When will your club start collective training sessions for the 2014 season ?

[neilthemac]

Whats the most important thing for successful club teams?
that the players turn up.

So you can organise all the gym sessions, nutritional talks, road running and sports psychologists in the world, but if the players don't bother to turn up then nothing will be won.

I am a big believer in k.i.s.s (keep it simple stupid) - don't spend much on it.
find a space - hall or other
some dumbbells
make some plyo boxes
freestanding chin up bar
med balls of various weights

then get an expert in to give the first session, draw up a plan and let the players lead it themselves. if they had any ambition as a group they would be eager to keep things ticking over until the season starts.

[supersub]

Its worth nothing that the started over whats best to do in the off-season, to keep lads at it as such and to give them some sort of exercise before the club season starts off again in the new year.

As Canalman has said, if a club player starts in January and follows the collective and individual training plan that the trainer sets out, come the club championship in September/October he should have plenty done 

For what it's worth I think starting heavy training in early January is plenty enough imo. Something wrong if you can't get fit in 6/8 weeks and then top it off by the fitness you get by playing matches regularly.

Doing weights / cardio  / saq or whatever is the fashion now in November/ December is just quackery imo advocated by the legion of spoofers who have descended on the game. Astro once or twice a week should be enough during winter.

If you think just training with your panel couple of nights a week is enough to be serious, compete and win things then you are completely off the mark and naive if anything. Teams win things because they have collective commitment, dedication and strive to be the best by improving themselves as a team AND individuals. I would bet all I have that any team club or county who has won or been successful in the last X number of years has had the majority of their players doing work outside the collective training. It is a given in this day and age for GAA. If you stand still you will be left behind. Everyone trains a few nights a week, its the extra stuff that others don't do and don't have the commitment for that makes the difference. No amount of talent will win honors without hard work and sacrifice, and conditioning yourself is part of this.

SS, I would bet that any team club or county who (sic) has won or been succesful in the last x number of years has had the better footballers or hurlers on the team.  Yes they were fit but imvho it wasn't the fitness alone that made them successful.

Still stand by my comments that you can get fit in 6/8 weeks if you set your mind to it by training with the club 2/3 times a week which  I think is the norm.

Intercounty  fitness is a different matter.

And I never said it was the fitness alone. If you refer to my previous post I said a mixture of fitness, strength & condition and basic skills is the crux of what a team needs. However back to this point and I would argue that not every team that wins has the best players - take Kilcoo for example, they don't have the best 15 footballers in the county never mind Ulster, but their dedication and work rate is second to none. Yes they have a couple of key players, but you wouldn't say their 15 is made up of players laden with natural ability. I do know that they work tirelessly on their fitness and conditioning as a team AND as individuals. I know their s&c coach and know some of their players and how they prepare and look after themselves during and off season and dedicated wouldn't cover it. I am sure that they aren't the only successful team in this position.

I agree you can get fit in the period you mention, but being fit and being able to compete against others doing more than you is a different story.

[Milltown Row2]

Its worth nothing that the started over whats best to do in the off-season, to keep lads at it as such and to give them some sort of exercise before the club season starts off again in the new year.

As Canalman has said, if a club player starts in January and follows the collective and individual training plan that the trainer sets out, come the club championship in September/October he should have plenty done 

For what it's worth I think starting heavy training in early January is plenty enough imo. Something wrong if you can't get fit in 6/8 weeks and then top it off by the fitness you get by playing matches regularly.

Doing weights / cardio  / saq or whatever is the fashion now in November/ December is just quackery imo advocated by the legion of spoofers who have descended on the game. Astro once or twice a week should be enough during winter.

If you think just training with your panel couple of nights a week is enough to be serious, compete and win things then you are completely off the mark and naive if anything. Teams win things because they have collective commitment, dedication and strive to be the best by improving themselves as a team AND individuals. I would bet all I have that any team club or county who has won or been successful in the last X number of years has had the majority of their players doing work outside the collective training. It is a given in this day and age for GAA. If you stand still you will be left behind. Everyone trains a few nights a week, its the extra stuff that others don't do and don't have the commitment for that makes the difference. No amount of talent will win honors without hard work and sacrifice, and conditioning yourself is part of this.

SS, I would bet that any team club or county who (sic) has won or been succesful in the last x number of years has had the better footballers or hurlers on the team.  Yes they were fit but imvho it wasn't the fitness alone that made them successful.

Still stand by my comments that you can get fit in 6/8 weeks if you set your mind to it by training with the club 2/3 times a week which  I think is the norm.

Intercounty  fitness is a different matter.

And I never said it was the fitness alone. If you refer to my previous post I said a mixture of fitness, strength & condition and basic skills is the crux of what a team needs. However back to this point and I would argue that not every team that wins has the best players - take Kilcoo for example, they don't have the best 15 footballers in the county never mind Ulster, but their dedication and work rate is second to none. Yes they have a couple of key players, but you wouldn't say their 15 is made up of players laden with natural ability. I do know that they work tirelessly on their fitness and conditioning as a team AND as individuals. I know their s&c coach and know some of their players and how they prepare and look after themselves during and off season and dedicated wouldn't cover it. I am sure that they aren't the only successful team in this position.

I agree you can get fit in the period you mention, but being fit and being able to compete against others doing more than you is a different story.

The example of Kilcoo is excellent and there are many teams like that up and down the country, relentless and never give up. These players work like devils and Kilcoo have that in spades.

[JimStynes]

Any of the dual players out there have an opinion on who's fitter - footballers or hurlers?

[Milltown Row2]

Any of the dual players out there have an opinion on who's fitter - footballers or hurlers?

I'm going to say the top clubs (the ones who win their championships) at either code are usually as fit as each other. In Antrim this year I'd say that Loughgiel are as fit as our senior footballers, now that wasn't the case for a long time but I've noticed it more recently.

It depends on the County, Cork, Dublin, Galway, and the other main dual club counties would be similar in fitness. The likes of Derry, Armagh Down (sorry Johnney ) Rosscommon, and Mayo it wouldn't be the same. So overall I'd say footballers are the fittest, as for who's the most skillful? Well its not in dispute....