A&H

Pre season training

zarathustra

RefChat Addict
So I'm going for my level 5 again this season (third time's the charm) although didn't get any games in before the end of last season due to injury.

Does anyone have any links to decent fitness training plans? I can go running, swimming, to the gym etc but my training normally lacks structure, and I'm pretty rubbish at coming up with my own training plans.

I'm sure there was a document done by the FA with suggested training plans but I can't seem to find it anymore.
 
The Referee Store
For my money you cant go wrong with HIIT (high intensity interval training) if you go to the gym then go to a few of the classes (if they do them) they may have things like Metafit or HIIT classes they are perfect, they are short but as the name suggests they work you hard. It is a quick way of building fitness and stamina and perfect for refereeing. You can do a 6 mile run but a 25 minute Metafit class will probably work better and give a quicker result.
 
I'm sure there was a document done by the FA with suggested training plans but I can't seem to find it anymore.

It would be this one: https://www.refchat.co.uk/resources/fa-learning-fitness-for-refereeing.33/

I use it and it is useful. I train on grass with those plans. You can stick to just the one exercise or if you're still fresh, pick and choose from two. I try and get one sprint focused one and one endurance based session if I can.

I also use spin classes in the gym. My local leisure centre has just revamped their spin room in collaboration with ICG (Google ICG, coach by colour). They do some nice bikes that coach by colour zone, and you have to do a fitness test as your induction, so that the classes are tailored to your fitness levels.

Part of the reason I do the spin classes twice a week is because they're low impact exercises, they'll strengthen parts of your legs and help with your breathing and because it is tailored to your fitness levels it's always a tough workout. You have to repeat the fitness test every 12 weeks to ensure you keep the exercises in line with your fitness levels. The low impact helped me last season as I was dealing with an annoying variant of shin splints, so this was keeping me going.


As for strength training, some gyms will give you a workout plan if you ask them. I think you'd want to focus on core strength, but having upper body and lower body exercises will help as well. I tend to neglect lower body exercises as I'm bushed from running/spin training anyway.

Hope that helps.
 
One of the things I did was do the 80/20 running plan. Basically you break your running down into EASY and HARD sessions, with 80% of your sessions being classed as EASY. An EASY run is one where you could hold a conversation as you run the whole time, HARD is exactly that, one where you put a big effort in.

The benefits are quite scientific, the EASY sessions help you to reduce the impact of muscle soreness and potential injury, whilst still gaining benefit, the HARD sessions are ones that help you to measure and make further progress forwards.

I have different types of run:

Long Run - 8k+ - Always done as an EASY session
Trail Run - 4k-8k - Always done as an EASY session and a nice break from normal running and lovely and scenic too
5k - Can be done as either an EASY or a HARD session
Cooper Test - Always done as a HARD session
Interval Training - I've got a flat bit of very quiet road where I live that has a lovely straight of almost exactly 200m. I do repetitive speed training there and back to replicate roughly a lap of the track for the fitness test. I do 7-10 reps of this with a 30 second break between each Always done as a HARD session.

Since starting it I've noticed the following:

1) Much less muscle stiffness from training and no niggles in the places where I've always had them
2) Losing weight has been easier as i'm able to train more effectively and more often
3) My HARD session times improved dramatically, even though i'm doing less of them - My Interval times are faster and have less drop off between the fastest and slowest times
4) My EASY sessions are still improving, my "cruising speed" when i'm running comfortably is much faster
5) My running form is improving, because i'm not worried about any form of time on my EASY sessions, I've been able to focus on specifics in my running style which is also having an impact.

I also do some Weight Training exercises most days, not focused on the actual weight, but focused on lighter weights with a higher set of reps. The key, whatever weight you choose is to lift until you fail, as by getting to a point where you can't complete the exercise without losing form is the zone in which you gain strength
 
Thanks, I'll have a look at the FA document, theres spark down the road so can do sprint's and stuff on the pitches there, and add in some bodyweight exercises ontop of karate twice a week and a park run on saturdays
 
One of the things I did was do the 80/20 running plan. Basically you break your running down into EASY and HARD sessions, with 80% of your sessions being classed as EASY. An EASY run is one where you could hold a conversation as you run the whole time, HARD is exactly that, one where you put a big effort in.

The benefits are quite scientific, the EASY sessions help you to reduce the impact of muscle soreness and potential injury, whilst still gaining benefit, the HARD sessions are ones that help you to measure and make further progress forwards.

I have different types of run:

Long Run - 8k+ - Always done as an EASY session
Trail Run - 4k-8k - Always done as an EASY session and a nice break from normal running and lovely and scenic too
5k - Can be done as either an EASY or a HARD session
Cooper Test - Always done as a HARD session
Interval Training - I've got a flat bit of very quiet road where I live that has a lovely straight of almost exactly 200m. I do repetitive speed training there and back to replicate roughly a lap of the track for the fitness test. I do 7-10 reps of this with a 30 second break between each Always done as a HARD session.

Since starting it I've noticed the following:

1) Much less muscle stiffness from training and no niggles in the places where I've always had them
2) Losing weight has been easier as i'm able to train more effectively and more often
3) My HARD session times improved dramatically, even though i'm doing less of them - My Interval times are faster and have less drop off between the fastest and slowest times
4) My EASY sessions are still improving, my "cruising speed" when i'm running comfortably is much faster
5) My running form is improving, because i'm not worried about any form of time on my EASY sessions, I've been able to focus on specifics in my running style which is also having an impact.

