Tapering for FInals
Let's talk about preparing for finals and big events.
Spring is coming, which means 3 things.
Warmer weather is close by
The Magpies will start swopping
The best time of year is upon us, FINALS!!
So you’ve put in the hard work since November last year with a big off-season. Your strong off-season leads to a very strong pre-season. After the strong pre-season, you're feeling the best you’ve ever felt and that’s transitioned into a fantastic season. However, it’s coming to the end of the season. Your body is sore because you’ve played the most games you’ve ever played but you need to be at your best for the finals!!
This is where you need to have a plan in place to make sure you're getting the most out of yourself and this plan should be making sure your peaking for the finals and your tapering your training.
Peaking and Tapering are both about getting your body and mind in the best possible position to be at your best when it matters the most. This may be the finals for your sport or an event you’ve been training for (Marathon). You want to be making sure your giving yourself the best possible chance to perform when it matters.
August and September are not the months when you are trying to improve your conditioning levels by doing that extra running block before training or hitting the gym to build that last bit of strength to help you against a bigger opponent. That’s the stuff that gets done in the off-season or the pre-season, if you want to do that then your better off waiting 2 - 3 months and doing it once your season is finished.
August and September are the months when you're focusing on decreasing your training volume but keeping your intensity high.
In the gym, this would look like doing less total reps, sets, and range of motion but keeping the weight high. For example, if you’ve been completing 4 sets of 6 reps of a full range of motion back squat, then you can alter that to 3 sets of 6 reps of a box squat. This means you’ve not only decreased your total volume by completing 1 less set but you’ve also decreased the range of motion by only going down to the box. Not only have you allowed for less total stress through the body but you will be able to have a higher output (Weight) throughout the movement, this along with plenty of rest will have your nervous system firing ready to go.
When you're out on the field it will be beneficial to decrease the total km’s your completing per session but keep the intensity high. This may mean you take out those longer cone-to-cone drills or decrease the length of your drills. As I mentioned above it is not the time to improve your conditioning, it is time for you to look after your body and get all the little niggles sorted.
The last thing is to maximise your recovery and look after your body. We want to be decreasing as much stress placed on your body as possible. Make sure you're getting quality sleep, 7-9 hours minimum, drinking plenty of water, 2-3L, and eating a nutritious diet. Outside of these 3 key pillars do what makes you feel good, if that means jumping in an ice bath, sitting in a pair of compression boots, completing some light aerobic work (a walk for example), or even just getting off your legs and watching a movie. If your hitting the 3 main recovery pillars then everything else is just the icing on top and there to make you feel the best you possibly can.
So if you’ve had a great off-season, which has led to a strong pre-season. We know you’ve had a strong season, so prepare yourself for a great end of the year and get ready for the finals. Start off by slightly decreasing the total volume of your sessions, in the gym and on the field. Then slam that recovery, have the 3 key recovery pillars at the centre of each day, and then layer the extra stuff on top.
If you implement these things into your training then you will be firing for the finals.
