Design and carry out a training program that will improve various aspects.
Personal File
Sport Chosen. Javelin
Name. CHRISTOPHER JOHN MCMANUS
Gender. Male
D.O.B. 2.11.84
Allergies. Penicillin, Asthma
Present Injuries. None
Past Injuries. Achilles Tendonitis
Broken Wrist
Sacroiliac Joint (lower back) Locking Regularly
Activities Undertaken. Athletics
Football
Time Spent On Athletics = 3 sessions between 1 - 2 hrs each
Activities. Football = 1 sessions lasting 2hrs
Standard. Football = recreation
Athletics = I have represented my school, county (Suffolk), region (East Anglia) and been asked to represent my country (Northern Ireland), unfortunately I was injured and unable to take part.
Facilities Available. Fortunately the facilities available to me are of a high standard. These facilities include and outdoors running track, school sports hall/gym and a weight training gym.
Purpose And Aims
I am going to design and carry out a training program that will improve the following:
* Improve my general fitness thus improving my quality of life by helping me feel better about myself.
* Improve my specific fitness with regard to my chosen sport, javelin. These specific requirements are detailed later.
* Improve my performance of my chosen sport, furthermore improving the standard I currently compete at.
So that my program becomes successful I must decide when I shall carry out my sessions so that they complement each other, and do not affect my performance in any given session. Therefore reasonable time between each session needs to be taken into consideration. Consequently there will always be at least a day between each training session.
Fitness Requirements For Javelin
The definition of fitness is best described as the following:
'...the successful adaptation to the stressors of one's lifestyle...' (Dick 1989)
'...the ability to undertake everyday activities without undue fatigue...'
(SPORT & PE, Wesson, Wiggins, Thompson, Hartigan,)
Being fit varies from person to person usually depending on what type of person they are and the quantity of physical activity they partake in. For example some people may believe that they are fit because they can walk all the way to town and back whereas more advanced sportspersons may believe that reaching high levels at the multistage fitness test show good fitness levels.
Due to there being so many different types of sports the components of fitness needed in these activities vary from sport to sport. These components are put into two different categories, health related fitness and skill related fitness. Skill related fitness includes factors such as agility, balance, co-ordination, reaction time and power. The health related fitness factors include the following and are physiologically based:
. Cardio respiratory or Aerobic Endurance
The ability to do moderately strenuous activity over a period of time. It reflects how well your heart and lungs work together to supply oxygen to your body during exertion and exercise. Also called aerobic fitness.
2. Muscular Endurance
The ability to hold a particular position for a sustained period of time or repeat a movement many times. This could be the capability required to hold a 2 kg weight above your head for five minutes or the effort required to lift that weight 20 consecutive times.
3. Muscular Strength
The ability to exert maximum force, such as lifting the heaviest weight you can for 1 rep. It is possible to have muscular strength in one area, say your arms, while lacking strength in another area such as your legs.
4. Flexibility
The ability to move a joint through its full range of motion; the elasticity of the muscle. This is how supple you are.
5. Body Composition
The proportion of fat in your body compared to your bone and muscle. It does not refer to your weight in kgs or your figure.
Javelin requires the following components of fitness:
* Muscular Strength
* Power
* Flexibility
Muscular Strength
The most important thing to remember is that it is essentially a 'pulling' event and to be able to pull with great force needs strength. The main muscles needed in the arm are the biceps and triceps. These give you the strength to pull the javelin with great acceleration and as Sir Isaac Newton discovered, acceleration is proportional to the force applied to it. Also that the smaller the mass of the body the greater will be its acceleration for any given force.
Force = mass x acceleration
This means that the stronger you become the greater the weight you can lift. It also means you can lift a given weight faster if you are stronger. But it means that if your own weight stays constant and your strength improves then you should be able to move your weight faster. The lower body is also needed to be strong if it is to stop your motion suddenly after the throw, this is called the block. The building up of the arm muscles can be done by regular weight training using exercises such as bench presses and bicep curls. Before this is done I must find my repetition maximum (1RM). This is the most that I can lift with one repetition. Once this has been found it is then possible to create a weight-training regime adjusting the resistance as a percentage of my maximum lift. Because javelin requires maximum strength, training methods must incorporate exercises that will increase muscle strength thus increasing my maximum strength. Currently my 1RM is 45 kgs.
