Conditioning for Secondary School Players
Kevin Kelly & Gary Mallon
This Workshop will address the key
function of core stability and functional
movement and the need to establish
this as a building block for future
development.
This session will be full of practical
examples of why, what and HOW to do
it. It will also explore what
“conditioning” we are trying to achieve
with the 12 to 18 year old boys and
girls.
Bill Foran
"If young athletes develop a
proper strength base they are
going to have more power, in
turn making them quicker and
helping them jump higher.
Their on-court basketball
specific drills are important,
you've got to be able to shoot
th
24 yr as Strength & and do all of that, but when they
Conditioning Coach get stronger and more powerful,
of the Miami Heat their quickness, speed and
vertical jump go way up…
Bill Foran
Kids want to get into the weight
room and do the beach workout,
chest and arms but the real key
along with core strength is hip
and leg strength.
Everything they do from running
to jumping to moving comes
from the legs and hips and the
th
24 yr as Strength & strength and power allows you
Conditioning Coach to do unbelievable quick, fast,
of the Miami Heat and explosive movements."
Activating the Core
• Many people have trouble activating the
core.
• Learn this before you can strengthen it.
• The problem
The core muscles easily become dormant
through poor posture, wrong food
choices, tight muscles, pain etc.
These factors must be addressed before
the core muscles will work naturally
Neutral Spine
Standing with correct posture & ensuring
all the joints are optimally aligned.
To find your neutral spine:
1. Stand - heels, bum, shoulders & head
against the wall.
2. With 1 hand feel how much space there is
in the arch of your lower back.
3. You should have just enough room for one
hand to slide into the arch of the lower
back
Neutral Spine
If you cannot get your hand in the arch or
there is room for much more than one hand
e.g. your fist. Your posture needs to be
adjusted.
Whenever possible try to reposition your body
into the neutral spine position.
This should be held for all exercises and even
when not exercising e.g. when standing in a
queue, sitting in the car etc.
Engaging the Core
From the neutral spine position you can then activate
the core muscles. You need to do this every time!
1. Contract the pelvic floor muscles, by stopping yourself
going to the toilet at the back then the front.
2. Draw the stomach area below the belly button into the
spine as closely (hard) as possible. Imagine you are trying
to pull on a really tight pair of trousers and must get them
over your lower stomach.
3. It is also very important to use the larger muscles of the
buttock and midsection.
Engaging the Core
Bridging
Activation of posterior chain
Lay on back with knees bent at
approx 900. Arms should be crossed
over chest
Raise Hips by pressing down through
the heels & engaging the glutes
before holding top position
Achieve a straight line from knee to
hip to shoulder.
Avoid lumber extension & flexion
Frontal Plank
Develop Strength Endurance of Core
Muscles
Lye face down on ground & place
elbows directly under shoulders
Press through the feet & elbows to
raise hips in the air & achieve a
straight line through the ankle, hip &
shoulder.
Hold until loss of neutral pelvic
alignment & sound scapula position
Side Plank
Develop Strength Endurance of Core
Muscles
Lye on your side & place one foot
onto the other and place elbow
directly under shoulder
Raise hips in the air by pressing
through the feet & elbows & achieve
a straight line through body position
Hold until loss of neutral pelvic
alignment & sound scapula position
Bird Dogs
Activate Stabilising muscles
throughout the core
Begin on all fours. Achieve a neutral
lumber position & set the scapula
while engaging core
Slowly raise arm to shoulder height
and slowly lower before repeating on
other side
Trunk should remain braced
throughout the entire movement
Trunk position should not change &
no noticeable weight shift should
occur.
