You can read this, if you promise not to laugh too loudly at the second example. Whether the second example works at all is debatable, and if it works, it results will be at the least four times slower than when done properly.

This weekend, I had the pleasure to see professionals train (a national squad) and two fields away a comparison with the worst possible example of what appeared to be an extended conditioning session. (And it was a true displeasure observing that.)

The first example:
The Springbok Sevens squad had a training session in preparation for the World Cup. The session was short, intense and to the point. The players did a proper warm-up that included the dynamic stretching, after that a they had a skills related “game” as part of the warm-up and then they focused on a number of practical aspects by “playing the game of sevens”. The support staff (conditioning coach and physiotherapist) limited the actual training session to 20 minutes.

The second example:
A few fields away another squad was training, and this is where those who know something about scientific training methods should try not to laugh!

The session probably started with a normal warm-up (I wasn’t there to see the start). After that the team did a full hour cardio session, with various intensities, supposedly… At the end of the session, from my vantage point, I could clearly see the players, fatigued and losing form in an extreme manner slouched over and struggling to complete it. Now in a normal sane world, that would signal the end of the training session, but that did not happen. Now that the form was gone, some “genius” decided the players should now continue under loads. The had to run with weighted bags (it looked like that) on one side, further compromising form. Players “ran” slouched over, bent backs and bodies twisted to the side under these eccentric loads. Now I am not the most religious person on the planet, but it will only be the mercy of God that will prevent injuries from occurring (although two players have already been excluded from the Springbok squad due to injuries. And that excludes four of the injuries caused to other players in the lead-up to a tournament in France)…

But that is still not all. After the eccentrically loaded extended part of the training, the session continued on and on and on…. and on…

Discussion:
It would serve these trainers well if they just go have a look at what marathons do to a persons body. The fact that you get large amounts of mucle damage from unladen runs for extended periods of time. After a half-marathon (race) or marathon, it is wise to train very light or not train at all for a week, before returning to your normal training regime (with a reverse taper – 2 weeks). In a case like the comrades marathon (90km), it is suggested that it takes up to eight weeks for the body to recover fully. And all of this is with proper nutrition and nutritional supplements.

This indicates the following: After a “marathon session” the body will need to recover from damage. Damage that is identified by the presence of creatine kinase and myoglobin, due to the inflamation in the muscles. After the initial healing, training intensity is then brough back to the pre-marathon level over another 2 weeks. That means that it will take about three weeks to get back to the level you were before you line-up to be messed around. So the “marathon session” yields a zero gain in three weeks. Again, one needs to take into account that this would only be achieved with proper nutrition and supplements. (And I shudder to think what other sessions they might be subjected to in the meantime – Little wonder that there was 5 condition related injuries in 3 weeks!)

The sad part for me, is that after the 15s season, I will get back a huge amount of players who were damaged with poor training, poor form and mediocre intensities. The players would have lost pace (extreme). Based on what I have already seen from the tournament in France where some of these players took part in…

I will have to try to get them back into shape in a month or two to be able to compete at a level close to what they were at last year. I also know for a fact, that due to the damage caused, they will never reach that level (from last year) in the time we have available.

At this moment in time, I am disappointed, disgusted, as I have no idea of how I will be able to compromise for the damage that has already been done!