If you are a law enforcement officer, firefighter or military personnel your training requires a complete physical training program. You can't spend only time in the weight room or track, It beyond one dimensional. Many of the programs out there include different types of equipment and terrain, they should. If you wonder why it's the nature of the job.
The tactical athlete is required to be flexible, agile, strong, have a high level of aerobic fitness as well as control body fat, heart rate, body temperature and adrenaline rush (stress).
Not only are these important to the athletes health but it may be important to saving a life, including their own.
I believe that these athletes need to incorporate range of motion, strength, coordination and endurance in there exercises. These athletes need stable and unstable training surfaces. For example climbing a block wall is different compared to a rod iron fence. Kicking in sand or loose gravel is different compared to concrete. That in mind, we want these athletes to incorporate different implements on different surfaces. Having an athlete run in sand as he does a farmers carry for 20 yards then turn and run picking up bags of sand and throwing them over their back or carrying it to a specific place where they climb a 5-foot wall. Challenge, yes, tactical yes.
If you are a trainer and want to find the best training courses, simple. Ask your police, firefighter and military friends to tell you about a pursuit, rescue or physical aspect to an op. They will give you more ideas than you can use in a month. You may also ask them what was physically toughest part of story.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Effects of a Back Squat Training Program (16.5-17.5 year old males)
A recent study was published in the J of Strength & Conditioning Research (NSCA 11/09) that looked at the effect of the back squat exercise among 22 junior lever soccer players. The study tested the effect of the squat on leg power,jump and sprint performances.
Over an eight week period the 11 players participated in two-a-week lifting sessions (11 tested but did not train using the squat). All of the athletes had trained for soccer at least four years and were injury free for the last two years. None of the athletes had any strength training experience.
The practical application indicates that the back squat exercise will improve jump and sprint performance in junior level soccer players. The study does recommend that with this age group the half squat be utilized.
For more information on this study go to www.nsca-lift.org
Over an eight week period the 11 players participated in two-a-week lifting sessions (11 tested but did not train using the squat). All of the athletes had trained for soccer at least four years and were injury free for the last two years. None of the athletes had any strength training experience.
The practical application indicates that the back squat exercise will improve jump and sprint performance in junior level soccer players. The study does recommend that with this age group the half squat be utilized.
For more information on this study go to www.nsca-lift.org
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Referee Training for Basketball Part 3
What to do in the off-season? The first thing you need to do is get some rest. Some officials work a lot of dates beginning in October and ending in late march or early April. That's a lot of sprinting, changing direction, multiple movements as well as intense mental focus and travel. You need some rest. I recommend at least 2 weeks of R and R. That doesn't mean be a couch potato it means active rest. Take a swim, play some golf, ride your bike or take your dog for a longer walk, but move. Don't do it to at a high intensity, relax (I know that's hard for some) and enjoy the activity. Allow your body to recover from the season.
Once you feel refreshed it time to start getting ready for next season. Every session or workout begins with general warm-up. A low intensity exercise that will raise body temp and heart rate (HR), followed by a specific warm-up. Specific movements that target the areas you will work that day. HR becomes important here as we want to reach the intensities we will during the work. That means if we are going to try to train those Type IIB fibers we need to add in some intense movements (90% max force) using those joints and muscle groups.
When we begin we want to be sure to include resistance training. In the beginning of strength training we need to be sure that we focus on the proper movement, repetition and work to rest ratio. That in mind, I begin training most officials with a focus on hypertrophy (increase size of muscle fibers). We focus on the movement and the tempo of that movement. The weight is not as important in the beginning. I want the tempo be be done with proper movement and technique. As we progress we begin to enter the strength phase and again focus on movement/technique, repetition and work to rest ratio.
Training officials is much like athletes with one exception, their age. The athletes are going to be about the same age in high school and college, but officials get older every year. Knowing this I begin plyometrics (plyos) with some 1 time a week. Although lower body plyos are primary I do believe that upper body plyos should be incorporated into off-season training. If for no other reason, they're fun to do and give feedback to the official.
Every official will change direction (COD) quickly in every game he/she works. Officials should begin this training in the off-season. It is not important to work on speed of COD at this time but deceleration technique is important. More injuries occur during deceleration than acceleration, thus, teaching proper deceleration techniques is important in the off-season.
Once you feel refreshed it time to start getting ready for next season. Every session or workout begins with general warm-up. A low intensity exercise that will raise body temp and heart rate (HR), followed by a specific warm-up. Specific movements that target the areas you will work that day. HR becomes important here as we want to reach the intensities we will during the work. That means if we are going to try to train those Type IIB fibers we need to add in some intense movements (90% max force) using those joints and muscle groups.