I believe that this must be increased to at least 60 kgs by the end of my program in order to show that I have progressed and the schedule has been a success. I will test my 1RM after the schedule has finished to find out how much I have progressed.
The power that I need is derived from the fibres within the muscles. Fast twitch fibres have a high contraction speed and therefore are suited to a javelin thrower. Unlike slow twitch fibres the mitochondrial enzyme (useful for aerobic activity) is low and so have poor endurance. The difference in blood supply between the fibres leads to a difference in colour. Slow twitch fibres are redder and fast twitch fibres are whiter. Also strength can be built up by throwing javelins that are heavier than the actual weight that you would use in a competition. Although this slows down the speed in which the javelin is released, it also overloads you, causing progression.
Power
Power is the amount of work done per unit of time: the product of strength and speed. Power is needed in javelin when doing the actual throw.
Power = speed + strength
Speed is also vital in javelin for many reasons. In the final action when the arm whips the javelin speed is of the essence. A fast arm is very important especially when you are young and do not have large arm muscles. This is used to throw the javelin at a very fast speed.
Flexibility
Flexibility is also required for javelin just like it is for most sports. In javelin is particularly important that you are flexible in your arm and back, or it could result in a serious injury. Flexibility is the range of movement possible at a joint. Flexibility is determined by the elasticity of ligaments and tendons, the strength and opposition of opposing muscles (including antagonists) and the shape of the articulating bones (SPORT & PE, Wesson, Wiggins, Thompson, Hartigan,).
It is important that to stay flexible and not allow reversibility, stretches should be done regularly, at least once every two days. This stops any risk of seizing up and allowing tendons, muscles and ligaments from tightening up.
This is what the table will look like for the results of my fitness tests:
Component of fitness
Test
Result
Compared with national averages
Muscular strength
Grip dynometer
55kg
Average
Power
Vertical jump
56cm
Average
Reflexes
Stick drop test
38.5 sec
Good
Flexibility
Sit and reach
32cm
Good
After carrying out my six-week program I shall retake these exercise tests and compare them to decide whether I have improved and by how much.
Age And Gender
Before I do plan my program any further it is vital that I take my age and gender into account. Age affects performance in many different ways. You do not reach your maximum strength until you are fully grown, usually at about 20. Once at this age it is easier to build more muscle. When we are young it is also when we are at our most flexible and can recover from injuries quicker. Men have bigger muscles due to higher testosterone levels and therefore can generally lift heavier weights and run faster but women are usually more flexible, this is partly because they have less muscle bulk. This is proved by the national averages where men have generally higher averages for most of the fitness tests. But the women's national averages for the sit and reach, a flexibility test, are higher. Women also have more body fat, which puts more strain on the heart and joints.
Principles Of Training
Before planning a training regime there are a few aspects that must be taken into consideration, these include:
* Specificity
* Intensity-Overload
* Duration
* Recuperation
* Warm Up/ Cool Down
Specificity
This principle refers to the relevance of the choice of exercise to the activity to be improved, which is javelin in this case. The exercises should be specific so that after the 6-week training period, I will be able to compete at a higher standard. This also includes which type of muscle fibres will ...
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Principles Of Training
Before planning a training regime there are a few aspects that must be taken into consideration, these include:
* Specificity
* Intensity-Overload
* Duration
* Recuperation
* Warm Up/ Cool Down
Specificity
This principle refers to the relevance of the choice of exercise to the activity to be improved, which is javelin in this case. The exercises should be specific so that after the 6-week training period, I will be able to compete at a higher standard. This also includes which type of muscle fibres will be worked and that the same energy systems are used in training that are used in javelin throwing.
Intensity
Overload is the term used to describe training activities that are harder, more intense, and/or lengthier than normal physical activity undertaken by an individual (Physical Education and The Study Of Sport, Davis, Bull, Roscoe, Roscoe).
