What’s in our new training block for the Defy Youth program?
Entering a new training plan often comes with a great deal of question marks, and in order to have a successful experience from a participants perspective we want to address as many of these as we can in order for everyone to be prepared to perform at their best. As such, the goal of this article is to break down what to expect from a Defy Youth training session.
What is it composed of?
Every single workout of our program is geared towards a specific goal. Developing physical capability for power output, overall strength, endurance or speed. A such, each individual session will vary slightly in regards to the actual movement patterns used, as each of these goals requires a different strategy to be properly addressed. However, it is safe to say that the general components of the day will be fairly similar.
As an overview, any good training session should begin with a task specific warm up. What we mean by task specific is that if the workout includes primarily lower body movements, for example, we will do an unloaded large range of motion work on the hips, knees and ankles and then faster paced movements in order to activate the proper potentiation for the subsequent exercises. This will be paired with stabilization exercises to help with controlling where force and load is transferred through the limbs.
From there we continue into the main portion of the workout, which includes either cross modality skill based movements geared towards increasing overall athleticism and body awareness, strength in a focused region of the body, developing higher capacity in an energy system or a combination of all three.
What equipment is used?
We have a wide variety of equipment available in our facility, and the most often used in our Youth Program will be dependant on the goal of the session. The majority of the time, particularly in movement preparation segments of both training phases and individual sessions, Bodyweight is the best and most useful thing to use. Air squats, push ups, lunges, leg raises and various Jumps are all extremely useful and fundamental that must be mastered in order to be completed with a high degree of competency.
From here, once competency and technique have been solidified and a certain amount of strength has been established, we add in Bars, Benches, Boxes, Jump Ropes, Hanging Rings, Hurdles, Resistance Bands and Cones. These items are applied to various movement patterns in order to add a larger or new range of motion to all of the Bodyweight components without increasing the overall load on the body. However, with the addition of new tempos and directions of movements, we are still able to have an increase in overall difficulty.
For a more conditioning focused session, we will also occasionally use Ski, Row, and Bike ERG Machines. These allow for a low impact sustained effort with scalable resistance. So as work capacity and power output increases, we can add in appropriately levelled goals, timed intervals and long form steady state working sessions.
Finally, after the correct preparation movements and competency has been established, we can add load using a variety of free weights. Dumbbells, Kettlebells, Barbells, Medicine Balls, and Sandbags of a vast range of weights are all tools we can add in certain movement patterns in order to properly challenge the body. Once we have the appropriate cue to the system from the correct tool, adaptation and progress can occur.
What do you need to have?
The only things any participant in our youth program needs to bring are comfortable clothes they are able to move in, indoor shoes with good traction, a water bottle to stay hydrated, and a focused and positive attitude. They can expect to find a welcoming and friendly environment in which they can experiment with these movements and get better at life.
We provide the space and equipment needed, the attentive and expert coaching, and the cohesive and comprehensive programs that will lead to a great deal of success for all youth looking to level up their fitness and develop their physical health and well being.
Article by Neil Babcock – Youth Program Director
