Justification

Exercise selection

The core and assistance exercises have been selected due to their effectiveness of targeting our athlete’s requirements.

Examples include implementing power cleans and back squats due to the ability to increase vertical height jumps, which is specific to our athlete’s sport  (Yessis, 2003; Chelly et al, 2009; Sato et al, 2012). Bench press and military press are also effective exercises to increase upper body strength which is a secondary goal of our athlete (Waxman, 2007b; Coleman, 2004).

Basketball action specific exercises such as wall ball press and skull crushers were implemented to increase power of passing and shooting. In order to increase his main goal of muscular endurance, as well as target upper body strength and power, research has shown these exercises are proven to more than adequate.  (Pincivero, Gandhi, Timmons & Coelho, 2006; Abernethy & Jurimae, 1996; Heaner, 2004).

A stronger and more stable lumbopelvic-hip complex may contribute to higher rotational velocity in multisegmental movements, hence there is a need for it. Core stability training has been shown to significantly increase maximal throwing velocity (Saeterbakken, van den Tillaar & Seiler, 2011).Side bridges are used to test muscle endurance of the core as it has excellent reliability although this is an isometric contraction (Okada, Huxel & Nesser, 2011). Jeffreys (2002) suggests that although core exercises should start isometrically they should progress to dynamic, hence why the exercise incorporated movement. The Kettlebell figure of 8’s were incorporated into the program as they mimic, to a degree, a basketball dribbling movement. Although this exercise works the lower legs they also focus on the core stabilisers (Cumps, Verhagen & Meeusen, 2007).

Prehabilitaion exercises have reportedly shown a significant reduction in ankles sprains in basketball players, improving neuromuscular performance in tests for proprioception and postural sway and additionally strengthening the musculature around the ankle (Eils, Schröter, Schröder, Gerss & Rosenbaum, 2010). Moreover, one study discovered a reduction plantarflexion (PF) angle at initial contact when landing from a jump (O’Driscoll, Kerin & Delahunt, 2011).  Indicating a decrease in PF and inversion injuries at the ankle.

Static stretching has been reported to significantly increased the flexibility of the overall MTU (Nakamura, Ikezoe, Takeno & Ichihashi, 2012). However, some argue increased ROM is due to a modification in stretch tolerance (Weppler & Magnusson, 2010). In addition, dynamic stretching significantly improves static range of motion (ROM) compared to no stretching and increased vertical jump height and countermovement jump height in comparison to no stretching and static stretching (Behm et al., 2011).

Training Frequency

As the athlete is national level and been undertaking a resistance program for two years a training frequency of 5 times a week was issued. The Off-season guidelines are between 4-6 sessions per week (Baechle & Earle, 2008). The exercise program will utilise the split routine approach, focusing on a specific muscle group each day, e.g. upper body, lower body. According to Michaels (2010), split routines are the most efficient tool for strength, hypertrophy and muscular endurance. This is consolidated by Stoppani, Peña & Velazquez (2007) who advocates the benefits of working on the same muscle groups within the same session.

Exercise order

Power exercises will be incorporated at the beginning of the session to utilise maximum energy levels needed to perform the exercise with maximum intensity due to the extensive muscular involvement. Compound movements will then be utilised before isolated movements to ensure the larger muscle groups are not impacted by isolation exercises. This will ensure that Adenosine Triphosphate stores are utilised for the strength components of the session and not wasted on the finer movements. Examples of this include completing bench press before chest flies (Simao, 2012).

The reason for using Super-sets was so that whilst the targeted muscle group is being utilised, the antagonising muscle is at rest, allowing full sets of opposing muscle groups to be completed with minimal rest due to adequate resting time. This results in better performance for the proceeding set. Krieger (2010), indicates that multiple sets is more effective then completing single sets of an exercise, with results showing 40% increased gains compared to single sets.

Load and repetitions

The load has been implemented based on referred knowledge of subjective norms of a 20 year old, national level, male basketball player. In order to target our athlete’s main off season goal of “muscular endurance”, load prescription was given at an intensity of ≤ 65% of 1RM for a minimum of 12 repetitions (Baechle & Earle, 2008).

Volume

According to Feigenbaum & Pollock (1999), prescribing between 8-10 exercises for each workout session is most efficient in maintaining a client’s motivation, attention and at producing effective results. Therefore, we aimed to incorporate a number around 5 core/assistance exercises and 2 exercises from each of the other groups, resulting in an average of 10 exercises each session. Due to our athlete’s substantial history of training this volume will adequately enable him to produce results without hindering performance or put him at risk of overtraining.

Periodisation and Peaking

The general guidelines for an effective taper are a 2 to 3 week period incorporating a 40–60% reduction in training volume following a progressive non-linear format, maintaining training intensity, and approximately a 20% decrease in training frequency. If managed successfully with the reduction in residual fatigue, an enhancement of power output, and other beneficial physiological and psychological changes, athletes should typically expect a 2–3% improvement in performance (Pyne, Mujika & Reilly, 2009). These statistics however do not take into account prolonged seasonal competition. Two weeks of tapering were issued before the start of the national competition and the same after it was over. During the season most games were played weekly however every so often mid-week games took place. In order to counter this, the program was tapered during these weeks. Mesocycles are usually split into a 3:1 loading paradigm, whereby load gradually increases for the first 3 microcycles before an unloading phase in the fourth week.

Rest and Unloading weeks

The unloading phase reduces fatigue, thereby allowing adaptations to take place (Turner, 2011). This was chosen as it fits into the seasonal schedule better and every few weeks two games are scheduled during one week. The unloading phase is set out to coincide with these weeks. An effective taper of even 1-2% is said to make a substantial difference to competitive performances in many sports, hence the need for it (Pyne et al., 2009). As the overall goal was to increase the athlete’s muscular endurance 30 seconds rest was given between sets (Baeche & Earle, 2008). Rest periods between exercises should also be 30 seconds for core stability according to Willardson (2007).