By Dr. Devis Zamburlin
There are many questions we ask ourselves when we need to begin athletic training, many of which are not answered except by reading up on books by important authors, such as BOMPA or BOSCO to name just a few. In this article I will try to lay the foundations to inform the reader about the address, the programming and the periodization of the training, in order to acquire the ability to manage a good training over time. Here I will only mention the specific training and you will not find complete training tables, but simply a summary of some of the many things I have studied over time to lay the foundations for my work.
The information you will see below is based on my experience; before proposing them I tried them directly on myself, because I consider experimentation one of the fundamental elements for my work. Another important thing is that what you will read here is not a dictat, but a suggestion on how to start planning a training program, which will then be experienced firsthand and eventually remodeled.
Having made this right premise; we begin our journey in athletic preparation. For ease of discussion, I will divide the work into four phases:
PHASE 1: anatomical adaptation
The goal of this training phase is to gradually accustom the muscles, and especially the tendons, to increasing efforts due to the heavier loads used during the subsequent training phases.
A good solution to begin our preparation can therefore be a CIRCUIT TRAINING (what you will read now is an example, but each of you can change the exercises to your liking, still evaluating the fact that when replacing the FUNDAMENTAL you will have to change with others fundamental exercises, similarly the ACCESSORIES or SECONDARY exercises will be replaced with exercises of equal grade.
CIRCUIT A (WITHOUT EQUIPMENT ONLY BODY WEIGHT)
- MEANS OF SQUAT
- BENDS ON THE ARMS
- CRUNCH
- LOW TANKS ON THE FOOT ARE EQUAL
- PULL UPS
- STEP-UP (climb on bench and return alternate limbs)
- FOLDING ARMS ON INCLINED BENCH (hands on the bench)
- OBLIQUE CRUNCHES
- JUMP ZIG-ZAG FORWARD AND BEHIND beyond an obstacle (small bench)
- SALTO ABOVE BENCH AND SLIP BACK BODY SUPINO
| DURATION 2/3 WEEKS |
| LOADS FROM 40 TO 60 PER PERCENT MAXIMUM LOAD |
3/5 laps per circuit - 15/20 reps per exercise (increase in reps between weeks) - 30/40 minutes of circuit for lunges, jumps and skips 30 seconds of continuous execution |
| RECOVERY: between the exercises 60 seconds, at the end of the circuit 3 minutes |
| Run the circuit 3-4 times a week. INCREASE PROGRESSIVE LOADS. |
MAKE THIS PHASE, and only after having done this important work of muscular adaptation, can we begin the second phase.
Second phase: HYPERTROPHY training. Athletes need a substantial body mass that is active and low in fat; therefore, the greater the active body mass, the greater the force due to the transverse diameter of the muscles.
Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle tissue, which is achieved through an increase in the volume of the individual elements present in the tissue, while the number of cells remains the same. In this phase of our training we will go (unlike the body builders) to seek the maximum number of collection of contractile fibers and motor units, increasing fatigue.
TRAINING PARAMETERS FOR THE HYPERTROPHY PHASE
| LOAD | 70/80% OF THE MAXIMUM LOAD |
| Number of exercises | 6/9 |
| Number of repetitions per series | 6/12 |
| Serial number per session | 4/6 |
| Recovery | 3/5 minutes |
| Speed of execution | Low to medium |
| Weekly frequency | 2/4 |
| PROGRAM DURATION | 4/6 WEEKS |
In this phase of work we will need to calculate our ceilings and know them in their correctness, so that we can then work in the best possible way. Below is an example of a fundamental exercise for the legs and one for the pectorals.
| Exercise description | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | |
| 1 | Half squats | 60/12 x 3 | 60/12 x 4 | 70/10 x 4 | 60/12 x 3 | 75/10 x 4 | 80/8 x 4 |
| 2 | bench presses p. | 60/12 x 3 | 60/12 x 4 | 70/10 x 4 | 60/12 x 3 | 75/10 x 4 | 80/8 x 4 |
To help the reading example: load 40% of the ceiling, 12 number reps, 2 series
Faced with the phase of HYPERTROPHY, we arrive at the third phase; obviously from this moment differentiations are important according to the sport practiced. Every sport, in fact, has coordination skills to be trained differently from conditional ones (strength, endurance and speed), which must not be underestimated.
