastic changes I would make if I were to carry one out again.