When we begin we want to be sure to include resistance training. In the beginning of strength training we need to be sure that we focus on the proper movement, repetition and work to rest ratio. That in mind, I begin training most officials with a focus on hypertrophy (increase size of muscle fibers). We focus on the movement and the tempo of that movement. The weight is not as important in the beginning. I want the tempo be be done with proper movement and technique. As we progress we begin to enter the strength phase and again focus on movement/technique, repetition and work to rest ratio.
Training officials is much like athletes with one exception, their age. The athletes are going to be about the same age in high school and college, but officials get older every year. Knowing this I begin plyometrics (plyos) with some 1 time a week. Although lower body plyos are primary I do believe that upper body plyos should be incorporated into off-season training. If for no other reason, they're fun to do and give feedback to the official.
Every official will change direction (COD) quickly in every game he/she works. Officials should begin this training in the off-season. It is not important to work on speed of COD at this time but deceleration technique is important. More injuries occur during deceleration than acceleration, thus, teaching proper deceleration techniques is important in the off-season.
The off-season is also the time to lose some weight if that is a problem. Fat is only burned in an aerobic state (with oxygen). That doesn't mean jogging, distance running, long distance cycling are the only ways to burn fat. Many have success using circuit training. Activities that incorporate strength training and other movements like skipping rope in a 30-45 minute session that includes short rest periods. However if you do one of these check out who's running it first and don't start too fast. Weight loss is more about lifestyle change than diet/exercise. If you want more information on weight loss check out
Lastly, don't forget about recovery. Rest or recovery begins right after every session and it is where the chronic (long term) adaptations occur in our body. Active recovery begins with a cool down allowing your HR to come down (ex: walking). After your HR has come down stretch, use a "stick," or foam roll to elongate the muscles. Be sure to hydrate over the next 2 hours and get some carbohydrate and protein within 1 hour of finishing your workout. If you can take an ice bath or ice muscles do it. Compression garments are showing significant results when put on after a workout and if you can get a sport massage once or twice a month there are lots of benefits. Be sure the message therapist is licensed.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Referee Training for Basketball Part 2
Now that you have identified what fibers and energy systems to train what do you do?
Here are a few ideas. There is no reason to spend jogging in the pre-season all it will do is recruit Type II fibers to join the Type I fibers. Not a good idea when you consider that you will be sprinting during every game you referee. The Type IIB fiber are the one most important for sprinting. Remember high intensity (90% muscle force), and short duration (< 10 seconds). You must train them to prepare them for the season. If you don't they won't be there when you have to sprint.
What to do about sprinting. Begin with short sprints 30-40 feet about half court. Think quick start and start from different standing positions. Think about from the lead to trail and you must see a last second shot or mark a three. Decelerate well when you do these sprints. Most injuries occur during deceleration, lower your hips and shorten strides gradually coming to a stop. Do not try to stop on a dime.
A heart rate (HR) monitor is a valuable tool for all activity but for these it is very important to use. Long sprints of 12-15 seconds. These are conditioning. Get your HR up to about 75-85% of your max HR. Increase the number of sprints and reduce the rest time between sprints as your conditioning improves based on HR.
Change of direction (COD) is very important for officials and these drills are a great conditioner as well. Combine quick movements including sprinting, back peddling, crossover run, kariocia and shuffling over short distances (about 30 feet max). Combine the movements together as well as changes of direction. Whatever you do one direction do the other direction. For example begin with a back peddle to a shuffle to a sprint incorporating quick changes of direction. Think accelerate-decelerate-COD and start again.
Lastly plyometrics or jump training will train your Type IIB fibers. Quick hops or jumps done with the intent of not staying on the floor for a long time are great exercises. You need to consider your size and age when doing these and contact a trainer for proper landing techniques before you begin. Don't do these more than 1-2 days a week depending on your bodies ability to recover.
Here are a few ideas. There is no reason to spend jogging in the pre-season all it will do is recruit Type II fibers to join the Type I fibers. Not a good idea when you consider that you will be sprinting during every game you referee. The Type IIB fiber are the one most important for sprinting. Remember high intensity (90% muscle force), and short duration (< 10 seconds). You must train them to prepare them for the season. If you don't they won't be there when you have to sprint.