Overloading a human places certain parts of their body under particular amounts of stress, because of this the human biological system responds by becoming capable of withstanding this stress. Therefore the training should gradually show an increase in intensity as the program progresses, be it either an increase in sets or repetitions, or an increase in weight.
Duration
This must be taken into consideration so that the program is strenuous enough to work myself each session, and not be relatively easy but on the other hand not put my health at risk and trying to do more than my body can cope with.
Recuperation
It is vital that after each training session I have sufficient time to recover before another session. This is because if I have not fully recovered my muscles may be tight or sore and therefore stressing those muscles at that point could risk my health.
Warm Up / Cool Down
The purpose of a warm up is that it prepares you for maximal levels of subsequent performance and reduces the risk of injury occurring within the performance (www.scrum.com). These should be carried out before every training session and last roughly 30 minutes. There are three steps of a warm up:
. Light jogging to increase the pulse rate, increase oxygen movement within the body and warm the muscles up gradually
2. Light and gentle stretching of all the major joints and muscles. Each stretch should be held for at least 10 - 15 seconds and slowly stretched
3. Drills relating to the activity. In this case I slowly carry out the throwing action without the javelin or rotate my hips relevant to the throwing action slowly and under control. This improves my flexibility and kinaesthetic awareness. Not only does a warm up help you physiologically, it also gives you a mental edge. This is because whilst warming up it gives me a chance to familiarise myself with the environment.
Also a cool down is necessary after every session. This helps to minimise the onset of muscle soreness (therefore helping you to recover more quickly), allow your body to return to its normal resting state at a more gradual rate and help to prevent future injury. Cool downs should involve a continually decreasing exercise intensity (i.e. easy jog to brisk walk) for approximately 5 minutes, and a period of stretching. Stretching is very important at this stage, and each stretch should be held for approximately 20 seconds.
Weight Training
Weight training is designed to increase strength. Many activities, such as javelin, require some form of strength.
Weight training can be used:
* To increase muscle strength
* To improve muscle tone
To increase muscle strength the principle of overload will need to be incorporated into the schedule.
There are different kinds of weight or strength training,
* Free Standing Weights
* Isotonic Training
* Isokinetic Training
* Isometric Training
Free standing weights are weights that can be fixed on to long or short bars. These are usually preferred because weights can be added and taken away whereas some machine only carry a certain amount of weight. If these are used you must make sure you are not alone due to the risks involved in lifting weights.
Isotonic training is where the amount of weight moved, or lifted remains constant throughout the movement. This is important as it relates to the way the muscles contract when they are exercised.
Isokinetic training is where specialist equipment is necessary because you need the weights to vary the effort as you work at a constant speed. These 'variable resistance' machines are expensive because they adjust the load so that the muscles are worked evenly throughout the movement. The value of these machines is that they can duplicate movements such as throwing and kicking.
Isometric training is where a contraction is held at a particular point, this is useful for a gymnast because you are required to hold the position therefore in training you would hold the muscle in the required position for about five seconds and then repeat.
For my program I will include free standing weights because they are easily accessible and most weight exercises can be done with them. I also believe that I shall incorporate isotonic training into my program because it is the only one I can benefit from. Although the use of isokinetic machines would be extremely useful and beneficial the facilities available to me prohibit the use of such technology. Isometric training is unnecessary for javelin because muscles are not held in one place for very long at all.
Safety Aspects
To ensure maximum safety when implementing my training programme it is vital that I consider all the safety aspects. Firstly, it is essential that any equipment is set-up and checked thoroughly before using it. This includes checking the collars on the freestanding weights are tight and not loose. This could cause very serious injury if the weights were to fall off whilst lifting. It is also necessary to make sure the environment around where I will be training is safe and clear of any hazards. These include things such as bags and weights not being used, these should all be moved out of the way.
Before carrying out any of the weight exercises I should seek advice from a professional such as a teacher or trained weights instructor. This is because it is vital the technique is correct from the start to not allow any bad habits. Simply reading how to do a particular exercise is not good enough because I cannot see myself whilst lifting and therefore need someone to watch. When using the weight machines I must ensure that I read the instructions and follow them fully.
