Training of Athletes for Long Jump: Needs Analysis, Fitness Assessment, and 1-Week Training Plan

This article discusses the needs analysis, fitness assessment, and 1-week training plan for long jump athletes. It covers topics such as biochemical analysis, muscle types, common injuries, prevention, and sports risks. The article also includes a detailed 1-week training plan with exercises and justification for the plan. Subject: Sports Science, Course Code: N/A, Course Name: N/A, College/University: N/A.

Running head: TRAINING OF ATHLETES
Training of Athletes
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

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TRAINING OF ATHLETES
Table of Contents
Introduction:....................................................................................................................................2
Biochemical analysis of long jump:................................................................................................2
Types of msucles and muscle fibres required in jumping:..............................................................4
Common injuries and causes:..........................................................................................................4
Prevention of injuries:..................................................................................................................5
Need Analysis:.................................................................................................................................5
Need analysis of athletes:............................................................................................................5
Evaluation of movement and Apex index:..............................................................................5
Muscular strength:...................................................................................................................5
Body composition:...................................................................................................................6
Sports risks:.................................................................................................................................6
Risks of physical stress:...............................................................................................................6
Drug related risks:........................................................................................................................6
Fitness assessment:..........................................................................................................................6
1-week training plan:.......................................................................................................................9
Justification of the plan:.................................................................................................................11
Conclusion:....................................................................................................................................12
Reference:......................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction:
Long jump is a track and field event, which combines strength, agility and propelling
power of an athlete where the athlete jumps horizontally before jumping horizintally. The
athletes participating in this event requires to have minimum height like 5 feet minimum, weight
like 65 kgs and other body parameters. The athletes require undergoing rigorous training when
they are weeks away from tournaments they are participating in. The paper is set against a
backdrop of long jump competition where a jumper is preparing for an upcoming summer
competition. The case study also mentions that he has already undergone basic speed and
plyometric training consisting of workouts like plyo pushups and box jumps (uksport.gov.uk,
2018). The trainers would analyse the needs of the jumper and identify the risks he goes through
professionally. Then they would form a fitness assessment of the athlete and go on to plan
session to further train him. The training session would concentrate on each part like biceps. The
trainer would then go on to break each session into a number of workouts. The paper would end
with a justification for opting for the training schedule. The paper also sheds light on intricate
training requirements of the athlete like stretchings, rests and medication. It also includes
pictures showing various workouts of athletes.
Biochemical analysis of long jump:
The biochemical analysis of long jump divides the entire action into four phases, which
involve several biochemical reactions. The biochemical reactions consist of reaction of oxygen
with the glucose in the muscles, which results in the release of energy the athlete requires to
jump. The kidneys release adrenaline or epinephrine, which raises the heart rate and tension
level in the jumper. The hormone also stimulates the sweat glands, which causes the athlete to
sweat to maintain his body temperature and prevent him from getting exhausted. The lungs take
in more oxygen to ensure continuous supply of energy to the muscles, thus incraesing respiration
(uksport.gov.uk, 2018). The four phases are as follows:
Phase 1 Movement Joint and agonist
Approach run It enforces maximum acceleration
for take-off and enables the runner
to use just enough speed required
The flexion and extension of all joints
used.
During hip extension: Gluteus

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for a take-off. maximus, semitendinosus,
semimembranosus, long head of
biceps femoris and adductor magnus.
Knee extension: Rectus femoris,
vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius
and vastus medialis.
Ankle plantarflexion: gastrocnemius
and soleus (calf muscles which comes
into use during takeoff)
Shoulder abduction and flexing:
Deltoid, supraspinatus and pectoralis
major.
Second last stride To lower the gravitational centre
and accumulate strength before
take-off
Joints involved: hand and leg joints
Last stride The body prepares for take-off Agonist involved-torso
Joints involved: Balls of feet, hip joint
Phase 2 Movement Joint and agonist
Take off To create impulse using centre of
gravity and maintaining balance
of body postire
Knee joint, metarsal joints,
navicular joint (ankle)
Hip hoints: head of femur,
Articulatio coxae
Agonists: quadriceps, hip
extension muscles and Ankle
plantarflexion described above.
Phase 3 Movement Joint and agonist
Hitch Kick (Action in air) Controlling the body and holding
it from rotating forward
Cyclical motions of limbs

