Benchmark- Comprehensive Program Design

Bri Rehborg

College of Science, Engineering, and Technology, Grand Canyon University

EXS455: Advanced Principles of Sports Performance

Dr. Havenar

12/10/23
12 Week Off-Season

Day 1
Speed/Agility
40m sprints
- Volume: 6 sets of 40m sprints
- Rest: 2 minutes
- Tools: Cones, Stopwatch
Tempo runs
- Volume: 6 sets of 100m
- Rest: 2 minutes
- Tools: stopwatch, track
Lateral cone drills
- Volume: 4 sets of 30 seconds
- Rest: 90 seconds
- Tools: Cones
Lader Drills- Forward in and out
- Volume: 5 sets
- Rest: 60 seconds
- Tools: Agility Ladder
Reactive Box Jumps
- Volume: 5 sets of 10
- Rest: 90 seconds
- Tools: box, coach or light for
reaction

Day 1
Speed/Agility
40m sprints
- Volume: 6 sets of 50m sprints
- Rest: 2 minutes
- Tools: Cones, Stopwatch
Tempo runs
- Volume: 8 sets of 100m
- Rest: 2 minutes
- Tools: stopwatch, track
Lateral cone drills
- Volume: 6 sets of 30 seconds
- Rest: 90 seconds
- Tools: Cones
Lader Drills- Forward in and out
- Volume: 8 sets
- Rest: 60 seconds
 Off Season (12 Weeks)

● A typical off-season length for boxers is 12 weeks. (Loturco et. at, 2016)

● Increased muscle mass contributes to greater force production, enabling more potent

punches and enhanced fatigue resistance, thus preparing the athlete for the demands of

intense training sessions and competitions during the competitive season. This is

important to focus on during the off-season due to the microtears and the damage they

will cause to the muscle (Havenar, Topic 2, 2023).

● It is difficult for athletes to add more muscle once practice and the season starts therefore

my athlete will focus on more tissue-dominant training to increase strength and power

(Havenar, Topic 2, 2023).

● This carefully crafted program emphasizes a blend of exercises and drills to

systematically enhance the athlete's speed, agility, and ability to change direction

effectively.

Exercise Selection

● The chosen exercises emphasize core movements to build a foundation of strength and

power. For instance, incorporating plyometrics replicates the explosive extension

required in boxing punches (Chiu & Schilling, 2005).

● For example, including sprints, lateral cone drills, and agility ladder drills in a single

session addresses the need for linear speed, lateral movement, and agility, which is a key

component to

● Including sprints in my athlete's program is movement-specific because the arm

movements of the sprinting mechanics mimic uppercut action (Havenar, 2023, Topic 7).
 ● Doing a box jump with a dumbbell is to gain concentric strength but lowers the eccentric

demand (not landing as far), get the arms involved to mimic and the uppercut will

develop an Olympic lift explosiveness pattern (Havenar, Topic 2, 2023).

● Battle ropes train the legs oxidatively but the upper body (lats, chest, bis, tris, shoulders)

train, each double slam is a phosphagen system (Havenar, Topic 2, 2023).

Training frequency

● I split the routine with 3 days focusing on speed, agility, and COD, then 2 days focusing

on resistance training and plyometrics. This is to fully target power each day and have a

different emphasis each day rather than trying to get it all on one day (Havenar, 2023,

Topic 2)

Exercise Order

● My exercise selection is to follow the order of power, core then assistance to properly

load the body (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

● Placing bench presses before pull-ups, for example, enhances performance in primary

strength movements (Fleck & Kraemer, 2014).

● Exercise order for speed, agility, and COD days will be Speed--> COD --> Agility

(Havenar, 2023, Topic 7)

Training Load or Intensity

● Intensity for hypertrophy should range between 67-85% of a 1RM (Haff & Triplett,

2015).

● Using percentages of one-repetition maximum (1RM) ensures progressive overload

without compromising technique, essential for boxing-specific strength development

(Haff & Triplett, 2015).

 ● Speed, COD, and agility intensity will all be at 100% (Havenar, 2023, Topic 7)

Volume

● Hypertrophy goals reps should be between 6-12 while intensity should range between 67-

85% of a 1RM (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

● For my plyometric exercise, the total reps add up to 135 which stays within the

recommended volume for an advanced athlete (Haff & Triplett, 2015, Table 18.4).

● Higher volumes contribute to skill refinement and endurance, while lower volumes with

higher intensity are strategically employed for the development of speed and power

(Bompa & Haff, 2009).

Rest Periods

● Rest length should be between 30 seconds to 1.5 minutes to target hypertrophy, which is

our goal (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

● My athletes should foam roll on their first rest day to stimulate blood flow to the trigger

points to release lactate (NASM, 2013).

