Game Day Performance

Pre-Season vs In-Season training

An athletes season can be divided into 2 main ‘components’, pre and in season.
Based on this, the training in terms of sessions, exercise selection, loading protocols and desired outcomes are significantly different.

Pre-season is (typically) a 3-4months period of training prior to commencement of a competition. It’s during this time where s&c coaches and head coaches can work collaboratively to both develop the physical attributes and skills of the athletes. It’s during this period that the training can have specific goals and therefore adjustments can be made to training modalities to suit.

In-season, as an s&c coach we have two priorities. Recovery and preparation. We aren’t looking to make crazy strength, endurance or speed progressions but rather, we are looking to prepare our athletes as best we can through modifications of loading; both in terms of volume and exercise selection. Generally speaking, in a weeks worth of training sessions, only one session will be reasonably difficult. This will be after enough time to recover from the previous game and enough time to then be at optimal condition for the following game - usually somewhere at GameDay+3 (three days after game).

Core (trunk)training 🌲

Training the core musculature is very important for all athletes. Strength through the trunk is essential for force production and absorption.

The muscles of the trunk play a role in flexion/extension, lateral flexion, rotation/anti-rotation. Yet most people think of the muscles of the ‘6-pack’ - sit-ups and crunches etc.

however, if your sport requires you to be able to wrestle, punch, throw and resist force then 3x10 sit-ups won’t cut it.

Aim to include 2-3 of the above movements, 3-4 times per week. Also, don’t forget to add unilateral and bilateral carries such as farmers and suitcase carries.

GameDay Performance Podcast - Episode #1

I thought it was only fitting for the first episode of the GameDay Performance Podcast that I invite one of the most (if not the most) intelligent up and coming strength coaches in from One of the co-owners of Zero Weakness Mackay, Kahn specialises in powerlifting not only being a super smart dude but also boasts a 315kg squat, 190kg bench and a 295kg deadlift. He shares some program design considerations and his approach to coaching the big 3 lifts as well as some important words of advice for up and coming athletes that is applicable to any sport.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7MjZDA4jFbutAkH13mIAaI?si=5O6eUi5zTR-5bi1c8YTGoQ

5 month progression for 10km TT
Things that helped achieve this
1. Managing training load
2. Finding a balance between strength training and aerobic training.
3. Making your ‘hard days’ HARD and ‘Easy days’ EASY.
Want more information on how to achieve the above, find yourself a strength AND conditioning coach... I know a guy 😏