Third phase: MAXIMUM FORCE development. Strength is the key element in many disciplines, but the specific type of force required by the chosen sport plays a decisive role. To increase the specific strength it will therefore be essential to improve maximum strength. The development of maximum strength goes hand in hand with the importance it has in the given sport; in fact, the phase of its development will be longer if it is a rather important component (example: long in pitchers and martial arts, short in ping pong or in golf).
The ability to develop maximum strength will therefore depend on the transverse diameters of the muscles concerned (from the diameter of the myosin-transverse bridges filaments), but also on the ability to recruit fast-twitching muscle fibers, and on the ability to synchronize all the muscles involved in the gesture. To succeed in developing these conditions, muscle hypertrophy developed in the previous phase is fundamental, while diameter, myosin filaments and protein content in transverse bridges will depend on the volume and duration of maximum strength training. Finally, the synchronization of the various motor units will take place with practice, through the repetition over time of the proposed exercises.
WHAT WILL WE DEVELOP WITH A TRAINING FOR THE MAXIMUM FORCE? Recruiting more rapid-shrinking motor units; even if it does not have big muscles and a high body weight, the synchronization will allow to use high loads (over 80/85%)
THREE TYPES OF CONTRACTIONS: ECCENTRIC, ISOMETRIC, CONCENTRIC.
| LOAD | 85-100% OF THE MAXIMUM LOAD |
| Number of exercises | 3/5 |
| Number of repetitions per series | 1-4 |
| Serial number per session | 6/10 |
| Recovery | 3/6 minutes |
| Speed of execution | Low to medium |
| Weekly frequency | 2/4 |
| PROGRAM DURATION | 6/9 WEEKS |
| Weeks vary depending on the athlete | LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH intensity x 2/3 times |
| Exercise description | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | |
| 1 | Half squats | 70/80 x 1 80/6 x 2 | 80/6 x 2 85/5 x 3 90/3 x 1 | 85/5 x 2 90/3 x 3 95/2 x 1 | 80/6 x 2 85/4 x 1 | 85/5 x 2 90/3 x 3 95/2 x 1 | 90/3 x 2 95/2 x 2 100/1 x 2 |
Example of work on half squats with loads and repetitions for maximum force development.
Exercises such as DROP JUMP can also be used, a jump performed by a platform, during which the limb firmly maintains a given angle, without bending further. The athlete must land on the forefoot and keep the desired angle for 2/3 seconds.
PROGRESSION:
- drop jump without overload from moderate height 60 cm
- from a greater height 80 cm
- moderate height with modest overload (25 / 60cm - ballast)
- from greater height with less overload (60-80 cm - little ballast)
- from greater height with slight increase in overload (80 cm - 20/30% of the ceiling)
or in the case of isometric work:
ISOMETRIC
| LOAD | 80-100% OF THE MAXIMUM LOAD |
| Number of exercises | 4/6 |
| DURATION repetitions for series and session | 6-12 SECONDS X 60/90 SECONDS |
| Serial number per session | 6-9 |
| Recovery | 60 - 90 sec |
| Speed of execution | |
| Weekly frequency | 2/3 |
| PROGRAM DURATION | 6/9 WEEKS |
Or using the MAXEX TRAINING RECALLING that:
THE CHANGE BETWEEN MAXIMUM FORCE AND POWER MUST BE SET UP PRUDENTLY AND ACCURATELY; moreover, the training must be simple, to allow the athlete to concentrate on his technical gesture.
WORKING EXAMPLE:
SQUAT WITH BALANCER eccentric slow contraction (DROPPING IN ACCUSED) and fast concentric (SALGO).
LOAD: 60/80% of the ceiling (throwing disciplines and martial arts, load increase)
REPS NUMBER: 6/8, SERIAL NUMBER: 1/3 (the number varies depending on what you want to do in the session besides this training)
RECOVERY BETWEEN 2 AND 4 MINUTES.
OTHER EXAMPLE:
BENCH + LENS ECCENTRIC CONTRACTS, FAST CONCENTRIC + FOLDING BY FALL AND NEXT SIDE LOADS load: 70/90% - REPS NUMBER: 2/4 bench + drop - 4/8 side casts SERIAL NUMBER 2/4 RECOVERY 2/3 minutes
Once this is done, we arrive at the last phase, that of transference, which many people mistakenly call TRANSFER.
