Training Information

Middle to End of Season Training Methods

A recent research article published by the Centre for Sports and Exercise Science that discovered the following:

• near the end of the season many players actually lose some of their conditioning levels due to the fact that many teams focus on team tactical play and rest/recovery.
• the article suggests that players need to keep up their aerobic (endurance/stamina/recovery type training) and anaerobic (sprint/speed/interval type training) right up until the end of the season in order to maintain the level of training they have attained through the season.

Resistance Training for Children and Adolescent

A recent research article published the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology discovered the following:

• Myths about resistance training for children such as the possibility of stunted growth, damage to bone growth (epiphyseal) plates and various safety issues have regularly been shown to be false in the scientific literature.
• Rather than contributing to injuries as was previously thought, resistance training has been reported to be safe for children and to potentially decrease the incidence and severity of sport injuries.
• Resistance training and higher intensity sports can contribute to higher bone mineral density and mass which are associated with a decreased risk of osteoporosis later in life.
• There has been widespread acceptance in exercise science that resistance training for children will improve muscular strength, power and endurance.
• Children's strength gains are relatively comparable to adult strength gains but resistance training in children does not typically result in substantial gains in muscle size. It is generally believed that most of the strength gains are due to improvements in the neuromuscular system.
• Resistance training can have a positive effect on other measures such as body composition, balance, co-ordination, functional performance, blood lipid profiles, psychosocial skills and measures of well being.
• There is no minimum age for resistance training for children. In general, if a child is ready for sports participation (generally age seven or eight years), then he or she may be ready for some type of resistance training.
• Resistance training should be performed under the supervision of a qualified fitness professional/instructor (i.e. CSEP CPT or CSEP CEP), using proper technique, gradual training progressions, appropriately sized equipment, exercises within the child's or adolescent's capability and a proper warm-up and cool down.
  

  When exercising, low-to-moderate intensity resistance should be utilized, 2-3 times per week on non-consecutive days, with 1-4 sets of 6-20 repetitions for 6-12 exercises and generally through a full range of motion. These exercises can range in complexity from simple body weight, dumbbells, barbells, machines, elastic bands and medicine balls to more advanced techniques such as plyometrics, instability devices and Olympic style lifting. Olympic-style lifts are more complex movements and participants need to learn how to perform these lifts early in training with a relatively light load (e.g., wooden dowel or unloaded barbell) to develop coordination and technique.

• Plyometric training involves jumping exercises and medicine ball throws that are performed quickly and explosively on yielding surfaces with a focus on proper positioning and landing. Children should focus on building a base of strength before attempting high intensity plyometric drills such as drop jumps. However, low amplitude plyometrics such as skipping, hopping or bounding over low obstacles can be performed with minimal background strength training. Relatively few repetitions (i.e. ? 10) are needed to bring about gains in performance.
• Since many youth are involved in multiple sports or activities, it is important to be cautious about the volume of training (resistance training as well as their other strenuous activities).
• Since children typically do not possess the co-ordination of adults, the useof heavy weights involving low repetitions (<6) is not recommended.
• A periodized training program, which varies the volume and intensity of the workouts throughout the season/year should be implemented. Adult exercise guidelines and training philosophies should not be imposed on youth since they are physically and psychologically less mature than adults.

In Conclusion:

Resistance training for children provides similar physical benefits with no greater chance for injury than for adults. Once a child is physically and mentally ready for sports participation, they should be able to train using simple traditional (machines, dumbbell and barbells) exercises and progressing to more complex training such as instability resistance training, plyometrics or Olympic lifts.

Note: This article is a summary of an article accepted for publication in Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism.