The three aspects of motor skills that I want to focus on are power and speed, I feel that I have adequate ability in the other skills, it is power and speed that could be improve significantly. I shall improve my power by using weight training (leg curls/dumbbells etc.) and different running and training exercises such as press-ups or sit-ups. To improve speed I need to do the same sort of exercises to power as power is a help towards speed. I can also use interval training for speed, a sprint then a rest, then a sprint and so on.
I would like to improve my body composition. I want a slightly heavier weight, increasing the weight in muscle not fat, and would especially like to build up the muscles in my upper body. This is as I would like more upper body strength to increase my power in hitting the ball in tennis and for more strength on the ball and in the tackle in football. I aim to do this by weight training. I shall take my body composition at the start of my programme, at the end and monitor my improvements. My ideal body composition is one of a footballer, I would like my improvements to relate to this.
I would also like to lower my pulse rate. At the moment my resting pulse rate is around 70, with regular training I would like to get this down to below 60 and in the mid maybe low 50’s. Cardiovascular training is needed to improve, using jogging/distance running, cycling and swimming. With this my working heart rate will lower as well, this means that at the end of the programme, for the same amount of exercise my heart will be working less intensively than it would have at the start. My heart will have a larger cardiac output as the cardiac muscle walls are thicker and stronger. These are also things that I would like to improve. My anaerobic and aerobic fitness should improve as in my programme I shall have regular sprints and aerobic exercises.
When planning my programme I shall use the principles of training and the FITT principle, whilst taking in consideration different ways to train (fartlek, interval, continuous etc.) to get the perfect training programme.
Baseline Tests/ Retests
Tests to be run-
- Rest (pulse)
- 100m sprint time (speed)
- Sergeant jumps (power in the legs)
- Max. weight able to lift in one bench press (power in arms)
- Number of press ups in ½ a minute (anaerobic fitness)
- Number of sit ups in 1 minute (anaerobic fitness)
- Number of step ups in 1 minute (anaerobic fitness)
- Number of pull ups in ½ minute (anaerobic fitness)
- Distance medicine ball thrown (power)
- Sit and reach test (flexibility)
- Ruler grasp test (reaction time)
- In and out of cones shuttle run (agility)
- Distance covered by walking along a thin beam (balance)
- Distance covered in 12 min run (aerobic endurance)
- Time to bike 3 km on bike (aerobic fitness)
Training Programme/Methods Of Training
In my programme I intend to have five sessions of training a week. However one of these will be allocated to any of the extra exercise that I do in a week. This normally includes one football training for my team, PE in school and Games in school, occasionally I play tennis. All of these will be recorded. I have then planned to do four other sessions, I have used the FITT principle for these, as well as the four methods of energy training, specificity, overload, progression and reversibility.
I need time to recover, this needs to be planned very carefully as if I am to fit 4 sessions in a week I need time to recover. The specificity in my programme is the four different sessions as each one is allocated to a specific part of my fitness. Progression and overload shall come into play during my programme and shall be used for improvements. However the FITT principle is very important at this stage in my programme. I have four sessions a week, this is my frequency. The intensity is planned also, as well is the time tat I shall exercise for. For my fifth session all of these are planned for me as I will have a coach present. The four types of exercise that I shall do in each of my sessions are-
- Fartlek
- Gym/ multi-gym
- Interval Training
- 30 minute x country run.
In doing Fartlek training I hope to improve my body’s adaptation to cope with changes in pace, terrain and gradient. This will aid my cardiovascular fitness, however the changes in terrain and gradient should improve my muscle strength and endurance. To avoid this exercise becoming boring I could alternate between cycling and running. However I shall probably only use cycling occasionally.
In using the gym and the multi-gym that is there I hope to build up my upper body strength and my muscle power and endurance. By using a rowing machine I think that I can improve my flexibility and maybe agility.
I am using interval training to improve my speed and anaerobic endurance.
Lastly I am using a 30 minute run to improve my aerobic endurance and cardiovascular fitness.
Again I shall refer to the FITT principle. In order to gain from my programme I need to do a sufficient amount of exercise. This is why I chose to use 4 sessions and any other extra sport that I do. I felt that 4 sessions was enough to benefit me but not enough so that I was tired all of the time and so unhealthy. This is where the principles of training come in. After every session there will be a period of fatigue and then a recovery period. This is why after each session I have allowed about one day for recovery. If I was to have a longer period my body would go into the period of reversibility and so my fitness level would drop. I aim to compensate from every session and so my fitness level shall increase a little after every session. Then I shall shock the body by making a harder session and I shall super compensate and my fitness level shall increase a considerable amount. This is progressively increasing training loads. Eventually I will reach a stage where my fitness cannot increase any more otherwise I will fall into a stage where I get illness and injury and this would lead to a complete fitness loss. I shall avoid this by maintenance training when I reach this stage.
I then had to plan the intensity of my training sessions. My first 3 sessions are quite intense. Then lastly I have a relaxed exercise session on Saturday (x country run). I can change the intensity of this depending on how fatigued I feel. This is the same for the time of this session, this depends on the speed of my run, it could take a little over or under 30 minutes. The time for my Fartlek and Interval training session shall be 20 minutes for the Interval and 35 for the Fartlek. This is as the Interval session shall be more intense due to it being sprinting. I have chosen the types of my sessions due to the aspects of my fitness that I want to improve, these mainly being speed, muscle power, upper body strength and cardiovascular fitness. There is pretty much a session allocated to one or two of these at a time.
Each of my sessions shall include the following-
Interval Training (Sunday) - 20 minutes
I can also sidestep or run backwards across the yellow line to add variety and avoid boredom.
Gym Training (Monday) - 1 hour
See Training Sheet
Fartlek Training (Wednesday) - 35 minutes
I have planned a course that is circular and is about 1 mile long, I shall do as many circuits as I can fit in 35 minutes. The course includes road, paths, fields, ascents and descents as well as flat land.
X country (Saturday)
This course I have also planned out, it is alike to my Fartlek course however there are few hills and less road. It is also not a repeated circuit but is one that is completed once and timed.
I shall record my sessions both in the gym and the other sessions on the following tables.
Warm Up and Warm Down Programmes
There is a very great necessity to warm up before sessions but also warm down after sessions ( a warm down is often forgotten). These are so very important as they avoid injuries and, pain and unrest after and during exercise. My gym session has a different warm up to the other 3 sessions as this is indoors. My warm-ups and warm downs follow.
Warm Ups
- Gym
- Stretching of the major muscle groups, both ballistic and static stretches, focusing on the ones that shall be in use.
- 3 minute jog on the treadmill
- Followed by same stretches repeated.
2. Fartlek/ Interval/ x country
- Stretching of the major muscle groups, both ballistic and static stretches, focusing on the ones that shall be in use.
- Short jog around the garden, including side steps etc., running and sprints.
- Followed by same stretches repeated.
Warm Downs
1. Gym
- Finish session on the treadmill with 5 minute run, 2 minute jog, 2 minute fast walk, 1 minute slow walk coming to rest
- Then same stretches as in warm up.
2. Fartlek/ Interval/ x country
- Jog around the garden for 5 minutes, 2 minute jog, 2 minute fast walk, 1 minute walk coming to rest.
- Then same stretches as in warm up.
