CONTINUOUS TRAINING

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Week 1 -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes.
20 minutes run 20 minutes run 20 minutes run
Aiming HR: 70% Aiming HR: 70% Aiming HR: 70%
(Aiming for (Aiming for (Aiming for
Cardiovascular Cardiovascular Cardiovascular
endurance) endurance) endurance)

Week 2 -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes.
25 minutes run 25 minutes run 25 minutes run
Aiming HR: 70% Aiming HR: 70% Aiming HR: 70%
(Aiming for (Aiming for (Aiming for
Cardiovascular Cardiovascular Cardiovascular
endurance) endurance) endurance)

Week 3 -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes.
30 minutes run 30 minutes run 30 minutes run
Aiming HR: 75-80% Aiming HR: 75-80% Aiming HR: 75-80%
(Aiming for (Aiming for (Aiming for
Cardiovascular Cardiovascular Cardiovascular
endurance) endurance) endurance)

Week 4 -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes.
40 minutes run 40 minutes run 40 minutes run
Aiming HR: 75-80% Aiming HR: 80% Aiming HR: 80-85%
(Aiming for (Aiming for (Aiming for
Cardiovascular Cardiovascular Cardiovascular
endurance) endurance) endurance)
 SHORT INTERVAL TRAINING

30 seconds rest between sets

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

W -Warm up: 5 mins Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 mins -Warm up: 5 minutes
e -Short interval -Short interval training: -Short interval -Short interval training:
e training: 20m Skipping. 60 reps, 3 training: 20m ladders hopping.
k sprint. 1:5 rest sets. 1:5 rest ratio sprint. 1:5 rest Frequency: 4 reps, 3 sets.
1 ratio. 3 reps, 4 Intensity: 90% MHR ratio. 3 reps, 4 Intensity: 85% MHR
sets. (Aiming for sets. Rest: 1:5 rest ratio
Intensity: 90% cardiovascular Intensity: 90% (Aiming for agility and
(Aiming for speed) endurance and agility) (Aiming for speed) strength)

W -Warm up: 5 mins Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 mins -Warm up: 5 minutes
e -Short interval -Short interval training: -Short interval -Short interval training:
e training: 25m Skipping. 70 reps, 3 training: 25m ladders hopping.
k sprint. 1:5 rest sets. 1:5 rest ratio sprint. 1:4 rest Frequency: 4 reps, 3 sets.
2 ratio. 3 reps, 4 Intensity: 90% MHR ratio. 3 reps, 4 Intensity: 90% MHR
sets. (Aiming for sets. Rest: 1:4 rest ratio
Intensity: 90% cardiovascular Intensity: 90% (Aiming for agility and
(Aiming for speed) endurance and agility) (Aiming for speed) strength)

W -Warm up: 5 mins Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 mins -Warm up: 5 minutes
e -Short interval -Short interval training: -Short interval -Short interval training:
e training: 25m Skipping. 85 reps, 3 training: 30m ladders hopping.
k sprint. 1:4 rest sets. 1:4 rest ratio sprint. 1:4 rest Frequency: 4 reps, 4 sets.
3 ratio. 3 reps, 4 Intensity: 95% MHR ratio. 3 reps, 4 Intensity: 90% MHR
sets. (Aiming for sets. Rest: 1:4 rest ratio
Intensity: 95% cardiovascular Intensity: 95% (Aiming for agility and
(Aiming for speed) endurance and agility) (Aiming for speed) strength)

W -Warm up: 5 mins Rest day -Warm up: 5 minutes. Rest day -Warm up: 5 mins -Warm up: 5 minutes
e -Short interval -Short interval training: -Short interval -Short interval training:
e training: 30m Skipping. 100 reps, 3 training: 30sprint. ladders hopping.
k sprint. 1:4 rest sets. 1:4 rest ratio 1:4 rest ratio. 3 Frequency: 4 reps, 4 sets.
4 ratio. 3 reps, 4 Intensity: 100% MHR reps, 4 sets. Intensity: 95% MHR
sets. (Aiming for Intensity: 100% Rest: 1:4 rest ratio
Intensity: 100% cardiovascular (Aiming for speed) (Aiming for agility and
(Aiming for speed) endurance and agility) strength)
 Report
The goal of my training programme was to mainly improve three components of fitness, which is
cardiovascular endurance, agility and speed. The reason I have set this goal is this training
programme is for improving the main components of fitness in touch rugby since all three of
these components of fitness have a significant impact on my performance in touch rugby.
- Cardiovascular endurance: how well you can do that exercise that involves your whole
body at moderate to high intensity for an extended period of time, which after improved
will allow me to be involved in the game for a longer period of time.
- Agility: ability to change the body position and direction quickly, which will help me to
not get touched.
- Speed: how fast can an object move, which is important since it allowed me to get away
from the opponent after it improved.
My programme is divided into 2 tables, continuous training table and short interval training for
easier to look at.
- Continuous training:
Continuous training is the form of exercise that is performed at a continuous intensity throughout
the time and does not contain any rest. Continuous training involves aerobic exercise, which
mainly targets cardiovascular endurance.

