If we train too much, we risk getting injured too. We might not
even make it to the game, or the fun run, or whatever event we are
training for, because we get hurt along the way. There is, however, a
middle ground. We can show this relationship between training load
and injury risk as a U-shaped curve.
Now, not only does the ability to tolerate training loads differ from
person to person, it also changes over time ‘within’ each individual.
As we continue training, our strength and fitness improves and we
can tolerate more.
Try tracking your clients’ training week – both training with you,
and on their own. It’s quick and easy to get RPEs and times for all
their training. You can use the data you collect to build weekly loads
over time, so they can tolerate more and be safer.
Injury risk
Training load
Weekly training load
We tend to use weekly totals because it’s convenient, but you can
use a different timeframe if it suits your purposes, of those of your
client, better. Then we decide how much load we want in a week.
Someone doing some light jogging for 30 minutes three times
a week at an RPE of 5 will accumulate a weekly load of 450 units.
Professional sportspeople, on the other hand, can accumulate
weekly loads of over 5,000 units in training and games.
Those who want, or need, to do heavy training obviously need
to work their way up towards heavy weights, otherwise injury is
inevitable. So, what’s the best way to do this?
How do we build up training load?
Slowly and steadily! When you haven’t trained for a while, the highest
risk is early in your training routine. I even see trainers make this
mistake in their own training. For whatever reason, they’ve let their
own training drop off. Attempting to quickly get back into shape, they
go too hard too fast, injure themselves a couple of weeks into their
renewed regime and then have to reduce their training again.
It’s bad enough to injure yourself in this way, but you need to be
very careful not to do the same thing with clients. Always aim for
steady increases, rather than a big jump.
You may need to educate your clients about this, particularly new
ones who have been hit with inspiration and are champing at the bit
for their own fast and furious body transformation. If they expect lots
of hard training straight away, manage those expectations from day
one. Explain to them the importance of building a tolerance first – a
foundation on which to build – and that failing to do so will result in
them getting injured, stopping training and finding themselves back
at square one.
Recommendations vary, but I try to keep jumps in training load to
less than about 30%. If someone does 1,000 units one week, I look
Safe weekly
load increase
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Risky weekly
load increase
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
for no more than 1,300 the next week, then
1,700 the one after that.
Of course, goals vary. The footballers
previously discussed would average
about 2,500 units a week, including their
games. For a casual exerciser, however,
1,500 weekly training units might be more
appropriate.
Once your client has reached the target
load you have prescribed them, try to keep
them there. Mix up the training type, volume
and intensity to keep things fresh, but
maintain the load. If they are preparing for
an activity that involves high intensities, their
training will need to reflect this. For example,
footballers and cricketers injure their
hamstrings less often when they do small
doses of high-intensity sprints regularly at
training, compared to when they don’t, even
with the same training load.
In summary
Managing training load is hugely important
for reducing injury risk. Don’t do too much
too soon. If it sounds simple and obvious,
it is – but very few trainers monitor their
clients’ training loads in a structured way.
For the casual once-a-week client, this
might be as simple as slowly building up the
weights lifted. For a client preparing for a
half marathon, obstacle course or a sporting
season, however, you’ll need to spend a little
more time programming. Try it and let me
know how you go.
Dan Jolley
Dan teaches Certificate
III & IV in Fitness, and
has previously worked in
professional sport. He has an
MSc in exercise physiology,
and a PhD in educational psychology.
NETWORK SUMMER 2019 | 13