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Pre-Season Conditioning
by Brad Hackett
Head Coach @ Muhlenberg College
Chairman – Men’s
Development USA Track And Field
The key to a
successful track and field season can be made or broken in the
first 35% of the season. Most training theorist state that the
general preparatory facet of the season should be between
thirty and forty percent of the overall season. Whether the
athlete participates in high school outdoor track and only has
an eight week season, or if the athlete is an NCAA
All-American and can practice for nine months, the 30-40%
concept must be abided by.
A coach must
recognize that a high quality and well planned pre or early
season conditioning program will determine the rate of success
for the upcoming competitive season. Therefore, the objective
of this article is to identify potential plans for a
pre-season conditioning program.
One dilemma
that a high school coach has is that the size and ability
level of a roster may make it quite difficult to create
workouts for each individual involved in the program. Circuit
training is a way which may afford the coach the opportunity
to create a conditioning program that will allow each athlete
involved in the program the flexibility to improve without
risking injury. Circuit training will also allow the coach to
have a large group of athletes working out at the same time in
a controlled environment.
The coach
needs to recognize that during pre-season conditioning there
are four primary areas which need to be developed for any
track and field athlete. The lower body, the hip flexors, the
abdomen (Truck), and the upper body. Listed below are a
variety of exercises which the coach may utilize to develop
these four important areas. Once the exercises for a
particular body part have been identified, circuits may be
created in order to rapidly and safely work on that particular
facet.
The circuits
should be timed rather than designating a specific quantity to
each exercise; therefore each athlete will have the
opportunity to work within their own athletic ability. An
example of this would be the creation of an abdomen circuit.
Make the circuit timed by suggesting 30 seconds on 30 seconds
off for each exercise.
Abdomen Circuit 30 on 30 off
1) Crunches
2) V-Sits
3) Opposite Knee (Chinnies)
4) Flutter Kicks
5) Double Leg Eagles
6) Toe Touches
7) Leg Toss
8) Back Hypers with a twist
9) Side Ups
A coach can establish the same type of workout with In Place
Jumps for the legs, with Medicine Ball throwing for the upper
body and abdomen, and with General Strength Circuits for the
Upper Body.
Circuit
Training is an important part of the overall training season.
If the hard work is done in the first 30-40% of the season,
the athlete will have the base to allow for a successful
season. By creating circuits for the pre-season conditioning
facet of the season, the coach will be able to improve the
fitness level of the entire team without risking injury to any
one individual, as the athletes will be allowed to work within
the parameters of their existing fitness.
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GENERAL PREP AND CONDITIONING |
I. In Place
Jumps
•Straddles
•Splits
•Double Leg Butt Kicks
•Single Leg Butt Kicks
•Tucks
•Stars
•Russian Kicks
•Slalom Lines
•Single Leg Squats
•Prisoner Squats
•Pogos
•Lunge Good Mornings
•Downhill Skiers
•Lateral Squat Jumps
•Rockets
•Speed Skaters |
II. Bounding
•Bounds
•Single Leg Hops
•Double Leg Hops for Distance
•Double Leg Hops for Speed
•Hop Step Step
•Straight Leg Bound to Bound
•Hop Hop Step Step |
III. Box
Jumps
•Progressive Box Jumps
•Depth Jumps |
IV. Hurdle
Hops
•Hurdle Hop Consecutive
•Hurdle Hop Pause |
V. Abdomen
Circuit
•Crunches
•V-sits
•Opposite Knee (Chinnies)
•Back Bike
•Toe Touches
•Double Leg Eagles
•Leg Toss
•Back Hypers
•Side Ups |
VI.
Medicine Balls
•Overhand Partner Toss
•Chest Pass
•On Knees Partner Toss
•Side Toss
•Back to Back Exchange
•Overhand Backward
•Underhand Forward
•Leg Curls
•Soccer Kicks
•Superman
•Knee Toss
•Seated Roll
•Prone Catch and Toss |
VII. Multi
Shot Throws
•Overhand Backward
•Underhand Forward
•Lunge Throw
•Squat Throw
•Hop Hop Forward
•Hop Hop Backward |
VIII.
General Strength Circuit
•Crunches
•Pushups
•V-sits
•Hand Clap Pushups
•Toe Touches
•Decline Pushups
•Chinnies
•Hand Stand Pushups
•Double Leg Eagles |
IX. Weight
Room
•Squat
•Cleans
•Snatch
•Bench
•Step Ups
•Lunges
•Pullover
•Take Off Punches
•Lats
•Leg Curls
•Leg Extensions |
X. Track
Workouts
•Mechanics Drills
•A’s
•B’s
•Straight Leg Bound
•High Knee
•Backward High Knee
•Backward Run
•One Legged Straight Leg Bound
•One Legged Straight Leg Bound A’s
•Tempo Runs
•Hill Running
•Stair Runs
•Absolute Speed
•Stick Drill |
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REMEMBER
- THE PYRAMID CAN ONLY BE AS HIGH AS THE STRENGTH AND
STABILITY OF THE BASE PERMIT |
