Water Polo Training

Water Polo Mobility Complex

note: Originally published on WaterPoloPlanet.com.

Complex?

A complex is a series of movements performed in a row with the same load. In the video below, I use a complex consisting of 5 different movements using a 25lb plate. Performed for 5 reps/exercise for 1-2 sets ends up being a very good warm up and dynamic flexibility training for the hips and shoulders. Do more sets or reps with short rest periods and you now have a conditioning session.

With complexes, you can get through a lot of different movements in a short period of time and they require very little equipment.
Exercises in the video:

1. Goblet Squats x 5
2. Split Squats x 5/side
3. Halos x 5/direction
4. Cossacks or side to side squats x 5/side
5. Bent Over Row x 5

40 total reps for 1 set.

Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyEq_MujiTY

 

Sticking to these movements or variations of them and you will be well prepared for the pool.

From a long term athletic development (LTAD) perspective, the movements are important at all levels BUT how you program them will be very different. What is depicted in the video is something more applicable to an athlete in the Train to Compete (competitive High School or youth regional/national team) or Train to Win (NCAA, Sr. National team, Professional).

In the early stages of development, these movements should be introduced but only one at a time.  So, by the time the athlete reaches a higher level with much greater training volume and intensity the coach can take these movements and introduce them to these athletes in a series or complex.

Try them out and please let me know how you are using them with your athletes.

If you are an athlete, do you feel better in the water after doing a dry-land warm up like depicted in the above video?

Enjoy and Be Well,

Michael Reid, B.HE. CSCS, RKC

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

Q & A article

This is the first of many articles focused on answering your questions. It will be a collection of questions from the Water Polo Planet Forum, my website www.WaterPoloTraining.net and personal conversations I have with athletes and coaches from around the world.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to send them my way and I will do my best to give a complete answer to your question the next time I write a Q & A article.

READ MORE ....

Topics in this article:

• Periodization
• Ab training
• Butterfly
• Weightlifting for young teens
• Freshman Goal Keeper Training

Get my answers here.

Enjoy and Be Well,

Michael Reid, B.HE. CSCS, RKC

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

PS. I must of been really tired when proof reading this article:)

Upgrading your ROM

My most recent article published on waterpoloplanet.com.

First things first.

ROM = Range of Motion

Water Polo is so much about the legs. Shooting, passing, defence, counter attack, driving, blocking, ... the one thing all these skills have in common is legs. To be really good at any of these skills you need to have very good legs. Beside getting stronger in the weight room and training more legs in the water it is absolutely essential to develop the proper flexibility in order be able to perform a high quality egg beater kick and it's variations (1, 2). Please note that you can download these two references for free, please see the reference section at the end of this article ...

Read the rest of the article

Be Well,

Mike Reid

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

Research & it's Implications for Goal Keepers

“The Real Water Polo Power Athlete”

    Image via Wikipedia

I have heard a high level coach once say, "put your best athlete at the goalkeeper position".

Anyone who has played at any level with a great goalkeeper will know what kind of confidence it gives a field player knowing that they have a near impenetrable force backing them up.

The goalkeeper holds a very unique position on a Water Polo team on many levels (Wilson C) . For the purpose of this article I will discuss the physiological or physical demands of the goalkeeper and how this could be practically applied to a training program.

Read the rest of this article at this link:

http://www.waterpoloplanet.com/HTML_Mike_pages/mr05_Strength_Training.html

There is also a forum discussion on this article which you can read here:

http://waterpoloplanet.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5298

Be Well,

Mike Reid

www.michaelreid.ca

www.WaterPoloTraining.net

Strength Training with no Weights

I love getting questions from other athletes and coaches and here is another one.

Hello mr. Reid

I recently found your website thanks to waterpoloplanet.com and found it great. I do have some questions though, but first I'll tell you a bit about my background, I'm a waterpolo goalkeeper of 17 years old. I made the regional team last year but found that the level of play was way higher than my own club. Therefore I want to do some strength and condition training this summer.

I saw both of you articles over on your own site and waterpoloplanet, but I have a problem with those training programs.

http://michaelreid.typepad.com/waterpolotraining/2009/05/water-polo-strength-training-youth-program-1.html

http://www.waterpoloplanet.com/HTML_Mike_pages/mr02_Strength_Training.html

The problem is I don't have free weights or a chin up bar. Should I look into buying one of those?

Thanks for your time,

Future Allstar

PS: Are there any excersises you reccomend for goalkeepers in particular?

Hello Future Allstar,

Image by scottwills via Flickr

No need for weights at the beginning.  

Chin ups can be done on anything you can grab onto.  A good place are playgrounds or the cross bar on a mini football goal.

For the Squats, Chin Ups & Push Ups you can go for time instead of a set number of reps.  Try 30s on / 30s off for 5 sets.  Then progress to 45s on/ 45s off and finally 60s on/ 60s off.  You will get stronger to a certain point but your conditioning (muscular endurance) is what will be improved the most, especially in the legs. 

Just complete as many good reps as you can in each "on" segment.  They also do not need to be all continuous reps,  just keep track of the total number of reps completed in each "on" segment and try to beat it the following session.

Do you have a back pack?  Put some books in it and get to work.  This will really kick it up a notch.

Image via Wikipedia

Are there any special exercises for goal keepers? 

Ultimately yes, there are special exercises for goal keepers BUT these are only really applicable at the highest level (Olympic & top pro leagues).  Work on getting strong in your whole body and let your pool sessions be the time and place to do the special goal keeper exercises.

Good luck with your training and have fun.

Be Well,

Michael Reid
www.michaelreid.ca
www.waterpolotraining.net