Basics for sports training

Sport training consists essentially to search and push back the functional limits.

The search motivations can be very varied. They vary from a simple shape improvement, to a record obtaining, in passing by the oneself knowledge. In all cases, sport psychology is not to neglect.

Therefore it is fundamental to set a training plan with, as much as possible, various exercises around the target goal.

The training intensity and frequency must be in line with the specificity of concerned metabolisms. Progressivity is obviously required, vacations or a light training sessions must follow very intense sessions. Don't forget that four one hour sessions are more efficient than two of two.

Depending on sport, and out of technical aspects, you must proportion the three types of following exercises to develop correctly the muscular structure:

Sustained training

The sustained exercises consist to do continuously long and intense efforts (45 min at least).

They improve mainly aerobic endurance and secondly aerobic power. They develop strongly the cardiovascular system.

It is recommended to plan them at the beginning of the season in all the sports which are not endurance sports.

Progressive training (fartlek)

Between continue and intermittent exercises, the progressive exercises consist to introduce accelerations into relative important efforts (45 min at least).

The chronometer is useless, only oneself feeling and pleasure must start the speed modification. These exercises improve both aerobic endurance and aerobic power.

Interval training (splitting)

These exercises consist to repeat effort and recovery periods. The effort time and intensity act on capacity and power in a specific metabolism.

The recovery time and type (active or not, complete or not) mix the effects.

The optimal number of repetitions depends on the person (age, shape, motivation, objective, etc.) and on exercise types (see the splitting calculators).

Summary

To summarise and simplify:

Effort time Intensity Main action Secondary action Metabolism
10 s >80% Power Capacity Alactic anaerobic
20 s >60% Capacity Power
1 min 30 s >80% Power Capacity Lactic anaerobic
3 min >60% Capacity Power
7 min >80% Power Endurance Aerobic
45 min >60% Endurance Power