Keep checking here for details on fitness training and testing sessions.
Once I have dates and venues for future events regarding fitness training they will be displayed here.
Meanwhile enjoy the close season, but not too much!
Webmaster
20/05/12
August 2011. Bleep test sessions being planned, let me know if you are not available on set evenings and I will book a session when we have the majority available.
Fitness training information from Andy Lawrence:
Warm Up
Key Elements of the Warm Up
Identifying the components of an effective and safe warm up, and executing them in the correct order is critical. Remember, stretching is only one part of an effective warm up and its' place in the warm up routine is specific and dependant on the other components. Never stretch a cold muscle!
1.) General warm up – Pulse raiser
The general warm up should consist of a light physical activity, like walking, jogging, easy swimming, stationary bike, skipping or easy aerobics. Both the intensity and duration of the general warm up (or how hard and how long), should be governed by the fitness level of the participating athlete. Although a correct general warm up for the average person should take about five to ten minutes and result in a light sweat.
The aim of the general warm up is simply to elevate the heart rate and respiratory rate. This in turn increases the blood flow and helps with the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to the working muscles. This also helps to increase the muscle temperature, allowing for a more effective stretch. It also engages the brain, so psychologically your body is prepared for activity.
2.) Dynamic stretching
Finally, a pulse raiser the warm up should include a series of dynamic stretches.
Dynamic stretching involves a controlled, soft bounce or swinging motion to force a particular body part past its usual range of movement. The force of the bounce or swing is gradually increased but should never become radical or uncontrolled.
During this last part of an effective warm up it is also important to keep the dynamic stretches specific to the athlete's particular sport. This is the final part of the warm up and should result in the athlete reaching a physical and mental peak. At this point the athlete is most prepared for the rigors of their sport or activity.
3.) Sport specific warm up
The third part of an effective warm up. In this part, the athlete is specifically preparing their body for the demands of their particular sport. During this part of the warm up, more vigorous activity should be employed. Activities should reflect the type of movements and actions which will be required during the sporting event.
4.) The Main sports activity
5.) The cool Down
The idea here is to return the body to normal mode of operating.
This is achieved by the gradual slowing of activity, run to jog, fast-walk, walk. You will be able to talk normally without being out of breath. This should take about 5 minutes.
5a.) Post activity stretching (static)
This falls into 2 categories. Maintenance stretching and developmental stretching. There is a limited threat of injury and it is extremely beneficial for overall flexibility. During this part of the cool down up, static stretching should include all the major muscle groups, and this entire part should last for about five to ten minutes.
Static stretching is performed by placing the body into a position whereby the muscle or group of muscles to be stretched is under tension. Both the opposing muscle group (the muscles behind or in front of the stretched muscle), and the muscles to be stretched are relaxed. Then slowly and cautiously the body is moved to increase the tension of the muscle, or group of muscles to be stretched. At this point the position is held or maintained to allow the muscles and tendons to lengthen.
The only difference between a maintenance stretch (8-10 secs) and a developmental stretch (12-15 secs) is the duration that the stretch is held for as well as repeating the process a further two times.
There is a huge amount of research into the best warm up / cool down methodology, all information here has been utilised from the A.C.S.M. The American College of Sports Medicine, which is one of the largest world wide organisations that spend millions into researching the function and effects of the human body in sport.
It also is the recognised method used throughout the UK for the governing body of gym and fitness instructors R.E.P s. The Register of Exercise Professionals.
Beep Test – A measure of Fitness (VO2 Max)
Fitness can be measured by the volume of oxygen you can consume while exercising at your maximum capacity. VO2 max is the maximum amount of oxygen in milliliters, one can use in one minute per kilogram of body weight. Those who are fit have higher VO2 max values and can exercise more intensely than those who are not as well conditioned. Numerous studies show that you can increase your VO2 max by working out at an intensity that raises your heart rate to between 65 and 85% of its maximum for at least 20 minutes three to five times a week. A mean value of VO2 max for male athletes is about 3.5 litres/minute and for female athletes it is about 2.7 litres/minute.
Maximizing Your Beep Test Score
The beep test is a test of fitness, and is used as a measure of your aerobic capacity. It is not something that you would normally train for, as you would usually be doing the training for your specific sport and using the test to determine if you have reached your training goals.
However, the test is also commonly used as an important selection criteria for some sporting teams or jobs. Therefore many people need to train specifically for the test in order to reach a desired score.
Ideally, the test should be a true representation of your aerobic fitness. However, due to the nature of the test, there may be inaccuracies and you may not be reaching the level you have the potential to. I see that there are three main areas that can be addressed to maximize your beep test score: mental toughness, pacing strategies and physical conditioning. Depending on what level you are at, one or more of these can be used to help you achieve your potential in this test.
Training for the Beep Test
The beep test is a physical fitness test of your aerobic fitness. To significantly improve your beep test score you need to do specific and general aerobic type training. You cannot avoid it, you will have to do some hard work!
Although the aerobic energy system is primarily being tested, as in most activities it is not the sole energy source, and the anaerobic system (or speed endurance / lactate tolerance) also plays a part in the beep test performance as the speed increases and effort is required to slow down and accelerate away from each turn.
The amount of training that you need to do and the intensity required will depend on your current fitness level, though as a general guideline you should have 4-6 training sessions per week directed towards increasing aerobic fitness and your beep test score. The sessions could include the following:
- some long slow running - between 3-10 kms or 2-6 miles.
- 1 mile/kilometer runs x 3-5
- circuit training - incorporating whole body activities (running, cycle, stepper), body weight exercises and lifting weights.
