Phil Hewitt a leading sport fitness
expert, gives advice on pre season
training.
As life and society attempt to get back to
some sort of normality (whatever that
looks like) and teams of all levels and
abilities are starting to look towards the
start of the next season. It is important
to examine the coaching and training
structure going forward, especially from
a physical perspective.
Chances are, whatever the level you play or coach at, you have
never had as long an offseason as the one currently imposed and
that we have all just participated in (I am currently writing this as
we are still limited from group gatherings). Hopefully the
following will help inform of what I see are the major issues that
are about to occur.
Preseason training worries me at the best of
times and with the extended layoff and the
potential for a greater detraining effect I find
myself more concerned that usual. In the
past I have seen double and triple sessions
performed each day and over extended
periods of time with the mentality of coaches
to almost break their players or ‘see what
they can handle’. With a longer layoff I have a
feeling that lost gains will be attempted to be
regained in even quicker time, leading to even
more intense training and an even greater
chance of injuries. I always wondered why
coaches felt the need to instill a sense of fear
and dread in the players in for preseason,
remember your goal for the preseason is to
have all of your players available for selection
for the first game of the season.