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FITNESS
UPDATE with LEE KENNEDY FROM CLUB LIME
ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE FOR YOUR UPCOMING PRE-SEASON
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021 has brought many challenges to the local sporting codes, with most winter sports seasons only just finishing in early August, for the weekend athlete this means our preseason should have already begun. As much as we loathe the idea of the dirty word that is “Pre-season” with flashbacks to our youth of sand hill sprints and countless laps of the local park and our coach yelling stern words of “encouragement”. Your 2022 season training needs to be slightly different this coming year. With most winter sports kicking off shortly, here are 5 key points to reduce your chance of injury, increase your strength and improve your performance on the field. 1. Strength training program – it’s about building a foundation for your athletic performance. A pre-season strength program should be part 1 and consist of 6- 8 weeks. A carefully designed sports-specific strength program will highlight the major muscle groups you use in your chosen sport. Starting off with a priming phase that is 2 weeks duration. This is designed to get rid of the rust (so to speak) and get the body used to moving again. Weeks 3-5 are where you build strength, and the final 1-2 weeks comprise the conditioning phase. This is where you would get your sweat on through aerobic conditioning.
68 COFFS COAST
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2. Hydration – you have to keep the water don’t smash yourself in the first session and up. We should be consuming between 2-3 can’t move the next 4 days. Small incremental litres of water each and every day, especially changes are what you are after, not being a in the Australian summers, and coming into wounded warrior. Autumn that shouldn’t change. When your 5. Record your results – it is important pre-season training begins this means you are to track your results. If you don’t record going to be moving more and sweating more what you do when you start, how do you and in turn you are going to need to drink know what you are doing is improving more water to counteract you? If you want to get what you have been better at something you losing in your training. When your need to write it down A small pinch of salt pre-season somewhere, stick to (electrolytes) is far better training begins this your program and you for you than a sugary means you are going see yourself improving. sports drink.
to be moving more
3. Mindful eating – A lot of people don’t and sweating more this one is pretty simple. understand the benefits and in turn you are Your body is a machine of tracking progress, going to need to drink you use to do the things however it is the ultimate more water to you love. If you put key to progress and, in counteract what you rubbish fuel in the car, turn, success. Pre-season have been losing in don’t expect it to perform is scary, it hurts and no your training. at its optimal levels and one really enjoys it, but your body is the same. If if you find the joy in you’re training make sure the sport that you love, you put some good fuel in before you start think of pre-season as a process for victory on and when you finish. the sporting field. Every session you do, you 4. Don’t smash yourself – saying “Prebecome faster, stronger and fitter. Get ahead season” usually strikes fear and horror in the hearts and minds of any would be athlete let alone a weekend warrior. Make sure you
of your competition today and speak to either myself or our team at Club Lime today.