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TRAINING OF ATHLETES
Phase 4 Movement Joint and agonist
Landing The muscles should move to
prevent body from falling back,
absorb shock and avoid injuries
Quadriceps flexes to make the
body land while the hand
muscles swing forward to
support body on the ground. The
patela joint bends and pelvic
joints move forward.
Types of msucles and muscle fibres required in jumping:
Jumping requires two types of muscle fibres namely, long and short muscles. The benefit
of the long msucles is that they perform the actions while the short muscles support them. The
follwing are the main muscles used during long jump:
Body part Muscle Beneficial actions to jumping
Hip Gluteus maximus, gluteus
minimus (gluteal muscles),
Biceps femoris, semi-
membranosus and semi
tendinosus (hamstrings)
Extension and hyperextension
during movement
Knee Rectus femoris, vastus medialis,
vastus lateralis and vastus
intermedialis (Quadriceps)
Extension duirng phase 1 and
flexion during phase 4.
Ankle Ankle plantarflexion:
gastrocnemius and soleus (calf
muscles which comes into use
during takeoff) tibialis anterior
Flexing while phase 1 and tibialis
anterior helps in landing
Common injuries and causes:
Common injuries Causes
Jumper’s knee or patellar tendinitis Injury of the knee cap while takeoff or landing

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Runner’s knee Knee trauma
Sprain in any of the agonists Stretch or tear in ligament due to fall.
Prevention of injuries:
Injury related to long jump can be prevenented by taking right postures and precautions
while performing in the phases mentioned above. The injuries can be treated with rest, ice,
compression and elevation. Immediate medical attention would be required for severe injuries
like fracrtures. The athlete must intake proper food to make nutrients available to muscles for
faster repair (Jayanthi et al., 2015).
Need Analysis:
The following section would explore the need assessment and risks analysis in terms of
the sports industry:
Need analysis of athletes:
The long jumper in order to participate in the summer session requires having certain
eligibility criteria, which calls for a need analysis. The need analysis of the jumper can be
divided into the following categories:
Evaluation of movement and Apex index:
The third need of an athlete is apex index, which results in appropriate movements. The
athlete is required to quality certain eligibility criteria to participate in the event. The athlete
needs to have measurements of limbs, chest, biceps, triceps, neck to shoulder length and various
other body index measurements to qualify the hit. Successful fulfilment of the apex indices
would allow the athlete to move, jump or sprint in appropriate fashion. Fulfilling these need
analyses would attribute the athlete with stealth, speed and high performance parameters for him
to win in the events (McSwiney et al., 2018). The following table would examplify the entire
activity of a jumper:
Muscular strength:
The jumper needs to have high muscular strength of hip and legs to propel him through
the air while jumping. Hence, the training needs of the jumper should incorporate workouts,

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which increase the strength of his hip and legs. Core muscular strength is very important for
increasing the strength of hip and legs. The athlete should also have strong abdominal muscles
and back muscles, which would absorb the shock due to sudden bursts and falls. Thus, the need
analysis of the athlete here is paying emphasis on the increasing his muscular strength (Mabe &
Butler, 2016).
Body composition:
The body composition of an athlete is of utmost importance for him to achieve muscular
strength and hence is the second need analysis. The athlete should have adequate body mass
index and weight for him to have superb muscular strength. The need of his body is low fat and
lean mass for him to reduce the friction with the surrounding air while jumping. Adequate body
composition parameters are of utmost importance to him to be qualified for the tournament
(Nana et al., 2015).
Sports risks:
The following are the risks, which athletes face:
Risks of physical stress:
The most significant risks to which athletes participating in different sports are exposed
to are the risks owing to physical stress and injuries. Physical stress among athletes due to
exertion and extreme environmental conditions like harsh weather sometimes hampers their
performances (Jayanthi et al., 2015). The extreme wear and tear in muscles during participating
in events causes injuries, which poses risks to the health and career athletes.
Drug related risks:
The athletes often resort to extreme dieting and drugs to improve their performances.
These measures pose long-term risks to the health and performance of the athletes. These drug
consumptions pose threat to the health and mind of the athletes often leading to collapses or even
sudden death (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2018)

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Fitness assessment:
The following table would show a list of fitness tests which the athlete would go through
along with the time of the assessments:
Tests Time Rationale References
40 yard sprint: The
athlete would be
required to sprint with a
football
4.6 seconds This would enhance the
core strength of the athlete.
It would also test his
stamina to perform under
pressure.
Jayanthi et al., 2015
60 yard shuttle
assessment
1 hour Sprint for 15 yards and
return to starting point.
Then again, sprint for 10
yards and sprint back to
initial position. Finally
sprint back 5 yards and
sprint back.
Nana et al., 2015
1 mile run 1 day Strengthening the core
stamina and muscular
strength of athletes.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2018
Vertical jump test: The
athlete would jump and
reach the highest point
possible.
1 day This would boost the
jumping capability of the
athlete.
Jayanthi et al., 2015
Broad jump test: The
athlete would put his
toes over an open space
and jump forward to the
maximum possible
extent
I day This would improve the
jumping skills of the
athlete.
uksport.gov.uk, 2018
Kettle bell clean and
press workout test.
1 day It would strengthen his hip
and shoulder. Increase in
propelling him through air
while jumping.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2018

