Explain how sport-specific conditioning can be added to your fitness training program

Answer 1

To add sport-specific training, continue with the general fitness program but make adjustments to match the sport's requirements for aerobic and anaerobic capabilities, muscular strength and/or endurance, and range of motion.

During the sport-specific training, about half of your aerobic/anaerobic training should involve the same muscles used during your sport. Ideally, allocate four weeks of sport-specific training before you start participating in the sport. Then continue the sport-specific training on a more limited basis throughout the season. Depending on the nature of the sport (aerobic versus anaerobic), once the season starts, the sports participation can take the place of some or all of your aerobic workouts.

The next step is to look at the demands of the sport. For example, soccer, bicycle racing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing are aerobic activities, whereas basketball, racquetball, alpine skiing, snowboarding, and ice hockey are stop-and-go sports that require a combination of aerobic and anaerobic activity. Consequently, aerobic training may be appropriate for cross-country skiing, but it will do little to prepare your muscles for the high-intensity requirements of combined aerobic and anaerobic sports.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT), performed twice per week, is added to the program at this time. HIIT allows you to break up your workout into smaller segments so that you can perform a greater training volume at a higher exercise intensity. HIIT has been shown to help improve both aerobic and anaerobic fitness at a much faster rate.