Overtraining can be extremely dangerous if it is not controlled. I must not attempt to lift any weight that I am unsure of and start by trying a lighter weight and gradually progressing if they are too light. Simply putting the weight up dramatically can cause serious injury to the body.
The Training Sessions
I shall carry out 1 session a week for the first 3 weeks of the schedule. This is because I am new to weight training and do not want to push my body to an extent that will cause injury. After 3 weeks I will then add another session each week to progress my training. I shall carry out the first session for 3 weeks on a Monday. I've chosen this day because it does not interfere with my club training and is the best day for me to get to the gym. Then after 3 weeks the second session during the week will be on a Thursday. This is due again to the fact that it is possible for me to get to the gym on this day and also gives me plenty of time between each session. Thus giving me ample of time to recover and feel my best for the next session.
The first sessions will work all of my body, both the upper and lower parts, although it will primarily focus on the upper body with a lot of arm exercises. After warming up thoroughly for roughly 30 minutes which includes both light jogging and stretching I shall carryout the following exercises:
Session 1 - Monday
Exercise
Weight for 1st 3 weeks
(Kgs)
Weight for remaining 3 weeks (Kgs)
Sets
(For second phase)
Repetitions
(For second phase)
Front squat
0
5
2(2)
0 (15)
Bicep Curl
5
0
2(2)
0 (15)
Dumbbell Fly
.5
3
2(2)
0 (15)
Bench Press
40
50
2(2)
0 (15)
Upright Row
5
30
2(2)
0 (15)
Dead Lift
5
30
2(2)
0 (15)
Back Squat
0
5
2(2)
0 (15)
All exercises are shown on the 'Weight Demonstrating Page'
Interval Training Programme (Monday)
.Warm Up
2. Front squat 10 (15)
3. 1 min rest
4. Bicep Curl 10 (15)
5. 1 min rest
6. Dumbbell Fly 10 (15)
7. 1 min rest
8. Bench Press 10 (15)
9. 1 min rest
0. Upright Row 10 (15)
1. 1 min rest
2. Dead Lift 10 (15)
3. 1 min rest
4. Back Squat 10 (15)
5. 1 min rest
Then repeat stages 2 -15 once more
6. Cool down
Session 2 - Thursday
This session will include exercises that again work the upper body but also involve abdominal exercises to improve the stomach muscles.
Exercise
Weight for 2nd Phase
(Kgs)
Sets
Repetitions
Closed Grip Bench Press
5
2
5
Bent-over row
5
2
5
Shoulder press
25
2
5
Reverse crunches
n/a
2
5
Crunches
n/a
2
5
Quarter Crunches
n/a
2
5
Side crunches
n/a
2
5
Shrugs
5
2
5
Triceps dip
n/a
2
5
Interval Training Programme (Monday)
.Warm Up
2. Closed Grip Bench Press 10 (15)
3. 1 min rest
4. Bent-over row 10 (15)
5. 1 min rest
6. Shoulder press 10 (15)
7. 1 min rest
8. Reverse crunches 10 (15)
9. 1 min rest
0. Reverse crunches 10 (15)
1. 1 min rest
2. Crunches 10 (15)
3. 1 min rest
4. Quarter Crunches 10 (15)
5. 1 min rest
6. Side crunches
7. 1 min rest
8. Shrugs
9. 1 min rest
20. Triceps dip
21. 1 min rest
Then repeat stages 2 -21 once more
22. Cool down
I believe that the following programmes are both specific to improving the strength of my upper and lower body. The duration of each exercise and of the sessions are all planned so that they are not so long that it is hard to fit in each week. But on the other hand are not very short sessions either because the exercises must last long enough to work all the muscles groups. The weights that the exercises are set out as, are what I believe from my previous lessons in the gym to be of a weight that will overload my body, therefore cause progression, but not put my health at risk of lifting too heavier weights.
Results Of Fitness Testing
These are the results of the fitness tests before the Programme was undertaken, therefore the remaining two columns cannot be completed until the evaluation.
Test
Score
Low Score
Average
High Score
Rating
Target
Result of retesting
Did I improve?
