CAPTAINS' LOG
April 12, 2019
Hey everyone! It's tryout season, and here's the big question that comes to mind for most people: how do I train to set myself up for success during tryouts and throughout the season? It's no secret that a full club season of ultimate is TOUGH on mind and body, but by doing a little research and allowing for appropriate recovery time, you can see big results throughout. Here are a few tips and related articles that you might find useful as you create your pre-season and in-season training plans.
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Training plans are not one size fits all! What you need to do depends on your own history, strengths/weaknesses, and current situation. For more info on how to tailor your workouts to your needs, click here.
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Train for what you're doing! During a game of ultimate, you have short sprint segments (5-20 yds), longer sprint segments (20+ yds), non-linear movement, and low intensity movement all mixed together. For more info on tailoring your workouts to ultimate, click here.
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Think through the long-term strategy! 3-6 week programs definitely have their value, and are great to prepare for tryouts; however, a full ultimate season is long, clocking in at about 6 months, start of pre-season to the start of post-season. In-season training is particularly tough, as much of your energy will be spent during practices and tournaments; the priority here is to avoid injury at all costs. For more info on phases of training for an ultimate season, click here.
If you're looking for more information, I encourage you to explore websites like Spin Ultimate, UltiWorld, and SKYD Magazine for resources. I have found helpful resources at RunnersWorld as well.
Til next time!
- Amanda
June 18, 2019
Hi folks!
Now that tryouts are over, we have jumped headfirst into the season with a lot of focus on fundamentals and conditioning. That includes a lot of work geared towards one of the biggest elements of the game: CUTTING. Whether you are a cutter or a handler, improving your cutting fundamentals is absolutely crucial to elevating your game on the field, and it all starts with creating a solid foundation for cutting movement.
Make sure you are training in such a way that sets you up for success when you ask your body to execute a good cut on the field. You should make sure you have solid movement technique before you turn your focus more towards the "when and where" of cutting. Good cutting involves three key movement components: acceleration, deceleration, and change of direction. Here are links to three SKYD articles that will talk you through the basics of each, and how to train each specifically for ultimate.
1) Acceleration
2) Deceleration
Best,
Amanda
April 3, 2020
As we head into the 2020 club season, many players are faced with the daunting task of training without access to gyms or team workouts. But, it's not all bad news! There are many ways you can adapt your training to the current environment, keeping yourself and your loved ones protected from COVID-19. Here are some resources we've compiled to help you still feel prepared for tryouts and the season:
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Speed and Quickness Training! A handful of us at DCT utilize the Ultimate Athlete Project (UAP) to tailor our workouts to ultimate, and have seen great results so far! One of the best parts about the program is being able to go to a park or flat, open space and complete full workouts focused on conditioning, speed, agility, and/or power. Here is a link to a FREE 6 week program from UAP focused on speed and conditioning. Note that this does not include strength exercises, which is important to any comprehensive training program.
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Comprehensive Training! Along the same lines, here is a link to a FREE 5 workout sample of the UAP program. This includes an intro to conditioning, speed, agility, and full body strength training.
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Skill Training: Throwing! In addition to fitness, getting reps in on throws is crucial! But what's the best way to do this when leagues and team events are cancelled? You do have a couple of options: A) drag a household member (ultimate player or not) out to a park or B) Milhouse it (aka, take discs out to a field and throw alone). While you may feel silly doing the latter, you won't feel silly at the first tournament of the season when your throws are looking solid and practiced.
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Zen Throwing Practice - If you have a partner, you can practice the catching elements. If not, just do the throwing parts. Pro tip: throw into a soccer goal so you don't have to chase down your own throws (or make it a conditioning workout too and chase them all down!).
Last but not least, the UAP is publishing advice for training in a socially-distanced world, including exercise modifications, mental health tips, and indoor/bodyweight workouts. There is a Facebook group and an email list; sign up for whichever works best for you! In the meantime, feel free to use our contact form to ask us questions about preseason training.
Much love and stay safe,
Amanda Gellhaus & Joe Dininger, DC Thunder Head Captains
June 5, 2020