Over the page are two graphs showing how my results changed from the pre-tests to the post-tests, including all the different tests that I did and my resting heart rates. Plyometrics Using this will help me to improve my explosive strength, static strength and endurance. It involves the quick stretching of a muscle and using the energy generated in the elastic part of the muscle. The muscle then contracts using the stored energy. A simple jumping exercise is an example of this type of training and this is one of the reasons why I chose the Sergeant Jump as one of my exercises in my programme. On landing there is little flexion at the knee and ankle joints. The time in contact with the ground should be minimised by making the next jump as soon as your feet touch the ground.
Plyometrics will help me to improve some of my aims as: Plyometrics improves endurance strength training- This is because the muscles work harder and for longer because of improved efficiency. Energy is taken from the fat you consume instead of glycogen and therefore is effectively used. Your muscles receive oxygen more efficiently due to the increase in the size of the capillaries. Improves explosive strength training- This is because the muscles contract with more force. The tendons increase in size allowing larger forces to be transferred from muscle action. It also improves static strength as muscles grow bigger as fibres get thicker. Plyometrics is useful as little specialist equipment is needed and can be useful for many different sports.
Evaluation of Planning
I think that I planned out my circuit training programme well. I believe this because all of the pre-tests that I chose to perform for my programme were all relevant to the components of my fitness which I aimed to improve. The sergeant jump was a perfect test for improving my explosive strength as you need to use relatively the same technique when doing the sergeant jump and in a match situation where you have to use spring to launch yourself up for a header. The sergeant jump also links into plyometrics as it is a simple jumping exercise. This Is very useful as plyometrics not only helps improve your explosive strength but your static strength and endurance which were all included in my aims as the areas of fitness that I wanted to improve. The Illinois agility run was an ideal test to use for my agility as my position involves lots of skill on the ball and this will improve if my balance and ability to weave through opponents with greater speed improves.
The Bent-arm hang was a useful test for my upper body strength as football is a very physical game and to be able to compete physically with your opponents is very useful as it can bring a new dimension to your game. I also used the multi-stage fitness test (bleep test) to test for my cardiovascular endurance. Even though improving my cardiovascular endurance wasn’t one of my main aims as I felt I already had a reasonable level of fitness, I decided that it would be very useful if my cardiovascular endurance was to improve even further, as a footballer has to have very high levels of cardiovascular endurance in order to run up and down the pitch, making sprints and in my position in particular, it is important that I am always on the move so that my opponents cant pick me up easily, and so that I am able to make space for other players if the opponent defender decides to follow me.
I think I managed to get my intensity levels right as I tried to carry out my circuit at a high intensity level of between 70- 85% of my maximum heart rate which means my heart rate should have between 144bpm and 205bpm after every lap of the circuit. I feel this was a very reasonable intensity for a performer of my fitness as it was still challenging. If I were to repeat the programme again I think I would keep the intensity the same as I had it in this programme, but if I did change it then it would be by raising the intensity that I was working my heart at to maybe 80-85% but I would definitely not lower the intensity.
I feel that I chose the exercises in my programme successfully as I made sure that they would all work the muscle groups that I wanted to improve and therefore help me to successfully complete all of my aims. I not only made sure that the exercises I chose were relevant to my aims but I also made sure that they were all simple exercises and that no specialist equipment was needed. This was helpful as although I still had to take a number of safety precautions I didn’t have to take anywhere near as many safety precautions as I would have had to have taken if I had done circuit training including weight machines. The exercises I chose were also useful because I could do them anywhere including my garden, I didn’t have to go to a particular place to carry them out.
My planning of the order that I went to each station was also fine. I didn’t have any problems such as a particular muscle group getting tired very quickly as I made sure that If I had an exercise that worked the arm muscles then the next station would include an exercise that involved running or leg muscles and not another arm based exercise. I also think that the variety of the exercises in the circuit helped to keep me interested as none of them were too similar and they all worked different aspects of my fitness.
Training principle is needed for a training programme. The training principles include (SPOR) Specificity, Progression, Overload, Reversibility, and linking in with Overload is the training principle (FITT) which is Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type. I tried to incorporate all of these training principles into my training programme but some of them did not fit.