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TRAINING OF ATHLETES
Strength and
conditioning workout
text: Composed of 25
pushups, 25 suspension
trainer body rows, 25
situps, 25 deadlifts and
50 stepups.
1 day Total stamina building Jayanthi et al., 2015

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1-week training plan:
The following table would provide a weekly overview of the micro-cycle training the
athlete would go through to prepare for the 1st competition:
Day Work outs Duration
1 Chest workout 2 hours
2 Biceps an triceps 2 hours
3 Sprint and swimming 2 hours
4 Shoulders and back 2 hours
5 Legs 2 hours
6 Sprints and stretching 2 hours
7 Rest
The two sessions:
Session 1: Bicep training
SL No Exercises: Repetitions
(numbers)
Load Recovery periods
1 Warm-ups 1 10 each No required
2 Close grip chin ups 10*4 sets As per capability 5 mins
3 Thick grip hammer curl 10*4 sets 5 kgs 5 mins
4 Thick grip barbell curl 10*4 sets 10 kgs 5 mins
5 Alternate dumbbell curl 10*4 sets 10 kgs 5 mins
6 Cool downs
Session 2: Legs training:
SL No Exercises: Repetitions
(numbers)
Load Recovery periods
1 Warm-ups 1 10 each No required

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2 Free squat 200 0 5 mins
3 Weight squats 20*4 sets 20 kgs, 25kgs and
30 kgs
5 mins
4 Dumbbell lunges 20*3sets 25 kgs 5 mins
5 Treadmills 10 mins
6 Cool down
Figure 1An athlete showing pushups
(Source: uksport.gov.uk, 2018)

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Figure 2. An athlete showing seated biceps curl showing movement of hands
(Source: Nana et al., 2018)
Figure 3. An athlete showing weight squat
(Source: uksport.gov.uk, 2018)
Justification of the plan:
The fitness programme designed fits very well with the needs of the athlete as far as the
modes of exercise, sets, repetitions and rest prescribed are concerned. This is because the total
workout plan is designed to boost the stamina, core strength and speed of the athlete. The session
consists of both free hand exercises and weight training, which go on to provide the athlete with

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the apex index as per the need assessment analysis. The sessions are divided into exercise
regimes targeting specific body parts like biceps and legs. This ensures that the athlete goes
under training of all the parts to achieve all-round development to quality the body measurement
tests. The athlete would be training each body part, once a week, which would allow him
sufficient rest to recover from injuries. The trainers would incorporate 5 minutes of cool down
after each work out sessions. This would ensure proper relaxing muscles after each set and
prevent cramp and burnout. The athlete should be provided with facilities like food, supplements,
medical care and relaxation facilities as parts of the training session. This discussion shows that
the athlete should undergo the training session prescribed above when he is 6 weeks away from
the competition (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, 2018).
The trainers besides incorporating sessions must provide the athlete with counselling and
grooming. These would ensure that the athlete is able to handle stress stemming from
performances and stays away from adopting unethical means. These two measures would make
the training sessions laid down above more effective (Jayanthi et al., 2015).
Conclusion:
One can conclude from the discussion that the athlete must undergo rigorous training
before participating in the long jump event. He should concentrate on increasing his jumping
capabilities, speed, stamina, strength and body parameters. He should take adequate measures to
avoid risks and abstain from resorting to illegal methods like doping. The trainers should design
the training sessions keeping his needs in mind. They should ensure that the athlete undergoes
training of each body part and gets enough rest to recover. They should also provide the athlete
with medical attention whenever required. This should ensure that he gets proper nourishment
and supplements to improve his strength and stamina. They should also lay stress on stress
management and ethical training of the athlete.

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How valuable is it?. Br J Sports Med, 48(Suppl 1), i22-i31.
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specialized intensive training and the risk of injury in young athletes: a clinical case-
control study. The American journal of sports medicine, 43(4), 794-801.
Jones, B. L., Till, K., & Manley, A. (2015). Advancing the profiling of athletes: Incorporating
coach-athlete collaboration when interpreting fitness testing data.
Mabe, J., & Butler, S. L. (2016). Analysis of Contemporary Anaerobic Sport Specific Training
Techniques for Rock Climbing. Sport Journal.
McSwiney, F. T., Wardrop, B., Hyde, P. N., Lafountain, R. A., Volek, J. S., & Doyle, L. (2018).
Keto-adaptation enhances exercise performance and body composition responses to
training in endurance athletes. Metabolism, 81, 25-34.
Nana, A., Slater, G. J., Stewart, A. D., & Burke, L. M. (2015). Methodology review: using dual-
energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for the assessment of body composition in athletes
and active people. International journal of sport nutrition and exercise
metabolism, 25(2), 198-215.
Reardon, C., & Creado, S. (2018). Drug abuse in athletes. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 12 March
2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4140700/
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[Accessed 13 Mar. 2018].