What to do about sprinting. Begin with short sprints 30-40 feet about half court. Think quick start and start from different standing positions. Think about from the lead to trail and you must see a last second shot or mark a three. Decelerate well when you do these sprints. Most injuries occur during deceleration, lower your hips and shorten strides gradually coming to a stop. Do not try to stop on a dime.
A heart rate (HR) monitor is a valuable tool for all activity but for these it is very important to use. Long sprints of 12-15 seconds. These are conditioning. Get your HR up to about 75-85% of your max HR. Increase the number of sprints and reduce the rest time between sprints as your conditioning improves based on HR.
Change of direction (COD) is very important for officials and these drills are a great conditioner as well. Combine quick movements including sprinting, back peddling, crossover run, kariocia and shuffling over short distances (about 30 feet max). Combine the movements together as well as changes of direction. Whatever you do one direction do the other direction. For example begin with a back peddle to a shuffle to a sprint incorporating quick changes of direction. Think accelerate-decelerate-COD and start again.
Lastly plyometrics or jump training will train your Type IIB fibers. Quick hops or jumps done with the intent of not staying on the floor for a long time are great exercises. You need to consider your size and age when doing these and contact a trainer for proper landing techniques before you begin. Don't do these more than 1-2 days a week depending on your bodies ability to recover.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Referee Training for Basketball
First things first if you are reading this blog in January through March you're in the middle of conference/league schedule. It's a great time to relearn that anatomy/physiology stuff you've forgotten.
First there are three types of skeletal muscle fibers. These types of fibers work with our bodies energy systems (oxidative capacity). Type I or slow twitch fibers (contract slowly) works with the Oxidative system and is an aerobic process. It is resistant to fatigue, have a high capacity for aerobic energy supply but are limited in potential for rapid force development (20-35% of maximum power). These fibers become primary at greater than 3 minutes of work. Cyclists in the Tour de France or marathoners will have high amounts of Type I fibers.
Type II is broken into A and B fibers. Type IIA fibers work with Glycolysis or the breakdown of carbohydrates-either glycogen stored in muscle or glucose delivered in the blood to produce ATP. Glycolysis is termed as fast and slow glycolysis and declares itself by the process it delivers energy. The fast system will work at 75-90% of maximum power and lasts for approximately 11-30 seconds of work. Slow glycolysis has a typical time period of between 1-3 minutes of exercise duration and uses from 30-75% of maximum power. When I think about what athletes with have a high ratio of these IIA fibers I think about soccer, wrestling or 800M sprinters.
Finally Type IIB fibers are powerful using 90-100% of maximum power and fatigue quickly. High intensity work that has a duration of 1-10 seconds. The energy system is the phosphagen or ATP-CPr system. Sprinters, basketball players, power lifters and baseball players have high percentages of
Type IIB fibers. If you want to sprint on a fastbreak you must train these fibers!
If your not sure what your are training think about the intensity and duration of an activity when you train. That will help you to determine the fibers and energy system being used. Now think about all the movements and the intensity that you work at as you work a game. What kind of athlete are you?
First there are three types of skeletal muscle fibers. These types of fibers work with our bodies energy systems (oxidative capacity). Type I or slow twitch fibers (contract slowly) works with the Oxidative system and is an aerobic process. It is resistant to fatigue, have a high capacity for aerobic energy supply but are limited in potential for rapid force development (20-35% of maximum power). These fibers become primary at greater than 3 minutes of work. Cyclists in the Tour de France or marathoners will have high amounts of Type I fibers.
Type II is broken into A and B fibers. Type IIA fibers work with Glycolysis or the breakdown of carbohydrates-either glycogen stored in muscle or glucose delivered in the blood to produce ATP. Glycolysis is termed as fast and slow glycolysis and declares itself by the process it delivers energy. The fast system will work at 75-90% of maximum power and lasts for approximately 11-30 seconds of work. Slow glycolysis has a typical time period of between 1-3 minutes of exercise duration and uses from 30-75% of maximum power. When I think about what athletes with have a high ratio of these IIA fibers I think about soccer, wrestling or 800M sprinters.
Finally Type IIB fibers are powerful using 90-100% of maximum power and fatigue quickly. High intensity work that has a duration of 1-10 seconds. The energy system is the phosphagen or ATP-CPr system. Sprinters, basketball players, power lifters and baseball players have high percentages of
Type IIB fibers. If you want to sprint on a fastbreak you must train these fibers!
If your not sure what your are training think about the intensity and duration of an activity when you train. That will help you to determine the fibers and energy system being used. Now think about all the movements and the intensity that you work at as you work a game. What kind of athlete are you?
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