4 Key Concepts
There are 4 Key concepts which should be
followed with every exercise where possible
• Mid Foot Stance
• Lumber Neutral
• Ankle, Knee, Hip
• Symmetry
Mid Foot Stance
Activation of hamstring & glutes
Weight distribution through the
centre of the foot. Foot Flat
throughout
The Heel should not rise as the lunge
is preformed
If Weight falls forward they will be
less active & there will be increased
force on the knee
If the foot rotates in the knee will
experience rotational forces & the
foot muscles will no be strengthened
Lumber Neutral
Move through Pelvis rather than
spine
Smooth Inward arch at the Lower
back which is not excessive
Should be maintained through range
of movement coming from hips
Moving excessively through the spine
increases the chance of back injury
If the foot rotates in the knee will
Watch for the spine flexing at the
bottom of movements or extending
at the start of upward movements
Ankle, Knee & Hip Alignment
The glutes are controlling pelvic
position & good knee health
Maintain a Straight Vertical
Alignment through the hip, knees &
ankle on both legs
If the foot rotates in the knee will
Hips Shifts out to the side. Knee falls
inwards (Usually accompanied with
foot rolling inwards)
Symmetry
Excessive differences between left &
Right will cause compensations in
movements
The range of motion & movement
achieved on one side of the body
should be mirrored on the other
Focus on the hips & shoulders when
assessing symmetry
A noticeable difference between the
left & right sides in both how the
movement is performed & the range
through which it is performed
Functional Movement Analysis
• A Functional Screen can be used
to assess competence in general
dynamic movements
• It will provide a clear
understanding of the players
ability to stabilise the spine and
lower limbs, mobility at the
shoulder, and minimise injuries
to the ankle, knee & shoulder
Inline Lunge
5
4
3
3
2
1
1. 90 degree knee angle is
achieved at both front and
back legs.
2. Hip-Knee-Ankle are in
alignment.
3. Pelvis does not tilt laterally
or over rotate.
4. Torso remains upright.
5. Balance is maintained.
Active Straight Leg Raise
1
5
2
3
4
1. achieves a minimum 90
degrees range of motion
2. opposite knee remains in
contact with the towel
3. pelvis remains flat on the
floor
4. head and shoulders remain
in contact with the floor
5. maintains knee extension
and ankle dorsi-flexion
Deep Squat
4
5
3
2
1
1. Heels must remain in contact
with the floor at all times.
2. The knees are aligned over the
feet
3. player achieves top of thigh
parallel or lower to the floor.
4. The dowel is maximally pressed
out throughout the whole
movement and in-line with the
ears.
5. Head and chest must face
forward
Shoulder Mobility
Complete for both sides
Good
• Fists are within 1 hand Length
Average
• Fists are within 1 ½ hand
length
Poor
• Fists are not within 1 ½ hand
length
Functional Movement Analysis
• FMA therefore can be used to
– Est. Each players strength, weakness & priorities
for development
– Help maximise the sport potential of each player
– Determine the effectiveness of the training
programme
– Monitor player/team fitness progress & their
response to training/playing. Ensure that a player
is ‘fit to play’
7 Primal Movement Patterns
• Our Basic goal should be FUNCTION.
• Use our time to make sure our bodies are 100%
functional
• Be able to perform all the movements that are
necessary & Stay injury free
• Squat
• Lunge
• Push
• Pull
• Bend
• Twist/
Rotate
• Gait
Gait is the way in which we move our whole body from one point
to another. This is done by walking, run, skip, hop etc.
Squat
If only…. I remember when I was..
Squat
Develop a foundation Squat Pattern
for future progression
Start with feet slightly outside of hip
width & toes slightly angled outwards
Weight should be through the center
of the foot.
Lower the center of gravity slowly be
breaking at the ankle, knee & hip.
Aim to reach parallel while keeping
chest big
Not maintaining lumber position
throughout movement.
Knees not tracking over toes
Lunge
Develop Hip and lower limb Control
feet should stay hip width as you
move down the floor
Aim for a tall posture with upper
body while keeping chest big
Ideally, you want both knees at 900
knee should track directly over center
toe without them falling in or going
out with each step.
the front knee overly flexed and out
in front of your toes
flat arches
Lateral Lunge
Improve range of adductors & single
leg control/Strength
Place feet approx 1-1.5m apart with
toes pointing slightly outwards/
Squat to one side while keeping the
dragging leg straight
Attempt to sit back into the squat
while keeping the chest big
Hip not inline with knee
Lunge – Mountain Climbers
Improve range around hip & lower
limb adductors
Begin in Press up Position
Aim to place 1 foot slightly outside
the hand on that side
Drop the hips towards the floor
before returning to start position
Moving through movement to
quickly.
