Preseason Training For Sprints, Jumps, and Hurdles |
When we as athletes contemplate our
upcoming season we know with certainty that we must prepare our bodies
for the physical pounding. The athlete that does nothing in the
preseason runs a great risk of getting injured. Preseason training
can take many forms, but one of the most common for sprinters,
hurdlers, and jumpers is circuit training. Circuit training is
effective because it involves cardiovascular training as well as joint
strengthening. The athlete is able to establish an aerobic base,
which is better suited to sprint training. When doing circuit
training an athlete must be careful to gradually increase intensity of
effort and exercise. Circuits can be designed to address
weaknesses or strengths of a particular athlete. The following is
a typical circuit:
1. Jog 100 Meters 2. 20 push-ups 3. Jog 100 Meters 4. 20 crunchers 5. Skip 100 Meters 6. 20 x jumping jacks 7. Skip 100 Meters 8. 10 x body squats (aka prisoner squats) 9. Walk 50 Meters 10. Backward run 50 Meters 11. 20 x ankle bounces 12. A Skips x 100 Meters (High Knees) 13. Skip x 100 Meters 14. Frog hops x 50 meters 15. Carioca x 50 meters 16. Side to side skip x 100 meters 17. Side to side skip in opposite direction 100 meters 18. jog 100 meters 19. hop on 1 leg 50 meters 20. hop on opposite leg 50 meters 21. 20 x windmill arms both forward and backward 22. jog 100 meters 23. sprint 100 meters 24. Jog 100 meters 25. skip 100 meters This is a very basic beginning circuit that covers 1600 meters and works on some basic skills needed in the areas of sprinting, hurdling, and jumping. One only needs to decide how much yardage you'd like to cover and how much time you have in putting together a circuit. The whole point is being active. Jump ropes are frequently added to circuits because they provide both great cardiovascular work and explosive joint jump preparation. One can do both in place jump rope or running a set distance while jumping. If you have problems with coordination basic gymnastic movements help as well as providing explosive movements. An easy jump rope gymnastics circuit would be as follows: 1. Jump rope 30 sec. 2. 5 x forward rolls 3. 5 x cartwheels 4. Jump rope single leg 15 sec. 5. Repeat with the other leg 6. 5 x backward rolls 7. 50 meters x jump rope while doing high knee drills 8. 10 x back push-ups (aka Bridges) 9. 50 meters x jump rope running backwards 10. 50 meters x jump rope running uphill 11. 30 seconds x hop scotch This is a typical jump rope gymnastics
series. All the above exercises in both circuits aid greatly in
injury prevention and allow you as an athlete to begin the season at a
higher level. These workouts are not meant to take 2-3 hours.
They require an hour of your time with the benefits far outweighing the
negatives. Get in shape and have fun doing it!
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