Periodized Training Plan for a Jedi Master
- Valerie Rider
- May 5, 2024
- 2 min read
A Jedi Master embodies peak fitness, agility, strength, and mindfulness. They must be ready for any challenge, whether a battle or intense mental concentration. Here’s a comprehensive periodized training plan to help a Jedi Master hone their skills.
This is good fun, but these are real considerations and tactics. Suppose you are trying to coordinate an intelligent and strategic approach to your training. In that case, you can follow the guidelines below to craft a program that will make you the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy.
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Assessment:
Establish skill priority and time dedicated to training factors through assessment against performance standards. Training a Jedi Master requires a needs analysis and assessment as precise as a lightsaber. A tailored approach is key.
Need Analysis:
Energy Analysis: A Jedi Master, with their multifaceted skills and combat style, would rely on a balanced use of energy systems for their various activities
More Intensity/ Rest, More Carbohydrates, Shorter Duration
Phosphagen: Short bursts of energy. Lightsaber strikes, evasive maneuvers, jumps. Immediate energy up to 10 seconds.
Fast Glycolysis: 30 sec to 2 min. Intense lightsaber duels or other rapid, high-energy bursts where exertion is continuous.
Slow Glycolysis is moderately intense, lasting 2-3 min (like prolonged duels). Relies on oxygen.
Oxidative: Over 3 min. Sustained endurance for exploration, long-distance running, or prolonged lightsaber battles. Relies on oxygen.
Less Intensity/ Rest, More Fat, Longer Duration
Jedi Masters are versatile in their energy system usage, primarily using the aerobic system for endurance and tapping into the anaerobic systems for power, speed, and agility bursts.
Injury Analysis: A Jedi Master would potentially face injuries common in high-intensity combat sports and martial arts, given their reliance on swift movements, acrobatics, and lightsaber combat. Here are a few likely injuries.
Shoulder: Repeated lightsaber swinging and blocking. Rotator cuff, deltoids, or other shoulder stabilizers.
Knee: Rapid directional changes, jumps, and dodging in combat. Knee ligaments (ACL) and meniscus.
Wrist and Forearm: Frequent lightsaber handling overuse like tendonitis or repetitive strain.
Lower Back: Continuous twisting, bending, and acrobatic movements or disc problems.
Ankle: Quick directional changes during duels rolled or sprained ankles.
While these reflect the physical demands of lightsaber dueling and Jedi training, Jedi Masters must also remain cautious about acute injuries from unexpected attacks or aggressive adversaries.
Movement Analysis: These movements highlight the dynamic and agile style that Jedi Masters use to maintain an advantage over their enemies while maintaining balance and control.
Rotational Movements: Given the reliance on twisting the torso and hips for strikes and defensive maneuvers, rotational movements would make up a large portion of their movements.
Lunges and Stances: Maintaining strong stances and lunging forward or backward for attack and defense is crucial.
Footwork and Dodging: Evading attacks or repositioning strategically through footwork is a significant part of dueling.
Jumps and Leaps: Acrobatics, flips, and leaps to evade attacks or quickly change positions are vital.
Pushes and Pulls: Jedi Masters physically and through the Force rely on these movements to manipulate objects or enemies.
Strikes and Blocks: Lightsaber combat requires precise strikes and defensive blocking or parrying.
Kicks and Spins: Kicks and spins add momentum to attacks and evasion but are less frequently used than other movements.
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Testing and Standards:
Non-Fatiguing
Psychological
Mental Strength Scale: 4.14 ± 0.53
Mobility and Balance
Sit and reach: 22 inches
Seated Thoracic Rotation: 45 degrees of rotation
Lat Length Test: Pass
Balance Error Scoring System Test: 10.4 ± 4.4
Anthropometric
Body-Fat Percentage: 7.9%
Body Weight: 167.6 ± 19.4 pounds
Plyometric
Standing Long Jump: 148 inches
Fatiguing
Agility:
T-test: 10.31± 0.46 inches
Max Anaerobic
Bench Press: 199 ± 35.9 pounds
Bench Pull: 176.8 ± 26 pounds
Max Aerobic
VO2 Max: 57-62 seconds
Anaerobic Endurance
Push Up: 36
Aerobic Endurance:
1.5-mile run time: 8:29 minutes: seconds
(Baechle, 2016)
Training Factors
Environmental Factors:
Jedi are required to perform in varied terrains, gravitational constraints, and altitudes. It is important that their training physiologically, psychologically, and nutritionally prepares them for these factors. New skills can be begun using blocked, consistent environments with consistent and frequent feedback; however, they should be moved toward increasingly varied, random, and self-governed training environments as soon as possible. This will better prepare the Jedi for self-determined performance. Nutritional tactics to better meet elevation demands should be considered in athlete education (i.e., vitamin C and iron supplementation).
