PLANNING

A TRAINING SESSION

Volker Herrmann, 2020

The PROCESS of PLANNING

KNOW WHEN
CURRENT
Monitoring /IF YOU HAVE
SITUATION (Re-)Evaluation
REACHED

WHERE DO
Planning HOW DO YOU YOU WANT TO Goal-Setting
GET THERE
BE
“A goal without a plan is just a wish”
Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944)
„It‘s about being better than you were yesterday“

Volker Herrmann
INDIVIDUAL SOLUTIONS

Requires understanding about pre-condition of the athletes

• Athletes’ characteristics (physical, mental, social characteristics)

• Ability to learn and adapt
• Ability to recover (load resistance)
• External stressors (school, work, parents, relationships, etc.)
INDIVIDUAL SOLUTIONS

Event-specific demands / KPIs

Bio-motor abilities
Technical requirements
Tactics (e.g. in the jumps)
Mental aspects (e.g. sprints)
INDIVIDUAL SOLUTIONS

Athletes’
Look for potential ‘mergers’ and
Athletes’ Event-Specific
Event-Specific
Pre-Condition
congruenciesPre-Condition Demands
Demands

Sharpen the athlete’s profile Look for development opportunities

PLANNING a SESSION

1. Purpose of your training phase, mesocycle, microcycle, session

2. Which bio-motor ability or technique do you want to develop?
3. Which are the methods you want to use?
4. What are the load parameters (intensity, volume, recovery)?
5. Which are the training principles you need to consider?
6. Take into account preceding and following sessions
TRAINING PRINCIPLES

Questions to support your planning

• Why do you want train (training goal)?

• What do you want to train (training content)?
• How do you want to train (training methods)?
• Which equipment do you need (resources)?

Volker Herrmann
TRAINING PRINCIPLES
“Go back, we messed up everything.”

• General to specific
• Simple to complex
• Slow to fast
• Known to unknown

https://www.reddit.com/r/PoliticalHumor/comments/6rl183/go_back_we_fucked_up/

Volker Herrmann
BIO-MOTOR ABILITIES

SPEED STRENGTH ENDURANCE FLEXIBILITY MOTOR-SKILLS

Volker Herrmann, 2020

TRAINING METHODS
Focus on a maximum of two units per session (less is more!)

Acceleration Maximum Strength / Power / Plyometrics

Maximum Velocity Plyometrics

Maximum Strength Utilisation (e.g. short acceleration at 90%, selected plyos)

Power Plyometrics
Plyometrics Hurdles / (Speed)

Aerobic Endurance Core / Stability

Anaerobic Endurance Strength Endurance (e.g. circuit training), Core

Technique / Coordination Speed / Plyometrics / Power (at general prep)

Volker Herrmann
CONSTRUCTING a SESSION

Always ensure safety of athletes and coach

Only one, maximum of two units within one session

Keep variety up (include other sports) and be creative

Be able to legitimate what you’re doing and what you’re

not doing
CONSTRUCTING a SESSION
1. Brief the athletes

2. Warm-Up (consider social aspects)

3. Skills / technique (CNS before energy production / physical conditioning)

4. Fitness

5. Cool-Down

6. De-Brief / Preview

Volker Herrmann
WARM-UP

Why?
• Mental as well as physical preparation

How?
• Specific (according to the following load)
• Slow to fast / general to specific /easy to complex / known to unknown
• Include activation (core), followed by mobilisation (activ-dynamic warm-up)
• Avoid static stretching
• Keep the variety up and ensure a relaxed but focussed environment (fun)
• Age-related

Advise
• Focus on performing the exercises correctly (“listening to your body”) instead of socializing and chit-chatting
• Choose exercises wisely and with regards to the load
• Use warm-up to acquire information about your athletes!

Volker Herrmann
 Foam Rolling
Jogging / Activation Mobilisation Balance
/ general
Cycling / etc. (core) (dynamic) (CNS)
stretching
CONDUCT of a SESSION

Carefully observe your athletes and look for ‘symptoms of fatigue’

Be ready to cut down (’less is more’)

Sessions have to fulfill their purpose (e.g. speed training)

Volker Herrmann
COOL-DOWN

Why?
• Helps to shorten recovery time (to get rid of waste products after intensive [lactic] sessions)
• Gradually reduces heart rate and blood pressure
• Lowers adrenalin level
How?
• Self-massage (e.g. foam-rolling)
• Stretching (static stretching possible)
• Slow aerobic exercises (only necessary after intensive [lactic] sessions)
• Use cool-down to talk to your athletes (get an impression of what they think of the session)
• Provide feedback / short review and a short preview of what’s to come
• Re-hydrate and add necessary ‘fuels’

Volker Herrmann
RETROSPECTION

• Did you / the coach...

• ... communicate effectively?

• ... manage the training effectively?
• ... meet the training / performance objectives?
• ... complete the training session as planned?

• What went well?

• What could have been improved?
• Which aspects have to be retaught, reemphasized, or refined?

Volker Herrmann
CONDUCT / CHECK / ADJUST

ADJUST PLAN
Identify the main cause of a potential problem
Don’t get stuck in this sub-loop

Identify individual patterns of recovery

A recovery protocol will be necessary (RPE before + after session,
quality of session, etc.)

Identify individual patterns of adaptation

A training protocol will be necessary (e.g. for strength training, etc.)
CHECK CONDUCT

Volker Herrmann, 2020

GROUP TRAINING

Credit: Coach Yuvraj (Maharashtra)

GROUP TRAINING

• Engage assistants (if possible)

• Establish sub-groups (stationary training)

• Ask students to observe and correct themselves

• If performance orientated: Adjust to the most gifted athlete (age-related!)

Volker Herrmann
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Phone Numbers (parents)

Doctors / Hospitals (check insurance details, if available)

2.3 / 2