Circuit Training for All Sports
Efficient and standard forms of training are necessary in physical education programs and competitive sports training. Circuit training has proven to be an especially effective instrument for this purpose. Introduced at the University of Leeds in the late fifties, circuit training is a systematic and controlled way of conditioning designed to improve general and specific fitness.The original concept has undergone various changes affecting all areas of physical fitness and sport. Intensive research over the past thirty years at the School of Physical Education and Sport, University of Leipzig, has resulted in the development of training methods that form the basis for the circuit training programs and their many variations described in this book. In addition, this research has (1) shown positive training effects in all trainees, regardless of age, sex, and ability and (2) confirmed the usefulness of taking heart rate measurements by trainees before and after training as a criterion of cardiovascular fitness.Circuit training is a form of training that is enjoyable, measurable, and generates immediate positive changes in all fitness components. The intensity and vigour of circuit training exercises challenge and motivate the performer, thus making conditioning fun through competition against teammates and against time.In addition to explaining the methodology and principles of circuit training, this book presents over thirty sample circuit training programs designed for general and sport-specific training. These programs can be easily modified and adapted to suit the available equipment, space, and most important, the needs of the trainees. Indeed, coaches and instructors are encouraged to develop the methods presented in this book further.