Top of time trials and fitness tests & can run all day on the GAA field. Their top end speed will not be as high as other players. Tend to play the middle 8 positions.
Optimal conditioning methods:
Long HIIT 2-4 min runs, threshold runs, steady state.
Speed Profile 🧨
Known for their ability to accelerate & high top speeds, not endurance. May be players who gravitate to the full forward/back line.
These athletes are fast twitch dominant with a larger difference between max sprint speed and max aerobic speed = a large Anaerobic Speed Reserve.
Short HIIT intervals of 10-30s with a work:rest of 1:1 or 1:2 can also be useful.
It is best to use a % of the athletes ASR. ⏭️
Hybrid Profile 🏃🏻💨
Combining a mix of speed and endurance-fast but can run all day too. Often a half forward or half back.
All conditioning methods will benefit this athlete group, particularly Short HIIT Intervals, but also RST, longer intervals & even steady state runs.
We know that we should train athletes weaknesses. But at what cost ? If we focus too much on improving these weaknesses, it may be to the detriment of that athletes strengths, and remember it’s the strength that gives the athlete their signature quality.
⬆️ Force
Beginners will jump higher simply by getting (structurally) stronger - muscles at the ankle, knee & hip will coordinate to produce more force.
General bilateral & unilateral strength exercises like squats, step ups & split squats will be beneficial initially 2/7
But all athletes will eventually reach a plateau with vertical jump gains from strength training.
Targeted methods can then be introduced to increase vertical jump:
-Ballistic exercises like hang cleans & jump squats to ⬆️ Rate of Force
Athletes competing in Gaelic Games need to effectively transfer energy through the kinetic chain.
Done right, horizontal pushing can develop a great deal of foundational upper body strength and can enable GAA athletes to produce more power.
🧵⤵️
Bench pressing can get a bad rap, due to being over-emphasised, poorly executed and not part of a balanced programme that should develop the shoulder in many ways & planes of movement.
But if programmed appropriately, it can be hugely beneficial for all #GaelicGames athletes.
Bench pressing is excellent for #Hurling & #Camogie athletes as it directly targets muscles that generate power during sliotar striking.
Bench press strength is also highly correlated with striking velocities,as the pectoralis major is highly activated during the down swing.
Throwing shares the same neuromuscular pathway as Striking, so one way to improve rotational power when striking a sliotar is using Med Ball Rotational Throws.
Progress from static to dynamic positions: seated-standing-stepping
By using rotational exercises we develop kinetic sequencing; initiating force through the lower body body, and transferring it to the upper body in the direction of the ball.
But remember to follow a balanced programme, and include the usual general movement patterns ⤵️ #GAA