- interval or fartlek training - repeat 400-800m runs with a short rest or jogging in between.
- repeat sprints (e.g. 10 x 200m)
These are just suggestions of different training sessions you can include. The key is to do a variety of distances and intensities to best stimulate the aerobic system, making sure that you are working at a high intensity so adaptation takes place. Make sure you have a least 1-2 days of full rest each week to avoid burn out and aid recovery.
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Gender & Age (yrs)
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Excellent
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Good
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Average
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Fair
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Poor
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|
Males 14-16
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12/7
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11/2
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8/9
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7/1
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<6/6
|
|
Females 14-16
|
10/9
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9/1
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6/7
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5/1
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<4/7
|
|
Males 17-20
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12/12
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11/6
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9/2
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7/6
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<7/3
|
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Females 17-20
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10/11
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9/3
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6/8
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5/2
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<4/9
|
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Males 21- 30
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12/12
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11/7
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9/3
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7/8
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<7/5
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Females 21-30
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10/8
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9/2
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6/6
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5/1
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<4/9
|
|
Males 31-40
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11/7
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10/4
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6/10
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6/7
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<6/4
|
|
Females 31-40
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10/4
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8/7
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6/3
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4/6
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<4/5
|
|
Males 41-50
|
10/4
|
9/4
|
6/9
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5/9
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<5/2
|
|
Females 41-50
|
9/9
|
7/2
|
5/7
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4/2
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<4/1
|
Bleep test and Rugby Union
- USA Rugby Sevens Coach Al Caravelli said that this is the first team he has ever taken where everyone scored over Level 13 (from Ultimate Rugby 7s website, May 2010)
- A new player in the USA Rugby Sevens squad, former Missouri football star Tommy Saunders, was the fittest player at camp. Saunders registered an impressive 14 on the beep test (from the bleacher report, March 2010)
- An article by US Sevens player Dallen Stanford lists the minimum requirement set by the Coach Al Caravelli as Level 13, with many players going well above Level 14 and occasionally Level 15. The highest he had ever witnessed was Andrew McNaughton who ran around 16.4. (from Ultimate Rugby 7s website, 29 Sept 2009)
- In a recent fitness test, the fitness coach of the Flying Fijians, Nacanieli Cawanibuka, set the beep test standard for the tight forwards at Level 12, while the standard for the loosies and the backs was at Level 13. No one reached the standards! Tailevu fullback Iliesa Keresoni was the first to drop out at Level 8.3, while at the other end of the scale Roko and Boko managed Level 11.8, Burotu Level 11.10, and the highest score was by Namosi second five eight Racika who fell just short of the Level 13 mark at Level 12.6 (reported in the Fiji Times Online, September 12, 2009).
- Coach Al Caravelli said that players looking for selection in the US Rugby team should have at least a 13 in the beep test (reported on rugbyenews.com, 'How Club 7s Guys Can Make the Eagles', Aug 2009).
- South African rugby player, Cheetahs' veteran lock Barend Pieterse, runs a 13-plus bleep test (iol website, Jul 08)
- In 1999 the average Beep test for the Australian referees on the National Referee Panel was 11.2. This increased to level 11.11 in 2001 and 12.7 in 2004. The International Rugby Board (IRB) now have a minimum required level for their referees of 12.5 (reported in article from juniors.rugby.com.au, 2004 report).
- The Indian rugby sevens team achieved an average of between level 12 and 14 after some pre-season training focusing on fitness (India Times website, Dec 07)
- The Springboks in 2007 expected scores for the beep test range from 11.5 for the props up to 13.5 for the backs (conducted on grass).
- English rugby legend Martin Johnson said in an interview that he was able to achieve around 14 during his playing days (EuroSport Website, Oct 2007).
- NSW (Australia) Under 17 rugby union squad are required to reach at least level 10.8 (Tamworth Leader, retrieved Aug 07).
- Graeme Bachop, All Black scrum half, apparently did a level 19 in the early 90's.
- Most professional rugby flankers score in the 12 to 13 range, while props score around level 10. Jonah Lomu, the awesome 260 lb winger from the New Zealand All Blacks, has a best of only level 10 explaining why he is a winger and not a number 8.
- Fiji's Kini Qereqeretabua's effort in the beep test of 17.1 is very impressive, especially considering that he is 103kg. Team-mate Netani Suka recorded 16.7 (Jan 2007).
- English Union players Steve Backley and Neil Back were hitting level 16 (personal report, 2002). Flanker Neil Back is sometimes reported as having completed to the test.
Agility is an important component of many team sports, though it is not always tested, and is often difficult to interpret results. The Illinois Agility Test (Getchell, 1979) is a commonly used test of agility in sports, and as such there are many norms available.
· purpose: to test running agility
· procedure: The length of the course is 10 meters and the width (distance between the start and finish points) is 5 meters. Four cones are used to mark the start, finish and the two turning points. Another four cones are placed down the center an equal distance apart. Each cone in the center is spaced 3.3 meters apart. Subjects should lie on their front (head to the start line) and hands by their shoulders. On the 'Go' command the stopwatch is started, and the athlete gets up as quickly as possible and runs around the course in the direction indicated, without knocking the cones over, to the finish line, at which the timing is stopped
Agility Run Ratings (seconds)
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Rating
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Males
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Females
|
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Excellent
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< 15.2
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< 17.0
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Good
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16.1-15.2
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17.9-17.0
|
|
Average
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18.1-16.2
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21.7-18.0
|
|
Fair
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18.3-18.2
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23.0-21.8
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|
poor
|
> 18.3
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> 23.0
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RFU.com 
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