Not Balanced before dropping hips
towards the floor
Push – Press Up
Develops Stabilising muscles around
the shoulder
Begin in front plank position resting
on hands.
Set shoulder blades back & lower
towards ground by bending elbows
Aim to reach a few inches above
ground & push back up again
Not achieving a straight line through
the ankle, hip & shoulder.
loss of neutral pelvic alignment &
sound scapula position
Pull – Overhead Pulldown
Scapula Awareness & General
Shoulder mobility
Raise hands to shoulder height,
approx 1m apart
Raise hands slowly overhead then
pull downwards towards the ribs
Maintain trunk position
Excessive lumber extension
Forcing movement instead of
gradually improving
Pull – Overhead Pulldown
Scapula Awareness & General
Shoulder mobility
Raise hands to shoulder height,
approx 1m apart
Raise hands slowly overhead then
pull downwards towards the ribs
Maintain trunk position
Excessive lumber extension
Forcing movement instead of
gradually improving
Bend - Single Leg RDL
strengthening the hamstrings &
glutes & stabilises muscles around
the foot, knees and hips
Stabilise on one leg & Starting the
movement from the hips, begin to tilt
your upper body forward & down
Kick your free leg behind you while
lowering your upper body towards
the ground until your torso is parallel
to the floor
Not moving your upper body and free
leg simultaneously.
Not keeping back flat throughout
Bend – Walking Hamstring
Improve hamstring flexability
Step onto lead foot and push hips
backwards while maintaining a slight
knee angle on the lead leg
To increase stretch push hips back
further or increase forward lean of
trunk
Allowing trunk rotation or flexion at
the lumber spine
Twist/ Rotate - Cobra
Improve Mobility about the hip
Lay Face down in a crucifix position
Raise the left leg in the air & attempt
to touch the opposite hand
Shoulders not remaining in position
and in contact with the ground
Gait – Star Jumps
Improve range about the shoulder
joint & Landing mechanics
Jump up in air and split legs apart
At the same time raise arms out to
side.
After a quick ground contact time
return to start position & repeat
Gait – Skipping
Develop sound running mechanics &
general co-ordination
High alternate knee drives with short
contact time
Use arm opposing arm drive to
counter balance lower limb force
Keep abs tight & ensure contacts are
light
Not driving knee past waist height
Gait – Lateral Movement
Develop sound movement
mechanics & general co-ordination
Shuffle side to side while maintaining
a low center of mass
Change of direction should involve a
small lateral lunge
Not Staying upright and maintaining
hip control
Gait – Acceleration/Deceleration
Sprints
Develop sound running mechanics
Assume an athletic standing stance
Drive forward maintaining a forward
lean
Then rapidly decelerated by
shortening stride length, lowering
center of mass & lifting the chest
Starts to Stop 5 steps,4,3,2,1..
Guidelines to follow
• Coach to Player Ratio 1 to 10.
• Close supervision is required when young players are
learning exercises for the first time
• All Players learn best by doing.
• When teaching a new exercise, have the
player perform the exercise under your
watchful eye.
(Not Circuit Style for Learning Exercises)
• Players should feel comfortable with the program and
should look forward to the next workout
Programme Planning
• Begin with Exercise learning, and get this right!
• Start with Body weight/ light weight and high reps
• Beginning with relatively light loads will allow for
appropriate adjustments to be made.
• Maximal lifting is not recommended for general
conditioning purposes.
• Increase the weight/ Technique difficultly, gradually as
strength improves.
e.g. Making Exercises Single Leg, use of Resistance bands, TRX,
Medicine Balls, Partner
Programme Planning
Sets, Reps & Weight
• increase the load and decrease the reps as strength
improves.
• Move to 1 set of 10 to 15 repetitions on 6 to 8 exercises
that focus on all the major muscle groups of the upper and
lower body.
• Two training sessions per week on nonconsecutive days is
sufficient.
• Generally a 1kg-2.5kg increase in weight is consistent with
a 5% to 10% increase in training intensity.
• Progression can also be achieved by increasing the number
of sets (up to 3) or number of exercises.
