Pre season training regimes

[SidelineKick]

I don't see how aerobic training could be over rated every played needs some sort of stamina to get through a game and I also though you couldn't convert slow twitch fibres to fast twitch and vice versa. I thought you had a certain amount of each and you could improve them but not have more / lose one and gain the other.

Maybe Zulu could clear this up?

[JMohan]

There are 3 types of fibres actaully from what I've read!
Fast, Slow and an inbetween type that convert based on the type of training you do.
So too much slow work transfers them to slow twitch and that is the difference between being able to run all day but not having the burst to catch someone.

Ignoring the positions - There are two broad types of GAA player in my opinion -
1. The perpetual mover
He relies on moving to give him a 1/2 yard or step on his marker - he can move and run all day but in a one on one sprint he's average or just ok. Dooher or the McEntees were examples. It's not that they're slow - they're just not pure fast or pure explosive.
2. The pure explosvie guy
He simply stands still and explodes when the ball comes to him - like Diarmuid O'Sullivan or Tommy Freeman

No we also need to consider some teams have styles based on one or the other which is also a factor. Tyrone predominantly move all day rather than stand and explode - which Kerry tend to do.
But those are BROAD generalisations - I think you get my point.

As for aerobic work being overrated - of course it is - for that reason. No modern county team does long runs - they build it up with other types of short bursts which in essence is aerobic when you look at it - it's just not LSSST - (Long Slow Steady State Training).

[tyrone86]

Look at the successful 'fitness' coaches who have trained good teams to win something - All Irelands -
- Peter Donnelly - Tyrone

Forgive my ignorance, but please elaborate?

[JMohan]

Look at the successful 'fitness' coaches who have trained good teams to win something - All Irelands -
- Peter Donnelly - Tyrone

Forgive my ignorance, but please elaborate?

Ignorance was mine

Sorry - my mistake

[boojangles]

Some interesting points of view there lads, but the general feeling I get is that most of ye know a bit but not quite enough, i.e. someone said low reps and high weights leads to hypertrophy which isn't true that type of training is for strength. Another poster said 10K runs don't are one paced and don't train speed etc. and this is not necessarily the case either. In terms of your cardio fitness there a number of ways of going about it but I would recommend that anyone who wants to get a fitness base prior to the start of group training to do some distance running on a soft surface but mix it up a bit a progress slowly. For example start off running 3 mile runs at a comfortable pace, once you can start running 5 milers introduce some 1.5 miles and 3 mile runs at pace. Once team training begins any good coach will be doing primarily interval type training so now you'll be working your anaerobic fitness but you'll already have the aerobic work done which will help you recover from sprints quicker.

P.S. It's no harm to do a 5 mile run once every 2-3 weeks to keep your aerobic system ticking over

As for weights, well it's very hard to give advice as it is a very individual thing but in the off season you should most guys need to get bigger so you should lift weights that you can lift about 10 times for 3-4 sets and eat plenty. As the season gets closer you should be doing more strength type weights i.e. low reps high weights this will give you the strength to do the explosive type work which you will be doing in the summer, which is the olympic style lifting, medicine ball work and plyometric training.

I wouldn't recommend anyone just taking the above as gospel because like I say it is very individualised and you should be assessed for weaknesses before you give someone a program. Oh and do your core work all through, though I would advise against too many sit ups, try and do most of your core work standing up.

All excellent stuff lads,much appreciated.Il try to take what I can out of all your advice.Zulu you wouldnt mind expanding on the bold bit,about doing core work standing up.I do have problems with my groins which can effect me doing core work lying down.

[Hank Everlast]

I was just wondering lads, when do most of ye's start training??

were back on sunday the 18th, i thought we were a bit early but then ive heard of a couple of teams that are back this weekend!

[INDIANA]

The only olympic style lift for high end gaa players that could be useful is the hang clean. but thats considered to be a strictly olympic style lift, rather part of one. Like i said high end players, forget it at the lower levels. I agree with J Mohan though, in general olympic style lifts wouldn't have much benefit for Gaa players. but thats the only one of its type that i'd see as being useful.