Grip dynometer
55kg
50kg
55kg
60kg
Average
62kg
Vertical jump
56cm
54cm
56cm
58cm
Average
51cm
Stick drop test
38.5sec
38sec
38.5sec
39sec
Good
42.5sec
Sit and reach
32cm
30cm
32cm
34cm
Good
35cm
Performing
I have completed all my training session and after each one I filled out a session evaluation sheet. In total I have filled out 9 evaluation sheets, one for every session I completed. Whilst I was carryiing out the exercises I also made sure that I have and instructor close by to offer advice on technique. This stopped me from picking up any bad habits and enabled me to get the most out of training sessions. As planned I carried out a warm up before every session and this usually lasted 35 minutes. The sessions were always carried out in a safe environment and I made sure I always checked the collars on the weights.
Personal Exercise Program Evaluation Sheet
Training session No 1. Type Of Training: Weight Training
Date: Monday 5th November
Session
I shall warm up for 30 minutes before the session, which will include a 5 minute light jog to increase the pulse rate and warm the muscles up.After the jog I shall stretch for 25 minutes, ensuring that all parts of the body are stretched and held in position for 5 seconds.
Each exercise will be carried out for twice.
The session will consist of the following:
* Front squat 10kg 10 reps
* Bicep Curl 5kg 10 reps
* Dumbbell Fly 1.5kg 10 reps
* Bench Press 40kg 10 reps
* Upright Row 15kg 10 reps
* Dead Lift 15kg 10 reps
* Back Squat 10kg 10 reps
Post Session
Immediately after I carried out a cool down for 10 minutes.
I felt relatively tired after the session and extremely fatigued. This is probably due to it being my first time for a month since going down to the gym. Apart from this I believe that my session went reasonably well and that the weights were all set correctly apart from the squats, where I believe they were too light. These did not work my legs to the desired extent. The following day my upper body was very sore.
Changes To The Future Sessions
I have decided that the reason for my soreness the following day was due to not warming down for long enough. I had not previously set a designated time limit for my warm down but now I believe that they should last about 20 minutes. This will allow long enough for a slow jog progressing to a walk and some light stretches, particularly in the upper body, around the arms. I have also decided to increase the weight of the squats to 15kgs. I do not want to increase the weight any further as yet, so it is not a risk to me.
Personal Exercise Program Evaluation Sheet
Training session No 2. Type Of Training: Weight Training
Date: Monday 12th November
Session
I shall warm up for 30 minutes before the session, which will include a 5 minute light jog to increase the pulse rate and warm the muscles up.After the jog I shall activily stretch for 25 minutes, ensuring that all parts of the body are stretched and held in position for 5 seconds.
Each exercise will be carried out for twice. After the session I shall cool down for 20 minutes.
The session will consist of the following:
* Front squat 15kg 10 reps
* Bicep Curl 5kg 10 reps
* Dumbbell Fly 1.5kg 10 reps
* Bench Press 40kg 10 reps
* Upright Row 15kg 10 reps
* Dead Lift 15kg 10 reps
* Back Squat 15kg 10 reps
Post Session
I feel really good after today's session. I worked hard but found that I was capable of doing all the exercises with good control and technique. The cool down was sufficient with not soreness the following day apart from a little tightness in my quadriceps. This is probably due to the increase in weight for the squats. I stretched the following day and that relieved the tension in my upper leg muscles.
Changes To The Future Sessions
I believe that at this current time nothing need to be changed apart from the fact that I MUST ensure that my legs are properly cooled down after my session, but not changing the stretches I do to my upper body as they were adequate.
Personal Exercise Program Evaluation Sheet
Training session No 3. Type Of Training: Weight Training
Date: Monday 19th November
Session
I shall warm up for 30 minutes before the session, which will include a 5 minute light jog to increase the pulse rate and warm the muscles up.After the jog I shall activily stretch for 25 minutes, ensuring that all parts of the body are stretched and held in position for 5 seconds.
Each exercise will be carried out for twice. After the session I shall cool down for 20 minutes. Remembering to stretch my legs fully when cooling down, and not hurring the stretches.
