Purpose and aim of the programme and personal fitness profile I have decided to base my five week training programme on trampolining. Although I have only been doing the sport for a few months, I have developed quite a liking in this particular area and find it very enjoyable, and so would like to enhance my performance in it. As it stands, I spend approximately (although this varies) 2-3 hours each fortnight practicing trampolining in my GCSE P.E (short course) lessons and feel that I have improved dramatically and at a rapid rate and believe that by designing an efficient five week training programme, I can progress even further. Another reason is so I can improve my trampolining ability before doing my GCSE practical task.
Of course, this sport requires the ability to perform a wide range of moves on the trampoline. For example, tuck jumps and swivel hips. To begin moving onto more advanced skills, I will need to improve in particular my cardiovascular fitness (so I can exercise and remain on the trampoline for a longer time without becoming too out of breath), muscular strength (especially in the legs) and my flexibility (so I can perform skills which require a lot of movement at a certain joint without the risk of injury). Furthermore, I plan to improve my skill related fitness by concentrating on balance (a vital skill needed for trampolining). If I accomplish this, I should be able to keep my body stable in a range of positions.
I feel that by tackling the above skills and components of health (which are specific to trampolining), I will be able to perform a range of new moves in a stable manner. My Current level of health is good and I do not suffer from any illnesses and I have no injures which will prevent me from doing my circuit training or introducing the principles of overload, frequency and intensity (which I will need if I am to progress). Furthermore, good health is vital if my results are going to be fair and accurate.
As for my current level of general fitness (the ability to meet the demands of one’s working day), I would say it is adequate, although there is room for much improvement. For this reason, when devising my training programme, I need to take into consideration not to put too much pressure on my body and to start of quite slowly and not too demanding otherwise I may not want to continue with my training programme. Additionally, a good level of health related fitness helps combat muscle injury. As mine isn’t really high yet, I will need to take steps to avoid such an injury as this would spell disaster for my programme and the principle of reversibility would become an issue.
The above helps me understand that I am relatively active and as long as I ensure the programme is demanding as well as moderate I should be able to complete the five weeks of training without any injuries or other health problems – I will take into account these individual needs and ensure that I am able to cope with my programme and that I find it enjoyable although I still need to follow the concept of progression.
After having done a variety of physical tests to help me understand my level of fitness better – I will be able to build my personal fitness profile. This is vital if I am to set correct times for the circuit which is necessary if it is to have an effect on my muscles and make them work harder than they usually do (overload). After having done this, to be certain that these times are safe for me and not too difficult, I will carry out my first session as a trial. This will help me understand where I need to make changes in perhaps timings, or where the rest station is situated.
Circuit:
Awareness and safety aspects In any sport, there is a risk of injury. There are a variety of precautions which can be carried out however, to limit the chance of this occurring. Of course, one of the main reasons why safety is important is because of the heath risks. However, in the sporting world, even more important is the fact that the concept if reversibility may become an issue – and this could cost months of hard work. Also, injury may cause fear and therefore an individual may be reluctant to continue with their programme. Permanent damage could mean that the individual would not be able to carry on with a particular sport for help reasons.
Although my circuit programme doesn’t have any major risks attached to it – it is still important that I do my best to reduce any possible chances. Often, at my school, teachers check sport equipment – so all my apparatus should be safe to use, as long as I take additional measures, such as crash mats for example. The main risk is probably muscle injury and the ropes whilst skipping. I plan to ensure that I warm up and cool down as appropriate (see below) and also ensure that there is no risk of others being hit with the skipping ropes, or colliding whilst jogging. I plan to make sure that there is enough room between each person and also that I create lanes so that people will not run into each other.
Furthermore it is important that I prevent soft tissue skin damage. This is caused when an individual collides with a sharp object, it could cause minor bleeding and the person may need to go to hospital if the cut becomes infected for example. So to avoid this, it is important that I wear no jewellery whilst doing my circuit. I will also conduct a trial run to see whether I can cope with this programme and that I will not give up. Also, that the timings are correct and the circuit is manageable – all of this should help prevent any injury. Nevertheless, one of the first things I will need to do, is make sure that I can do all of these exercises properly as this can cause serious muscle injury. I will also use the safety mats when doing balancing so that I am not heavily bruised if I loose my balance. The hard floor surface is far too dangerous.
It is also important that an individual warms up before beginning each session. As with the exercises in the circuit, I must ensure that the warm up isn’t too intense, otherwise this could cause injury or tire a person out before they have even began the activity. By warming up and adding this extra stress on the body, it will prevent the risk of injury, as the body’s systems, muscles and joints gradually become used to working harder. It is also important that I don’t begin with a vigorous exercise in my warm such as sprinting; it should start of simply and then get more challenging as time moves on.
Additionally, the gap between warm up and activity shouldn’t be too long as the effects will be lost. I will begin with light aerobic work (jogging on the spot, for example) followed by a series of stretches which ease the muscles and joints followed by flexibility exercises – each joint should be given some time, however, I will need to focus on the joints I use mainly in trampling, these need more exercise.
After the main activity, I will need to do a short cool down which consisting of gentle aerobics and stretching. This will ensure that the body is gradually returned to the usual rate – this means the length of the cool down will depend on the individuals needs – although as with warm up, there are no set times. It will also ensure that the blood circulating does not have the chance to collect in areas in the circulatory system – this would prevent the issue of light-headedness as well as the build up of lactic acid in the muscles which could cause painful cramps.
Wearing the correct clothing is vital. It is important that I wear clothes which allow me to move around and conduct my exercises freely. Also, the clothing should not have any material which could get caught to a piece of equipment. I would say jogging bottoms or shorts and a relatively loose t-shirt would be appropriate. As for footwear, comfortable and tight trainers would be necessary for this type of exercise as it would limit the risk of serious damage to the feet, if for example, a piece of apparatus was dropped, being tight will help the individual sprint faster and will ensure they will not trip and harm themselves.