By Wm A. Sands, Ph.D. Modern training theory indicates that there are at least a dozen models of athlete preparation with regard to volume and intensity. These models attempt to outline and describe the implementation of training loads so that the athlete is trained optimally. Volume is a factor related to how much the athlete does. Volume is similar to the mileage of a runner, or the sets and repetitions performed by a weight lifter. In gymnastics volume is typically described as the number of skills performed.
Intensity is the variable that indicates how hard the athlete is working.
Intensity in gymnastics is described as the difficulty of the skills performed or the number of elements performed per minute. Although there are many ways that an athlete s training load can be administered, increasing volume and intensity simultaneously is probably not a smart way to prescribe training. However, this method applies only to athletes of middle and lower level qualifications. For elite athletes, there is a serious problem in the large swings in fitness that are used in the approach outlined in Figure 1. This has been shown to result in a higher injury rate, probably due to the large swings in fitness.