CHS Sparkle Motion: Preseason Training

As per request, here are the exercises that I would suggest focusing on--as well as running during preseason! Also, you can continue to do these exercises during the season, but you should modify your lifting schedule if you plan to lift during the season. Click here to learn more about lifting while in season.

And as always, within a half hour to 45 minutes of a workout (particularly lifting) make sure you consume some form of protein (I'm a fan of protein shakes.) Carbs will leave you hungry, protein will help you rebuild your muscles faster so you'll be in better shape. Chocolate milk is also a great recovery drink, so stay hydrated!

Conditioning

5 minute warmup: easy jogging, some mobility drills such as bearcrawls and inchworms: loosen up all joints. AVOID: stretches lasting more than a few seconds in duration, high-intensity efforts.

INTERVAL ROUNDS:

1) 10 second sprint alternated with 20 second jog, performed for three minutes (for a total of six ten-second sprints and six twenty-second jog).

REST ONE MINUTE

2) 15-second shuttle run, running between two objects 10 yards apart, making directional changes as quickly as possible, alternating cutting legs. Jog easily for 15 seconds between efforts. Repeat for three minutes, for a total of six shuttle-run intervals.

REST ONE MINUTE

3) Three minutes of “speed play”: jog, sprint, stride, change direction, jump at will. This round is like shadow boxing for UF. Bring the intensity down a notch from previous two intervals.

REST ONE MINUTE

4) Do three minutes of the following drill: run 10 yards, squat jump, change directions, run 10 yards, squat jump, change directions, jog 20 seconds.

REST ONE MINUTE

5) Repeat speed play round.

Cool down with a few minutes of static stretches and deep breathing.

This whole workout—warm-up and cool-down included—will take you less than a half-hour but will be very challenging for everyone (since you control the intensity with your speed and effort level, it will never become easy), and will absolutely get you in great shape for UF.

If the workouts are too difficult at first (which is likely unless you’re already in excellent shape), cut the work periods down to 90 seconds-2 minutes and work gradually up to the longer work periods. The idea is to pace yourself through each work period so that you’re not collapsing at the end of each one. Use the ‘jogging’ periods during each interval to catch your breath and relax as much as possible.

Once you get used to the format, you can design your own drills around elements of your game you’d like to improve: jumping height, foot speed, agility, hand-eye coordination. Stick with the interval-style format.

I’d suggest doing this kind of workout 3-4 times a week, always taking at least a day off between sessions.

Handler Exercise

To keep your “Athletic Body in Balance” as a rightie handler, add additional/supplemental reverse lunges on the side opposite of your throwing stance after practice. For example, right-handed players typically pivot with their left foot on the ground, and thus step out (forward) onto their right foot. One opposite motion would be to step backward rather than forward, and to put your weight mostly on your left foot rather than your right foot.
To see this demonstrated visually, please see the “reverse lunge with twist” video at CorePerformance.com. Note that you only twist (rotate) in the direction of the leg that is holding most of your weight.

This means that righties should do supplemental reverse lunges by stepping back with their right leg and turning left. Your rotation should come from the thoracic spine (mid-back and above) rather than your lumbar spine (lower back). Here is a slightly different variant which also includes a nice (opposing movement!) t-spine twist.

8 Weeks to an 88 Yard Pull

Movement Prep:
+ Foam roll or soft tissue work, focused on thoracic spine (upper-back)
+ Your standard dynamics warmup: high knees / butt-kickers / carioca to open the hips / etc.
+ Reverse lunge with thoracic-twist (see video demonstration in previous post about handler sustainability).
+ If you know how to do scapular joint mobility or gleno-humeral joint mobility, do so
Strength & Conditioning:
= Twice a week, for 8-10 minutes, alternate Kettlebell swings with single or double Kbell farmer’s walk.
Focus on a strong hip snap, with a strong hard-style lock (glute / abs / fire-the-lats engagement), weight on heels (“wiggle your toes”). Do these swings / walks instead of excessive LSD (long slow distance) or other aerobic work. Keep the ‘bell below nose height and do not perform “squat” swings to save your back. If a deadlift is a moving plank, as Dan John points out, a KB swing is/should be a ballistic deadlift–so keep your shins roughly vertical rather than letting them come forward.
= Twice a week, do several (alternating side) reps of the Kallos Thenos-style Turkish Get-up (high bridge pls), with a lighter Kbell (or sandbag). I’d rather you do bottoms-up KB get-ups with a lighter weight than regular get-ups with a heavier weight, since this drill is about good form and training your stabilizers rather than your prime movers.
Several times a week, perform the chop and the lift with tubing or cables at the gym. In a pinch, use a 175g disc or a light medball outdoors. Keep your “pillar” strong and stable, hips and shoulders *stay* square, avoiding rotation. Read Gray’s Chop & Lift article series here at PerformBetter.com.
Throw. Actually practice your pulls, hucks, and deep looks (done from various positions of the “compass lunge”) as often as you can. “Do as much work as possible while staying as fresh as possible.”

STRENGTH AND AGILITY

The focus of strength and endurance training for this phase switches to more sport specific exercise after establishing a strength base. These exercises will train muscle groups specific to our sport in preparation for summer competition. The exercise chosen are meant for the average Ultimate athlete. Some athletes will require more specific muscle conditioning and flexibility work for weak, injured or imbalanced muscle groups.

All suggested exertion levels are based on the 1RM principle. Repetitions should be completed within a 20 second interval, allowing approximately 2-3 minutes of recovery between sets.

Perform exercises in a controlled movement pattern i.e. 2 counts on the concentric lift, 3-4 counts on the eccentric release

15. The following exercise groups should be completed 1x/week with maximum effort. Perform 3 sets of the indicated number of repetitions for each exercise.

1. LEGS

Squats

Lunges (1-4=stationary, 5-8=dynamic, 9-12=st.bench, 13-16=power)

Leg Curl

Hip Adduction

2. ABDOMINALS - SHOULDERS

Military Press

Front Raise

Rotator Cuff

Reverse Cable Fly (one arm)

Incline Curl Up (curl up while lyingon an incline)

Plank