Improving Performance - Pearson Australia

Improving Performance

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Pearson Australia (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd)  20 Thackray Road, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207  PO Box 460, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207  www.pearson.com.au Copyright © Pearson Australia 2010 (a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd) First published 2010 by Pearson Australia 2013 2012 2011 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Reproduction and communication for educational purposes The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10% of the pages of this work, whichever is the greater, to be reproduced and/or communicated by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that that educational institution (or the body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act. For details of the CAL licence for educational institutions contact Copyright Agency Limited (www.copyright.com.au).

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This book is not to be treated as a blackline master; that is, any photocopying beyond fair dealing requires prior written permission. Printed and bound in Australia by SOS Print + Media Group ISBN 978 1 4425 9917 8

Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd ABN 40 004 245 943 Acknowledgements

The publishers wish to thank the following organisations who kindly gave permission to reproduce copyright material in this book: Shutterstock Every effort has been made to trace and acknowledge copyright. The publisher would welcome any information from people who believe they own copyright to material in this book. Disclaimer/s The selection of Internet addresses (URLs) provided for this book/resource was valid at the time of publication and was chosen as being appropriate for use as a secondary education research tool. However, due to the dynamic nature of the Internet, some addresses may have changed, may have ceased to exist since publication, or may inadvertently link to sites with content that could be considered offensive or inappropriate. While the authors and publisher regret any inconvenience this may cause readers, no responsibility for any such changes or unforeseeable errors can be accepted by either the authors or the publisher. Some of the images used in this unit might have associations with deceased Indigenous Australians. Please be aware that these images might cause sadness or distress in Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander communities.

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© Pearson Australia, a division of Pearson Australia Group


Contents Unit one How do athletes train for improved performance?

1

Anaerobic training (power and speed) How can training adaptations be measured and monitored? Safe and harmful procedures when conducting anaerobic training Flexibility training

2 15 16 17

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Unit two

What are the planning considerations for improving performance?

37

Initial planning considerations Planning a training year Elements to be considered when designing a training session (periodisation) Providing an overview of the session to athletes Planning to avoid overtraining

38 39 52 57 65

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Unit three

What ethical issues are related to improving performance?

75

The dangers of performance enhancing drug use Use of technology

76 87

Glossary 96 Student evaluation form 98


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Unit one

How do athletes train for improved performance?

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Unit one

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Anaerobic training (power and speed) Power is the application of strength performed quickly. It is also referred to as ‘speed strength’. Power is obviously a very important skill-related component of fitness that is involved in many sports. An improvement in power will often lead to an improvement in performance. Activities that require power are quick and explosive movements, such as jumping, running, throwing and swinging of bats, golf clubs or racquets. Speed is the quickness with which a limb moves. It is influenced by an athlete’s mobility, strength and technique, and therefore any speed development program must address these three factors. Age is an important factor in obtaining maximum speed. An individual’s ability in speed does not reach its peak until around 20 years of age and declines from around 28 years onwards. Neuromuscular coordination also plays a large part in speed training. Speed relies on the central nervous system coordinating the rapid number of nerve impulses involved in the fast movement. Speed requires an enormous amount of energy to be expended in a short period of time. Because of this short time frame, speed relies on the oxygen already available in the tissues. There is a limited amount of oxygen available so the anaerobic system is of the most importance in speed activities.

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The effects of training on the anaerobic energy system include the following:

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• increased hypertrophy (enlargement) of fast twitch muscle fibres. Fast twitch muscle fibres occupy a larger area in anaerobic athletes such as sprinters and high jumpers. Larger muscle size leads to greater strength and power gains

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• increased glycolytic capacity of fast twitch muscle fibres, which allows for greater anaerobic glycolysis to occur and therefore greater adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production • increased capacity of the alactacid system (ATP-PC) (larger muscles can store a greater amount of ATP and phosphocreatine (PC)) • increased capacity of the anaerobic glycolysis system (training has been shown to increase the activity of enzymes that are important in the process of glycolysis).