I also do some Weight Training exercises most days, not focused on the actual weight, but focused on lighter weights with a higher set of reps. The key, whatever weight you choose is to lift until you fail, as by getting to a point where you can't complete the exercise without losing form is the zone in which you gain strength
If you follow a polar training program this is exactly what it tells you to do.
The easy sessions improve your overall aerobic capacity. Essentially by training at a lower heart rate improves your ability to train at that heart rate so faster speed/pace in those zones which has the added affect of allowing you to go faster in the higher HR zones.
The hard sessions are designed at a improving anaerobic capacity which is the high intensity workouts.
You'll be feeling less stiff as the aerobic work you do trains the body to better process lactic acid, generated during anaerobic sessions, which is what leaves you feeling stiff after a heavy session.
This is my basic understanding of it so sorry if its not entirely accurate.
 
If you follow a polar training program this is exactly what it tells you to do.
The easy sessions improve your overall aerobic capacity. Essentially by training at a lower heart rate improves your ability to train at that heart rate so faster speed/pace in those zones which has the added affect of allowing you to go faster in the higher HR zones.
The hard sessions are designed at a improving anaerobic capacity which is the high intensity workouts.
You'll be feeling less stiff as the aerobic work you do trains the body to better process lactic acid, generated during anaerobic sessions, which is what leaves you feeling stiff after a heavy session.
This is my basic understanding of it so sorry if its not entirely accurate.
Yep, that's the scientific gist of it. The fact is, it works (at least for me) and I get loads more enjoyment doing it this way and only having to have one really tough session per week, than when I used to do less sessions each week but all at a much higher intensity
 
If you follow a polar training program this is exactly what it tells you to do.
The easy sessions improve your overall aerobic capacity. Essentially by training at a lower heart rate improves your ability to train at that heart rate so faster speed/pace in those zones which has the added affect of allowing you to go faster in the higher HR zones.
The hard sessions are designed at a improving anaerobic capacity which is the high intensity workouts.
You'll be feeling less stiff as the aerobic work you do trains the body to better process lactic acid, generated during anaerobic sessions, which is what leaves you feeling stiff after a heavy session.
This is my basic understanding of it so sorry if its not entirely accurate.
Polar products are so useful for training, I had never considered HR zones beforehand, now I swear by them.
 
It is all down to individuals, there isn't a right and wrong.

After the best part of three years of injury hell I'm now fully back intensively training, although not aimed at refereeing and rather shifting some of the kilos I've gained since I stopped being a L3. I prefer the approach of high intensity high heart rate training, and the approach of some days intense and some days easy doesn't seem to work for me. Been on minimum 30 minutes daily intense sessions (80 to 85% max heart rate), with at least two days a week on 80 minute cardio sessions, for coming up to three weeks and have dropped from 81kg to 77.1kg and 22.6% to 20.4% body fat. Subcutaneous fat dropped from 20.3 to 18.3%, that is the visible fat that sits between the outer layer of skin (dermis) and connective tissue (fascia layer). Visceral fat index, which is the one that can indicate likelihood of health problems has always remained low, so it's the beer belly that has to go. Pleased with all of that, but I want to get back to where I was when I was a L3 so I'm aiming to drop to 73kg and 18% body fat by the end of August.

Key thing is though you need to know your own body, what works for one won't work for others. A few years ago I booked a personal trainer at the gym and despite telling him I had knee problems he gave me a programme that was terrible for me, as latterly validated by a physio and a surgeon, and I really wish I had never gone to that session.
 
It is all down to individuals, there isn't a right and wrong.

Key thing is though you need to know your own body, what works for one won't work for others. A few years ago I booked a personal trainer at the gym and despite telling him I had knee problems he gave me a programme that was terrible for me, as latterly validated by a physio and a surgeon, and I really wish I had never gone to that session.
You are right, it is also a lot of trial and error. I did a sprint session on the treadmill this morning with the aim of 20 seconds of all-out anaerobic work and 40 seconds rest - my heart rate didn't get as high as I would have wanted and it didn't feel like I was working hard enough, I will up the speed when I do it next time and if that fails, I will reduce the rest time. You have to plan, attempt and re-plan to get the most out of it.
 
My friend is planning a business for athletes (including us referees) and we've done a session. He's got his own drills and circuits and he plans to use one of the recent FIFA fitness tests to do some training. I've read through it and these are really good drills and can be used for training, as well as tests. Obviously these are designed for the elite and meant to challenge the fittest referees, but you can create your own variations and amend them to suit you. Best thing is that they're created with referee's and AR's in game movement
 

Attachments

  • 2016-17 FIFA Fitness Tests-timing explanations.pdf
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I just leave my car at home and walk/run or cycle to work. I am fortunate that I can do this I know but certainly helps me. I don't need to do any other fitness training. Wouldn't say I'm super fit though but I do push myself to and from work which then makes the matches at weekend a lot easier
 
This is a document I've used quite a bit. Plenty of different exercises to keep things fresh and add variety.

I've also clipped a few different types of strength training that I keep in my Evernote application. Right now, I'm doing high reps and lower weight since my summer schedule is greatly reduced. I treat it as off-season training.
 

Attachments

  • RefereesExercisesList.pdf
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