Circuit Training

Circuit training is an excellent way to improve mobility, strength and stamina. The circuit
training comprises of 6 to 10 strength exercises that are completed one exercise after
another. Each exercise is performed for a specified number of repetitions or for a set time
before moving on to the next exercise. The exercises within each circuit are separated by a
short rest period, and each circuit is separated by a longer rest period. The total number of
circuits performed during a training session may vary from two to six depending on your
training level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), your period of training (preparation or
competition) and your training objective.
The following are examples of exercises that can be used in a circuit training session:
• Upper-body
• Press ups, Bench dips, Pull ups, Medicine ball chest pass, Bench lift, Inclined
press up
• Core & trunk
• Sit ups (lower abdominals), Stomach crunch (upper abdominals), Back
extension chest raise
• Lower-body
• Squat jumps, Compass jumps, Astride jumps, Step ups, Shuttle runs,
Hopping shuttles, Bench squat
• Total-body
• Burpees, Treadmills, Squat thrusts, Skipping
Advantages of circuit training are:
• Develops strength and endurance
• Appropriate form of training for most sports
• Can be adjusted to suit age, fitness and health of the athlete
• Exercises are simple enough to make each athlete feel a sense of achievement in
completing them
• A wide range of exercises to select from which will maintain the athlete's enthusiasm
Disadvantages of circuit training are:
• Many exercises require specialized equipment - e.g. gym equipment
• Ample space required to set up the circuit exercises & equipment
• In general, can only be conducted where appropriate facilities/equipment are
available
• Use of additional equipment requires appropriate health and safety monitoring

VO2 max/ Cardiovascular

Fitness can be measured by the volume of oxygen you can consume while exercising at
your maximum capacity. VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen in milliliters, one can
use in one minute per kilogram of body weight. Those who are fit have higher VO 2 max
values and can exercise more intensely than those who are not as well conditioned. A value
of VO2 max for male is about 3.5 litres/minute and for female it is about 2.7 litres/minute.
VO2max - using Age, Body Mass and HRrest
• VO2 max = 3.542+ (-0.014 x Age) + (0.015 x Body Mass [kg]) + (-0.011 x Resting
Heart Rate)
• procedure- step 1: formula
• step 2. substitution
• step 3: PMDAS
• step 4: final answer
• step 5: Interpretation of the result

Agility
Agility is the ability to change the direction of the body in an efficient and effective manner
and to achieve this you require a combination of:
• Balance
• The ability to maintain equilibrium when stationary or moving (i.e. not to fall
over) through the coordinated actions of our sensory functions (eyes, ears
and the proprioceptive organs in our joints)
• Static Balance - ability to retain the centre of mass above the base of support
in a stationary position
• Dynamic Balance - ability to maintain balance with body movement
• Speed
• the ability to move all or part of the body quickly
• Strength
• the ability of a muscle or muscle group to overcome a resistance
• Co-ordination
• the ability to control the movement of the body in co-operation with the
body's sensory functions e.g. catching a ball (ball, hand and eye co-
ordination)
• Hexagonal Obstacle Agility Test - suitable for sports with multidirectional movement
• Illinois agility run test - - suitable for sports with multidirectional movement
• Lateral Change of Direction test - suitable for sports with multidirectional movement
• Quick Feet test - suitable for sports with multidirectional movement
• 'T' Drill test - suitable for sports with multidirectional movement
• Stork Stand Test (balance test)

Core Stability
The aim of core stability training is to effectively recruit the trunk musculature and then
learn to control the position of the lumbar spine during dynamic movements.

Flexibility - Mobility
What is flexibility?
Flexibility, mobility and suppleness all mean the range of limb movement around joints. In
any movement there are two groups of muscles at work:
• agonistic muscles which cause the movement to take place and
• opposing the movement and determining the amount of flexibility are the
antagonistic muscles
Static stretching
Static stretching involves gradually easing into the stretch position and holding the position.
The amount of time a static stretch is held depends on your objectives. If it is part of
your cool down then stretches should be held for 10 seconds, if it is to improve your range
of mobility then hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
Ballistic stretching
Ballistic stretching uses the momentum of a moving body or a limb in an attempt to force it
beyond its normal range of motion.
Dynamic stretching
Dynamic stretching consists of controlled leg and arm swings that take you gently to the
limits of your range of motion.
Where the event requires a dynamic movement then it is appropriate and perhaps
necessary to conduct dynamic stretching exercises. Start with the movement at half speed
for a couple of repetitions and then gradually work up to full speed.
Active stretching
An active stretch is one where you assume a position and then hold it there with no
assistance other than using the strength of your agonist muscles. Active stretching is also
referred to as static-active stretching.
Passive stretching
Passive stretching is also referred to as relaxed stretching, and as static-passive stretching.
A passive stretch is one where you assume a position and hold it with some other part of
your body, or with the assistance of a partner or some other apparatus.

Principles of Training
Training to improve an athlete's performance obeys the principles of training: specificity,
overload, rest, adaptation and reversibility (SORAR).
Specificity
To improve the range of movement for a particular joint action, you have to perform
exercises that involve that joint action. It is quite possible for an athlete to have
good mobility in the shoulder joint but to have poor hip mobility. Conducting
shoulder mobility exercises may further improve the shoulder mobility but it will not affect
hip mobility.
Specificity is an important principle in strength training, where the exercise must be specific
to the type of strength required, and is therefore related to the particular demands of the
event.
Overload
When an athlete performs a mobility exercise, he/she should stretch to the end of his/her
range of movement. In active mobility, the end of the range of movement is known as the
active end position. Improvements in mobility can only be achieved by working at or beyond
the active end position.
Recovery
Rest is required in order for the body to recover from the training and to allow adaptation to
take place. An inadequate amount of rest may lead to over training.
Adaptation
The body will react to the training loads imposed by increasing its ability to cope with those
loads. Adaptation occurs during the recovery period after the training session is completed.
Reversibility or Detraining
Improved ranges of movement can be achieved and maintained by regular use of mobility
exercises. If an athlete ceases mobility training, his/her ranges of movement will decline
over time to those maintained by his/her other physical activities.
When training ceases the training effect will also stop. It gradually reduces at approximately
one third of the rate of acquisition (Jenson and Fisher, 1972). Athletes must ensure that
they continue strength training throughout the competitive period, although at a much
reduced volume, or newly acquired strength will be lost

Aerobic exercise (also known as cardio) is physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends
primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process.[1]Aerobic literally means "relating to, involving, or
requiring free oxygen",[2] and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during
exercise via aerobic metabolism.[3] Generally, light-to-moderate intensity activities that are
sufficiently supported by aerobic metabolism can be performed for extended periods of time

Anaerobic exercise is a physical exercise intense enough to cause lactate to form. It is used by
athletes in non-endurance sports to promote strength, speed and power and by body builders to
build muscle mass. Muscle energy systems trained using anaerobic exercise develop differently
compared to aerobic exercise, leading to greater performance in short duration, high intensity
activities, which last from mere seconds to up to about 2 minutes.[1] Any activity lasting longer than
about two minutes has a large aerobic metabolic component