Monday, September 29, 2014

Despre zonarea efortului

Polarised training and intensity zones (cont.)

I've just had a sneak peek at the new issue of Peak Performance (published tomorrow, Tuesday, September 30th), where I read a particularly interesting article on "polarised training" by Andrew Hamilton.

If you're not familiar with it, polarised training is the concept of training specific qualities. To put it another way, it is about examining the intensity zones of a sport and then training according to those demands.

In team sports, we can use similar concepts. In zone 1 we accrue volume -- in team sport this is often the slower aspect of training, such as learning set plays or moves from the playbook.

In zone 2 we supplement this with higher intensity work to accrue "fitness" adaptations, but these volumes will be less than zone 1. Finally, in zone 3 we accrue moderate volumes -- high intensity or overspeed training -- to really challenge the body's ability to work, in our case in the "red zone".

Because of the intensity of zone 3 work, we necessarily have to have quite small volumes. This is because physiologically it is very difficult to sustain, and also there is the injury risk from unrestrained use of high threshold training.

The real trick is in the "programming" of all this. That is to say, how the pieces of the jigsaw fit together. We tend to employ the higher speed work when the athletes are at their freshest, simply to reduce injury risk. Having said that the aim, of course, is over time to alter what "high intensity" actually is.

At the start of the journey, high intensity may be running for 2 minutes at 15kph. As the athlete becomes better trained, this may move from a zone 3 task to a zone 2 task. Clearly, then, the programme needs to be moulded on an ongoing basis, according to the phase of the season, goals and progress of the athlete.

But there's increasing evidence that a polarised training approach is optimum for maximising gains in endurance performance.

To read Andrew's article on this in Peak Performance, and learn how you too can benefit from polarised training, click here to take out a low cost trial today.

'Til next week,

Stay robust amigos!

@DavidGJoyce

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

"Asta-i muzica ce-mi place" ...

SWIMMING from Internet

USA Swimming Election

Welcome, Mr. President

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Jim Sheehan Elected USA Swimming President
Jim Sheehan of New Jersey Swimming was elected president of USA Swimming during the House of Delegates at the United States Aquatic Sports Convention. Sheehan will serve more than 400,000-members during his two-year term.
“It’s been an honor to participate in the governance of our sport, and I look forward to working with athletes, coaches, volunteers and staff to take this great organization into the future," said Sheehan on being named USA Swimming's 10th president. More here
2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Time Cuts Announced
USA Swimming announced the qualifying time standards for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming slated for Sunday, June 26, through Sunday, July 3, 2016, in Omaha, Nebraska, at the CenturyLink Center Omaha. Across the board, the 2016 Olympic Trials qualifying standards are about 1 percent faster than in 2012.


Take Our Survey, Shape Our Future
Do you want to see more swimming on TV or on your mobile device? Do you think swimmers are leaders in their community? Do you think sponsors are helping the sport? USA Swimming wants your feedback. Click the link below to take the 2014 Member Survey. Take the survey here: http://s2230327.researchresults.com?i.user1=2

Golden Patch is Back
Didn’t win the Golden Patch last season? No worries. The 2015 membership cards are being delivered to your home this October. All registered athletes have the opportunity to win free products from Arena, AT&T, BMW, CeraVe, Marriott, Speedo, TYR and USA Swimming. Simply scan your new membership card in the Deck Pass app and you could receive sweet gear from our sponsors. If you don’t have an iOS or Android device, email deckpass@usaswimming.org with “Golden Patch” in the subject line with your Deck Pass username. Good luck!

Ledecky, Cox headline USA Swimming Awards Night at Convention
For the second consecutive year, Olympic gold medalist and world record-holder Katie Ledecky was named the USA Swimming Athlete of the Year and claimed the Phillips 66 Performance Award for her world-record performance in the 1,500-meter freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships. Meanwhile, Ellaine Cox earned the USA Swimming Award for her lifetime commitment to the spot. More here



TODAY Show's Matt Lauer and Al Roker to Host Golden Goggle Awards
The 11th annual Golden Goggle Awards will be held on Monday, Nov. 24, at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Matt Lauer and Al Roker from the TODAY Show will host the event, which supports the USA Swimming Foundation. Learn more and get your tickets now.


Trotman Earns Diversity and Inclusion Award
For nearly 34 years, Robert Trotman has helped children from poor, troubled or underserved communities get into the water and onto a better life. In honor of his work, Trotman earned the Diversity and Inclusion Award from USA Swimming. Trotman and the Nu-Finmen Swim Club have celebrated and managed the historic Martin Luther King Jr. Swim Invitational in Nassau County for the past 33 years where approximately 900 Long Island Youth compete over the three-day weekend.


Register Your Club for Release of Touch the Wall Documentary Watch Party
Touch the Wall, a documentary that follows Olympians Missy Franklin and Kara Lynn Joyce as they prepare for the 2012 London Olympics, will premiere in November. Together with the filmmakers, USA Swimming will work with member clubs to bring the film to your hometown. Find out how your USA Swimming club can host a screening here.



Being Frank
Check out the new web series “Being Frank” featuring the insights of USA Swimming National Team Director Frank Busch. This series is presented by Arena, the exclusive outfitter of the USA Swimming National Team. Watch here

USA Swimming News
Craving additional news? Visit USASwimming.org for more.