General Conditioning
• Structured Programme (the Key is gentle progression)
• Six Week Periods(meso-cycle) Broken into 7 days(Micro-cycles)
• Each Meso-cycle includes 1-2 easy weeks, which happen
after a really good 5-7 days
• From the Beginning the first few weeks shouldn’t hurt
• Gradually progress from easy training to intense training to
reduce the risk of injury.
• When players stop training for as little as two weeks their
conditioning levels decline.
General Conditioning
• Follow the FITTE principle of training
• F
Frequency: two - Three times per week.
• I
Intensity: 60-85% of heart rate maximum
(220 – Age, done after 2-4mins
activity)
• T
Time:
from 10-15mins to 20, 40, 60
minutes.
• T
Type:
Run, jog, cycle, row etc.
• E
Enjoyment: this will increase the likelihood of
the player keeping to the
programme.
Conditioning
Making the best use of your time?
• Challenge Games/ Matches
• Small Sided Games
• Fitness through Drills
• 2v2, 2v3, 1v1 Exercises
• Interval Training/ Tabata
Conditioning - Tabata
Is applying a brief high intensity circuit method
workout of 20sec Work; 10sec Rest; x 8 = 4mins
2mins
4mins
4mins
5mins
GAA Context
Group 1
Group 2
Skill Learning
Tabata 1v1
Active Rest
Active Rest
Tabata 1v1
Game Context
Conditioning - Push the Button
Aim: Attacking, Defending, Ball Control, Confidence
on the Ball, Work Rate
• 1v1 win possession & pass ball to your teammate
Conditioning - Wall Ball
Play GAA Version of Squash, Ball is permitted to bouce
once. First to 21 wins
Variations
• Ball can bounce twice
• Player can only use 2 touches
• Weak Side only
• Ball must hit target zone on
the wall
Conditioning - Small Sided
Game - Wipe Out
Aim: Focuses players and leads to a higher degree of
intensity. Players are keener to defend, find space
shoot sooner & turn over the ball
• To win the game a team must score 3 times
consecutively, without their scores being
interrupted by their opponents scoring.
• Should their score be interrupted then their scores
are wiped out!
General Conditioning Principles
• Each Week don’t increase the training load (Volume/
Distance) by more than 10%.
• Increase volume before you increase intensity.
• Don’t increase more than one variable on a weekly basis
(either volume or intensity)
• You should see weekly intensity increasing as volume falls
• Reduce the amount of training during competition to
prevent “burn out” and fatigue.
• It is beneficial to group players with common needs so that
they are able to work together self reinforcing their
collective efforts.
Conditioning for Secondary School Players
Kevin Kelly & Gary Mallon
References
Support from
• Gary Mallon – Ulster GAA
• Michael Glover – Ulster GAA
• Michael Johnson & Mark Kilgallan – SINI S&C coaches
• Ashley Jones – Canterbury Crusaders S&C Coach
• Anthony Begley – Derry S&C officer
• Tommy Stevenson - Sports Development Officer
Websites
Coaching Manuals
• FUNdamentals Pack – Ulster GAA
• Learn to Train Pack – Ulster GAA
• Train to Train Pack – Ulster GAA
• Give us a Game – Gerard O’Connor
• Moving Armagh forward guide to better Coaching –
Armagh Coaching Committee
Books
• High-Performance Sports conditioning – Bill Foran
• Essentials of Strength Training & Conditioning –
Thomas Baechle
• Strength & Conditioning for team Sports – Paul
Gamble
• Lance Armstrong Performance Programme – Lance
Armstong & Chris Carmichael
• Total Rugby – Jim Greenwood
• Complete Conditioning for Rugby – Dan Luger & Paul
Pook
• Conditioning for Rugby League – John Kerr, Andrew
Clarke & Simon Worsnop
• Strength Training for Rugby League & Union – Bruce
Walsh
• Science of Sports Training – Thomas Kurz
DVD’s
• How to play rugby my way – Jonny Wilkinson
The brain is like a muscle, the more you work on the inside the more it shows on the outside
Coach
Mental Toughness
Constructive Evaluation
Learning
Style
Language &
Behaviour
Mindset
Player/Athlete