The coronavirus is having a tremendous influence on the lives of millions of people across the world. The capacity of hospitals is put to the test, schools are being closed and people are advised to stay at home as much as possible. Next to these influences on the way of living, the crisis also has an impact on sports teams. Competitions have been stopped and training accommodations are closed. And even though staying healthy is the most important issue for all people around the world, athletes also need to stay fit in these circumstances. But how do you handle this situation as a coach? Do you provide your team with an individual training program? And if so, what type of training program do you give them? In this blog, we will provide guidelines on how to keep players as fit as possible during the corona crisis.
High-intensity interval training
One of the ways to do this is via High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This means that the players perform short periods of intense exercises, interspersed with periods of rest. For team sports, performing the following exercise twice a week should maintain the endurance capacity of the players: 4×4 min running at 16-18km/h (i.e. at 90% of the maximal heart rate, where player cover around 1,2km per 4 minutes), interspersed with 3 minutes recovery. But, this exercise is only possible if players are allowed to go outside or if they have access to a treadmill. If this is not the case, players can also perform other exercises that focus on endurance. Tabata workouts (performing short periods of different strength and endurance exercises for 20 seconds, with 10-second recovery in between) are a good alternative in these cases.
Hiit training
Volume: 4x4min
Intensity: At 16-18km/h
Rest: 3 minutes rest between repetitions
Muscular strenght and power
Muscular strength training
Weekly program during the corona crisis
Johan’s tip of the week
Do you have any questions about designing a training program for your team in times of the corona crisis? Do not hesitate to contact the sports scientists of JOHAN!