General Physical Preparation
Friday, September 19th, 2008 | General | 322 Times Read
The first stage of a periodisied training program usually consists of a form of General Physicial Preparation. This stage is characterized by general conditioning exercises in order to prepare for for future training. Thus, the goals of GPP are:
- Strengthen all major muscles and joints
- Increase work capacity
- Fix muscle imbalances
- Rehabilitation of injuries
In order to achieve the first goal the exercises done in this phase are general in nature. A broad variety of general exercises are used to ensure that really all major muscles and joints are strengthened. Furthermore the repetitions are kept high and the sets low. Low sets allow for more exercises and high reps strengthen the joints, increase work capacity and keep the intensity low. Following these guidelines no psychological or physical stress can build up, while all major muscles and joints will get stronger.
Work capacity will be very important for future training. The more work capacity one has the faster one will recover from training sessions. Even the weight sessions in GPP tend to improve work capacity because of their nature (high reps, high volume and high training frequency). Nonetheless extra training for work capacity is needed. For example this could be done by jogging two or three times a week. Remember that the exercises in GPP are general, so swimming, cycling or even hiking will do the job too.
Obviously muscle imbalances will avoid proper training sessions in the future. Therefore, start by determining strengths and weaknesses. Individualize your training by adressing weaknesses. However, do not neglect strengths. Pick exercises that will balance your muscles but also will increase your strengths.
Especially for those who are interested in developing the vertical jump, this phase includes general multijumps of all kinds. It is recommended to perform these jumps barefootly on a soft surface like grass, mats or carpets. This will improve the ability to balance and will strengthen important muscles in the feet in order to prevent from injuries but also to improve coordination.
On the basis of vertical jump developement I will lay down a sample GPP-program which can be individualized to adress your weaknesses:
The duration of this program will be 4-8 weeks depending on the athlete‘s level of preparation. You should do general conditioning work 2-3 times per week (on days without weight and jump sessions). Perform one of the activities from group 7 below and remember that variety is king in GPP.
The weight and jump sessions fulfill the needs of a GPP workout we have described earlier in this article. Splitting these sessions into two workouts allows for more variety and individualisation. In the beginning, two workouts are done per week with at least 72 hours inbetween (eg. Workout A on Monday and Workout B on Thursday). After about two weeks your work capacity will have improved and you‘ll be able to tolerate three weight and jump sessions per week with 48 hours inbetween (eg. Workout A on Monday, Workout B on Wednesday, Workout A on Friday). Another approximate two weeks later, I recommend you to increase the sets of the main exercises in order to gradually keep increasing the work load. Now, let‘s get to the structure of the workouts:
Workout A\B:
10-15 minutes general warm-up (jogging or cycling, dynamic stretches, etc.)
Jump exercises: Depending on your jumping efficiency choose 2-4 exercises from Group 1 below. Perform 10 repetitions and rest 1-2 minutes between exercises.
Main leg exercise: Pick one leg exercise from Group 2. Warm up by using lighter weights, then perform one set (two sets after 4-6 weeks - see above) of 12-15 repetitions (Aim for an increase in repetitions each workout until reaching 15 reps. Don‘t exceed this number. When you‘ve reached 15 repetitions, increase the resistance for this exercise.)
Assistance leg exercise: Depending on your weakness pick one exercise either from Group 3A or from Group 3B. 3A exercises mainly focus on glutes and hamstrings, while 3B exercises work the quadriceps. If you feel you don‘t have an imbalance between the anterior and posterior chain muscles, do the exercise from 3A in workout A and the exercise from 3B in workout B. Perform one set of 15-20 repetitions.
Single-leg exercise: Pick one of Group 4 exercises and perform one set of 10-12 reps per leg.
Midsection exercises: Choose one exercise from Group 5A and one from Group 5B. Do two supersets of 15-20 repetitions.
Main upper body exercises: Perform one exercise from Group 6A and one from Group 6B, one set (two sets after 4-6 weeks) of 15-20 reps.
Assistance upper body exercises: Perform one set of 15-20 of your favorite isolation exercises for triceps, biceps and shoulders.
Notes:
The pause inbetween sets and exercises should not exceed 1-2 minutes.
You should choose different exercises for Workout A and B but stick to the exercises you have chosen for a while. After about four weeks you can change some exercises if you like.
Group 1: Squat Jumps, Split Squat Jumps, Jumps out of a Squat, Double-Leg Jumps in Place, Double-Leg Jumps with a 180 degree turn, Double-Leg Jumps with a 90 degree turn, Ankle Jumps, Step-Up Jumps, Double-Leg Hurdle Jumps, Single-Leg Hurdle Jumps, Medicine-Ball Throw Backward, Medicine-Ball Throw Forward
Group 2: Squat, Deadlift, Split Squat, Front Squat, Leg Press
Group 3A: Good Morning, Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Single-Leg Good Morning, Single-Leg Deadlift, Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift, Leg Curl, Single-Leg Leg Curl, Glute Ham Raise
Group 3B: Front Squat, Leg Extension
Group 4: Split Squat, Lunge, Rear Lunge, Side Lunge, Step-Up
Group 5A: Back Extension, Back Raise, Back Raise with a Twist, Reverse Back Raise
Group 5B: Crunch in any of its variations, Leg Raise, Side Raise, Ab Planks, Russian Twist
Group 6A: Bench Press, Decline Bench Press, Incline Bench Press, Overhead Press, Dips
Group 6B: Barbell Row, Dumbell Row, Cable Row, Chin-Up
Group 7: Jogging, Cycling, Swimming, Tempo Runs, Interval Sprints, Hiking, Basketball, Soccer, etc.
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