Hi Guys,
Just wondering what your thoughts are on Gaelic Football training. I was watching the Sunday game a few weeks ago where Pat Spillane argued that the best form of training is a match. They also spoke about research done by Cathal Cregg which indicates shorter high intensity sessions are better than 90 minute to 2 hour sessions.
In our club we do a mixture of drills including speed and agility work to start (after warm up. We then usually do some drills focusing on a particular skill. We usually have a match that involves a number of restrictions (i.e fisted points- one play). To finish we do some stamina work and a cool down with stretching. In total our session lasts 90 mins approx.
Is this similar for other clubs or has anyone got suggestions on how training can be improved?

messi (Mayo) - Posts: 62 - 12/07/2013 09:22:18    1429539

Big improvement on the previous culture of running 20 laps of the pitch in a training session which was useful if you wanted to create long distance cross country runners but next to useless to a GAA player.

ExiledinDublin (Mayo) - Posts: 131 - 12/07/2013 10:13:03    1429578

This is almost 10 years old but Pat Flanagans training method of short sharp sessions were a major factor in Kerry's AI wins

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/fitness-guru-flanagan-holds-key-to-kingdom-25889692.html

Superglue (Kerry) - Posts: 1283 - 12/07/2013 11:36:50    1429653

In a 70 minute game, the ball is 'alive' only about 45-50 minutes. Break that down and your talking about 20-25 munutes per half. Mentally speaking, it's a lot easier to cope with that. Break that down furthermore into sprints made during that period, perhaps 1 a minute, you can see why Donegal place a lot of emphasis on 100/200m sprints and times. If you adapt that to the club player who plays 60 minutes combining that with some sports specific S+C you won't be far away with a fairly basic training template if it is pure fitness your after. It won't help you put the ball over the bar, but there is no better feeling than knowing your physically better than your marker.

GetOverTheBar (Tyrone) - Posts: 1388 - 12/07/2013 12:06:01    1429694

No no, laps, laps, and more laps. That'll get them fit ;) Ball work will look after itself.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 12/07/2013 12:56:10    1429769

Your training session appears to be well planned, my feeling is the pendulum has swung far to the right with regard to HIIT and speed, both very important components but every team must have a work capacity built up during the season to allow them get through a match and in addition train their body to recover using the aerobic system. HIIT and Speed can be very taxing on the body hence a team will be far more open to injury if this training is implemented all year and progression can stagnant if the body is not been overloaded. There is a time and place for all types of training but the key is planning.

Nelson (Leitrim) - Posts: 142 - 12/07/2013 13:52:14    1429838

Thanks for help Superglue; interesting article. I was also wondering what ye thought of the idea of players doing upper body weights during the season? Our current schedule is Training on pitch two days, Gym two days, Two recovery days and a match Day?

messi (Mayo) - Posts: 62 - 12/07/2013 14:33:02    1429897

Messi,
Are you from Ballaghdereen?

Bosco (Carlow) - Posts: 664 - 12/07/2013 15:25:24    1429964

messi
County: Mayo
Posts: 24

1429897
Thanks for help Superglue; interesting article. I was also wondering what ye thought of the idea of players doing upper body weights during the season? Our current schedule is Training on pitch two days, Gym two days, Two recovery days and a match Day?

I think most of the weights should be done during the winter/early season. This time of the year any weights sessions should be light enough as muscle memory will keep you ticking over. I think the importance of proper rest is still undervalued. Some lads think if they're not on the field they should be in the gym.

Superglue (Kerry) - Posts: 1283 - 12/07/2013 15:44:20    1429979

Nelson - "my feeling is the pendulum has swung far to the right with regard to HIIT and speed..."
"train their body to recover using the aerobic system. HIIT and Speed can be very taxing on the body hence a team will be far more open to injury if this training is implemented all year"
Is this opinion informed by any research or empirical studies or expertise in the field

"progression can stagnant if the body is not been overloaded"
What does this sentence mean?

Point being - Pat Flanagan is an expert in the field with tens of years of experience and you feel his philosophy is wrong. What is your reasoning for this and more importantly is it based on any research?

wicklu (Wicklow) - Posts: 331 - 12/07/2013 15:56:52    1430001

gymwork needs to continued during the season
the body can atrophy in 10 days (lose muscle mass)

valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1903 - 12/07/2013 16:01:51    1430006

Research and experience.

I was all about HIIT and SSG but I was at a conference and got talking to a presenter after the conference who was reknowned in the world of fitness, speed and power and also part of the German Soccer National background team. I asked him if I was corrected in my approach and asked should I bring in some pure aerobic work, he said in his German accent "of course, the match last 90mins, you must work this system".
Don't get me wrong, HIIT is all good and Speed is all good but not all the time. Your body needs overload to progress, you will max out these systems after 6 weeks, after that what do you do? Also SSG's, there great but what about your lazy players or players who are technically not good enough for them and break things down, you are losing intensity, at least you are guaranteed good quality work if players are ran.

Finally, just to qualify myself, I am not saying what I do is 100 per cent correct. But my approach is my approach and I plan for the year with a focus of energy systems.. Somebody else will say I am totally wrong but I guarantee you one thing there will be people saying that he/she is wrong. There is no absolute right or wrong way, everything has its place

Nelson (Leitrim) - Posts: 142 - 12/07/2013 21:24:14    1430228

Nelson, I'd have a major problem with one of your points: you mention that the less technically gifted players aren't able to keep up the intensity in SSG, but you solution, if I understand you correctly, is to put them doing stamina runs? That's one certain way of ensuring that their technical skills don't improve. Surely a key job of any coach is to improve players' technical and tactical ability so that their game performance will improve? My suggestion is that they must be engaged in ballwork for the vast majority, if not all of the session. Their ability to perform the game skills to a high intensity will improve as their ball skills improve.

football first (None) - Posts: 1259 - 12/07/2013 21:43:45    1430239

Hi Bosco. Where have you been this last year. I've missed you.

Culann (Dublin) - Posts: 2306 - 13/07/2013 08:09:19    1430248

Lads, excuse the ignorance. I have just read the thread properly and am genuinely interested in it. What are HILT and SSG? I have no coaching ecxperience but intend on getting some in the future.

Culann (Dublin) - Posts: 2306 - 13/07/2013 08:14:32    1430249

Have provincial champions taken a different approach to training in recent years? They seem to be responding better to the gap between provincial final and all-ireland quarter-final.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8766 - 13/07/2013 08:50:58    1430253

Training is over rated.

Midlu1 (Louth) - Posts: 790 - 13/07/2013 09:50:26    1430272

Yeah your right and skills will be a big part and listen I'm all about using the football too, my point is this, if you are using Small Sided Games as your sole way of getting fit, they are not enough!
If you are using HIIT + SSG as the sole way to get to train your team, your runing the risk of a large injury list. You need a mix and it's too simplistic to ignore your aerobic system, players hate working it, guess why cause its tough! A strong aerobic system is of massive benefit when it comes to recovery from more taxing training later on in the year.

Nelson (Leitrim) - Posts: 142 - 13/07/2013 14:21:28    1430383