Future Topics: January

I hope for this blog to be a good mix of theory and practice.  In addition to talking a little bit about what I'm doing each day, I'll be posting about strength and conditioning theory.  What I choose to talk about will be influenced by what's currently in my training schedule.

Nov/Dec:  General Prep

My focus for the past six weeks was basic strength and basic cardiovascular fitness.  Some might call this a general preparatory phase.   This phase was nothing fancy.  Just checking in with my body and regaining anything I'd lost during the long season.

Some topics I covered in the general prep phase:

• explaining interval training
• strength endurance training
• training the whole core
• one legged strength
• useful fitness testing

January:  Learning Phase

The phase I am in now is a learning phase.  This phase started around Dec 20th and will last until around January 14th.  The purpose of this phase is to learn some new training techniques.  I'll be focusing on using correct form and technique without much concern about training effects.  I am in the process of experimenting with Olympic lifts and variations using dumb bells.  I am also learning about jump rope training.   At the completion of the learning phase, I'll be able to incorporate these training modalities into my program at later points in the year.

This month I also want to talk about overall program design as many players are starting to think about getting ready for the 2011 season.

Here are some topics I'll be blogging about in January

• goal setting
• program design
• Olympic lifting / power development
• jump rope training
• dealing with foul weather and equipment restrictions