Pre-Season and the Suunto M5

One torn hamstring, one ridiculous text message and almost 2 years later I finally return to Steelstown Brian Óg’s. There were a number of factors that led me to become disillusioned, but every player at some point knows this feeling. Nonetheless I have returned to the club that I started out with, and I have no intentions of leaving it. Although the season has just finished there is a long, tough pre-season ahead and to be honest I’m relishing every minute of it. For the next 3 months the training will be intense, the eating will be clean and the hunger for next season will be insatiable. Myself and fellow teammates have commenced with our own pre-season workouts. Currently I’m concentrating on what is known as German Volume Training, interval runs and core work (GVT). Here is a short breakdown of what it consists of;

• 10 sets x 10 reps x 60% of your maximum x 1 minute rest between sets on each muscle group, with one muscle group each day
• Interval Training
• Core work

The first week of training was completed with core, various interval and long distance runs. With the weakness in my right hamstring the long distance running and rehabilitation exercises given to me by Physiotherapist and Coleraine footballer Michael Hegarty have really helped me to get back on track. Can’t give this man enough credit for the great work he has done for me and for many of my teammates.

Every week I like to mix up the muscle groups that I’m working, it’s good to shock the body, stops it from reaching a comfort zone. Intensity levels will be high and there will be no talking between sets. One minute rest between each set and you’re away, messing around and wasting time between sets gets you nowhere.  It’s important to keep a positive mental attitude, there will be days that I can’t quite lift what I was aiming for, but I will always tell myself ‘I’ll get it next time’. The aim here isn’t to produce a large amount of bulk, but rather power and strength, with each rep a powerful movement, like breaking off the shoulder or bursting past an opposing player.

Whilst on my travels in Hong Kong I purchased the Suunto M5 Movement watch and heart monitor. To date it has monitored my progress during pre-season;

• 16 sessions

• 14hrs 04 minutes

• 6943 calories

• last 7 days 100% on target

• 55% on target for the last 4 weeks

I have tailored my Suunto M5 to my BMI so that the results are accurate. My aim is to lose bad weight and hopefully replace it with muscular development. One item I haven’t included is my average BPM which is stored on my account at www.movescount.com. The Suunto M5 is a fantastic tool for any athlete and helps you to keep sight of your goals. One negative that I do have is that the watch and heart monitor doesn’t track your distance. However you can buy the Suunto M5 Foot POD, which attaches to your football boots or running shoes. These results are then sent to the watch and can then be uploaded onto the computer through the Movescount Mini USB, that I received free of charge after purchasing the M5 monitor. Obviously the extra cost for the Foot POD and the Movescount USB is a bit frustrating but for £200 all in it’s a great investment if you’re serious about your training and chosen sport.

Over the winter months and during our clubs pre-season I will allow any of my teammates to try the device out. Training really is a science and if this can help to improve me and my teammate’s results/performances then it can only be a winner.