Power = speed x strength The development of power requires a combination of strength and speed work, as well as sport-specific drills involving power. Speed training requires the development of three areas: • efficient technique—this is completed at slow speed with attention paid to correct placement/movement of arms, legs, head etc. Once the technique is established, gradually increase the runs to maximum speed • power in the legs—for gaining maximum drive. This is done through various techniques such as plyometrics • speed of the limbs—this is improved by carrying out repetitions of the activity, with long recovery time in between each burst of energy.

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Developing power through resistance/weight training Resistance training for power often follows from a preceding program that developed absolute strength. This method of training, where one program builds upon the results of a preceding program, is called periodisation. Earlier gains in muscle size and strength can improve an individual’s power, as power is the application of strength performed quickly. Most athletic movements involve much more power than lifting maximal loads. If absolute strength is not converted to sport-specific power, performances will not improve. REVISION ACTIVITY Complete the following table.

Guidelines for power training Load Reps

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Sets Speed

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Recovery Points to remember:

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1 A power program is closely linked to the development of absolute strength with a few variations. The main difference is the emphasis on the speed of the movement. Training loads are slightly lighter and sets, reps and rest are similar but the speed of the movement is the key to developing explosive power. 2 All reps should be performed at maximum velocity. 3 Any sport that requires speed can benefit from power training.

Designing a resistance/weight training program 1 Evaluate the specific needs of the sport Training should mirror the demands of the sport as close as possible. Analyse the sport for particular movement patterns, including linear or rotary movement and physiological demands. For example, volleyball relies on the development of explosive power, and basketball relies on power of the upper and lower body.

2 Evaluate the specific needs of the athlete Conduct pre-tests to establish the athlete’s current strengths and weaknesses. Use an appropriate fitness test to establish base levels of power. One suitable example would be the vertical jump test for a basketball player.


Unit one

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3 Consider the yearly plan (periodisation) Is the athlete in the off-season, pre-season, in-season or transition phase? Different phases of the training year call for different emphasis in resistance training programs. As mentioned before, power training can only be initiated after a sufficient absolute strength level has been achieved. Thus in the off-season, functional strength and core stability should be established. In the early pre-season, the athlete should work on absolute strength development. In the late pre-season, the athlete should convert to a focus on muscular power. In-season, the athlete should then concentrate on the maintenance of muscular power.

Sample yearly plan for a European handball player May

June

Jul

Aug

Off-season

Pre-season

Core strength

Absolute strength

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

April

In-season Power

Maintain power

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4 Select appropriate exercises

A selection of core exercises involving large muscle groups specific to the sport should be identified. Examples of these exercises include bench presses, back squats, power cleans, push jerks and snatches. Once the focus moves mainly to muscular power, a series of assistance exercises should be identified. These recruit smaller muscle groups specific to the sport and usually mirror the movement patterns of the sport. Examples of these include lunges, calf raises (sprinting movements), jump squats, power cleans (jumping movements), leg extensions (kicking movements), overhead pullovers, shoulder rotations (throwing movements), lateral pull downs and overhead pulls (swimming movements).

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5 Determine the frequency of training

Resistance training occurs at a greater frequency in the off-season (4–6 sessions per week) and pre-season (3–4 sessions per week). Once athletes are in season, other training demands are usually too high to continue having the same number of resistance training sessions and the number of sessions drops to approximately 1–2 sessions per week. At this stage athletes might be trying to combine resistance training with plyometric sessions and skills sessions. Athletes usually try to have a break from resistance training in the transition stage of the year.

6 Order the exercise routine Determine the best order for your selected exercises. One method is to alternate upper body and lower body exercises or to alternate push and pull exercises. Resistance training for power demands that exercises be performed at a high quality. For this reason a rest period of 2–5 minutes is recommended between exercises.