Psychological Aspects
Opponents will use psychological tactics, as should Jedi masters. Psychological skills must be discussed and capitalized in athlete development (goal setting, practice structure, motivation, persistence) and as a means of gamesmanship.
Define specific goals relevant to training needs, such as improved agility for lightsaber dueling, mission endurance, or mental resilience for meditation.
Health and Equipment Assessment
Consider existing medical conditions and available training equipment (barbells, bands, droids).
Evaluate Training Adaptation
Conduct routine and regular reviews and evaluations of the program to avoid performance plateaus and overtraining.
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Preparation Phase 4 Weeks
Focus: Foundational fitness and injury prevention
Priorities:
In Order
1. Education and Assessment
2. Mobility
3. Technique
4. Strength
5. Power
6. Endurance
7. Tactical
Exercises
Squat
Overhead Press
Deadlift
Bench Press
Row
Russian Twist
Protocol
Progression Strategy: Linear Progression
Rep Range: 12-15 reps or 1-1.5 minute sets
Sets: 2-3
Frequency: 2-4x weekly, non-consecutive
Intensity: 50-60% 1RM or RPE 5-7
Rest for 1- 1.5 minutes
Conditioning
Cyclical cardio at a light to moderate intensity 20-30 minutes, 2-4 times a week.
Feedback
General prescriptive feedback is frequently given using bandwidth and question-and-answer. To allow for cognition, feedback is delayed for at least a few seconds up to a few minutes.
Practice and Instruction Structure
Explicit and prescriptive. Through collaborative peer learning and verbal instruction, deliberate practice is used to learn, focused on structured, blocked, and variable practice. Although repetition and practice are the backbones of this phase of expertise development, the goal is to build positive expectations through errorless learning. At this point, contextual interference is minimal. Seek opportunities for autonomy, social relatedness, and competence. Begin ongoing assessment of ability to perform in distress and high-arousal environments
Base Phase 6-8 Weeks
Focus: Building a strong foundation in strength and endurance
Priorities:
In Order
1. Acquiring skills and attributes
2. Technique
3. Strength
4. Power
5. Endurance
6. Tactical
7. Mobility
Exercises
Increased variability and number of exercises to comply with increased volume.
Squat
Lunge
Overhead Press
Deadlift
Bench Press
Single Arm Press
Row
One Arm Row
Plank
Russian Twist
Protocol
Progression Strategy: Linear Progression and/ or Step Loading
The Jedi can either do separate blocks of strength (then) hypertrophy or undulate throughout the week, focusing on different aspects of fitness on different days. This can be helpful to attenuate training stress throughout the week. Note that is reps are higher rest should be shorter and intensity lower. As total volume increases, cardio may need to decrease in intensity (first) and time (second).
Rep Range: 3-5 (strength) and 6-8 (hypertrophy) or 30-second -1.5 minute sets
Sets: 2-6
Frequency: 3-5x weekly, non-consecutive
Intensity: 70-85% 1RM or RPE 7-9
Rest for 2- 3 minutes
Conditioning
Cyclical cardio in 1:1 intervals at a moderate to high intensity, 20-30 minutes total, 2-4 times a week.
Feedback
General and specific descriptive feedback is given moderately through video analysis and self-regulation. Feedback is delayed for at least a few minutes to hours to allow for cognition.
