Joe Shaw:
THE PROGRAM
Each week we'll be presenting another part of Joe's revolutionary coaching programme, that helped guide David Palmer and John White to the top of the game.

The Program is applicable to all sports, and represents an invaluable resource for any coaches who have the foresight, the inspiration, and the commitment to make it work for them.

 

The full program,
as originally published,
is available on the
Coaching section of
David Palmer's website.
www.davidpalmer.be

 

 

Week Seventeen:
 

Resting Pulse Rate

David Palmer had a resting pulse rate of 57 when he began the program.  It is now 37 on a regular daily basis, it has been down to 35 and varies at 36&37.  It is absolutely compulsory for him to take that pulse rate every morning immediately that he wakes, and records it in his Diary.

I cannot stress the importance of this measurement strongly enough. The RPR is an indicator and a barometer that informs you of problems before they occur. If his RPR rises from 37 to 40 overnight then there has to be a reason. David assesses what he did yesterday, how he feels, tired or whatever, what he ate, and establishes a reason. If he cannot, then he monitors the RPR the next morning and it has risen to 42.  He immediately stops training because he has an illness about to commence, or it has by now commenced, and he requires medication or rest.

It may be that he is overtraining, and the warning signs have been given. You can bounce back from exhaustion in 2/3 days but overtraining is a state of prolonged fatigue and can destroy your athlete. One AIS pupil ran 400 meters in 75 seconds, 30 times in the morning, considering that essential to his fitness. He finished with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and  in my opinion these runs did not help him at all.

Overtraining may be defined as a state of prolonged fatigue caused primarily by excessive training and characterised by decrements or stagnancy in performance despite continuous training (Costill 1986 & Kuipers and Keizer 1988). Overtraining is the result of short term balance between stress and how your body adapts to it ( Michael Yessis  Ph D .Sports Medicine )

When David returns home to Lithgow, he has a complete rest from Racket work, and gets variety and rest as required. He will commence to do 800 meters in 3 minutes, building up to 6400 meters in 24 minutes. (Each 600 meters is completed in 2 minutes and the next 200 meters in 1 minute making 800 meters in 3 minutes.  8 times 800 = 6400 in 24 minutes).  He cycles around the hills, and uses water therapy,  massages and swims to retain his fitness levels. His RPR will go out to 40, well within his capacity to get it down with ease when required.

Everything that he does is based on Measurement and Evaluation. When he is running the distance and the times are recorded, and compared. When he is training or playing a match, it is recorded,  analyzed and evaluated. This is vital to improving your game.

IF YOU CAN'T MEASURE IT - YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT

IF YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT - YOU CAN'T CONTROL IT

IF YOU CAN'T CONTROL IT - YOU CAN'T IMPROVE IT


 

"THE FIFTY REQUIREMENTS
OF SQUASH"

Psychological Profiling
of the four key areas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statistics are like Bikinis ... What they reveal is exciting , but what they conceal is vital.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coming in week 17:
Resting Pulse Rate ...