For continuous training sessions, I would do 3 times per week with 1 day rest between each for
the aerobic energy system to recover and also meet the criteria where there should be at least 3
continuous sessions to improve my cardiovascular endurance. For every session, I choose
running as it's more specific to rugby touch rather than other types of training. To begin with,
those first sessions of running will be at 70% of my maximum heart rate with 20 minutes run for
me to get used to the training programme and not to be so exhausted. With those sessions later
on, the intensity of the running will slightly increase along with the programme so that I will
have to push myself more and more to improve my cardiovascular endurance, where the
intensity will rise up to roughly 80% to 85% and 40 minutes for running time.

As a result, my body adaptation to this training method could be :

 - The size of the heart increases as for a certain amount of time training, the amount of
muscle in the heart would increase to satisfy the significant demand of oxygen during the
training session for a long period of time.

- The stroke volume also increases along with the size of the heart since the heart muscle,
especially the muscle wall of the left ventricle increases in size, meaning it is able to
pump more blood out of the heart during each contraction, which increases the stroke
volume and makes the heart more efficient.

- The blood pressure will decrease as the heart gets more and more stronger over a period
of time, therefore it can pump more blood into the body with less effort. Which as a result
is the force on the arteries decreases and lower the blood pressure.

- Capillaries increase their presentation in the lung more and more to diffuse more oxygen
into the bloodstream and make the lung more efficient.

- The VO2 max will also increase as the lung and muscles after a long period of training
have improved their rate of transferring oxygen from the lungs to the muscles and turn it
into energy more efficiently.

Those physiological changes occur due to the improvement of our cardiovascular endurance
since the more oxygen the lungs diffuse into our bloodstream and the more efficiently our
muscles can receive those oxygen into them and transfer it into energy that our body demands,
the more time we can continue doing that activity with the same intensity. Also if we keep
repeating those exercises in a period of time, our body will occur changes to adapt to that level of
training such as the size of heart increase as the amount of muscle increase to pump more blood,
which increase the stroke volume, decrease in blood pressure as our heart does not have to pump
frequently, and capillaries increase in amount to diffuse more oxygen.

And as cardiovascular endurance mainly depends on the aerobic energy system, which requires
an exercise with long training time so that we can reach the level of using the aerobic energy
system. In order for the continuous training method to work effectively, we need to do it for at
least 20 to 50 minutes, whereas in my programme it is 20 minutes up to 40 minutes. One more
important thing is the frequency of continuous sessions has to be around 3 to 5 times per week.
Therefore, I chose to do it 3 times per week because my physical health is not too good to do it
more than that. Another thing that is also important in this programme is the intensity of the
session. Normally, the intensity of continuous exercise should be around 70 to 85%. Therefore I
decided to set the intensity of my programme starts at 70% for the first half so that I can get used
to it and not to be overload and increase the intensity to 80% later on and nearly 85% at the last
day so that I can earn as much improvement as possible and not pushing myself to hard.

The strength of this method of training is that my cardiovascular endurance will increase quite
faster than other types of training since I will have to do the exercises at a moderate intensity for
a long period of time, which will make the body become more efficient at distributing the
oxygen to those working muscles and force the cardiovascular system to improve. On the first
day of the training programme, it was hard for me to maintain my speed and my heart rate during
the training as the heart rate went higher than what I expected up to 80%. I tried to lower my
speed so low down my heart rate but my speed nearly reached the level where it was slightly
higher than my walking speed. Moreover, I was nearly unable to finish the session as I cannot
push myself more at the end of the training, my breath is uncontrollable. I felt this session was a
little hard for myself. However, on the first day of the second week, after 3 days training, I was
now able to maintain my speed constant for most of the time of the training session. But my
breath is still hard to control as I was still pushing myself more than what I can at that time due
to the training session being 5 minutes longer in time. I was still unable to control my heart rate
for the whole session but it was better than what it was on the first day as the heart rate was
roughly 75% to 80% rather than what I expected, 70%. Later on, in the middle of the third week
of the training programme, I had to do a 20 minute run around the school in a practical period. I
found this was easy for me as I was able to keep my speed constant as what I was normally
trying before, my heart rate did not rise over my target too much, mostly at 76,78% and I can
maintain that for most of the time. It was better than what I did on the first day of the programme
and I could feel it straight away since I did not have to push myself so hard as I did before. I
think the reason for that is my cardiovascular endurance has slightly improved and another thing
is because of the time of the session. As in my programme, in week 3 I have to do a 30 minute
run rather than 20 minutes, which indicates that my cardiovascular endurance has improved so
that I can do a 20 minute running session better and not to struggle with it compared with the
first day.

