The GAA Rat Race

[manfromdelmonte]

Yep.
Bodyweight exercises are more than adequate for the average club player to get in shape. The main issue there is the lack of pulling exercises to balance out all the pushing.
Plus, poor mobility to perform correct technique

[Jinxy]

I'd agree that in this day and age the situation Indiana describes is much more likely to occur at club level where the local fella who did a personal training course comes in to take the 'fitness' side of things.
At inter-county level, given the fact that the players themselves now have a much better understanding of S&C, anyone who was giving them daft advice or had them training like power-lifters would be found out pretty quickly.

[Zulu]

Bodyweight exercises are absolutely not enough to develop strength, they can initially but for trained individuals they are only worthwhile at the start. Group circuit training is a nonsense in my opinion unless you are simply doing it for variation in training. Yes, it will work up a sweat but so will any physical activity but it won't improve strength or power.

[Jinxy]

If you are coming from a low base, pretty much any intense physical activity will lead to an improvement in fitness.
It's not unusual to see a club player coming back a stone overweight after enjoying the winter, in which case a zumba class would be a step up.
It's a different kettle of fish altogether in terms of motivation, ability, actual training age etc. when compared with inter-county football.

[AZOffaly]

are ye lads all S&C coaches, or qualified S&C coaches? Ye seem to know quite a bit.

[Bingo]

As I said previous there is a balance to it all. Preseason to build up a good base that is continued throughout the year.

You need variation in training and it all needs to be monitored and controlled all year.

Was talking with a S&C qualified person recently who works full time in the area. He would see Strength and Conditioning as two very different areas with Gym work for GAA players only forming part of it all.

[AZOffaly]

As I said previous there is a balance to it all. Preseason to build up a good base that is continued throughout the year.

You need variation in training and it all needs to be monitored and controlled all year.

Was talking with a S&C qualified person recently who works full time in the area. He would see Strength and Conditioning as two very different areas with Gym work for GAA players only forming part of it all.

As a completely uneducated person in all of this, I would have thought that to be true. (Physical) Strength and (Aerobic or fitness) Conditioning.

[Jinxy]

They're different areas in so far as you can be strong but not be 'conditioned'.
Plenty of lads go to the gym and burst themselves lifting massive weights but they'd struggle to run after a bus.
I suppose it has to be viewed in the context of specificity i.e. the goal is to to physically prepare you for the sport you are involved in.
So an S&C programme for a track cyclist is different to that of a road cyclist.
Likewise, what Indiana was saying earlier about GAA players trying to emulate rugby players.
You can draw on elements from other sports such as athletics and incorporate them into an S&C programme for a GAA player, as long as you don't lose sight of what you are supposed to be training him for.
However, you can't draw a line between the 'strength' bit and the 'conditioning' bit and say they are two unrelated areas.
They should go together and complement each other, particularly in a sport like gaelic football.

[Walter Cronc]

Has anyone ever used gravity boards as a method of pulling to go with the pushing. Great way to strengthen underage players without the risk of free weights.

[blewuporstuffed]

Has anyone ever used gravity boards as a method of pulling to go with the pushing. Great way to strengthen underage players without the risk of free weights.

excuse my ignorance, but what is a Gravity Board?

[Walter Cronc]

Has anyone ever used gravity boards as a method of pulling to go with the pushing. Great way to strengthen underage players without the risk of free weights.

excuse my ignorance, but what is a Gravity Board?

They were big in the states, still are. Great alternative to weights. Tone rather than bulk.

http://www.ptmagazine.co.uk/?attachment_id=634

[Bingo]

Never said unrelated.

In the context of the conversation we were having it about many clubs getting weights in and putting the players through weight lifting sessions and telling themselves that the S&C box was ticked.

They are different in the context that the exercises involved differ. Both go hand in hand, but many see it only one way.

Its also a danger in trying to replicate IC practices onto Club teams. With an IC squad you have very committed players who will generally always be in good shape. Therefore you are building on whats there. Rarely will a county player not be training - be it on their own or as part of a panel.

A club player  panel of players are very different. You'll have a range of players, some who are like a county player and always in good shape, you'll have some who keep themselves right but do no more and then you'll have another batch who will be looking for the gear from the last time the club trained together 2 months back.  Presents a massive challenge to anyone coming in trying to put a S&C or preseason programme in place as it really needs to be individualised across a range of groups within the squad. The range of fitness and conditioning can be laughable at times!

[manfromdelmonte]

my two cents on this

you will have lads in a club that will be into the S&C training and enjoy it.
other lads who might come around if they see the benefits for playing
and then the lads who will knock it no matter what

I think it is better to spend money on a S&C trainer who will at least put lads through a decent program, rather than investing in a load of equipment that will not be used much. Some medicine balls, a chin up/horizontal row rack, some dumbbells is more than adequate for most teams

There is definitely a huge need for more educational material coming from the GAA about S&C training.
If only to dispell some of the myths that are out there eg
Weights = bulky
Muscle = slow
Do S&C for preseason then no need to continue it.
S&C causes injuries (it should actually reduce them)

[screenexile]

The amount of supporters who haven't a clue about this stuff is unreal.

"Lads look heavy legged out there obviously too many weights"
"Too top heavy"
"too many weights not enough football"

Reality is with less GAA players in manual labour they need to make up the difference in the gym.

To be fair I think GAA is going in the right direction with the strength and conditioning as bulk is a thing of the past and it's all about being strong, lean, mobile and fast these days which is what is needed. Rugby league is definitely not the route we want to go as it's more explosive than our game with more intense collisions whereas GAA requires more stamina for longer runs. In my opinion it's more the volume of training expected rather than the type at this stage...

I think the early morning collective football sessions are ridiculous and when it came out that Dublin were flat out with them in 2011 I thought we would face the madness that has now unfolded. I think collective pitch sessions at this time of year are a complete waste of time and counter productive for the purpose they fulfill.

Everyone lives in Dublin City Centre so it's not a huge deal to be somewhere at 6.30am... the geographical spread of other counties means lads leaving the house at 5.30 or earlier in the morning and sometimes not being home til 11 in some cases if they have training that evening again. Crazy!!

[DennistheMenace]

Exactly it's the volume of training, I'd also love to know the training v game ratio both for club and intercounty.

As for the build of a player, Paul Flynn would probably be as close to the ideal build of a GAA player, lean, strong and mobile.