In this post I will discuss whether the fitness component is being neglected in sessions and training programmes, the post will also look into the experiences I have had as an athlete and a coach in terms of delivering and taking part in fitness work. The benefits and repercussions will be explored to highlight the impact of fitness training.
In my opinion I don't think coaches pay enough attention to fitness within their sessions and to be honest I never really thought too much about it. Over the last few months this had become more apparent to me because I have witnessed children between the ages of 8-13 not being able to run a lap around the track without stopping. Another example is watching a friend's football team who are under 14's, I found that a few of the players where getting fatigued 20 minutes into a game, this was really surprising because the game was a friendly so the intensity of the match was lower than usual.
As a coach this made me think about what I do in terms of fitness with my athletes, currently I don't really do too much circuit work due to facilities and the age of my participants however, in the new meso cycle I have planned a lot more fitness/circuit stations that I will incorporate into my sessions. For example a few circuit stations that are planned within the next few weeks will consist of activities such as; skipping, burpees, speed bounce, step ups, medicine balls, squats and I am looking to invest in some resistance bands.
As an athlete I have experienced first hand the benefits of circuit sessions, they help focus and train other aspects of your training for example core stability. As a young distance runner I never really understood how important core stability really was until i became a coach and studied sports coaching at university. by having a stable core you are able to utilise and use all the benefit from a movement without wasting any unnecessary energy. Circuit sessions can be fun because you can work with partners and the stations are different every time so motivation is high.
There are a lot of benefits of physical and circuit training, if the athlete or player is physically fitter and stronger theoretically they should be able to execute skills longer into competition and perform to a higher intensity. Also circuit sessions can help athletes develop and improve their technique in a range of activities for example, using medicine balls to help with explosive movements which can aid events such as; shot put and hammer etc. Circuit sessions are also helpful in injury prevention as specific exercises can help strengthen tendons and ligaments. There is an opening to work on muscular endurance and muscular strength in this type of training and this opportunity can be rare for many coaches because of facilities and equipment. Circuits can train all parts of the body where as if you did a normal sport specific session a few muscles groups will be missed or not be worked as much as they should.
Some repercussions of circuit training are that the athletes must be able to perform the movements correctly as incorrect movements can cause injuries. The coach has to be cautious when using weights with young athletes as again incorrect movements can result in injury. Circuit training is seen to be too generic and this is one of the reasons that coaches don't pay much attention to it but the beauty of this type of training is that you can develop it and make as specific as you like.
In conclusion, I don't think athletes and players do enough fitness work in terms of aerobic and circuit training. I as a coach have also neglected this area by not giving circuit and fitness training as much attention as I should in the past, however i will make a real effort to present my athletes with the benefits that circuit training brings in future sessions as from experience i have found that circuit sessions are fun and engaging because it challenges the performer in a different way.
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