Practice and Instruction Structure
Practice mode is doled out in implicit guided discovery. A mix of deliberate practice and deliberate play is used to learn, but the focus is on more unstructured, random practice through collaborative peer learning (demonstration) and guided discovery. Build autonomy on the previous phase's foundation of motivation and attention. This phase has a moderate level of contextual interference. Conduct program evaluation one.
Specialization Phase 8-10 Weeks
Focus: Advanced skills for Jedi-specific tasks.
Priorities:
In Order
1. Mastering skills and refining attributes
2. Power
3. Tactical
4. Endurance
5. Strength
6. Mobility
7. Technique
Exercises
Exercises are more limited to allow for more sports-specific training.
Power Clean
Split Jerk
Push Press
Single Arm Press
One Arm Row
Russian Twist
Protocol
Progression Strategy: Undulating or Conjugate
Rep Range: 3-6 or 30-second -1 minute sets
Frequency: 2-3x weekly, non-consecutive
Intensity: 60-80% 1RM or RPE 6-8
Rest for 2- 3 minutes
Conditioning
Jedi Specific Training 3-5 days per week as recoverable, 30 min- 2 hours
Combat Training: Lightsaber drills, defensive maneuvers, and grappling techniques.
Endurance: Circuit training, fartlek runs of varied intensity, and endurance for mission readiness.
Agility and Speed: Plyometric exercises, cone drills, and agility ladder work to improve reaction time.
Feedback
Continue to monitor, but offer more specific and less frequent self-governed feedback than in the previous phase. Use bandwidth and summary feedback to determine whether the feedback is appropriate. Feedback is delayed for at least a few hours up to a few days to allow for cognition.
Practice and Instruction Structure
This phase is more variable and random in practice and involves simulated competition settings. As soon as possible, transition away from verbal instruction to reduce the opportunity for interpretation error now that the athlete has developed a cognitive roadmap. Seek and seize opportunities for autonomy, social relatedness, and competence. Conduct program evaluation two.
Peak Performance Phase 4 Weeks
Focus: Preparing for intense combat and mental demands.
Priorities:
In Order
1. Self-Regulation and Skill Automation
2. Tactical
3. Endurance
4. Mobility
5. Strength
6. Power
7. Technique
Exercises
Exercises are limited and of low intensity to allow the majority of energy and recovery to be dedicated to competition.
Lunge
Single Arm Press
One Arm Row
Russian Twist
Protocol
Progression Strategy: Undulating or Conjugate
Rep Range: 3-6 or 30-second -1 minute sets
Frequency: 2-3x weekly, non-consecutive
Intensity: 60-70% 1RM or RPE 6-7
Rest for 2- 3 minutes
Conditioning
Jedi Specific Training 3-5 days per week as recoverable, 30 min- 2 hours
Combat Training: Lightsaber drills, defensive maneuvers, and grappling techniques.
Endurance: Circuit training, fartlek runs of varied intensity, and endurance for mission readiness.
Agility and Speed: Plyometric exercises, cone drills, and agility ladder work to improve reaction time.
Feedback
Limited to no feedback. Despite the reduced direct involvement, continued monitoring and relationship development will open the door for feedback. This thread can help maintain skill levels and address any emerging issues.
Practice and Instruction Structure
Highly flexible and loosely organized around competition.
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Sources:
1. Macnamara, B. N., Moreau, D., & Hambrick, D. Z. (2016). The Relationship Between Deliberate Practice and Performance in Sports: A Meta-Analysis. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 11(3), 333–350. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691616635591
2. Mann, D. T. Y., Williams, A. M., Ward, P., & Janelle, C. M. (2007). Perceptual-cognitive expertise in sport: A meta-analysis. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, pp. 29, 457–478.
3. Millar, S.K., Oldham, A. R. H., & Donovan, M. (2011). Coaches' Self-Awareness of Timing, Nature, and Intent of Verbal Instructions to Athletes. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 6(4), 503–513. https://doi.org/10.1260/1747-9541.6.4.503
4. Wulf, G., & Lewthwaite, R. (2016). Optimizing performance through intrinsic motivation and attention for learning: The OPTIMAL theory of motor learning. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, p. 23, 1382–1414. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13423-015-0999-9
5. Baechle, T. R. (2016). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. Human Kinetics.
