Training Techniques- Core work for GAA

eatsloads

Are many of you guys doing any 'Core' work as part of your training for Football or Hurling? I dont mean a few stretches but proper pilates etc

pjbrady1

There is a benefit to Pilates, but in a high skill game such as hurling isn't it more advantageous to devote three hours extra a week to the skills of the game than to doing Pilates which requires significant time.
It will speed you up a slight bit, make you stronger in tackles, but most of the time in hurling you are executing a skill with the sliotar with people trying to hook you. Pilates will do nothing for that, extra skill work will.

The benefit would be more justifiable in football, where tussles and reliance on fitness are higher than in hurling. Pilates should improve speed and jumping ability. But did anyone see the episode of Brainiacs where yoga was shown to lower the testosterone of a large muscular black male. Skinny white guy spent his time shouting, boxing etc. Skinny white guy doubled his testosterone and the black guy reduced his by 1/3.

Testosterone is an essential element of aggressiveness, strength, muscularity and speed. All sprinters have a high testosterone level.

I imagine benefits of Pilates would outweigh any reduction in testoterone.

It would be interesting to see a study on increasing reducing testosterone level in athletes and measuring weight lifting sprinting performance.

eatsloads

Pilates is alot more strenuous then yoga so I dont know if it would have the same effects in relation to lowering testosterone?

The main benefit of Core Strengthening for all sports is injury prevention, it can improve flexibility and core strength and massively reduce back problems that lead to almost everything else, eg hamstrings etc. It was compulsory for the All Blacks to do pilates so I dont think it will take any agressiveness away!

I was reading earlier this year about the type of training the kerry footballers did last year and core work accounted for quite a chunk of it

nollaig

What exactly is pilates?

cruiserweight

nollaig wrote:

What exactly is pilates?

Wikipedia is your friend

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilates

patmac

I know Roscommon footballers who have been training since September:eek: have been doing yoga once a week,

pjbrady1

They would be better off on Seamus O'Neills farm trying to dose bullocks, that'd knock the softness off them. Only messing, flexibility is good for speed so yoga/pilates is a good idea.

gucci

pjbrady1 wrote:

But did anyone see the episode of Brainiacs where yoga was shown to lower the testosterone of a large muscular black male. Skinny white guy spent his time shouting, boxing etc. Skinny white guy doubled his testosterone and the black guy reduced his by 1/3.

Testosterone is an essential element of aggressiveness, strength, muscularity and speed. All sprinters have a high testosterone level.

I imagine benefits of Pilates would outweigh any reduction in testoterone.

how dramatic was this reduction in testosterone??
i presume yoga wud make you more relaxed as there are numerous breathing exercises, i used to do yoga and it is an excellent source of not impact flexability training. you would be suprised how much there is to gain for reduction of stiffness etc even with just doing half an hour 2 or 3 nights a week.

Rogueish

Lowering trestosterone my arse! It's not as if they are foregoing all the 'manly' elements of training!!!

Think of core training like jumping on a trampoline (the trampoline is your core). If the trampoline is taut then you will generate a higher bounce. If the trampoline isn't pulled taut then you will not generate a jump.

Just the same as if your core is taut then you will be able to generate a better kick or poc of the ball because you have developed the muscles with which to generate the power needed.

Pilates not only develops the tranversus abdominus, pelvic floor and multifidi muscles but also the glutes and hamstrings (power muscles for sprinting). It helps muscle activation and control.

I am a pilates instructor and have a specialised class of intercounty footballers and hurlers in my class doing core work. So far I've found poor hamstrings and glute activation. Abdominal control is negligible. Now saying that these people have been handpicked due to their poor core and injury history. The class is a mixture of matwork, medicine ball and exercise ball training.

It is not a true pilates class but rather based on the Pilates principle of developing a strong core. The strong core means that each muscle/muscle group does its share of work.

thirdmantackle

play a bit of court sports - handball especially

brilliant for building core muscles due to the balance and flexibility need to play

Just the same as if your core is taut then you will be able to generate a better kick or poc of the ball because you have developed the muscles with which to generate the power needed

or you could spend the few hours improving your striking technique and touch - much better for hurling

Aedh Baclamh

What exercises are actually done in a Pilates program? I can't seem to find any program on the net, but am interested.

whassupp2

some common ones include "the plank":
http://sparkpeople.com/myspark/ex/exercises.asp?ID=7
side plank:
http://www.yogabasics.com/asana/postures/sideplank.html

Aedh Baclamh

Does that not contradict the principles of Pilates, i.e. dynamic movement rather than static exercises?

Rogueish

thirdmantackle wrote:

or you could spend the few hours improving your striking technique and touch - much better for hurling

I absolutely agree but if you have a player who does not have the core endurance to sustain a few hours repetitive movement then you are going to have injuries such as hamstrings, abdominal strains, hernias, hip flexor strains, back pain, hip pain etc popping up with ever increasing frequency.

Aedh Baclamh wrote:

Does that not contradict the principles of Pilates, i.e. dynamic movement rather than static exercises?

Absolutely but you have to be able to walk before you can run. If you cannot sustain a core contraction when still how on earth can you sustain the contraction while moving.

However those exercises (such as the plank and side plank) can be progressed into dynamic movements. It is very hard to find the exercises on the net because it is quality of movement that counts and this is highly individualistic. I have found a brilliant book that explains and brings you step by step through the application of the Pilates exercises for todays athlete. Here is the link http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pilates-Edge-Avery-Health-Guides/dp/1583331840/sr=1-1/qid=1168817881/ref=sr_1_1/203-0278362-1282358?ie=UTF8&s=books

I would highly recommend it.

Aedh Baclamh

Rogueish - Much appreciated. Must pick that up. I presume you use a gym ball as well?

Rogueish

Yes I use the exercise (gym) ball as well, for my core classes not my matwork classes. The book I recommended doesn't have any ball stuff in it but here is a good link for basic progressions of matwork to exercise ball and then onto medicine ball.

http://www.brianmac.demon.co.uk/corestabex.htm

Aedh Baclamh

Would you recommend getting a Pilates Ring? Have you ever used one yourself?

Rogueish

No I don't use a Pilates Ring. I've experimented with it myself but haven't trained properly with it.

Akhead

What about ball work? Individual execrises that will improve ball skill.
Any suggestions?(nothing run of the mill please)

Thanks

Rogueish

Can you please explain what you mean Arkhead.

Do you mean pilates exercise on an Exercise ball?

or

Sports specific ball drills i.e. with a sliotar or football?

thirdmantackle

we started doing core work in training the other night


I can see what ye were talking about - the superman position is tough!