GPP

A topic that I thought that I should touch on early, is that of GPP, which stands for general physical preparedness. In simple terms it means that you are able to accomplish those tasks that you choose to set for your self. For example if I need to be able to make it through 32 minutes of play but I am getting tired as I get into the 4th quarter then I need to increase my GPP work. This means that I am unable to accomplish a task that I set for myself, specifically playing through a basketball game.
Ok so now that I have defined it, what can we do to increase it? There are many options that you can use to help increase your GPP, but it is not as simple as just going for a run. By the way, I think this is a good thing, because who really likes to run? GPP training should incorporate variety, and not just from day to day, but even within a single training session. We need to incorporate as many muscles and movments as possible when we are training for GPP because "athletics is not isolation." This is why just going for a run doesn’t work, unless your sport is distance running.
Some examples of GPP are sled dragging, which is one of my favorite ways to increase GPP, due to the endless possibilities. Other options are box jumping, which can be done for time or reps, sand bag shouldering, again done for time or reps. Many other "calisthenics" exercises can be used also, such as squatting. When doing this I would work with the Tabata interval of 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for a total of 8 sets lasting a mere 4 minutes. If running is your only option for your GPP training then do some type of interval sprinting.
There are other exercises but this should be good to get you rolling. Most of the advanced GPP exercises look like stuff you see on the Worlds Strongest Man, and are great for team competitions, or extra Saturday workouts. Again if you have any questions shoot me an email at tkolb@northernmichigansportsmed.com and I will address them as soon as possible.