Olympic Trap, Universal Trap, Double Trap, Helice
Fitness
in Olympic Trap
Every year the bar is being raised in Olympic Trap and records are being broken, which means that increasing emphasis is being placed on a shooter's personal fitness. Mental techniques are also important because competitors are required to achieve a balanced, focussed mental state for extended time periods, so the old saying, "healthy body healthy mind" means that personal fitness has a huge impact in this sport.
Personal Fitness Training
Core stability
Your core (back and abdominal muscles) are key to optimum performance in shooting sports because the whole area acts as a transmission, allowing your limbs to exert force. For the Olympic Trap shooter, lack of core strength can lead to back problems and reduced performance. If you have ever sustained a sports injury involving damage to your back, groin, your physiotherapist may have given you some core stability exercises to do as part of your rehabilitation. There is a huge range of core stability exercises and the suitability will vary according to the therapeutic needs, or the training effect required by the shooter. There are 3 major groups of core exercises:
A. Static bodyweight exercises that concentrate on developing stability and/or strength endurance;
B. Dynamic strength building exercises for the main movement muscles often performed on the floor using a swiss ball or a pulley machine.
C. A good core workout will reduce injury and help to maintain physical and mental stimulation and contribute to a good performance.
Aerobic Fitness
You don't need to be able to run long distances, run fast, or lift heavy weights to perform well in Olympic Trap, but you can only benefit from regular aerobic exercise. Specific benefits from regular workouts will be realised when you get to compete in hotter conditions, especially in some of the warmer places such as India, Italy, Texas in the US, or in the UAE.
Progressive overload is one of the key principles of fitness training. Whatever type of fitness program you embark on, you should start off at a low and manageable level and, providing you allow enough time between workouts for recovery, the initial training dosage will produce a positive training response and after a certain time your body will adapt, so you can then increase duration or intensity to increase fitness. If there is no progression then your fitness level will plateau and you will need to increase the intensity and change your workout routine. Good aerobic activities include:
Cycling - Improves leaness, strength, and increases your VO2 Max;
Resistance training - Reduces likelyhood of osteoporosis by strengthening bones;
Walking - Good if running is too high impact for you;
Tennis and Squash - Good for cardio vascular fitness, but the start/stop nature can cause injuries and stiffness;
Swimming - One of the best forms of exercise, very good for the heart, easy on the joints and can increase flexibility.
Pre Shoot Warm Up
Shooters need to be educated about the benefits of warm ups, particularly prevention of injury. During last years selection shoot competitions I only witnessed a small percentage of shooters warming up before their competition. Does it matter, you may ask? Well, yes, it does from the point of view of prevention, since Clay Shooting is a popular sport with no age limits, and the tendency for the most successful shooters to be older, sometimes not in good physical condition, which means that a warm up is even more important - it was the older shooters I witnessed warming up so maybe there are benefits to a pre shoot warm up routine.
Shoulder and Back pain are probably the most common health complaint amongst Trap Shooters so an appropriate pre shoot warm up routine should include some light aerobic exercise to raise your temperature, followed by mobilisation and stretching your 'shooting muscles and joints' (Hands, shoulders, chest, lower back, trunk, and legs) and, finally, some dry mounting with progressive increases in the range of movement of your gun swing. A regular warm up routine can also significantly improve positive attitudes and behaviours.
Every year the bar is being raised in Olympic Trap and records are being broken, which means that increasing emphasis is being placed on a shooter's personal fitness. Mental techniques are also important because competitors are required to achieve a balanced, focussed mental state for extended time periods, so the old saying, "healthy body healthy mind" means that personal fitness has a huge impact in this sport.
Personal Fitness Training
Core stability
Your core (back and abdominal muscles) are key to optimum performance in shooting sports because the whole area acts as a transmission, allowing your limbs to exert force. For the Olympic Trap shooter, lack of core strength can lead to back problems and reduced performance. If you have ever sustained a sports injury involving damage to your back, groin, your physiotherapist may have given you some core stability exercises to do as part of your rehabilitation. There is a huge range of core stability exercises and the suitability will vary according to the therapeutic needs, or the training effect required by the shooter. There are 3 major groups of core exercises:
A. Static bodyweight exercises that concentrate on developing stability and/or strength endurance;
B. Dynamic strength building exercises for the main movement muscles often performed on the floor using a swiss ball or a pulley machine.
C. A good core workout will reduce injury and help to maintain physical and mental stimulation and contribute to a good performance.
Aerobic Fitness
You don't need to be able to run long distances, run fast, or lift heavy weights to perform well in Olympic Trap, but you can only benefit from regular aerobic exercise. Specific benefits from regular workouts will be realised when you get to compete in hotter conditions, especially in some of the warmer places such as India, Italy, Texas in the US, or in the UAE.
Progressive overload is one of the key principles of fitness training. Whatever type of fitness program you embark on, you should start off at a low and manageable level and, providing you allow enough time between workouts for recovery, the initial training dosage will produce a positive training response and after a certain time your body will adapt, so you can then increase duration or intensity to increase fitness. If there is no progression then your fitness level will plateau and you will need to increase the intensity and change your workout routine. Good aerobic activities include:
Cycling - Improves leaness, strength, and increases your VO2 Max;
Resistance training - Reduces likelyhood of osteoporosis by strengthening bones;
Walking - Good if running is too high impact for you;
Tennis and Squash - Good for cardio vascular fitness, but the start/stop nature can cause injuries and stiffness;
Swimming - One of the best forms of exercise, very good for the heart, easy on the joints and can increase flexibility.
Pre Shoot Warm Up
Shooters need to be educated about the benefits of warm ups, particularly prevention of injury. During last years selection shoot competitions I only witnessed a small percentage of shooters warming up before their competition. Does it matter, you may ask? Well, yes, it does from the point of view of prevention, since Clay Shooting is a popular sport with no age limits, and the tendency for the most successful shooters to be older, sometimes not in good physical condition, which means that a warm up is even more important - it was the older shooters I witnessed warming up so maybe there are benefits to a pre shoot warm up routine.
Shoulder and Back pain are probably the most common health complaint amongst Trap Shooters so an appropriate pre shoot warm up routine should include some light aerobic exercise to raise your temperature, followed by mobilisation and stretching your 'shooting muscles and joints' (Hands, shoulders, chest, lower back, trunk, and legs) and, finally, some dry mounting with progressive increases in the range of movement of your gun swing. A regular warm up routine can also significantly improve positive attitudes and behaviours.