Getting psyched for sport – Mental fitness strategies for the aspiring athlete
Mental fitness plays a large part in training and performance. There will be times when an athlete makes a mistake (or consecutive mistakes), is competing against an opponent that has outperformed them in the past, or the conditions of play are not what was expected. Being mentally fit encapsulates many different areas of training and…
Agility Training: Insights from the Research
High performance athletes depend on coordination and agility to fine tune their skills and abilities on the field of play. Outside of the skills needed specifically for sport, agility is often looked at as a leading factor in determining success in a sport. Athletes need to be able to react to situations quickly, with strength…
Building training intensity with HIIT
In the past year or two, High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has seen a big surge in popularity, largely due to its versatility and its claims to higher levels of calorie burning. HIIT is a method of training that involves repeated sessions of maximum intensity exercise typically sustained for 30 seconds, followed by a rest interval…
THE SKILLS TAUGHT BY VOLLEYBALL COACHES AND THEIR RELATION TO LONG-TERM ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT
SIRC is pleased to be working together with Sport Canada to share current research on topics informing policy and promoting quality sport programming. This week we are sharing highlights of a recent article reviewing a research study on THE SKILLS TAUGHT BY VOLLEYBALL COACHES AND THEIR RELATION TO LONG-TERM ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT. Skills trained by coaches…
Plyometrics – Bridging the Gap between Speed and Strength
Plyometric training (often termed jump training or plyos) is a combination of sport-specific exercises that combine power, speed, and strength in order to enhance performance. While this type of training can work for any athlete, sports that have a lot of stopping, starting, frequent changes in direction, sprinting, and jumping will tend to see the…
Escaping the In-Between: A Rationale for Training Away from Home
Many Canadian athletes take advantage of travel to other regions and countries to experience training in different climates and/or different physical environments. For many it is an opportunity to train at different conditions and for some to escape the cold, hot, rainy or snowy weather of Canada. We asked Jason Dunkerley, Paralympic runner, to share…
Problem-solving Past a Tough Run
Spring has finally arrived and avid runners are signing up for races, lacing up their shoes, hitting the great outdoors and setting their goals. With the eagerness that comes with sunshine and warmer temperatures, having a workout where nothing seems to go right can sometimes take a bite out of your confidence. There are many…
What I Wish I Knew Then – 5 Lessons Learned from a High Performance Athlete
Sport teaches us innumerable lessons. When I reflect on my own sporting journey, I cringe at some of the mis-steps I took as a younger athlete. This is not to say that today I’m past the point of making mistakes. Some of us are slow learners after all, and even those of us with years…
You Are What You Eat- The Importance of Post-Training Nutrition
Many athletes focus on the technical and conditioning aspects of their sporting experience, yet nutrition is an equally important part of athletic success. Post-training nutrition is especially critical, as it helps the body recover and recharge. Timing is also important; studies show that food consumed within 30 minutes of exercising will have a significant effect…
Cycling basics for rookies
With the Tour de France starting up this weekend, many fans will be tuning in to watch these high performance athletes fight their way to the finish line in this notoriously grueling event. Over the coming month you will be sure to see some great moments of success and resilience as well as some spectacular…