When you head to a training session either at the gym, track, field, pitch, court, hall or pool what do you put in your kit bag? Do you plan what you take? Is it packed in advance?
Over many years working with many different athletes the ones who prepare the best before sessions are often the ones that have the best quality sessions.
The training transfer then speaks for itself! Here are our top tips for what to consider putting in you kit bag, split in to 4 different parts:
Part 1 = Fuel
-Hydrate: Water and/or some form of homemade sports drink (water, organic squash with a pinch of salt). If you’re not properly hydrated then the road ahead will be tough!
-Pre: Subject to specific diets, allergies and intolerances eat high carbohydrate-low protein snacks before training such as a banana, wholegrain toast with organic fruit preserve or wholegrain bagel with organic peanut butter
-Post: Again, subject to specific diets, allergies and intolerances, eat a high protein-low carbohydrate snacks such as a glass of milk, apple slices with organic almond butter or carrot sticks with organic hummus
Part 2 = Prehab
-STR tool: STR stands for Soft Tissue Release. This can be anything from a golf ball, hockey ball, tennis ball, medicine ball, stick or foam roller. Focus on the tightest areas of the body. The more muscle you can get to relax and lengthen before training the better!
-Stretch band: Using a band to stretch, particularly to stretch the lower body can add ease and intensity with relatively simple techniques.
-Mini band: Imagine a mini band as a light switch sending electricity to your muscles, the light bulbs. Simple activation exercises can fire up certain areas of the body to work more efficiently and effectively.
Part 3 = Equipment
-Footwear: Make sure it is appropriate for what you are doing. Lift weights in weightlifting shoes, run in trainers, do sport specific training in the footwear you play that sport in! Be careful of training barefoot, we’d only recommend doing this is you are a martial artist, gymnast or carrying out some sort of rehab program.
-Straps: Very useful when doing any sort of heavy pull training or technical olympic lifting derivatives. Be careful not to over rely on them and not to sacrifice your grip strength.
-Towel: No one likes to be sweated on or use equipment you have sweated on. Wipe up as you go!
Part 4 = Recording
-Training program: You have to have a plan if you want to make progress! Whatever your goal work with a specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-phased program. If you don’t you will improve at much slower rate if at all,
-Diary: Very closely related to having a training program is having a training diary. What are you going to do and when? How long are you going to do it for? When do you increase? When do you decrease? When do you rest?
-Measurable’s: There is a lot of very useful and seamless technology available today that helps you to record and organise your training with great detail. You recovery status, readiness to train and real-time progress can be tracked with multiple devices. DOn’t over rely on these but use them if they are helpful.
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