Microcycle for Men's Basketball

         I am designing a hypothetical microcycle for a Men’s basketball team.   The team in currently in season and has games on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays.  The Coach only wants one day in the gym and one day on the court (Saturday) after shoot around.  Tuesday is a mandatory day off.  

            In order to understand a single microcycle in their workout program it is important to realize the larger picture of their periodized program.  Periodization is a fairly complex process that requires a good understanding of the physiology of the body and how it adapts to the given stimulus of exercise.  The entire year is a Macrocycle, which is then broken down into several mesocycles.  An entire training year will typically begin with hypertrophy and endurance and then begin to focus more on strength .  As the preparatory period progresses the program will begin to focus more on srength and power.   There is then usually a transition period that denotes a break in the high volume before beginning the competition period of the program.  The competition program represents a decrease in volume and an increase in intensity.  According to the NSCA, it is only possible to peak for about 3 weeks. 

           Using this information further programming must be done to ensure peak performance for the most important competitions.

The basketball schedule is as follows:

Monday: Game

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Friday: Game

Saturday: On Court

Sunday: Game

Given this schedule, I choose to do the weight room exercise on Wednesday.    I am going to assume that there is a major competition every three weeks.  With other the smaller games in between.  This enables me to further program their workouts.  I will plan low intensities and low to moderate volumes for 2 weeks followed by 1 week of high intensity to peak for the major games.  Since it is not possible to peak for all the games, I want my athletes to peak for their most crucial competitions. 

This training program is not optimal.  It is difficult for a team to have three games in a week, and it is impossible to peak for every game.  Wednesday on this graph will be less intense for two weeks to act as maintenance between the major competitions.  I chose to lift on Wednesday because lifting on Thursday would clearly set the body up for failure come Saturday and Sunday.

The workout for Wednesday is going to consist of high intensity lifting, combined with plyometrics and additional core work.  The lifting will consist of full body followed by sport specific plyometrics.

Wed:  Always Dynamic Warm-up and Prehab work

Example 1:

Speed Squat:  3x3 (Major Lift)

Bench Press  3x8

Med Ball Throws

Box Jumps

100 Push Ups

Back Extension 3x8

Stretch

This will of course Vary:

Example 2:

Single Leg Squat 3x8

DB Incline Press 3x8

DB Shrugs 3x20  DB Swings 3x10

Reverse Hypers 3x10

RDL 3x6

Shoulder Cable Complex

Russian twists

Max Pull Ups

Stretch

I think that the in season microcycle would work well programmed like this.  Although the situation is not optimal, the athletes will be able to peak for their more important competitions and maximize their season.

Tapering

Tapering:

In “Tapering: The Critical Interaction of the Art and Science of Coaching”, and article by Greg Wells, he discusses the many facets of tapering in ones workout program.  Tapering is a technique where one the training program is “reduced in a systematic non-linear fashion to achieve a peak in performance” preceding a major competition.  Wells points out that tapering has been shown to yield a 2% - 4% increase in lab performance and competition results.  Tapering allows the athlete to become “well rested and the athletes fitness level is well maintained”.  The overall goal of any periodized plan is the one point where the athlete must compete and perform.  When periodiation is perfect and tapering is incorporated, the athlete will perform optimally on competition day. 

            Tapering should be around a 50-85% in training intensity and should last anywhere from 4 to 21 days.  The high intensity training remains high and recovery time is increased greatly.  When doing these things there is a great physiological effects to many of the bodies systems (neurological, hormonal, hematological, etc…).  Incorporating tapering into your athletes workout program will help to ensure optimal performance on competition day.    

Recovery- Adaptation

The article entitled “Recovery – Adaptation: Strength / Power Sports “, by Michael Stone, tells of the importance of incorporating recovery periods into an athlete periodized program.  This relates to last week’s article on de-loading.  The most important aspect of any workout program is the rest.  Stone defines recovery as “regaining what was lost”, and he points out that athletes are interested in adaptation rather than recovery.  If an athlete only returned to their prior condition after training for three weeks they will feel as though they wasted their time.  Recovery and adaptation are achieved through cleverly planned and executed rest periods and periods of de-load. 

