Some of these tests were not very relevant for my sport and I. The MSF test did test my cardiovascular fitness but not very well. This is because it is a running test. Water polo is played in the water so it was not very specific. Again the 30m sprint only tested my running speed and not my speed in the water. Other tests such as with the sit and reach, sit-ups and pull ups were of most relevance to me because sit ups and pull ups tested my muscular endurance. The sit and reach test tested my bodies flexibility. The vertical jump was relevant because it tested the power of my leg muscles and powerful legs are needed in playing water polo.
Analysis of Water Polo Water polo has been said to be one of the most physically demanding sports in the world. The main difference between water polo and other team sports is the pitch, it is played in water. This firstly gives a player a resistance to overcome to move and also passed to keep afloat by treading water. So this means that in a game there is no time for a real rest. The game of water polo is played at the very fast rate with a lot of short sprints towards the goal and to get the ball, with very little recovery time.
So the competitors ATP energy system is being used a lot. A high level of anaerobic fitness is needed because a player has to hold their breath while under water while trying to fight for position in the water. On top of this a highly aerobic fitness and cardiovascular fitness is needed to give the oxygen needed for sustained periods of the game. In an average game of water polo a player will swim about 2-3miles.
Due to the physical side of water polo there is a lot of contact and holding, fighting etc. between players. So a player needs good muscular endurance for this side of the game. Good muscular endurance is not only needed for this but in the legs as well because to a pass and shoot a good player will do it from a high position-this is when the upper body is out of the water this is because a player can get more power from using their muscles in the back to shoot and when the body is out of the water the body can be used as a lever and the higher out of the water the players the bigger the lever. To do this the legs need to work extremely hard. The legs are working continuously throughout the game. Good leg power is needed to jump for the ball to steal it from the opposition and gain possession.
Speed is a main part of the game in many ways. Firstly searing speed is important over long and short distances. Secondly the speed of the player shooting and passing is very important because quick passing can upset any defensive side and a quick shot will be able to beat the goalkeeper. What training I am doing As water polo is a very physically demanding sport for the whole of the body I think that the best type of training is circuit training. The area of fitness I think I need to improve is my overall fitness so I can play harder faster and more physical. My overall fitness includes anaerobic and aerobic. I think also I need to improve my strength and flexibility but this is not as important as my overall fitness. So this is why I have chosen circuit training, because circuit training allows me to improve not just one aspect of fitness. I can improve many aspects and this type of training allows me to be a very specific to my sport.
During carrying out my PEP I will also be carrying on with my normal training schedule which includes 2.5hours on a Monday evening, 2hours on a Friday morning and 1hour on a Thursday evening. During this I will have at least one game a week on various dates. So this means my training plan will have to be arranged on days where I have had enough rest from a training session or a game. This is important because I do not want to over train. The recommended periodisation of work to rest is 3:1 so I will have to ensure I get enough rest so all my training is doing me good. To help me I will keep a diary of everything I have done. This will be shown at the end of my PEP.
In my entire personal exercise programme I must make sure that I have kept the three main principles of training so that my programme is not just a waste of time. The principles of training are; Specificity, this says that any training done should be specific to the sport that the individual is training for and also the energy system/s used in this sport should be the one/s used in training. Progressive Overload, this says that for improvement and adaptation to occur the individual should feel stress and discomfort- this is the overload. Then the body will start to cope with the stresses and adapt so the intensity of the training should increase- this is the progression.
Reversibility, this explains why performance deteriorates when training ceases or the intensity decreases. Seven weeks of inactivity has the following effects: – Significant decreases in max oxygen intake, up to 27% Stroke volume and cardiac output decreases, up to 30% – Strength deteriorates – Heart rate and blood lactate increases. Safety Warm ups and warm downs Before training it is imperative to perform a warm-up. A warm-up should make the body ready for exercise. It can prevent injury and muscle soreness. It also has the following physiological benefits: