Physical conditioning

Being conditioned for sport means greater enjoyment and better performance. It reduces the risk of injury so you can play to your maximum potential. This doesn’t always mean you need extensive training - just make sure your programme is right for the style and level of your sport or activity.

What is a conditioning programme?

A physical conditioning programme should include the following types of conditioning:

Type of conditioning	Description	Exercises
Strength	Players can apply force against resistance.	Body weight strength training Resistance training using stretch bands, free weights or machines
Speed	Enables players to move the body or parts of the body rapidly.	Fartlek training Short bursts of speed integrated into the normal training session
Power	Players can combine speed and strength to produce explosive force.	Hill sprints Squat jumps
Flexibility	Provides a greater range of pain-free motion.	Follow the stretches in Warm-up, cool-down and stretch
Endurance	Allows players to repeat the same action or exercise continuously without getting too tired.	Stair walking or circuit training Brisk walks, jogs or runs each week
Balance	Reduces the risk of tripping, falling or landing in an awkward position. It also reduces the risk of a player overbalancing on uneven surfaces.	Walking along a straight rope on the ground Balancing on one leg with eyes closed Propeller runs

Conditioning principles

• Make sure your training is planned, directed and purposeful.
• Follow the F.I.T.T.E. principles. Each element should be specified in the training programme and developed for each player’s needs.
• Progressively increase intensity and/or duration of training as players improve their conditioning levels.
• Ensure training is specific to the players and sport or activity.
• Maintain physical condition with two to three workouts every week.
• Reduce the amount of training during competition to prevent burn-out and fatigue.

Conditioning process

1. Identify the sport and position requirements.
2. Evaluate player's current condition.
3. Determine player's training needs.
4. Design and implement training programme.
5. Monitor progress and evaluate player's condition.

Note:
Steps 3-5 are a continuous process.

Aerobic endurance training

Aerobic endurance training may include activities such as walking, running and circuit training.

General guidelines

• Buy good shoes if walking or running is the principal form of aerobic exercise.
• Warm-up before training or competition to improve performance and decrease the amount of stress on the heart.
• Follow the F.I.T.T.E. principles principle to achieve an increase in aerobic endurance.

Individualisation

Prescribe aerobic endurance exercise based on age, gender and fitness level and encourage more vigorous activity in those who are young and healthy.

Progressive overload

Progress from:

• three alternate days to five to six sessions per week*
• 10-15 minutes to 40-60 minutes*
• 60% to 80% HRmax (maximum heart rate).

(*This will depend on the player’s playing levels.)

Specificity

Select exercises that train the appropriate musculature. For example, to achieve running fitness (legs) don’t go swimming (arms).

Intensity

• HRmax is usually calculated as 220 minus age.
• Heart rate for an activity can be determined after two to four minutes of all-out exercise in that activity.
• Heart rate is significantly lower (10-13 beats per minute) in arm exercise.

Health and safety considerations

• Make sure players have a medical examination before training, which includes measures of blood pressure and resting heart rate (RHR).
• Supervise training programmes if a player has poor health status.
• The following potential hazards are associated with long-distance running in young players: heel cord injuries, growth plate injuries, chronic joint trauma, thermal intolerance and shin splints. Distances less than two kilometres are recommended for players under 12 years of age.

Strength training

Strength training is often thought of as weight training. It may include activities such as bicep curls and press-ups.

General guidelines

• Begin each session with a warm-up.
• Provide thorough instruction on the exercises. Competent and close supervision is vital in the beginning stages of the programme.
• Avoid single maximal lifts (the load you can lift once but can’t perform two repetitions of the load in succession) in particular overhead lifts, until the end of adolescence. During adolescence, training should be sub-maximal.
• Avoid explosive lifts (high-velocity, low-load lifts) in early adolescence and introduce them with caution in late adolescence. The same applies to high-intensity plyometric (jump) training.
• Progress exercises from using the body weight with a load of low volume, to traditional weightlifting exercises with a load of high volume and/or high intensity.
• Progressively load the training (for example apply more load, more repetitions) in small increments. A general rule is to increase the training load by no more than 10% per week. Some individuals may require a slower increase.
• Ensure adequate recovery between training sessions. A beginning training frequency of two to three times per week is desirable.
• Include exercises for all muscle groups and provide balance between opposing muscle groups, for example quadriceps and hamstrings.

Health and safety considerations

• Make sure players have a medical examination before strength training. For example, large increases in blood pressure are associated with strength training, such as lifting or statically holding large loads.
• Players should be mature enough to be coachable and to follow prescribed safety and technique factors.
• Parents, coaches, physicians and players should pay particular attention to exercise-related joint pain.
• Teach proper breathing. Players should avoid prolonged breath holds during repetitions to avoid blackout or fainting.
• Ensure that players maintain the curvature of the spine during exercise.
• Children should never be encouraged to lift more weight than they can comfortably manage.
• Ensure correct techniques are used and there is appropriate supervision.

Example of progressive overloading

In this example, the muscles are progressively overloaded by making the player’s base of support less stable, or having greater body mass act on the muscles by changing the exercise from an incline press-up to a decline press-up.

1. Incline press-up - against a wall or stable object, eg a table
2. Half press-up (from the knees) - on the floor
3. Full press-up - on the floor
4. Decline press-up - with feet up on a stable object such as a table
5. Incline press-up - with hands on a less stable object such as a swiss ball
6. Decline press-up - with feet on less stable object such as a swiss ball

F.I.T.T.E. principles

Keyword	Description
Frequency	Three to five times per week
Intensity	60-85% of heart rate maximum (HRmax)
Time	20-60 minutes per session
Type	Run, brisk walk, bike, swim, dancing, etc
Enjoyment	Find an enjoyable activity and increase the likelihood of exercise adherence

Last updated:20April2009

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