This involves a variety of muscles and allows a good recovery between each of the activities, therefore making it a mild form of interval training at the same time. There are a variety of activities that can be done, from performing weight training to doing squat-thrusts or burpies. Circuit training is fantastic socially and very enjoyable. It is also very easily accessible. Strength training This improves your strength and power and can be used for muscular endurance. There are two simple methods for strength training.
1. High repetitions of a light weight will give tone and definition to a muscle. 2. Low repetitions of a heavy weight are designed to build on muscle strength and muscle mass. This type of training is easy to do and there is always someone knowledgeable around to help you with any queries or questions that you may have. It is also a brilliant social thing to do, as it can be done with friends or in groups.
However, you have to be careful, especially those under the age of 16. The reason is simply that below the age of 16, children are still going through the main growth spurts that occur as well as the process of bone strengthening. It is important not to overdo it at a young age as stunting of growth may occur. It is also quite expensive. As this is the type of training I will be doing, I have been phoning around all of the gyms in Guernsey to get a quote for a membership. I have finally found that the local leisure centre offers the best deal, but at �33 a month, it comes over as very expensive, especially seen as I am still a student and not earning reams of money.
Cycling is the best way of improving cardiovascular and muscular endurance and is obviously very accessible. For me there are so many more benefits. It does wonders for my mind and is really what keeps me sane, but I have many friends who occasionally work out on a bicycle and come back saying how they can think so much more clearly and seem to be in a much better state of mind. Ah yes, the pleasures of cycling!
Swimming is also another good way to get fit because, like cycling, it is not taxing on a persons’ joints. It is very accessible, especially in Guernsey due to the miles of beaches and clear waters, and is good for all aspects of fitness. Overall, there are many ways to improve on ones fitness. With the growth of technology, these methods are now becoming much safer resulting in fewer injuries. I will be working on my upper body strength, and will be using the latest in weight machines. I hope to increase the muscle mass and size in my arms and chest, enabling me to handle my bike with more ease and for longer time periods.
Principles of training I intend to use Before I begin any of my workouts in the gym, I will consider which principles of training to use out of the few I listed before. Specificity will play a small part in my training plan. In terms of cycling, specificity would usually refer to the training of the legs, as these are essentially one of the most vital parts to a cyclist. However, working on my arms is still relevant to my sport in the sense that these are the parts of the body that do most of the handling of the bike. I don’t intend to have arms like a body builder, but simply to increase their endurance and strength.
I will also be including stretching into my workouts, as this is a vital part of ensuring risk of injury is minimised. If I was not to stretch, there is a chance my muscles would not be as well prepared for the task ahead as if I was to stretch. This will allow me to benefit more from my sessions, as my muscles will be prepared. How does my P.E.P fit in with my other training? As I have already stated, I am currently performing at National level in mountain biking and will soon be participating in National Road Races too. It should be no surprise then to hear that I train around 10 hours + a week.
At the start of this project, I worried if I would be able to incorporate it into my current training programs. After all, I didn’t want my cycling to suffer in the slightest. However, after much thought and discussions with my coach, we came to the conclusion that I will be using totally different systems to when I train on the bike, and so the threat of disrupting my cycling is not really there. My weight lifting will not be taxing on my cardiovascular system in the slightest, or at least, nowhere near as much as cycling is. Fortunately, these weight lifting sessions will be done in school time during my games lessons, so my already-busy life out of school is not about to get any busier.
To give an idea of the type of training I do, I have attached a copy of one of my recent training programs. I usually fill it in day by day for a fortnight, and at the end of that fortnight, I send it to my coach via e-mail. However, training has been getting hard lately, and so I find myself sending it off weekly so my coach and I can be constantly up to speed with how I am feeling, what rides I have managed to do and thus how to structure forthcoming sessions. Also attached is a copy of a “Race Feedback” form, whereby I analyse my performance in races that I have done.
My Sessions N.B. Whenever I do any of the following workouts, I will keep my back straight at all times to prevent back injury, and ensure the machine is properly set up by checking with the gym staff. I will do this until I am confident in myself in knowing the correct way to adjust the machines to my needs. Preparatory Session Plan For my preparatory session I will be looking more at gaining experience on the weight machines than actually improving my muscle mass or strength. I will try to exercise a correct technique on each machine, focusing on my triceps, biceps, pectorals, and deltoids. Firstly I must undergo an induction session in order to understand how all the machines work. This will be taken by a qualified fitness instructor.
Session This session went very well and I was very impressed with the quality of the machines. They are all designed so that the user can gain maximum benefit from every workout without injuring themselves in any way. I worked mainly on all of the muscles I set out to work on, and I left the session feeling good. This was a bonus as it meant that I had done all my workouts correctly and without unnecessary strain. In this session I did 3 sets of 10 reps on every machine that was designed for upper body workouts. I also used a medium weight, 25 kgs for the smaller muscles (i.e. biceps and triceps) and 35 kgs for the larger muscles (i.e. pectoralis major).
Summary Next time my workout will be very similar. I am a novice on the weight machines and I intend to master using them properly before taking on any serious kind of workout. Overall I am happy with the set-up of the machines and confident in the staff, and I look forward to starting my sessions. Workout 1 Plan This time my plan is to do the exact same workouts as I did yesterday, although I am feeling a little achy from yesterday’s workouts. This is due to the fact that I have never done any upper body workout before in my life, but I doubt it will affect my performance much today. I intend to do 3 sets of 10 reps on a 25 kg weight on the bicep and tricep machines, and the same with a 35 kg weight on the larger muscles machines, i.e. the pectorals and deltoids.
Session This session went well, although my arms were feeling a little tired and it did affect my workouts slightly. My arms were getting tired quicker, but instead of shortening the number of reps or sets, I simply took longer rest periods between each sets to allow my muscles to recover to their fullest before beginning the next set. This simply meant that I would feel better when beginning the next set. I used the exact same machines and weights, as well as sticking to my planned 3 sets of 10 reps for every workout.