The
old season is the phase when the athlete has to prepare strongly physically and
mentally, and it is the stage which the training programs have to be perfectly
organized for the athletes. In recent months I have been conducting an
investigation on how to carry out a training program that develops a better
result for the athlete. To achieve my goal I did an investigation in different
countries and at the same time analyzed many training programmes of some top, and ex top athletes in long and
triple jump.
I
found that each one of them has different training plans, but the exercises are
the same, and most of them work with exercises such as these:
Hip
stability,
Strength
Explosive
power
Muscular
and Cardio vascular endurance
Explosive
hip recruitment
Dynamic
flexibility
Foot
speed
Core
Now,
when it comes to working flexibility, it surprised me that most of the athletes
and also some coaches think that working flexibility removes explosiveness for
jumps. I really don`t understand where that came from, because the effects of poor flexibility
will cause a decrease in athletic performance. In order to perform optimally,
the body must function correctly. Proper function begins with a comprehensive
flexibility program. Flexibility training is beneficial for many reasons
including:
Helping
to correct muscle imbalances
-
Increasing
the range of motion of joints
-
Decreasing
excessive muscle tension caused by shortened muscles
-
Relieving
stress placed on joints caused altered muscle length
-
Improving
the health of the musculotendinous junction
-
Helping
to maintain normal functional length of muscles
-
Improving
the efficiency of the neuromuscular system
-
Improving
overall bodily function
-
Every
Coach knows what an athlete has to have to be a good triple jumper, for example
coordination, rhythm, balance, sense of time and space and explosive
reaction. When an athlete is flexible,
it is even easier to work plyometrics exercises, but also do more fluently the
special gymnastic exercises for triple jump.
The
other thing that surprised me, when have work on core stability, everyone does
the same exercises and many of them think that Core is only to perform
abdominal exercises and work with medicinal balls.
If
we look at the posture which a triple jumper has to maintain during jumps, the
position of the hip, the coordination that he has to have between the arms and legs, and
not forgetting the impact that the legs
have to absorb on each jump, it is crazy to think that just sit-ups, and work
with medicine ball will develop the results of the jumper. There are many
special Core exercises for triple jumpers, but it is a shame to see the lack of
inventiveness of some coaches to create specific exercises for each of the athletes.