On the other hand, the weakness of this type of training is that it takes too long for each training
session to complete. For instance, at the beginning of the programme, each session only takes 20
minutes to complete and up to 40 minutes at the end of the programme. This caused me to feel
bored and too lazy to do the exercise as there is only one thing to do for the whole session. One
more thing is that I have to find a suitable path where I can run comfortably and not too many
vehicles along the way so as not to be dangerous, which takes a lot of time for me to find a way
and plan it up every day so that I will not get bored. Another thing is that continuous training
would make it easier to get injured due to it requiring a lot of time training and many sessions
per week so that it will work effectively, which will lead to an overuse-injuries. On the last day
of the second week of the programme, my thighs experienced a slight hurt but it got better that
weekend, but it came back on the following week and sometimes I got a stomach injury, which is
quite annoying and limited my performance.

- Short interval training:

Short interval training is a type of training which works over a short distance at 90% to 100% of
our maximum heart rate with short work periods followed by longer rest periods. Short interval
training involves anaerobic exercises, which makes it easier to target on speed and agility.

For short interval training sessions, I divided it into 2 specific types to improve 2 different
components of fitness, speed and agility.

+ 2 sessions following 2 continuous training on Monday and Friday each week in order to
improve my speed as it required at least 2 sessions a week for the programme to work
effectively. For those sessions I choose sprint as it is more specific to rugby touch. To begin
with, those first sessions of sprint will be with the intensity of 90% of my maximum heart rate
with 4 sets and 3 reps each and 1:5 in resting rate. Later on, those sessions’ intensity will
increase up to 100%, the distance will be up to 30 meters and 1:4 resting rate on the third week
so that I will have to push myself more and maximize the benefit of each session.

+ For those sessions following the continuous training on Wednesday and standing
individually on Saturday, I will do 2 different exercises of skipping and ladder hopping so that I
will not get bored. On Wednesday, I choose skipping as it will help my ankle work more and
increase the range of movement of my ankle, which to me is important in improving my agility. I
will start the training with the intensity of 90% with 3 sets and 60 reps each and 1:5 in resting
rate and raise it up to 100% in intensity with 1:4 resting rate.

And on Saturday, I choose ladder hopping as it either helps my ankle work more and increase the
range of motion of my ankle to help me improve my agility and improve my strength as it will
need an explosive force to jump up a high ladder. I decided to begin the session with 85% in
intensity, which is slightly lower than what it should be because I don’t have enough time to rest
between Friday and Saturday so I decided to lower the intensity of the sessions on Saturday so
that I will not be overloaded. Beside that is working for 3 sets and 4 reps each with 1:5 resting
ratio. From the third week, the session will be at 90% to 95% in intensity and the number of sets
will be up to 4 sets each with 1:4 resting ratio.

The reason for the intensity at the level of 90% to 100% (despite on Saturday) is that it will meet
the criteria of the intensity of sessions for the short interval training method to work effectively.
The amount of work increases while the number of rest times decrease is for me to push myself
up to maximize the benefit of the method. And on Wednesdays where the rest ratio is 1:4 with
that ratio, I can also work for my cardiovascular endurance and improve it at the same time
working for my agility.

As a result, my body adaptation to this training method could be:

- The size of the heart increases as for a certain amount of time training, the amount of
muscle in the heart would increase to satisfy the significant demand of oxygen during the
training session for a long period of time.
- The stroke volume also increases along with the size of the heart since the heart muscle,
especially the muscle wall of the left ventricle increases in size, meaning it is able to pump more
blood out of the heart during each contraction, which increases the stroke volume and makes the
heart more efficient.
- The VO2 max will also increase as the lungs and muscles after a long period of training
have improved their rate of transferring oxygen from the lungs to the muscles and turn it into
energy more efficiently.

- The flexibility of joints will be more flexible as the range of motion in joints, especially
my ankles, have increased more and more during the training.

- Number of the red blood cells inside the blood vessel will increase to satisfy the demand
of oxygen during the training as it can bring more oxygen to the working muscles.

- The muscle hypertrophy will increase in muscle mass due to added sarcomeres within the
muscle fibers as those muscles, especially leg’s muscles, due to those muscles have to give out
explosive forces during the training sessions.

