Jozi East and our Strength and Conditioning Programming
Sessions and workouts are not planned the night before. A lot of time, science and intention are put into what we see on the ‘whiteboard’.
What is a effective training program?
- Planned Cycle of training
- Structured progressively
- Balanced between
• Strength
• Gymnastics
• Monostructural components
When you first start training, you can see and feel the improvements. However, if you keep doing the same thing over and over, eventually progression will slow. Research has shown, that with a lack of variety and progressed load, you will hit a plateau.
The idea behind planned cycles, is to bias the programming around a certain goal, over a set time period. Usually, a 4, 9- or 12-week cycle is used. This period gives the muscles/cardiovascular system and central nervous system time to adapt to the challenge and “grow”/improve.
For example:
If you have an event coming up that you know will involve running, you will need to plan your training to include more running in various forms, to improve your running capability. This will be one of the priorities in your programming.
Programming would need to be adapted, substituting strength training sessions or gymnastics training with running sessions, or alternatively planning extra time to supplement normal training, for couple of weeks, to really have valuable improvements.
Our training cycles always have a ‘Why’ behind the madness.
Structured Progressively
There is proven method to building strength (which ties into a planned cycle training plan).
Strength planned cycle is usually programmed over 6 – 12week period.
Muscles and joints need to be progressively loaded with weight. Too heavy too soon, and there is a risk of injury, but if it is too light in load, there will not be any improvements.
Our strength cycle starts with lighter loads, but higher in volume (those higher rep ranges), and as the weeks roll on, the volume will start to decrease (less reps) but the weight loaded should be increased.
Given that you have been consistent and taking care of your body (solid nutrition and recovery), there will be an improvement, when you compare the beginning of the cycle to the end of the cycle.
This is why we test our 1RM strength. To see how much stronger you are!
Balanced
Fitness is made up of various components, and we need to spend a little bit of time on each of them.
We aim to prepare you for life and what it might throw at you.
I believe you need to be strong (strength training), so you can do what life requires of you, easily. Be able to move your body through space to play (gymnastics training) and have cardiovascular capacity (monostructural) to be able to run/swim/row/ride, possibly away from something that might be chasing you.
We all have different goals, but for the majority, it is about being, fitter, stronger and happier.
And that is who we generally program for.
When there are bigger goals to compete, it requires additional attention to programming, to focus on what you need to do to improve (and this usually requires more time and dedication)
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