Just wondering what are people's views on modern training methods especially conditioning training. Weight training seems to be more and more a part of the modern game especially in regards to upper body strenght. Dose this sort of training take from the modern game in both codes as the game is more physical, dose it take from the likes of the little nippy fast skillful players??

Hag_and_Cheese (Tipperary) - Posts: 6103 - 23/03/2011 14:28:28    894655

Its typical GAA psyche, Weights are in at present because so and so is doing it and we all should have tight jerseys & big biceps. Armagh when they were good started this trend. See Kildare today.

When I started playing in the mid nighties Ger Loughane was all the buzz because he absolutely flogged the Clare team up & down hills and got them super fit.

Every club manager then thought he had to find a mucky hill and do the same.

What they all forgot was the Clare had a bunch of serious hurlers who's lack of a breakthrough was as much psychological as anything.

The best manager ,especially at club level ,will not take the one size fits all approach.
If he has a 33 year old full forward at who has bad knees and carries a stone extra he wont sicken him with training .
He knows in August he'll produce the goods regardless, much better than the 20 year old shaper with the six pack, long socks ,hair streaks and tape around his skinny arms.

pundit2 (Louth) - Posts: 597 - 23/03/2011 17:43:07    894931

Dead right. Training should be suited to each individual player. If you have a super fit player who is a weak striker of the ball than don't have him doing laps, have him practicing striking etc

890202 (Wexford) - Posts: 1278 - 23/03/2011 18:38:05    894979

Manager this year is had us doing the most structured training we've done in years.

We've been doing circuits since the start of January t build up core strength, along with various other fitness routines.

For Jan we were doing 3 long runs per week (starting at 5k, up to 8k by the end of it). This lays down a base layer of endurance and core fitness.
For February we moved onto fartleks, again 3 per week (3k, up to 7k). Fartleks involve varying the pace in your runs, and both maintain the core fitness/endurance, and also build up the ability for short bursts of speed.
Now we've moved onto doing sessions of 1/2 to 3/4 pace sprints over distances varying from 100m to 400m. We're currently covering about 3k of sprints in each session (with a further 2k jog as a warm-up). We've been told we're going to increase the number of sprints to cover a total of 4.5k..... it's gonna hurt.

black&white (Sligo) - Posts: 1628 - 23/03/2011 18:53:40    895004

@blackandwhite:

Sligo football has been doing very well the last few years. I wonder if it's a result of this kind of training.

WoodlawnPat (Galway) - Posts: 288 - 23/03/2011 19:40:58    895057

pundit2, I don't understand what you are saying about Kildare's training methods. Are you saying they're outdated or not?

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 23/03/2011 19:54:11    895072

black&white
County: Sligo
Posts: 1287

895004 Manager this year is had us doing the most structured training we've done in years.

We've been doing circuits since the start of January t build up core strength, along with various other fitness routines.

For Jan we were doing 3 long runs per week (starting at 5k, up to 8k by the end of it). This lays down a base layer of endurance and core fitness.
For February we moved onto fartleks, again 3 per week (3k, up to 7k). Fartleks involve varying the pace in your runs, and both maintain the core fitness/endurance, and also build up the ability for short bursts of speed.
Now we've moved onto doing sessions of 1/2 to 3/4 pace sprints over distances varying from 100m to 400m. We're currently covering about 3k of sprints in each session (with a further 2k jog as a warm-up). We've been told we're going to increase the number of sprints to cover a total of 4.5k..... it's gonna hurt.

Any sign of a ball yet?

fattimmy (Limerick) - Posts: 392 - 23/03/2011 20:28:46    895107

fattimmy
County: Limerick
Posts: 36

895107 black&white
County: Sligo
Posts: 1287

895004 Manager this year is had us doing the most structured training we've done in years.

We've been doing circuits since the start of January t build up core strength, along with various other fitness routines.

For Jan we were doing 3 long runs per week (starting at 5k, up to 8k by the end of it). This lays down a base layer of endurance and core fitness.
For February we moved onto fartleks, again 3 per week (3k, up to 7k). Fartleks involve varying the pace in your runs, and both maintain the core fitness/endurance, and also build up the ability for short bursts of speed.
Now we've moved onto doing sessions of 1/2 to 3/4 pace sprints over distances varying from 100m to 400m. We're currently covering about 3k of sprints in each session (with a further 2k jog as a warm-up). We've been told we're going to increase the number of sprints to cover a total of 4.5k..... it's gonna hurt.

Any sign of a ball yet?

Was thinking the same myself? What exactly are you training for? Sounds like training for middle distance running

Con (Louth) - Posts: 511 - 23/03/2011 21:03:48    895163

Not saying there outdated at all, but just a spin off to what Armagh did when Mc Geeney was playing a few years back.
If it works (and seems to be) who am I to knock it.
Weights etc seems to be where its at in the intercounty scene, I dont really personally like that crack but everyone to their own.

