Program accountability: a must in successful conditioning.Though coaches may spend countless hours designing exercise protocols that will best prepare their athletes for competition, they cannot hope to achieve maximum results without accurate record-keeping. Program accountability must be recognized as a critical factor for successful conditioning. It can often spell the difference between having a conditioned team and simply having a weight room. Let us look into some of the things for which we must keep accurate records. ATTENDANCE Just inside the doors of the Redskins' weight room is a glass-encased board that displays the attendance record of every player on the team. From the first day of off-season workouts through the last day of the regular season, the attendance must be monitored. That includes every upper-body weight workout Workout Informal repayment or loan forgiveness arrangement between a borrower and creditors. workout 1. The process of a debtor's meeting a loan commitment by satisfying altered repayment terms. , lower-body weight workout, and running workout. An ongoing log of each athlete's attendance speaks volumes about his effort during his off-season, in-season, and career. Coaches will often link commitment, work ethic work ethic n. A set of values based on the moral virtues of hard work and diligence. work ethic Noun a belief in the moral value of work , and toughness to the player's approach to physical preparation. A visible attendance board offers an excellent motivational tool, as well as positive reinforcement positive reinforcement, n a technique used to encourage a desirable behavior. Also called positive feedback, in which the patient or subject receives encouraging and favorable communication from another person. for participation. Athletes should be rewarded for participation and effort, rather than for best press bench or fastest 40-yard dash. LIFTING Accurate record keeping is perhaps more important in lifting than in any other area of conditioning. Training haphazardly, without documented information from one workout to the next, can lead to problems far more serious than a bad workout. Having a hard copy progression can greatly decrease the potential for injury during training. We use a computerized program called "Electric Coach" for creating and documenting lifting protocols. It affords us the luxury of documenting and storing every workout for every player on the team. To maximize the effectiveness of every training session, coaches must find a way to accurately document the following: 1. Order of exercises. 2. Seat setting (if applicable). 3. Last weight. 4. Number of reps performed. 5. Current weight. 6. Training form. 7. Time between reps. If, during a workout, any or all of these factors are not recognized and documented, the potential exists for sub-maximal results or possible injury. Regardless of the training protocol and equipment used, there is only one way to get stronger-overload-lift more weight and/or perform more reps every time you train. To ensure the continuance The adjournment or postponement of an action pending in a court to a later date of the same or another session of the court, granted by a court in response to a motion made by a party to a lawsuit. of progressive resistance forcing the muscles to work harder with each workout-every workout must be accurately documented. Whether you use a specific software package like "Electric Coach" or a traditional filing cabinet system, accountability is critical in ensuring the effectiveness of the program. Training a large number of athletes in a limited amount of time and energy places a priority on maximizing results. By continuously updating the workout cards, you can eliminate the guesswork and inconsistencies from one workout to the next. A record of muscular fitness history for each athlete can prove invaluable in the event of injury, rehabilitation rehabilitation: see physical therapy. , and litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. . RUNNING As in lifting, every time an athlete engages in a running session, he must be accurately documented. The effectiveness of each running session can be maximized by maintaining records for the following factors: Conditioning Work-heart rate, running time, running speed, elevation (T-Mill work), total distance run, frequency. Interval Training-time of each interval, rest between intervals, number of reps, and frequency. The principles used for increasing aerobic aerobic /aer·o·bic/ (ar-o´bik) 1. having molecular oxygen present. 2. growing, living, or occurring in the presence of molecular oxygen. 3. requiring oxygen for respiration. 4. and anaerobic anaerobic /an·aer·o·bic/ (an?ah-ro´bik) 1. lacking molecular oxygen. 