7 Allow for progression Incorporate the principle of progressive overload into your resistance training program. This can be done through the manipulation of factors such as the weight, the number of sets or reps, or the speed of action. Ensure that when you do manipulate these variables, you do not change the nature of the resistance training program and develop a completely different aspect of strength, for example, lean body mass.

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PRACTICAL ACTIVITY Design a resistance training program to develop power for an athlete from the sport of your choice. Follow the seven guidelines listed previously to ensure that your program is presented in a clear and concise manner.

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Unit one

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Unit one

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Plyometrics This method of training for power is based on the principle that, in most sporting activities, the resistance that an athlete must overcome involves the acceleration and propulsion of the athlete’s own body weight. This action does not require enormous strength, but rather, fast muscular contractions. When used correctly, plyometric training can improve the production of muscle force and power. Plyometric activities are beneficial because athletes train using only their own body weight and can also train movements specifically related to their sport. Weightlifting is the only sport that requires you to lift weights at a fast speed, so resistance power programs are not as specific for other athletes as plyometrics can be. The basis of plyometric training is the stretch-shortening cycle. The force generated by a muscle is dramatically increased following this cycle:

Stretch-shortening cycle 1 Eccentric contraction—stretch of the agonist muscle 2 Pause

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3 Concentric contraction—shortening of the agonist muscle

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When a muscle is stretched, much of the energy required for the movement is lost as heat, but some is stored by the elastic components of the muscle. This stored energy is only available to the muscle for the next contraction. The extra energy is lost if an eccentric contraction is not immediately followed by a concentric contraction.

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As with any training program, the principle of specificity is of great importance to plyometrics. If your event involves leg power, then exercises using the leg muscles should be included in your program. If your event is more involved with throwing, then upper body plyometric exercises should be included. Before beginning plyometrics, an athlete must have a foundation of general strength conditioning. Examples of plyometric exercises include:

Lower body exercises Exercise

Description

Examples

Jumps in place

jumping and landing in the same spot repeatedly, no rest between jumps

tuck jumps,

maximum effort jumps aiming for vertical or horizontal distance, with recovery between jumps

vertical jump,

Multiple hops and jumps

drills involving a combination of jumps in place and standing jumps

double leg hop, front hurdle jump

Bounding

drills involving exaggerated movements skip and alternate leg bound, at a fast horizontal pace continuous leaping from one leg to another

Box drills

jumping on and off a box using multiple hops and jumps

Standing jumps

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hopping on the spot standing long jump, jumping over hurdles

jump on box, jump off box



Upper body exercises Exercise

Description

Chest pass

complete a chest pass with a weighted ball repeatedly (with a partner or against a wall)

Push-ups with clap

push-ups with a clap in between. Works the arms and chest

Forty-five degree sit-up

sit as in sit-up with trunk at 45 degree angle. Have a partner throw a weighted ball to you. Catch and absorb the ball and then immediately return it with outstretched arms. Continue

Resisted sprinting

sprint with resistance towing from behind. Resistance may be in the form of a partner or a parachute etc. Also develops leg strength.

Progressive overload in a plyometric program can be achieved by: • aiming for greater distances or heights • aiming for increased speed over set distances

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• changing from double to single leg support

• adding weight, for example, ankle weights or wrist weights.

As intensity increases, volume decreases from low–moderate volume of low intensity plyometrics to low–moderate volume of moderate–high intensity plyometrics. Notice that the volume of training never changes.

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PRACTICAL ACTIVITY

As a class, design a plyometric program suited to a sport of your choice. Select six separate activities that would be of benefit to your athlete.

Exercise

Description


Aim of exercise

Unit one

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Select some of the safer plyometric activities for your own age and stage of strength development to participate in. Following your practical session, answer the key term question below. Compare the value of plyometric training to resistance training for the development of power for team sports.

language tip... To compare means to show how things are similar or different.

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Unit one
