Bill Utsey

I believe coaches need to examine their fitness needs for their team, set related goals, and then deliberately plan their entire pre- and in-season conditioning program. The objective of this article is to help coaches understand that the key to a sound program is to maintain a systematic, sequential, and consistent conditioning regimen based upon scientifically proven fitness principles (overload, progression, frequency, specificity, variation, etc.).

Over the years I have noticed that many coaches consistently include some type of conditioning for their team at the end of their practices. Conditioning, of course, is a necessary ingredient for success. However, many coaches have simply designed a conditioning routine based on "we have always done it that way" logic.

Due to my physical education background and knowledge, I started to question this approach to before- and after-practice conditioning. Lots of questions came to mind: What is the purpose of the conditioning? What kinds or types of conditioning best suited the sport played by that team? What was the best way to attain and maintain the level of conditioning that the team needed throughout the season?

Each question begged for more answers to even more questions. What fitness items were the highest in demand for a particular sport? How did one condition for each of those fitness items? It was obvious that sports such as baseball, softball, football, golf, and volleyball did not require the high levels of cardiovascular fitness that soccer, basketball, cross-country, and middle and long distance track/swimming events demanded. If it was not cardiovascular fitness that a coach was looking for, what kind of conditioning would be best for his/her team? What about strength and power?

Obviously, any coach wants his/her athletes to perform at their best throughout the competition or contest. Furthermore, one would want his/her athletes to peak for a particular contest, at a critical portion of a season, or for the playoffs. How should a coach design a program that would best meet the goals of the conditioning and best benefit the athletes?

If it was anaerobic power that was the most important for a particular team, what was the method of conditioning that would be best for these athletes and would allow for their best performance at every contest? If aerobic conditioning, what is the best method? If it is strength and power, what method is best?

Finally, how does a coach ideally design and implement a fitness regimen that would optimize the performance of his/her athletes, and at the same time get them to peak at the most critical time of the season? My experience in strength training and track introduced me to the concept of periodization. Using periodization, athletes are able to attain peak physical performance at a particular point in time such as a major competition, a critical part of a season, or the playoffs. All research in fitness training, and the gurus of physical training, will explain that periodization helps maximize results in a minimal amount of time. This method of training answered a lot of the questions posed above.

The literature and web based information is loaded with the values of periodization and the research that proves its worthiness, validity and reliability as the number one training method used in sports training today. Google "periodization" and see what pops up!

In simple terms, periodization is training that has high volume (high repetitions, duration, or length) and low intensity (simple to do and relative minimal effort) at the beginning of the conditioning regimen. As the season progresses from pre- to in-season, the volume begins to lower and intensity begins to rise at the end. Usually a comprehensive periodization program is blocked into phases of 3-5 weeks, with the first phase high volume/low intensity, the second phase moderate volume/moderate intensity, and the third phase low volume/high intensity. Gentry and Caterisano (1) break periodization cycles into sequenced phases characterized by distinct traits:

1. Hypertrophy or preparation phase - high volume, low intensity (reps and sets are high, resistance low), induces maximum muscle hypertrophy, recruits lower threshold motor units, increases blood flow in the muscles, focus is on technique.
2. Strength or first transition phase - moderate volume, moderate intensity, training becomes more sport specific, higher threshold motor units are recruited, more resistance, faster speeds, or higher impact drills.
3. Strength-power or competition phase – low volume, high intensity (reps low, resistance high), very sport specific if possible, even faster speeds and higher impact drills. Often used for in-season drills. (Gentry and Caterisano, 2003)

Gentry and Caterisano also advocate a fourth phase, the "unload or second transition (active rest) phase." This phase is used for transition between the above phases to prevent overtraining. It is characterized by low volume and low intensity (just enough to stimulate overload to the neuromuscular system).

I encourage coaches to use periodization as a proven, field tested method of conditioning, and to fully plan their entire pre- and in-season conditioning regimen in the areas of your team's needs, goals, and objectives. As a football coach, I used periodization each year in designing our pre-practice strength program for the entire 15 plus week season. I also used it for our power program (going from simple to complex and easy to difficult) and our post-practice sprint-running program. Our post-practice running regimen included low intensity (½-¾ speed with total focus on technique) and high volume (longer runs - 150 to 300 yards) for the first phase. In the second phase, we lowered the distances (less than 60-100 yards) and increased the intensity slightly (3/4-7/8 speed still focusing on technique with some full speed work). We then finished with low volume and high intensity (20-60 yards and 7/8-full speed).

Gentry's and Caterisano's book, A Chance to Win is a terrific resource for the sport coach that wants to learn the science behind conditioning. It is written in terminology that any coach with any background can understand and easily assimilate into practice for his/her team's overall conditioning program regardless of the level of play.

1. Gentry, M. and Caterisano, T., A Chance to Win, The Iron Palace Co., LLC. 2003.

Bill Utsey, CAA, is the Director of Athletics for the Greenville County Schools, Greenville, SC. He is a graduate of The Citadel (B.S. Physical Education) and holds Masters and Educational Leadership degrees from The University of South Carolina. His experience includes four years as a high school principal, twenty years as a school athletic director, and head football coach with head coaching stints in other sports to include basketball, track, cross country, and golf. He is serving his ninth year in his current position.

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