Class27_Sports

Author: Matthew Oliver There is a conflict between one group of people saying you need to rest and another group saying training every day is the goal and rest days are a myth. So exactly, how many times should you work out in a week? Rest days are important. Especially growth adaptations do not come by at the gym but actually during sleep and recovery. If you’re only doing cardio for 1hr 30 min each day you may not need much rest then. However if you are doing intense training lifting the heaviest weight as much as you can each work out. Then you may actually need higher levels of rest. There are a few indicators. Frequency, intensity and volume. These 3 indicators are a consequence of how much rest you need per week. Asking yourself what are you doing in the gym in the first place is a great reflection for these indicators. Unfortunately the more volume of exercise you are doing will mean more fatigue. Continuing to not rest and this may cause overtraining!

Author: Alex McLachlan It is important for people to understand, that without the right prerequisites you cannot achieve all your goals. The following three points, if you do all of them correctly, you will reap all the rewards of your training. -         Hydration      Hydration helps with one’s performance during exercises, but good hydration can also positively impact one’s ability to recover between training exercises. If you train a good amount you should aim for between 3-4 litres of water a day.                    Nutrition      You must have a balanced diet to get all the rewards of your training. This includes a balance of macronutrients, including carbohydrates which give you the fuel for high intense workouts like rugby training and games. -         Sleep      Sleep is the best form of recovery. Cryotherapy is often hailed as a fantastic recovery method due to its positive impact on sleep. You should sleep for at least 8 hours a day to r

Author: Alex McLachlan In all contact sports, whether it be Rugby, Aussie Rules or Gridiron, on all level, from juniors to professional, strength or lack of strength will play an important part in a players and team’s success. At the end of the day strength is primarily developed in the gym. Strength is easily calculable, as the more weight you can lift or the more times you can lift weight the stronger you are. To increase your strength, there are four main exercises, these are:          Squats          Deadlifts     Bench Press     Military Press     References:     Deadlift Image - https://greatist.com/sites/default/files/weight-vs-rep.jpg

Author: Alex McLachlan Integrating plyometric training into your workout routine is an extremely good way to help develop strength and power, especially in your legs. A brief explanation of plyometric training is that it works by overloading the leg muscles by lengthening and then shortening them quickly after. Plyometric training is one of the best ways to for athletes to run more powerfully, jump higher and hit harder than the opposition. Seven of the best plyometric exercises are bounding, box jumps, depth jumps, hops, lateral steps, tuck jumps and clap push ups. A good warm up is crucial for when doing plyometric exercises, as the intense exercises have a tendency to cause injury. References: Plyometric Workout Image - http://stretchcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/plyometric-workouts.jpg

Author: Alex McLachlan A good line out in rugby can give any team an instant advantage over their opposition. Like other parts in the game, a player’s technique in the line out is vital to the safety of the players and can give them an edge over their opposition. For the front lifter, the correct technique is a firm grip around the lower thigh, using the bottom of the thigh muscle to control their grip. The back lifters technique involves cupping the butt cheeks of the jumping player, using their bottom as a grip on their lift. The jumper’s technique is very important, as poor technique can make it very difficult for the lifters to keep the player steady, and could also severely injure the lifters with swinging legs. The jumper should jump with their legs together to avoid kicking the lifters, and should lean inwards to better compete with the opposition jumper. References: Line Up Image - http://www.lineoutcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Sarac

Author: Matthew Oliver Since Summer is on its way I thought it would be a great opportunity to talk about some more outdoor training and the positives of different surfaces to train on! 1. Wet Sand Running - Elite runner and coach Shaun Dixon has stated that "running on compacted wet sand allows you to run fast and hard without the same jarring impact on your joints you get from concrete". Running on sand allows a great opportunity to run barefoot to help practice a fast, natural running technique. Therefore perfect for working on speed and technique. 2. Dry Sand Running - In comparison to wet sand, the soft surface will reduce the impact on your joints, connective tissues and muscles, which can all take a severe pain when you run predominantly on the road. In my opinion I would use wet sand running for anaerobic sprint training and dry sand running for aerobic walking/jogging. 3. Hill Running - Uphill running is a fantastic way to test your leg muscles as well as