The point i was trying to make was that club players or the majority of , dont want to get involved in that type of training.
The game is football, where getting the white size 5 o neills ball over or under the crossbar is the name of the game.
Sometimes thats forgotten in the modern mumbo jumbo.
For example plenty of the modern intercounty players that have very impressive physiques but drop balls into goalkeepers hands from 20 metres!

Call me a purist, but the Gooch doesnt have a barrelled chest or big biceps bulging out of his shirt.
He is still the best player of modern times bar none.
A joy to watch, pure natural genius.

pundit2 (Louth) - Posts: 597 - 23/03/2011 21:17:43    895188

Our hurling manager has concentrated purely on hurling skills, speed of strike,, first touch etc no running whatsoever (except during the drills and matches)because most of the fella's have a decent level of fitness anyway.
Its been a joy, i enjoy going to training my hurling skills are much better and i felt much sharper.

Now that the football has started again i feel drained and im being asked to play 2 matches in a weekend for the 2nd weekend in a row, between that and work rest is just not an option.

bosch (Derry) - Posts: 873 - 24/03/2011 09:55:01    895330

No balls used during the mid-week stuff at all. We don't have lights at our pitch which is probably part of this, and those of us based in Dublin are training in the Park

Do a fair bit of ball-work at the weekend. Whatever day we've a game we'll have a training session the other day. Do some of the standard hand- and kick-passing drills to start off. Move onto shooting from different angles, with a focus on getting shot-selection right. Defenders do various drills for tracking the man, and timing the tackle (i.e. timing to get a hand/boot to the ball before it reaches the forward).
We also do drills with a focus on getting us to pass to the man on the move, instead of to the static player

black&white (Sligo) - Posts: 1628 - 24/03/2011 10:15:14    895352

Sounds good B&W i take it ye are a senior club? have ye had much success?

nacellabeaga (Offaly) - Posts: 700 - 24/03/2011 10:23:07    895363

I remember hauling a tractor tyre around a field by a rope tied around my waist. I also remember the early Saturday and Sunday morning runs through sand banks and up the side of a mountain. We were battered around the place by various crazy alternative training methods, like something out of Rocky 5! All that sort of conditioning was only attempted after the basic skills of the game were mastered.

supermac (Mayo) - Posts: 36 - 24/03/2011 10:42:53    895387

Intermediate.

Were senior for many years, but got relegated in 2008. Nearly made it back up last year, so making an even bigger push again this year to regain our spot.

black&white (Sligo) - Posts: 1628 - 24/03/2011 10:55:37    895403

It doesn't matter how many running drills you do, it doesn't matter howmany weights you lift, if the basic skills of the game are not mastered you are on a hiding to nothing. As much ball work at game pace from as early as possible will get you to a very solid base of fitness. You do need to do stamina work but I have yet, in nearly 20 years playing adult level football, ran none stop for anything more than 12-15 seconds. It is not about how much you can run but how quickly you can recover between each run. I would rather do 20 minutes staggered running than 12 minutes continuous running. By staggered I mean nothing further than 120 metres at any time with a short break between each run. And not fartlek running either. It is a great way to be a strong runner but unless you are running 30 seconds spurts then it is not game relative. 10 minutes of 20 second walk, jog, sprint is far better running than 1 minute sprint, 3 minutes jog.

RangerDanger (Armagh) - Posts: 101 - 24/03/2011 11:52:59    895439

Since Micko took over Kildare in 91, the teams representing the county have always been superbly fit. I wouldn't regard Kildares upturn in form a result of Geezer throwing weights at the boys. I think psychological training has a huge impact on teams.

Daith (Kildare) - Posts: 1172 - 24/03/2011 12:09:29    895456

The basic skills of football don't need to be mastered. Once you have fifteen fit lads who are ready to play sinically for the whole match then one can expect to be fairly successful.

890202 (Wexford) - Posts: 1278 - 24/03/2011 12:36:31    895479

890202
County: Wexford
Posts: 154

895479 The basic skills of football don't need to be mastered. Once you have fifteen fit lads who are ready to play sinically for the whole match then one can expect to be fairly successful.


Your attempt at a wind up is as good as your spelling!

RangerDanger (Armagh) - Posts: 101 - 24/03/2011 12:51:10    895488

Im not attempting to wind anyone up i am just telling it as it is. I am sorry for my poor spelling if it really upset you that much. Synically is obviously what i should have said.

890202 (Wexford) - Posts: 1278 - 24/03/2011 13:01:45    895498

890202
County: Wexford
Posts: 156

895498

Im not attempting to wind anyone up i am just telling it as it is. I am sorry for my poor spelling if it really upset you that much. Synically is obviously what i should have said.

Or how about cynically? You are wrong in any event but sure what would I know?

RangerDanger (Armagh) - Posts: 101 - 24/03/2011 14:21:21    895583