The session will consist of the following:
* Front squat 15kg 10 reps
* Bicep Curl 5kg 10 reps
* Dumbbell Fly 1.5kg 10 reps
* Bench Press 40kg 10 reps
* Upright Row 15kg 10 reps
* Dead Lift 15kg 10 reps
* Back Squat 15kg 10 reps
Post Session
I felt that this session was very good and im finding the exercises very comfortable, especially this week. I believe that my session is now becoming slightly undemanding and the weights need to be increased. Fortunatley next weeks session is the start of phase 2 so all the weights will increase.
Changes To The Future Sessions
n/a
Personal Exercise Program Evaluation Sheet
Training session No 4. Type Of Training: Weight Training
Date: Monday 26th November
Session
I shall warm up for 30 minutes before the session, which will include a 5 minute light jog to increase the pulse rate and warm the muscles up.After the jog I shall activily stretch for 25 minutes, ensuring that all parts of the body are stretched and held in position for 5 seconds.
Each exercise will be carried out for twice. After the session I shall cool down for 20 minutes.
The session will consist of the following:
* Front squat 15kg 15 reps
* Bicep Curl 10kg 15 reps
* Dumbbell Fly 3kg 15 reps
* Bench Press 50kg 15 reps
* Upright Row 30kg 15 reps
* Dead Lift 30kg 15 reps
* Back Squat 15kg 15 reps
Post Session
This session was very hard and I was unable to complete many of the repetitions that I had initially set out to do. I was able to lift all the weights but just found completing 15 lifts every time to be far too hard. I was able to reach 10 reps on every exercise. I felt very fatigued and tired after the session. Also between each exercise the 1-minute to rest seemed too short because I was exhausted after each exercise. Whilst I was rest I sometimes felt my muscles cramp up and need to stretch them. This was not a good sign and could be dangerous to my health, if a muscle was to cramp whilst I was lifting.
Changes To The Future Sessions
I shall reduce the repetitions for each exercise back down to 10 reps. This is because muscular endurance is improved by being able to lift weights for a lot of repetitions but I do not need muscular strength. I need explosive power, which is improved by heavy lifting at almost my RM (8O%). I believe that the weights are currently set at this level therefore this is the reason the reps have been lowered and not weight. Also I shall increase the time between each exercise to 2 minutes giving me more recovery time to prevent injury.
Personal Exercise Program Evaluation Sheet
Training session No 5. Type Of Training: Weight Training
Date: Thursday 29th November
Session
I shall warm up for 30 minutes before the session, which will include a 5 minute light jog to increase the pulse rate and warm the muscles up.After the jog I shall activily stretch for 25 minutes, ensuring that all parts of the body are stretched and held in position for 5 seconds.
Each exercise will be carried out for twice. After the session I shall cool down for 20 minutes.
The session will consist of the following:
* Closed Grip Bench Press 15kg 15 reps
* Bent-over row 15kg 15 reps
* Shoulder press 25kg 15 reps
* Reverse crunches n/a 15 reps
* Crunches n/a 15 reps
* Quarter Crunches n/a 15 reps
* Side crunches n/a 15 reps
* Shrugs 15kg 15 reps
* Triceps dip n/a 15 reps
Post Session
This was my first time at this session and found it relatively ok. The crunches really worked my abdominals and I often found myself having to stop halfway through them for a quick rest. Although I did this is still managed to complete them all. Also I found the closed grip bench press quite easy along with the bent-over row. The 2 minutes between each session was sufficient and gave me plenty of recovery time.
Changes To The Future Sessions
I have decided to increase the weight of the closed grip bench press to 20kgs and the bent-over row also to 20kgs. Also I shall increase the triceps dip to 20 repetitions because the 15 reps did not push me.
Personal Exercise Program Evaluation Sheet
Training session No 6. Type Of Training: Weight Training
Date: Monday 3rd December
Session
I shall warm up for 30 minutes before the session, which will include a 5 minute light jog to increase the pulse rate and warm the muscles up.After the jog I shall activily stretch for 25 minutes, ensuring that all parts of the body are stretched and held in position for 5 seconds.
Each exercise will be carried out for twice. After the session I shall cool down for 20 minutes. Also have 2 minutes resting time between each exercise.
