JEFF CARROLL
SMARTER NOT HARDER: DEVELOPING THE
TACTICAL ATHLETE
Programs proclaiming to be the secret of the elite tactical operator
are often broadcast in infomercial-like advertising and gain cult
followings as they are perceived to be the next best thing to
performance-enhancing drugs. These programs can bring the
benefits of a day-to-day plan and steer you toward a certain goal,
but keep in mind, the developer has little to no concept of who the
athlete is or what stage of development they are in, and therefore
cannot maximize their potential. A mentor of mine once told me
“any monkey off the street can make you throw up or become
so sore you cannot move, but a coach develops and grows an
athlete.” This article will help identify guidelines to adapt or create
a program that will develop the tactical athlete, a basic principle of
tactical strength and conditioning.
GOALS
Establishing short- and long-term goals is essential. Walking into
a workout without goals is like driving a car without directions—if
it does not matter where you are going, then any road will do.
Without having goals set in place, failure will be more likely. The
goals should be both physical and personal. For example:
1.
Run a mile under 05:25 (physical)
2.
Read to the children every night (personal)
ASSESSMENT
Each athlete must have a defined baseline, good or bad, it must
be determined. Most organizations have predetermined physical
assessments, if these are inadequate then add some events to
better represent specific needs. This can establish the tactical
athlete’s stage of development. When training a large group, use
the assessments to establish smaller groups by similar ability. Also,
include a movement screen to help identify imbalances which will
help in injury reduction. Assessments are continual and do not
have to be quantified every time. Visual assessments can help
provide the proper training load. Many times, the workout plan
can be changed after watching previous/current workouts and
determining the level of execution.
PERIODIZATION
One of the hardest aspects of training the tactical athlete is the
lack of consistent training. It is almost impossible to follow a
traditional periodization model because there is no off-season
for tactical populations. A concept that can have great benefits in
training tactical athletes is planned performance training (PPT).
PPT is the timing, sequence, and interaction of the training stimuli
to allow optimal adaptive response in pursuit of specific goals
(6). A great way to utilize this is by determining the daily goals of
each workout and implementing the developmental needs within
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the workout structure. When executing a traditional periodized
program in the tactical setting, it might be 4 – 6 weeks before a
different cycle begins, possibly stalling the development process.
In a seven-day week, schedules should include developmental
workouts without the exclusion of all other physical qualities.
PROGRESSION
Progression is a very important component of a well-designed
program and is one of the most frequently violated principles
in training (6). Do not prescribe exercises and techniques
above the skill level of the athlete. The athlete has to prove
consistent execution of a movement before graduating to the
next level. These are two basic concepts to follow for a successful
programming progression.
General adaptation syndrome (GAS) explains the body’s
response to stressors, including physiological and psychological
stress (Figure 1) (2). The supercompensation phase is crucial in
development. If the training is too intense or not intense enough,
supercompensation will not occur (6).
Progressive overloading is a progressive increase in the training
load above the current training dose. This is a good concept
to follow to achieve optimal supercompensation. For the best
training adaptations to occur, training loads, training volumes,
and bioenergetic specificity have to systematically change over
time (2).
STRENGTH AND POWER DEVELOPMENT
A systematic approach to volume and intensity will create overall
gains throughout the program. Studying the energy systems
and the recruitment of muscle fiber types of the human body
and applying them to the proper exercises is the first phase of
exercise selection (Figure 2). A very common error is the neglect
and overuse of power focused movements. Power translates to
faster, more explosive athletes and evidence supports Olympicstyle lifts as being effective for improving power output (3). This
does not mean that it is always wrong to use a higher repetition
power exercise, but the energy system changes after a certain
number of repetitions. If the focus is power development, after
five repetitions at a higher intensity, the tactical athlete faces
diminishing returns and risks injury due to degraded form in
complex, compound movements.
Having one repetition maximum (1RM) results are very important
for tactical athletes (if desired, using a predicted 1RM model can
be used to avoid tactical athletes undertaking a 1RM test). By
having these numbers, gains and/or losses can be easily monitored
and it can also help to identify developmental needs. For example,
NSCA’S TSAC REPORT | ISSUE 33