            Rest and periods of de-load are incorporated at each level of an athletes periodization.  In the large view of the entire Macrocycle, there are rest periods and transition periods as the athlete ends his/her competitive season.  That alone is not enough for the athlete.  Recovery is also incorporated at the meso and microcycle level.  Each month there are periods of rest and within each week there are periods of rest.  Ever further, within a single workout session there is rest that can be planned and manipulated to optimize a workout.

            Creative, well thought out planning, is essential for any workout program.  The greater the stimulus, the greater the need for recovery.  “Stimulus-Fatigue-recovery-adaptation” theory basically says that a stimulus results in fatigue, and is followed by recovery and adaptation.  This eventually results in supercompensation and improved performance.  I order to fully maximize ones training program both rest, and periods of de-load are essential.    

Workout 2/13 - 2/19

Workout 2/13 – 2/19

2/13:  Arms/Shoulders

3x6 DB shoulder Press 

 3x6 Incline DB Curl

3x12 Incline DB Hammer Curl

3x12 Seated DB triceps extension

3x12 Lateral DB shoulder raise

3x12 Triceps rope push down

3x25 Dips

3x12 Front/lateral/rev. lateral pulley raises

3x12 h-stand pushups

6 90 degree

Abdominal routine

2/14:

3x12 squat  2x6 Squat

3x8 Leg press/calf raises

3x8 DB lounges

4x8 Leg Extension machine

4x8 Leg Curl Machine

40 Manuel Squats

40 Lounges

3x20 H-stand Pushups

Abdominal routine

2/15:  Chest and Back (DL week)

3x15  Incline DB Press

3x10 DB Flies

3x12 One Arm DB Row

12/10/8/6/4 Decline Bench Press

3x12 Straight Arm Pullover

3x12 Hammer Row

3x20 Inverted Row

12/10/8/8 Latt Pulldown

25 Back Extensions

Abdominal Routine

2/16: Arms/Shoulders

3x6 DB shoulder Press 

                2x5 Arnold Variation 

3x8 Seated DB curl

3x12 Seated DB triceps extension

3x12 Lateral DB shoulder raise

3x12 Triceps rope push down

3x20 Wrist Curls

3x8 BB skull crushers

3x25 Dips

3x10 Front/lateral/rev. lateral pulley raises

3x20 h-stand pushups

5 90 degree

Abdominal routine

2/17: Rest

2/18: Legs

3x8 Leg Press/Calf Raise

12/10/8/6/6/ Front Squats

3x8 DB Lounges

3/15 Manual Squats/Lounges

3x20 Squat Jumps

12/10/8/5 Leg Extension

3x12 Hand Stand Pushups

3x3 90 Degree Pushups

Abdominal Routine

2/19: Chest/Back

12/10/10/10 Flat Bench

3x12 wide grip incline bench

3x12 DB Flys

3x12 Landmine Rows

3x20 Back Extension

3x8 Hammer Row 

4x12 Seated Row

100 Superman

Abdominal Routine

Buddy Morris DVD

Buddy Morris: 

Buddy Morris discusses the many facets of his strength and conditioning program at the University of Pittsburg in a lecture at he recently gave.  He seems to have a program that is much like what we do at FAU.  He stressed several points and gave a lot of good information.   In his lecture he tells of the evolution and future of strength and conditioning.    

The first thing that I found interesting was that Buddy does not do Olympic lifts.  Buddy gave the argument that plyometrics, med ball throws and sprints have the same motor unit recruitment as Olympic lifts.  I could not agree with this more.  I feel that the complexity of Olympic lifts often makes them a waste of time.   Like Buddy said, “Olympic lifting is its own sport”, and when you are trying to improve your football game, you cannot get too hung up on mastering lifts.

