Physical training programs have been around for centuries. Traditionally, the ancient Greeks used to prepare themselves by going through training programs, including weightlifting, running for stamina, and sparring. These traditional concepts might have inspired modern-day athletic training programs.
While today’s athletic performance training could be using different styles and equipment, the principles and the goal of training remains the same. Athletic training programs are geared towards improving stamina, power, and agility. The programs help participants look and feel good about themselves while enhancing their performance.
High-Intensity Interval Training
Popularly known as HIIT, high-intensity interval training requires participants to exercise intensely for short periods with brief rest intervals. This type of training improves athletic capacity and endurance while supporting fat burning.
Resistance Training
Resistance training focuses on muscle contraction against resistance, such as weights or resistance bands, to build muscle mass, strength, and endurance. It is a staple in athletic training and gyms, often seen in pure strength training regimens.
Functional Training
Functional training emphasizes exercises that prepare the body for real-world movements and stresses. While less intense than HIIT or resistance training, it enhances stability, flexibility, and core strength, reducing the risk of injury and improving agility.
The Role of Athletic Performance Training
Athletic performance training combines fundamental movements, similar to functional training, to improve the body’s overall work capacity. Athletes enhance coordination, control, and power utilization, enabling them to handle complex physical demands effectively.
Building an Effective Athletic Performance Training Program
An effective training program requires:
- Identifying performance goals.
- Assessing the current situation.
- Outlining strategies for goal achievement.
Key considerations include an athlete's goals, position, injury history, recovery needs, season length, maturity, training frequency, movement analysis, background, and energy systems utilized.
Scientific Training Principles
Adaptation or Accommodation
Each time athletes train, their bodies adapt, becoming more efficient and effective. Training stress initially causes a temporary reduction in performance and function, followed by adaptation that improves these parameters. To maintain progress, athletes should change exercises every few weeks to keep their bodies challenged and avoid plateaus.
Rest and Recovery
Progressive training loads should be paired with planned rest and recovery to prevent burnout or injury. Rest periods between sets and exercises should range from 30 to 60 seconds, depending on the participant’s fitness level and goals.
Overload
To continually improve fitness, athletes must increase the intensity of their training. Methods to achieve this include reducing recovery time, adding weight, extending the range of motion, increasing manual resistance, and quickening concentric movements.
Specificity
Training programs should align with the demands of the sport or competition. Exercises must target the specific movements and physical requirements the athlete will encounter during competition.
Individuality
Every athlete is unique, and training programs should reflect this. An exercise that works for one individual may be too challenging for another. Programs must avoid a “one-size-fits-all” approach, tailoring activities to the participant’s specific needs, abilities, and fitness level.
Achieving Goals Through Microcycles
Training programs are structured into microcycles, or individual training days, focusing on small, measurable progressions. Sessions include all three planes of motion, varied range of motion, appropriate equipment, extremity movement patterns, recovery times, and metabolic conditioning.