Chapter 4:
Training and Conditioning
Techniques
What is one of the primary causes of
sports injury?

Lack of physical fitness
What is periodization?

An approach to conditioning that brings
about peak performance while reducing
injuries and over-training in the athlete
through a training and conditioning
program that is followed through-out the
various seasons
What are the three seasons of
sports conditioning?
Off-season
 Pre-season
 In-season

How does periodization organize a
training and conditioning program?

Cycles
The complete training period (which
could be a year in the case of seasonal
sports or perhaps four years for an
Olympic athlete) is referred to as what?

Macrocycle

The series within a macrocycle are
referred to as what and how long do
they last?
Mesocycle, which may last for several
weeks or even months
How are mesocycles divided?
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Transition period
Preparatory period
Competition period
When does the transition period begin?

After the last competition and comprises
the early part of the off-season
What type of training activity is involved
with the transition period?

Unstructured and recreational
What is the idea behind the transition
period?

To allow the athlete to escape both
physically and psychologically from the
rigor of a highly organized training
regimen
When does the preparatory period
occur?

During the off-season when there are no
upcoming competitions
What are the three phases of the
preparatory period?

Hypertrophy/endurance phase, strength
phase, power phase
When does the hypertrophy/endurance
phase occur?

In the early part of the off season in the
early part of the preparatory period
What type of training activity is involved
with the hypertrophy/endurance phase?

Low intensity with a high volume of
repetitions, using activities that may or
may not be directly related to a specific
sport
What is the goal of the
hypertrophy/endurance phase?

To develop a base of endurance on
which a more intense training can occur
How long does the
hypertrophy/endurance phase last?

From several weeks to two months
When does the strength phase occur?

During the off season in the middle of
the preparatory period
What type of training activity is
involved with the strength phase?

Intensity and volume progress to
moderate levels, where weighttraining activities become more
specific to the sport or event
When does the power phase occur?

Pre-season, end of preparatory period
What type of training activity is
involved with the power phase?

High intensity at or near the level of
competition. The volume of training is
decreased so that full recovery is
allowed between sessions
How long does the competition period
last?

In certain cases the competition
period may last for only a week or
less. With seasonal sports, however,
the competition period may last for
several months.
What type of training activity is
involved with competition period?

High intensity training at a low
volume. As the training volume
decreases, an increased amount of
time is spent on skill training and
strategy sessions.
During the competition period, what may
be necessary to establish?

Microcycles
What is a microcycle?

Periods which last from one to seven
days
What type of training activity is
involved with a microcycle?

Training should be intense early in the
week and should progress to
moderate and finally light the day
before the competition.
What is the goal of the microcycle?

To make sure that the athlete will be at
peak levels of fitness and performance on
days of competition
What is the concept cross training?

An approach for a specific sport that
involves substitution of alternative
activities that have some carryover
value to that sport (swimmer engages
in jogging, running or aerobics to
maintain levels of cardiorespiratiory
conditioning)
When should cross training not be
used and why?

Pre-season because it is not sportsspecific
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What are the ten principles that should be applied
in all programs of training and conditioning to
minimize the likelihood of injury?
Warm-up/cool-down
Motivation
Overload (SAID principle, specific adaptation to imposed demands)
Consistency
Progression
Intensity
Individuality
Minimize stress
Safety


What is the function and purpose of
the warm-up?
To prepare the body physiologically
for some upcoming physical work.
To gradually stimulate the
cardiorespiratory system to a
moderate degree, thus producing an
increase blood flow to working
skeletal muscles and resulting in an
increase in muscle temperature.
What does the cool down enable the
body to do?

Cool and return to a resting state
How long should the cool down last?

Five to ten minutes
What does a proper cool down help
rapidly decrease?

Blood and muscle lactic acid levels
What is flexibility?

The ability to move a joint or a series
of joints smoothly and easily
throughout a full range of motion
What does a lack of flexibility result
in?

Uncoordinated or awkward
movements and predisposes the
athlete to muscle strain

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What are the factors that limit
flexibility?
Bony structure
Fat
Skin
Muscles and their tendons
Connective tissue
What is active range of motion
(dynamic flexibility)?

The degree to which a joint can be
moved by a muscle contraction,
usually through the mid-range of
movement
What is passive range of motion (static
flexibility)?

The degree to which a joint may be
passively moved to the endpoints in the
range of motion. No muscle contraction
is involved to move a joint through a
passive range.
Why is passive range of motion
important for injury prevention?

In many sports situations, the muscle is
forced to stretch beyond its normal
limits. If the muscle does not have
enough elasticity to compensate for this
additional stretch, the musculoskeletal
unit will likely be injured
What is ballistic stretching?

Bouncing movement in which repetitive
contraction of the agonist muscle are
used to produce quick stretches of the
antagonist muscle.
Although ballistic stretching is effective
in improving range of motion, why has
it been criticized?

Because the increased range of motion
is achieved through a series of jerks or
pulls on the resistant muscle tissue.
The forces generated by the jerks are
greater than the tissues extensibility
which may cause muscle injury.
What is static stretching?

Passively stretching an antagonist
muscle by placing it in a maximal
stretch and holding it there.
What are the recommendations for the
optimal time for holding the stretched
position?

It ranges from as short as three
seconds to as long as sixty seconds
What has recent data indicate as the
optimal time for holding a stretch?

Thirty seconds
How many times should the static
stretch be repeated?

Three or four times
What is PNF?

Stretching techniques that involve
combinations of alternating contractions
and stretches
What does PNF stand for?

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Proprioceptive
Neuromuscular
Facilitation
If weight training is done properly
through a full range of motion, what
will not be impaired?

Flexibility
What is muscular strength?

The ability of a muscle to generate
force against some resistance (the
maximum force that can be applied by
a muscle during a single maximum
contraction)
What is muscular endurance?

The ability to perform repetitive
muscular contractions against some
resistance for an extended period of
time (the ability to perform repetitive
muscular contractions against some
resistance)
What are the three types of
contractions skeletal muscle is
capable of?

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Isometric
Concentric
Eccentric
What is an isometric contraction?

Contracts the muscle statically without
changing its length
What is a concentric (positive)
contraction?

The muscle shortens while contracting
against resistance
What is an eccentric (negative)
contraction?

The muscle lengthens while contracting
against resistance
What is hypertrophy?

Enlargement of a muscle caused by an
increase in the size of its cells in
response to training
What is atrophy?

Decrease of a muscle caused by the
decrease of the size of its cells because
of inactivity