[neilthemac]

I will refer ye to three websites

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=252

http://exrx.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=c080279524955b16042b15267a2ddfb2

ask all the questions you need to ask. most people on those two boards know what they are talking about

http://www.gaelicperformance.com/trainingtips.asp
some general GAA related stuff

enjoy

[Hereiam]

Milkman only came back to football last yr after a 6 yr absent. In 2007 I started of in the gym 2 nites a week doing about 3 mile each nite on the thread mill and lifting weights, sit ups etc. Was going ok started a 3 mile run on the roads on saturady mornings once I got to june my knees were killing me and then got this awful pain above my groin which meant I couldn't do sit ups etc could run a bit but the next day I would be in pain. Kept going to the gym doing the weights but Im only really gettin back into it know. My advice is take it slow and pace yourself.

[BallyhaiseMan]

Indiana,
Hang Clean is good,
id also add in the Power Clean as being a terrific lift for GAA Players.

Olympic style lifts for me would be

a. a full clean.
b  Clean and Jerk.
c. Snatch.

all 3 very advanced lifts,Not sure id recommend them to anyone other than a very experienced lifter.

[Zulu]

You CAN lift weights all season long - doesn't mean you are ready to - It might be ok for a professional AFL/Rugby player not some GAA guy.

That is partly true, anyone can lift weights 12 months a year, even beginners the problem is it might take you 2-3 years before you are ready to do Olympic type lifts.

You need to build up to it, and many players do lift - some (top players) even up 2 days before a game - and some lift heavy - the key is to lift heavy, very fast and only one or two reps.

As for olympic lifts - cop on. If any county team is doing Olympic Lifting they are retarded and probably doing them wrong. They are VERY dangerous to do if not trained properly. McGurn said he'd never teach an olympic lift to a GAA player - they don't need it.

That is a complete contradiction, all olympic style lifting is is rapidly lifting heavy weight. They have to taught properly but the should play an important role any footballers weights program.

Hypertrophy overrated and is not very useful in sport. Size is useful for the gym but not much else. What he said was most people forget size (even if strength) still equals more weight to be carried around.

I disagree would the Aussie Rules lads be too big to play football?

Aerobic TRAINING is overrated - Ie. distance running is not a good idea, as it slows players by converting fast to slow twitch fibres but it can be maintained through short games and proper games.

Complete and utter nonsense, there is still some debate about the extent that fibers can change type but slow long distance running will probably change Type 2 to Type 1 fibers and sprint type training will probably do the opposite. However running 3 - 6 miles (not that these are long runs anyway) 3 times a week for 6 weeks will not effect your fiber profile and even if it did the subsequent interval and short sprint work that you under go later in the season will change them back. Besides your fiber type is largely genetically determined and you'll never change from one to the other regardless of training so don't get bogged down in it.

All excellent stuff lads,much appreciated.Il try to take what I can out of all your advice.Zulu you wouldnt mind expanding on the bold bit,about doing core work standing up.I do have problems with my groins which can effect me doing core work lying down.

Think balance work Boojangles, for example doing bicep curles or squats on one leg or doing weights on wobble boards, your core has to work extremely hard to keep you upright - which is what they actually are for. As others have said planks (and the many variations are excellent) as are medicine balls and swiss balls ( though some are suggesting these are over rated now).

[INDIANA]

Zulu, the olympic lifts he's referring to are the ones Ballyhaise has alluded to. I can't see how a clean and jerk has any relevance for Gaelic Football. But a variation like a hang clean is beneficial for good players. So its more about varaitions than specific Olympic lifts.

I'd agree about the twitch. A guy born with a speed twitch will always be quicker than one who was born without one IF they undergo the same training methods.

In fairness Mc Gurn was interviewed by the All Blacks recently. I'm not saying he's an authority on the subject, but his views probably should be noted to some extent.

[Zulu]

Oh absolutely Indiana, from what I hear he is excellent and undoubtedly knows his stuff, in fact I'm about to post on JM's other thread about getting tickets to his seminar. However I disagree with some of his views especially the view that aerobic training is over rated - that's too simplistic an analysis. You are in part correct about the Olympic lifts as it is primarily variations on Olympic lifts I was referring to but I think the snatch and power clean are vital components of the serious GAA athletes program.

[boojangles]

Indiana,
Hang Clean is good,
id also add in the Power Clean as being a terrific lift for GAA Players.

Olympic style lifts for me would be

a. a full clean.
b  Clean and Jerk.
c. Snatch.

all 3 very advanced lifts,Not sure id recommend them to anyone other than a very experienced lifter.

Jaysus Gerry O Rourke never had us doing them 
I would do a fair bit of free weights on my own but I never heard about any of this olympic lifting.Am I missing out? Or are you banned from giving away secrets to the opposition?

[Zulu]

Do you do squats and deadlifts boojangles?