The session will consist of the following:
* Front squat 15kg 10 reps
* Bicep Curl 10kg 10 reps
* Dumbbell Fly 3kg 10 reps
* Bench Press 50kg 10 reps
* Upright Row 30kg 10 reps
* Dead Lift 30kg 10 reps
* Back Squat 15kg 10 reps
Post Session
I felt this session was a lot better that last weeks Monday session. I still found it relatively hard but enough that I could cope with. I believe now that the weights are of a weight that I am going to benefit from most and am pleased that the programme is going the way it is.
Changes To The Future Sessions
n/a
Personal Exercise Program Evaluation Sheet
Training session No 7. Type Of Training: Weight Training
Date: Thursday 6th November
Session
I shall warm up for 30 minutes before the session, which will include a 5 minute light jog to increase the pulse rate and warm the muscles up.After the jog I shall activily stretch for 25 minutes, ensuring that all parts of the body are stretched and held in position for 5 seconds.
Each exercise will be carried out for twice. After the session I shall cool down for 20 minutes.
The session will consist of the following:
* Closed Grip Bench Press 20kg 15 reps
* Bent-over row 20kg 15 reps
* Shoulder press 25kg 15 reps
* Reverse crunches n/a 15 reps
* Crunches n/a 15 reps
* Quarter Crunches n/a 15 reps
* Side crunches n/a 15 reps
* Shrugs 15kg 15 reps
* Triceps dip n/a 20 reps
Post Session
I felt a lot better after this session in comparison to last weeks. I still didn't quite manage to finish all the crunches in one go but was able to complete more without stopping. This is a sign that I am improving gradually. I found the shoulder press to be rather easy compared to the other exercises.
Changes To The Future Sessions
Increase the shoulder press to 35kgs and reduce the repetitions to 10 reps per set.
Personal Exercise Program Evaluation Sheet
Training session No 8. Type Of Training: Weight Training
Date: Monday 10th December
Session
I shall warm up for 30 minutes before the session, which will include a 5 minute light jog to increase the pulse rate and warm the muscles up.After the jog I shall activily stretch for 25 minutes, ensuring that all parts of the body are stretched and held in position for 5 seconds.
Each exercise will be carried out for twice. After the session I shall cool down for 20 minutes. Also have 2 minutes resting time between each exercise.
The session will consist of the following:
* Front squat 15kg 10 reps
* Bicep Curl 10kg 10 reps
* Dumbbell Fly 3kg 10 reps
* Bench Press 50kg 10 reps
* Upright Row 30kg 10 reps
* Dead Lift 30kg 10 reps
* Back Squat 15kg 10 reps
Post Session
I felt that today was probably my best session with all the exercises being completed with good technique and with the weights under control all the time. The bench press has now got to a point where I can now lift 50kgs confidently and feel I could go further and lift more weight. The squats also are now not as challenging as they were when the weight was increased.
Changes To The Future Sessions
n/a
Personal Exercise Program Evaluation Sheet
Training session No 9. Type Of Training: Weight Training
Date: Thursday 13th November
Session
I shall warm up for 30 minutes before the session, which will include a 5 minute light jog to increase the pulse rate and warm the muscles up.After the jog I shall activily stretch for 25 minutes, ensuring that all parts of the body are stretched and held in position for 5 seconds.
Each exercise will be carried out for twice. After the session I shall cool down for 20 minutes.
The session will consist of the following:
* Closed Grip Bench Press 20kg 15 reps
* Bent-over row 20kg 15 reps
* Shoulder press 35kg 10 reps
* Reverse crunches n/a 15 reps
* Crunches n/a 15 reps
* Quarter Crunches n/a 15 reps
* Side crunches n/a 15 reps
* Shrugs 15kg 15 reps
* Triceps dip n/a 20 reps
Post Session
I was pleased with this session and found the shoulder press at this weight to be a lot more challenging. The crunches were all completed without stopping apart from the quarter crunches were I had to stop after 12 and have a quick rest before finishing the last 3. This was a great improvement on any of the previous Thursday session and I am very satisfied.