● Due to the fitness fatigue paradigm, I want to make sure my athlete is progressing their

fitness while minimizing their fatigue therefore that's why I’m having them drop their

volume and intensity this week (Havenar, 2023 Topic 6).

● Rest periods should be long for speed workouts, 1:12 is the recommended amount of rest

for the phosphagen system which is what the focus is during speed (Havenar, 2023, Topic

6).

Progression
 ● Introducing variations, such as different plyometric drills, supports skill transfer to

boxing-specific movements, ensuring ongoing adaptation and improvement in explosive

power and agility (Issurin, 2008).

● My training program is a progression for 3 weeks then a stepback week for 1. My main

reason for the stepback week is to reduce the risk of overtraining and burnout, allow the

body and nervous system to recover from the accumulated stress of previous weeks and

set the foundation for the continued progress of readiness during the in-season (Havenar,

2023, Topic 6).

Combining Programming Types

● I decided to combine my programming types by training speed and agility on day one,

upper body resistance training and plyometrics on day two, change of direction and

power on day three, rest on day four, lower body resistance training plyometrics on day

five, explosiveness and speed on day six, and rest on day 7.

Pre-Season (8 weeks)

● The typical length for preseasons for boxers is 8 weeks (Loturco et. at, 2016).

● During the pre-season mesocycle, I will be focusing on strength and power for my

athlete. Strength forms the basis for power generation, a key component in executing

explosive movements such as punches and quick footwork (Havenar, 2023, Topic 3).

Exercise Selection

● The focus shifts to more sport-specific movements and increased intensity. For example,

incorporating medicine ball throws emphasizes power development in movements like

boxing punches (Chiu & Schilling, 2005).

 ● I am including a compound set each day to focus on strength for the first part then power

for the second part to move more sport-specific (Havenar, 2023, Topic 3).

● I chose to train the posterior chain by doing RDLs to prevent hamstring injuries because

my athletes will need to be fast, which will lengthen the sarcomere (Havenar, 2023,

Topic 3).

● For example, 50m sprints target linear speed, lateral cone drills address change of

direction, and box jumps contribute to power development (Clark et al., 2017).

● Each exercise serves a distinct purpose in enhancing athletic performance, ensuring a

comprehensive training stimulus.

Training Frequency

● Maintaining a split routine allows for continued targeted development. The increased

intensity during the pre-season aligns with the need for greater specificity and sport-

specific conditioning (Baechle & Earle, 2008).

Exercise Order

● Exercise order for RT/Plyometric days will be: Plyometrics--> Power--> Core-->

Assistance (Havenar, 2023, Topic 7)

● Exercise order for speed, agility, and COD days will be Speed--> COD --> Agility

(Havenar, 2023, Topic 7)

● Placing medicine ball throws before traditional strength exercises ensures a seamless

transfer of power (Fleck & Kraemer, 2014).

Training load or intensity

● Training load for strength should be greater than 85% while power should be 80-90%

(Haff & Triplett, 2015).

 ● Adjusting training loads based on individual capacities ensures a balance between

intensity and recovery, crucial during the pre-season (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

● Training load for assistance exercise will range between 7-9 RPE to make sure they're at

least 8 reps in the exercise (Havenar, 2023, Topic 7)

Volume

● The reason my volume for my assistance exercises looks like theory is outside of the

strength requirements. Assistance exercises should be no less than 8 reps to protect the

joints, and to progress the exercise properly the reps increase throughout the 4-week

progression (Haff and Trippet, 2015)

● Reducing the volume slightly while increasing intensity helps in transitioning from

general to more sport-specific conditioning (Kraemer & Ratamess, 2004).

● Longer rest periods during maximal effort exercises ensure adequate recovery for optimal

performance (Ratamess et al., 2009).

● Strength core exercise should be less than 6 reps; assistance exercise still requires at least

8 reps of a 10RM for the safety of a joint; we will be doing 2-6 sets (Havenar, 2023,

Topic 6).

● Power and core exercises should have 1-5 reps with 3-5 sets (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

● For my plyometric exercise, the total reps add up to 135 which stays within the

recommended volume for an advanced athlete (Haff & Triplett, 2015)

Rest periods

● I have included a step back week in this progression to allow my athlete to rest and

recover as we approach the season for the following week (Havenar, 2023, Topic 6).
 ● Adjusting rest periods to accommodate increased intensity ensures the preservation of

power and speed during training sessions (Ratamess et al., 2009).

● The rest period length for strength and power is within 2-5 minutes (Haff & Triplett,

2015).