2. growing, living, or occurring in the absence of molecular oxygen; pertaining to an anaerobe. conditioning levels are very similar to those for increasing muscular strength in the weight room. In order to improve and maximize the gains achieved in the conditioning session, you have to establish a logical and systematic progression. Early in the off-season when it's essential to develop a moderate level of aerobic fitness aerobic fitness Clinical medicine A value obtained from exercise testing, which is expressed as either VO 2 peak–O2 consumption at peak exercise, or Wpeak , you must pay close attention to heart-rate training zones. Aerobic exercise aerobic exercise, n sustained repetitive physical activity, such as walking, dancing, cycling, and swimming, that elevates the heart rate and increases oxygen consumption resulting in improved functioning of cardio-vascular and respiratory systems. performed between 70% and 85% of the maximum heart rate is the key to the progressive increase of aerobic conditioning Aerobic conditioning is a process whereby one trains the heart to pump blood more efficiently, allowing more oxygen to get to muscles and organs. Aerobic conditioning is used to train people to perform better while doing something for a long period of time, running a mile . No matter where the exercise is performed (track, treadmill, bike, etc.), you must use heart rate to determine the appropriate level of intensity. As the season approaches, you must shift your attention to the development of a more football-specific anaerobic energy system. Hundreds of interval-training protocols are available to develop the anaerobic system. However, every interval exercise prescription must include the time of each interval, the rest between intervals, the number of reps, and the frequency of each session. Accurate record keeping will ensure the safety and efficiency of each session. As an athlete's fitness level continues to increase, the coach can make adjustments in any or all of the training variables. Remember, the key in interval training Interval training is broadly defined as repetitions of high-speed/intensity work followed by periods of rest or low activity. This training technique is often practiced by long distance runners (800 meters and above) although some sprinters are known to train using this is not the distance covered, but the time taken to complete each interval and the intensity of each rep. BODY WEIGHT The combination of hard training and good eating habits will allow most teams to maintain a proportionate pro·por·tion·ate adj. Being in due proportion; proportional. tr.v. pro·por·tion·at·ed, pro·por·tion·at·ing, pro·por·tion·ates To make proportionate. ratio of lean body mass to percent of body fat. Most players have a good feel for their best playing weight. The documentation of body weight values will furnish fur·nish tr.v. fur·nished, fur·nish·ing, fur·nish·es 1. To equip with what is needed, especially to provide furniture for. 2. both players and coaches with some very useful information. The weight charts will help: * Determine the effectiveness of your lifting program. * Track your progressive weight gain or loss. * Monitor pre- and post-practice body weight. * Aid your fluid replacement habits. * Compare year-to-year off-season body weight. * Compare year-to-year in-season playing weight. DAILY LOG Keep a detailed log of all of the day-to-day events within your conditioning facility. This kind of personal journal will afford a good way of being accountable for yourself, and can serve as a valuable resource from season to season. We are continuously looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. ways to improve our conditioning program and continue to make minor adjustments to our program. Entries in the log should be honest and critical. This kind of documentation of player feedback, suggestions, mistakes, and successes represent one of the most valuable learning tools a coach can have. We create a section in the daily log for the preservation of important documents such as memos, schedules, and lifting, running, and attendance records. The availability of such items facilitates the development of lifting and running protocols. This valuable resource affords a great insight into the evolution of your conditioning philosophy. More often than not, it will help reaffirm re·af·firm tr.v. re·af·firmed, re·af·firm·ing, re·af·firms To affirm or assert again. re your philosophy and assure you that everything you are doing is in the best interests of your athletes-and that it will continue to help them in the future. CONCLUSION Program accountability and accurate record-keeping are critical to the safety and effectiveness of all conditioning programs. If you haven't made any move in this direction, get started immediately. Start working on those attendance boards and lifting cards. They will maximize the effectiveness of your program. May the "Power" be with you! Simple Weigh-In Guidelines guidelines, n.pl a set of standards, criteria, or specifications to be used or followed in the performance of certain tasks. To minimize the potential for inconsistencies during the weigh-in process, we recommend several simple guidelines: 1. Have all athletes use the same scale. 2. Supervise the weight-in session. 3. Do not allow the players to write in their own body weights. 4. Determine the proper clothing to wear during the weigh-in. 5. Be consistent about weigh-in days and times. SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO: Dan Riley/Jason Arapoff, The Power Line c/o Washington Redskins
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