The Training Session – A means to an end

The training session (workout) is a means to end. It is not
an end unto itself. Each session must have a context. That context is
determined by the theme of the microcycle, and the training block. On an
immediate and micro level what you did in the previous session and what is
going happen in the next training session determines the context of today’s
session. It helps to think of the training sessions as pieces of big jigsaw
puzzle with
the picture of the completed puzzle always visible. That is the
ultimate goal, to assemble a complete athlete fully capable of competing in the
competitive arena without any limitations. Mind you we are not training
survivors, we want the athletes to thrive on the training, not to be constantly
beat down, sore and tired, that is not training. If each training session is an
end unto itself then the athletes get tired, the strong survive, and many fall
by the wayside. In that scenario it is constant crisis management. Instead have
a plan, build a rhythm to the workouts so that there is wave like variation in
volume and intensity. Monitor their reaction to the workout and adjust
accordingly both intra and inter session. Make sure all the pieces of the
puzzle fit with each other and fit into the bigger picture. Train you athlete
to compete, to thrive in the competitive arena. Remember one workout cannot
make an athlete but one workout can break an athlete.