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Pre-Season, arguably the most important time of the year for competitive sportspeople. As we start to head towards the start of a new season for many sports; Football, Rugby, Hockey et al, we look at how to structure our training and nutrition to optimise our results throughout the next 6 months and how we at BULK POWDERS\u00ae, support this process.<\/p>\n
I am fortunate enough to work with some of the most determined and hardworking athletes in the UK. This is an important factor in pre-season success; if you don\u2019t want to hurt, to grow, to progress \u2013 you simply will not.<\/p>\n
Finding a balance in pre-season preparation is crucial to manipulate your body to perform, when and how you would like it to. If you are a Rugby player; developing cardiovascular fitness is important, but similarly \u2013 you simply cannot play rugby at the highest level if you are built like a marathon runner. The same principles apply to most sports – when I am working with a footballer, we are looking to develop our type 2 fibres and increase strength by around 15% in a 10-week period, but similarly \u2013 without cardiovascular fitness, you are an incomplete player.<\/p>\n
Needless to say, mobility is a crucial element of a pre-season programme.\u00a0 Whilst the body is being pushed beyond its normal parameters, lactic acid is being produced. This is a poisonous byproduct of training and needs to be circulated and excreted. Stretching will enable the circulation of this byproduct and will help reduce DOMS (Delayed onset muscle soreness) in the post workout days.<\/p>\n
We stretch at every session \u2013 if you want to learn more about stretching, why not try Huw Roberts<\/a> guide. Most importantly, stretching is a key factor in injury prevention whilst we are exposed to an elevated risk of injury.<\/p>\n Please remember, stretching takes place at EVERY session.<\/p>\n Weight Training<\/strong><\/p>\n Whilst we are trying to gain 15% of strength at our pre-season, your own goals should be set accordingly. You may be strong but lack cardiovascular fitness \u2013 prioritise accordingly, not necessarily what you enjoy most.<\/p>\n Cardiovascular Training<\/strong><\/p>\n Our athletes are monitored \u2013 we know where they are physically and we know the times that they run certain distances in.\u00a0 We get to a high level of cardiovascular readiness and we maintain that good level \u2013 whilst we are gaining strength, we monitor cardiovascular levels to ensure there is no regression.\u00a0 For footballers, we work on 2km runs for time, 3 times with a 2-minute rest between runs, this is approximately the distance they cover during competitive fixtures. Each player has individual times; benchmarking \u2013 all 3 times must come in under 10 minutes.<\/p>\n Rest<\/strong><\/p>\n A crucial element of training is quality rest. Athletes under my programming must aim for 8 hours quality sleep every night. We also use the swimming pool as a reduced impact recovery day. Stretching both statically in the water and utilising PNF outside of the pool is also a staple element of pre-season.<\/p>\n Water<\/strong><\/p>\n On training days, I demand at least 2 litres of water\/electrolyte consumption, regardless of the weather. This is easy to monitor using the\u00a0half\u00a0gallon water bottle<\/a>. Water is an imperative tool for the removal of lactic acid and the digestion of enzymes for recovery; i.e. protein and carbohydrates. No bottle \u2013 no training.<\/p>\n Fuel<\/strong><\/p>\n Prior to training, my recommendation is a 3:1 \u2013 3:2 carbohydrate\/protein split. By preloading a protein source, we begin the recovery process earlier and minimise fibre damage (beyond microtears for growth). A slow release carbohydrate around an hour prior gives the best possible chance for an optimal training session \u2013 protein porridge<\/a>\u00a0is a great split at a 3:2 ratio. Whilst weight training, amino acids are consumed to begin the reparation process as early as possible.\u00a0ENDURE\u2122<\/a>\u00a0is an optimal 4:1:1 ratio ideal to enhance recovery throughout an intense session. Whilst my athletes are doing an intense cardio, we move away from the amino acid based intra workout and look more at an electrolyte based product such as Complete Hydration Drink\u2122<\/a> which contains an array of carbohydrates which can help to provide a source of energy throughout training.<\/p>\n Recovery<\/strong><\/p>\n When we train, we create thousands of microtears in our muscles. If we do not fuel ourselves with the correct nutrition, all the hard work put in throughout the workout will leave these microtears to either: stay ripped and expose us to injury, or repair slowly to the level they were previously at. By supplementing with a protein based drink, it enables optimum conditions for growth post workout; regardless of your goals. If you have torn type 1 aerobic fibres, they will recover stronger, as will type 2 fibres.<\/p>\n Protein is not a myth, it doesn\u2019t mysteriously make you stronger, bigger or faster \u2013 it simply enhances the recovery period. If you do not train well or push hard, protein will simply be used as an energy source. Pure Whey Protein\u2122<\/a> is an affordable protein with over 80% pure protein content and a great taste.<\/p>\nTraining structure<\/h2>\n
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Nutrition<\/h2>\n