Progression

● Introducing variations in plyometric exercises and medicine ball throws further enhances

skills transfer to boxing movements (Issurin, 2008).

● My training program is a progression for 3 weeks then a step back week for 1. My main

reason for the step back week is to reduce the risk of overtraining and burnout, allow the

body and nervous system to recover from the accumulated stress of previous weeks and

set the foundation for the continued progress of readiness during the in-season (Havenar,

2023, Topic 6).

Combining Programming Types

● My athlete will train upper body resistance training and plyometrics on day one, speed

and agility on day two, practice on day three, lower body resistance training and

plyometrics on day four, explosiveness and change of direction on day five, practice on

day six and rest on day seven.

In Season (16 weeks)

● The typical length for a boxer is a minimum of 16 weeks, contrary to other sports, boxers

have a long season compared to off and pre-season (Loturco et. al, 2016).

Exercise Selection
 ● Each exercise addresses different movement patterns, ensuring a comprehensive

approach to skill development (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

● For instance, lateral cone drills focus on change of direction, while reactive agility drills

enhance overall agility (Sheppard & Young, 2006).

● The chosen exercises for strength days are strategically selected to target major muscle

groups and movement patterns relevant to boxing. Core movements like back squats,

bench presses, and deadlifts are included to maximize muscle activation and stimulate

overall strength development, crucial for the power generation and stability required in

the sport (Havenar, 2023, Topic 6).

● I have chosen to include one full recovery day within my athlete's program to clear

lactate and synthesize protein from the muscles that received the trauma (Havenar, 2023,

Topic 3).

Training Frequency

● During the in-season, my athlete will have 2 training days: 1 full training day and one full

recovery day, along with two practices and one match.

● I have decided to dedicate a full day to recovery to help my athletes stay up to par with

their training needs. This day will help them clear lactate and synthesize protein from the

muscles that received the trauma (Havenar, 2023, Topic 3).

Exercise Order

● Exercise order will be power (plyometrics), Strength (RT), speed, COD then agility (Haff

& Triplett, 2015)

● Resistance training will follow the requirements of power, core, and assistance to adhere

to the body's movement physiology (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

 ● Placing speed-focused drills before agility drills aligns with the principle of specificity

(Haff & Triplett, 2015). Starting with 40m sprints taps into the athlete's maximal speed

capabilities, and subsequent agility drills benefit from the heightened neuromuscular

responsiveness developed during the speed drills.

Training load or intensity

● Maintaining 100% maximum power during exercises aligns with the principle of

overload in resistance training (Stone et al., 2003).

● This intensity ensures that the neuromuscular system is consistently challenged,

promoting physiological adaptations associated with enhanced speed and agility (Haff &

Triplett, 2015).

● Adjusting intensity for technique practice or warm-up aligns with the principle of

individualization to meet the athlete's specific needs (Bompa & Buzzichelli, 2018).

● My athlete's focus is maintenance so their exercises will be at moderate to high intensity;

core exercises specifically will be at 85-93% of 1RM (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

● RPE on assistance exercises should be 8-9/10 RPE (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

Volume

● Volume, indicated by the number of sets and duration or distance of each drill, is tailored

to avoid overtraining and promote progressive adaptation (Kraemer & Ratamess, 2004).

● Since my athlete's focus is maintenance, their volume should be low to moderate for their

training program. Keeping sets 2-5 and reps 3-6 will adhere to this training program.

(Haff and Trippet, 2015)

● Assistance exercise will be the exception and should be no less than 8 reps to protect the

joints (Havenar, 2023, Topic 7)

Rest Periods

● Research suggests that tailored rest periods contribute to maintaining power output

during subsequent sets (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

● Rest periods for speed will follow the 1:12 recommendation for phosphagen-dominant

exercises, so these rest periods will be longer (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

● Rest periods for resistance training should be 1:1-1:5 to ensure proper rest and that we are

training the correct energy system by focusing on maintenance (Haff & Triplett, 2015)

● Shorter rest periods between agility drills challenge the athlete's metabolic capacity,

enhancing their ability to recover quickly between bursts of effort (Sheppard & Young,

2006).

Progression

● My progress throughout the 16 weeks is in small increments to ensure the focus is the

maintenance of strength, power, speed, and agility (Havenar, 2023, Topic 7).

● There will be a small increase in volume every 4 weeks to ensure proper rest and

recovery occurring during the in-season (Haff & Triplett, 2015).

Combining Programming Types

● Each full training day will consist of power (plyometrics), strength (RT), speed, COD,

and agility. This will help maintain ability and skill that was built in the off and preseason

(Havenar, 2023, Topic 7)

 References

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