Those physiological changes occur due to the improvement of my speed, agility and slightly
some of cardiovascular endurance since the muscles, especially in leg, have to give out a large,
explosive force during the ladder hopping sessions and the sprint sessions where in ladder
hopping is to bring the whole body up to another ladder with a significant change in speed to
overcome the gravity force and in sprinting is the explosive force at the start of the sprint to
accelerate as much as possible to reach the highest speed at first. In skipping, our ankles have to
continuously work hard in exerting force vertically to carry our body up. Which makes the
vertical movement of the ankle extend more than usual and increases the range of movement of
the ankle, which leads to the improvement of agility. And the improvement of our
cardiovascular endurance since the more oxygen the lungs diffuse into our bloodstream and the
more efficiently our muscles can receive that oxygen into them and transfer it into energy that
our body demands, the more time we can continue doing that activity with the same intensity.
Also if we keep repeating those exercises in a period of time, our body will occur changes to
adapt to that level of training such as the size of heart increase as the amount of muscle increase
to pump more blood, which increase the stroke volume, red blood cells inside the blood vessel
will increase to satisfy the demand of oxygen of my body during the training as it can bring more
oxygen to the working muscles and the fiber in muscles build up so that we can exert explosive
force more easier.

In order for the speed, agility and some of cardiovascular endurance to occur changes with short
interval training method, which is a anaerobic fitness, the rest rate should be around 1:2 to 1:10,
whereas in my program, it is roughly 1:5 to 1:4, where the 1:4 in skipping sessions is to slightly
aim for the cardiovascular endurance. One more important thing is the frequency of short
interval training has to be at least 2 to 3 times a week to improve a component of fitness.
Therefore I choose to do it 2 times for each component of fitness. Another thing is that the
intensity of the program should be around 90% to 100% of my maximum heart rate. Therefore I
choose to start with 90% and slightly increase until it reaches 100% throughout the program so
that I can get used to the intensity of it. However, the intensity of Saturday sessions is 5% lower
than normal as there is not much time to rest between Friday and Saturday so that I lower the
intensity of the exercise, therefore I will not be overloaded or get injured. The number of sets,
reps and the distance for sprinting is slightly increased throughout the program because with that,
the amount of work that I have to do will increase and the time to do it and the time for rest
decrease. Therefore I will have to push myself more and more later on but not too much so that I
will earn for myself more benefit and force the adaptation to occur quicker.

The strength of this method is that I will not easily get bored with this method of training as there
are many different things to do in the session and many different types of exercise to do. Another
thing is that this type of method will burn a lot of calories and help me to build up my muscles
easier. As I have mentioned above, this method will require a high level of intensity while doing
it. Which means I will have to use a lot of energy, sometimes the highest I can, during each reps
of the session, therefore will burn a lot of calories in each rep. Which also means that I will have
to exert as much force as I could at the start of each reps. Short interval training normally use the
anaerobic energy system to support the training, which will then produce a bio product, lactic
acid, which will then destroy some of the muscle fiber and restore more than what it lost when I
come to the rest period, which will help me to build my amount of muscles up. For instance, in
the middle of the fourth week of the programme, I could easily see that my calf has been slightly
bigger than what it was 3 weeks ago and the amount of fat in my belly has decreased since my
belly became smaller than before. Beside that, with this method of training, I am able to target
multiple components of fitness rather than just cardiovascular endurance like continuous training
at one time. Moreover, short interval training does not require too much time to do it. Normally,
each session in my programme will only take about 20 to 30 minutes to complete on average.

On the other hand, since short interval training is intense and demanding on our body, doing it
too frequently without allowing enough time for recovery can lead to fatigue, decreased
performance and even injury. For instance, on the last day of the first week, near the end of the
ladder hopping session, I got a cramp on my right calf for a moment and it was really painful and
I was able to continue doing it. One more weakness of this training method is that this method is
mentally challenging to some individuals due to the high level of intensity, which requires a
strong level of motivation, self-pushing to push through the discomfort and fatigue that often
accompany short interval training workout.

In final, to modify the training programme, I would change the time for rest between each sets
from 30 seconds each to 1 minute between each as with the 1:5 and 1:4 rest ratio combine with 6
seconds of work in average as what I did, the amount of rest between each reps would be around
24 to 30 seconds, which is almost equal to the amount of rest between sets. Another thing that I
would do is to increase the amount of reps of the skipping sessions, each adding 30 more
repetitions as I did not feel hard and my heart rate was not high enough as I expected, normally
around 85% to 90% of my maximum heart rate so that I would feel harder and the intensity of
these sessions would increase. Next, I would change the amount of time for running in the
continuous programme, for the first 2 weeks, the time for running would be 20 minutes and
adding 5 minutes up per week for the next 2 following weeks because in week 4 of the training
programme, I cannot maintain my speed and my maximum heart rate at the same time and I felt I
was overloaded at that time. Beside that, I also experienced some cramp in my leg along with
some pains in my stomach. In the sprint sessions, from 4 sets and 3 reps in each session, I would
change it by adding 1 more set for each session and 4 reps for each set, which become 5 sets with
4 reps each as I could not reach the intensity level that I was aiming for. My maximum heart rate
while I was doing it only came up to 80% to 85% of my maximum heart rate even when I tried
harder to reach what I was aiming for.