The Goal of Training

You train to induce an adaptation! It’s as simple as that.

From there, you can argue about your favorite means and methods – but it all starts with creating an environment that warrants an adaptation.

If this is not your goal, you are just moving around.

And that’s fine, society would certainly benefit from more people just simply walking or moving around, but training is inherently goal-oriented.

Every coach will have their preferred program, and I may not always agree with some of their choices, but if the program is providing adaptations that feed the goal – it’s working. That is all that matters.

The coach must appreciate how all of the systems in the body interact to accomplish a goal, and how to improve them. This sounds a lot easier than it is. Due to the complex nature of the human body and the adaptation process, this is not and never will be an exact process.

Because sports involve solving complex motor tasks, replenishing energy stores, and generating or interacting with external forces (from the ground, opponent, or object), biology will provide us with the principles needed to guide the training plan.

These principles don’t change.

• Contraction of muscles and fueling this process requires energy
• Moving our body through time and space requires coordination and interactions with the environment
• Different tasks enhance different abilities/skills

Bio-Energetics – How energy is generated and restored in the body in response to activity (Anaerobic-Alactic, Anaerobic-Lactic, and Aerobic).

• When are most games decided? In the fourth quarter! So all of the strength and speed you develop is only meaningful if you can continue to display it late in the game. Each sport has its own unique bioenergetic profile – soccer will require more aerobic fitness than a 100m sprint which is almost purely alactic. Properly training the energy requirements of the sport will allow the athlete to resist fatigue, improve/maintain performance, and be less vulnerable to injury.

Bio-Dynamics – Interactions between internal and external forces that allow an athlete to solve complex movement tasks (Dynamic Correspondence).

• Understanding the competitive movement(s) and how training will transfer to them is crucial. The coach must consider multiple factors like the dynamics of the specific movement, the contraction type, rate of force production, or accentuated ranges of motion. For example, because the joint angles in a half squat more closely resemble those exhibited in a sprint, this movement will likely have a higher transfer to sprinting than a full squat [1].

Bio-Motor Abilities – The different abilities (strength, power, endurance, speed, suppleness, skill) that allow an athlete to express movement.

• A youth athlete will begin by building all of these abilities until they have a solid foundation. From there, the coach will examine the dominant qualities of the sport as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the individual. For example, a football lineman will require more strength and power while a soccer player will prioritize speed and endurance. It’s these independent abilities that allow an athlete to express movements in the most optimal and efficient way.

What does this all mean? 

That the exercises we choose should serve to enhance the qualities above as they are related to the individual or their sporting event. If they don’t, then they have no place in your program!