Training

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Western Sprint Academy

Training Programme – “Making the difference.”

The Western Sprint Academy enjoys a variety of training programmes. The following outlines some of the many interesting training regimes we regularly complete. The program remains fun and interesting to keep athletes in their best shape, physically and mentally.

Many WSA programmes were designed so any one can participate.

Such programs are designed to promote high self-esteem, physical strength and a strong mental edge. The Academy prides itself on self motivation, and many athletes have been pushed further than they thought possible only to see positive results in the pool.

60 in 60

A workout primarily based in the gym consisting of 60 sets in 60 minutes. An set consists of 8/10 reps of a certain exercise like a bench press or a bicep curl. You can repeat an exercise but not more than 3 times. A variety of exercises is essential to ensure a full body workout. The program is designed as a race against the clock and the weight lifted should be at a sustainable level. If you finish the 60 exercises in less than the 60 minutes you should be stepping up the average weight for next time you do the set. If you have less time to work with, the set can be changed to a 45 in 45 or a 30 in 30 but remember if you are working in the smaller time bracket you should be increasing the average weight you are lifting. If you haven’t worked up a sweat by the end of it, you’ve either got sweat problems or haven’t pushed yourself hard enough and ill guarantee it’s the later of the two!

Whole Pool Workout

A workout in the pool involves a series of exercises both in and out of the water. In an 8 lane 50m pool you have stations set up at both ends of the pool consisting of short exercises like 20 push ups, 30 seconds vertical kicking, 20 sit ups or 10 dips.

A station is situated at the end of the pool, alternating from one end to the other in each lane. Beginning at lane 1, sprint to the end where you complete station one. Sprint back down lane 2 to complete the second station, and so it continues.

The set is a full 30-minute workout were you work through the different stations until the 30 minutes is up. When you have finished one cycle of the of pool, keep going until time is up. It’s easy to complete the workout at a steady pace but remember it’s up to you to step up and make the difference.

Car Pulls

Exactly what the name suggests - we pull cars. There are 3 parts to car pulls: sprint, distance and acceleration. The distance is a pull over 150 meters maintaining a constant speed. The sprint is half the length of the distance pull and is done at best possible speed for time. The acceleration phase is a pull 15 to 20 meters long where you're trying to get the car from stationary to top speed in the fastest time. Car pulls are a more advance part of the WSA’s training programme that requires special attention and shouldn’t be performed without the experience of a senior WSA member present.

Jacobs Ladder

Jacob’s ladder is a huge set of stairs beginning at Mounts Bay road working its way to the top of Kings Park. The steps are very steep and people work up a sweat just walking them – that’s why we like to sprint up and down. We frequently perform a set of running the stairs 8 to 10 times; Up and down being counted as 1. It’s not a continuous sprint; there are breaks so you can keep up the intensity. The set works well if there is a large group making relay teams of 2 changing over at the bottom for the entire set. Having the 2-man teams racing against each other allows for healthy competition, which keeps the intensity high and makes the set more enjoyable for all.

Boxing

Boxing involves various sets using focus mitts and boxing gloves. Sets will comprise of hooks, uppercuts, jabs, crosses and so on all in different combinations. The sets change with every session but all have a similar structure. Each set will be broken in to parts where we have a 100 punch combo done 5 times with sit-ups, push-ups and dips and even little runs in between. This is a very good cardio workout, which will make you sweat so make sure you keep up your fluids.

Dunes

Dunes is one of our speciality sets where it’s up to you on how hard you go. The set is as simple as 8 to 10 sprints up a dune, which may seem easy enough but if done at high intensity, will become very challenging. The sets takes 45mins to an hour to complete so there is plenty of rest so each sprint can be done at maximum speed. Mid way through the runs Fatigue will set in when your lungs are burning, you want heave and your legs won’t stop shaking but it is here where you have to push harder. If you give up here you can’t expect to reap the rewards.

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing is on the more enjoyable and interesting side of the WSA training programme. Although usual people would consider rock climbing as part of a fun day out, we like to include it in our programme because there are specific strength-related benefits that co-inside with our training. Those that have been rock-climbing before know how physically demanding it is and fatigue can occur quite easily. We like to a have a series of sprint races up the wall against each other using less difficult grips working on speed more so then strength. For strength choosing a more difficult route can have many benefits. Here it’s not about how fast you get up but about making it to the top where in some cases it’s not possible.

* The above mentioned programs are designed and practiced by professional athletes and you should not attempt to recreate any or parts of the program without professional supervision. Before entering into any fitness program it is recommended that you consult with your local physician.