Changes To The Future Sessions
n/a
Evaluation
Results Of Fitness Retests Wednesday 19th December
Test
Score
Low Score
Average
High Score
Rating
Target
Result of retesting
Did I improve?
Grip dynometer
55kg
50kg
55kg
60kg
Average
62kg
63kg
YES
Vertical jump
56cm
54cm
56cm
58cm
Average
51cm
53cm
YES
Stick drop test
38.5sec
38sec
38.5sec
39sec
Good
42.5sec
37.5
NO
Sit and reach
32cm
30cm
32cm
34cm
Good
35cm
35cm
YES
After completing my weight training sessions I now feel a lot more confident about my ability and myself. I thoroughly enjoy completing the sessions and believe I have benefited from it immensely. The session evaluation sheets were extremely helpful as a guide for the following sessions as to know what, if anything needed changing. It is also good to read through them and notice how I progressed. Also, I now know what stage I got to, therefore making it easier to start from were I had finished.
I believe that the way I had planned the sessions were both specific to the aims that I had set out to do and effective. The weights were all set at a weight that was sensible and safe whilst pushing me to a stage that I would feel the benefits from. The sessions all lasted approximately an hour and a half, which was about the intended time, I had set out for the planned sessions.
My fitness retest results have shown that my 6 weeks of training resulted in progression. Firstly, my grip dynometer has improved, which measures strength. This improved 7kg from before I had completed the 6-week schedule, obviously showing that I have benefited from the weight training. I am now ranked in the 'good' category for the national averages in this test whereas beforehand I was only average. When training on a club night I now feel a lot more confident with my throwing and have found that the distances have gradually improved. Not only has my strength improved, my vertical jumping has also improved thus showing that the muscles in my legs have also become a lot stronger and powerful. This is probably because of the squats included within sessions. I felt that these were too easy in the early stages of the 6-weeks but once the weight was gradually increased, I found I was benefiting from them a great deal, finding them more and more comfortable each week. The stick drop test did not increase and in fact decreased. This could be due to my selective attention and not concentrating during the test. Putting the psychological factors aside, the reason for my decrease could simply be that whilst I have been training to improve my power, strength and flexibility I did not incorporate any exercises within the programme that would directly improve my reflexes. This was because developing reflexes is only really improved through lots of practice such as sprinting when you hear the sound of a gun over and over again. The other way is through psychology. Selective attention is the brains filter of deciding what is important and what isn't. This is slightly irrelevant in javelin because javelin is closer to being a closed event rather than being open. This means that there are few factors within the environment that could affect my performance and that I must take into account. I am glad to say that my reflexes were the only aspect of my fitness not to improve with my flexibility also progressing. I managed to gain an extra 3cms on my sit and reach test. I consider the reason for this to be due to the fact that before I carried out this programme I was not training as often as I was during those 6-weeks and therefore not warming up and cooling down so often. Because of this I was stretching my muscles and joints more often and naturally improved my flexibility.
I have also noticed a big difference in my normal training nights at the athletics track. The distances I am throwing are improving and I'm finding it a lot easier to throw the javelin because:
* My flexibility is improved and therefore can get my body into better positions to throw the javelin.
* My strength and power have both improved and therefore have more force within myself to throw the javelin
I now understand the benefits of weight training and have decided that it would only be sensible for me to continue with my training at the gym. I feel that I have the knowledge to continue setting targets for myself and hopefully with continuous hard work I will reach those standards. There were also benefits from my PEP that were not only physical but also psychological. These include facts such as my motivation and self-esteem. I now feel much more motivated towards my training away from the track because I appreciate the benefits that I will get out of continuing my training. I look forward to my next session with a lot of excitement because I know that I will improve from it. Also my self-esteem has improved because I now feel a lot better about myself and more confident in my own abilities. This motivation helps me a lot because I have this feeling towards not only my weight sessions, but also my technical sessions on club nights.
I will continue these sessions for as long as possible and maintain the hard work so as to benefit from them as much as possible. I will also carry on with filling out my evaluation sheets after each session because I find them very helpful when it comes to my following sessions. I hope that in doing this I will one day become a major competitor in the world of athletics.