One thing that I really like that Buddy does is the fact that he does nothing but body weight movements for the first two weeks in the weight room.  When Buddy gets a new athlete, he is interested in seeing how the athlete moves.  Once Buddy gets a good idea of this, he is able to move forward with the athlete.  With gymnastics it was always important to get a simple baseline on technique, form and general physical ability.  I feel that manual squats are an extremely useful exercise.  Buddy says, “Simplest stuff is sometimes is the best”.  I feel that the basics are the foundation for everything else you will do.  This is also important for injury prevention.

One place where I disagree with Buddy is where he said that he is “Paid to be an A-hole”.   I don’t think there is ever an excuse for being an “A-hole”.   He continued by saying that we are paid to train athletes and get athletes to work.  I agree with the second part, but I don’t think the first part Is necessary.  I fell that in order to reach athletes and make progress that there needs to be a mutual level of respect.  Athletes can become unresponsive if they don’t like the way they are treated.  I think it is more important to educate the athletes and find other positive ways to reach them.  Having said that, Buddy has been doing this for 30 years, so he has much more knowledge with dealing with athletes than myself.

Buddy does not allow yawning in his gym.  I think that this is very interesting.  There are times when I yawn in the gym, but that is just me pushing myself when I should probably be sleeping.  He has a very disciplined approach and I feel that I would more than likely find a happy medium.  I like to be strict, but I would never be that strict.  Bending over in Buddy’s gym is a sign of weakness and results in extra reps.

Buddy seems to really emphasize the fact that we are all seeking the perfect program, but that none of us are going to find it.  There is always more to learn and a program will always undergo changes.  He does that same lifts that all the programs use, but he uses the programming to make his design different.  There are certain things that I disagree with Buddy, but not two strength coaches are going to be totally in agreement with everything. 

How to Sumo Deadlift

Leadership Development

Leadership Development:

As strength and conditioning coach, you come across all different kinds of student athletes.  Not only must you be a leader to these athletes, but you must help facilitate and promote leaders amongst the athletes themselves.

In the weight room the leaders almost always stick out immediately.  These are the athletes who are never late, always give it their all and never complain.  These are the athletes who are willing to do whatever it takes to succeed and accomplish their goals.  They work hard and are often enthusiastic about getting a little extra conditioning above and beyond that which is required for them.  These athletes are leaders because of their dedication. 

Although these are qualities of a leader, an athlete may possess these qualities and still not be a leader.  If an athlete is dedicated and determined, but they do not encourage and help the other athletes, they will not be a leader.  The silent and determined athlete does great for themselves, but is not leading the rest of the team.  I see many athletes like this.  These athletes seem influenced by the true leaders and may have the potential to become true leaders in the future.  They are usually in a stage of self discovery and self determination.  Once these athletes accomplish their individual goals, they will branch out and become leaders.

There are often athletes on a team who are disliked by the others.  These are the athletes who do not care about practice and conditioning.  They do not possess the dedication that the other athletes have.  These athletes are often very talented, but they do not put in the work to really maximize their potential.  Often times these athletes think they are too good for practice.  Although these athletes may be the greatest skill wise, they will never be leaders due to their lack of determination. 

As a strength coach it is important to educate the athletes on the purposes of all the different exercises.  If the athlete knows that the exercises have a clear purpose in their physical goals they will encourage other athletes to do these things.  Aside from educating the athletes, it is important to get to know each athlete as an individual.  Once you make a connection with the athlete, you are able to coach them in a more effective manner and help them realize your goals for them.  Once an athlete knows that you are there to help them realize their goals they will listen to you and encourage other athletes to do the same.  They will begin making sure that other athletes give you their respect and they will encourage other athletes to be on time.   

Competition is something else that motivates athletes and helps leaders shine.  At FAU we give weekly points, with the end goal of a prize of some sort.  These weekly points motivate the athletes to come together and put in the little extra to get points.  The leaders of each team motivate the other athletes and keep everyone in check.  Creating situations for leaders to shine really helps a team.

As a coach I think that it is important to pay close attention to the team dynamics and give the leaders as much opportunity as possible to help others.  Doing these things, and approaching each athlete in an individualized manner will really help promote a positive team dynamic.