The Workout – A Means to an End

Last week I talked about it
being more than an exercise, we also need to remember it is more than the
workout. I can go online right now and download an infinitesimal number of
workout, so what. I get at least one email a week from someone sending a link
to a workout, usually with a comment like – What do you think? My answer is
almost always is not sure what to think. The magic is not in the workout, the
magic is in the plan. What is the context of the workout? Who are you doing the workout
with? What are you doing? When are you doing it? Most importantly why are you
doing it? Context is the key! What effect will this workout have on the
subsequent workouts, what workout led up to this workout? I have learned the
hard way that one workout cannot make athlete or a team but one workout can
break an athlete or a team. We need to get away from the idea that because a
workout is hard and you end up barfing that it is a good workout, this is the
ethic being promoted in the commercial fitness”industry.” Believe me it is easy to
bury someone, much harder to train someone. Each workout should have specific objectives
that are measureable and observable; those objectives must be in support of the
microcycle and the block themes. Anyone can work, but training is work with a
specific propose. I read the other day that John Wooden used to spend up to two
hours a day planning his practices. Roy Williams plans each of his practices to
the minute. I know I spend up to twenty minutes a day planning training for that
particular day for volleyball, when I was coaching track it was at least an
hour. That does not count the time setting up the training session. In summary
training is a long term proposition, it is about continual adaptation leading to optimal performance in the competitive arena. Train
athletes who thrive on training, not survivors.