Fourth phase: TRANSFORMATION - TRANSFORMATION INTO POWER. The general increase in strength achieved in the previous phases does not represent a direct benefit for athletic performance. For this reason it is necessary to synthesize the previous improvements and transform them into power or muscular endurance, which will allow us to achieve excellent performance. The determining factors to successfully complete the transformation phase are its duration and the specific methods to convert the general increases of the MAXIMUM FORCE into the SPECIFIC force for each sport discipline.
POWER = F x V = muscle strength for movement speed
To express power it is not important to have so much muscle volume, but to be able to contract the muscles in a short time (train an increase in the speed of force production)
Given the great intensity required, it will be necessary to concentrate on a few exercises, technically valid and as close as possible to the athletic gesture. Two / three exercises are shown, performed dynamically, for several series. Time and energy are precious; the program must be executed quickly and explosively (maximum activation number of motor units, very high number of activations). The force-time curve should move to the left as much as possible
ISOTONIC METHOD:
| LOAD cyclic movements (team sports / martial arts) LOAD acyclic movements (throwing, weight lifting) | 30/50% of the ceiling (max 60%) 50/80% of the ceiling |
| Number of exercises | 2/4 (5) |
| Number of repetitions per series | 4/10 |
| Serial number per session | 3/6 |
| Recovery | 2/6 minutes |
| Speed of execution | High with dynamic movements |
| Weekly frequency | 2-3 |
| PROGRAM DURATION | 3 weeks |
| CHOOSE EXERCISES ON THE BASIS OF SPORT |
| Exercise description | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | |
| 1 | Half squat with skip | 60/8 x 3 | 70/6 x 4 | 70/8 x 4 |
Example for isotonic training
BALLISTIC METHOD
| LOAD | STANDARD |
| Number of exercises | 2/5 |
| Number of reps | 10/20 |
| Serial number per session | 3/5 |
| Recovery | 2-3 minutes |
| Speed of execution | Snap explosive |
| Weekly frequency | 2-4 |
| PROGRAM DURATION | 3 WEEKS |
REMEMBER: YOU MUST INTERRUPT THE REPETITIONS AT THE MOMENT IN WHICH SLOWS THE SPEED OF EXECUTION.
| Exercise description | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | |
| 1 | LANCI medicine flask forward | 2 x 10 | 3 x 12 | 3 x 15 |
| 2 | Squat hops and throws ball | 2 x 8 | 3 x 10 | 3 x 15 |
TEAM SPORTS
| Exercise description | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | |
| 1 | Half squat with skip | 40/6 x 4 | 50/5 x 5 | 60/5 x 5 | 50/6 x 5 | 60/5 x 5 |
| 2 | Medicine ball side launches | 4 x 10 | 5 x 10 | 5 x 12 | 5 x 10 | 5 x 12 |
| 3 | You throw two hands over your head starting from your legs | 4 x 6 | 4 x 8 | 5 x 10 | 5 x 8 | 5 x 10 |
| 4 | Plyometrics with reactive jumps | 4 x 6 | 5 x 6 | 5 x 8 | 4 x 6 | 5 x 8 |
Load scheme: low / medium / high / medium / high
Power overcoming an EXTERNAL RESISTANCE (TRAINER - WEIGHT)
| LOAD | Depending on the exercise |
| Number of exercises | 2/4 |
| Number of reps | 4/8 |
| Serial number per session | 3/5 |
| Recovery | 2-4 minutes |
| Speed of execution | explosive |
| Weekly frequency | 1-2 |
| PROGRAM DURATION | 3 WEEKS |
Examples of exercises:
TRACTIONS TO THE BAR: the athlete flexes his elbows, is stopped by the instructor and then made to continue
PANCA PIANA (80/90% balance of the ceiling) - BENDS ON THE ARMS
Sit up ... dip to the parallels
TRAINING has always been a personalized subject, so each of you will have to manage it according to your characteristics or those of the athlete you manage. Remember that this is an exemplification of the design and periodization of an athletic preparation, so it must be taken as such.
Deliberately no cards have been inserted, but information has been given to intrigue the reader in further reading. Curiosity will be the thing that will allow you to always improve yourself, day by day.
