A warm-up model

This diagram depicts the general phases that your warm-up should follow.

A – This involves activities such as gentle running and skipping, gradually increasing the heart rate.

B – This involves the stretching and mobility of the major muscle groups. The neck, back, hamstrings, calves, hips, groin, quads, shoulders and arms are useful guidelines. Stretching should be performed without jerking. Each stretch should be short (4-6 seconds) but very frequent.

C – Warm-ups are never intended to cause fatigue so care should be taken at this stage. Good warm-ups involve sport-specific exercises that prepare the body for the type of training about to be performed. Balls, equipment and simple drills should be incorporated.

D – The activity you are warming up for.

Remember to include a full cool down session after the activity.

Core stability exercises

The aim of these exercises is to develop a basic level of lumber and pelvic stability by working the front, rear and side muscles of the trunk.

What do I get the players to do?

The plank

This is a common exercise that requires good abdominal strength. It targets the rectus abdominis and obliques. The player must hold a straight body position, supporting on elbows and toes. They brace the abs and set in the neutral position once they are up. Sometimes this requires a pelvic tint to find the right position.

The aim is to hold this position, keeping the upper spine extended, for an increasing length of time up to a maximum of 60 seconds. Perform two or three sets, keeping the shoulders back and the chest out whilst maintaining the neutral lumbar position. This makes the exercise considerably more challenging.

To progress this, use an exercise ball or lift one leg just off the floor.

The side plank

This is an effective exercise for obliques and quadratus lumborum (a key lumbar stabilising muscle). Research also shows this to be an excellent exercise for the lower abdominal muscles.

The player needs to lie on one side, ensuring the top hip is ‘stacked’ above the bottom hip. Push up until there is a straight bodyline through the feet, hips and head. Hold the position, increasing the length of the hold up to a maximum of 60 seconds.

Perform two to three sets, keeping the elbow under the shoulder to avoid upper body strain. Lower under control and repeat on the opposite side.

To progress, raise the top leg in the air and hold it in the abducted position.

The gluteal bridge

Research suggests this exercise has great benefits for the lower back.

The player needs to lie on the floor with their knees bent. Tell them to squeeze their gluteals, then push their hips up until there is a straight line through the knee and hip to the upper body. Shoulders remain on the floor. Beware of raising too high or of flaring the ribs, which pushes the back into hyperextension.

The player holds the position, starting with five sets of 10 seconds, then progressing to two or three sets of 60 seconds.

To progress, the player can extend one leg carefully ahead of themselves and hold the position without dropping or tilting the pelvis.

‘The birddog’ or ‘Superman’

This exercise is recommended as being safe and effective, and requires co-contraction of the abdominal wall muscles to stabilise the pelvis.

The player starts with the hands below the hips. Tell them to set their low back into neutral and to brace abs slightly. Slowly slide back one leg and slide forward the opposite arm. Ensure that the back does not slip into extension, and that the shoulders and pelvis do not tilt sideways.

Hold, increasing the duration up to a maximum of 20 seconds. Slowly, they should bring their leg back and swap sides.

Perform sets of between five and 10, alternating sides after each hold.

Circuit training

Circuit training enables us to run through a number of individual exercises, which build in intensity with each repetition over the course of the 25-day period. In basic terms, for each additional circuit phase, an additional five reps are added.

Refer back to the ’Muscular endurance programme schedule’ table for information on how to run this element in the greater context of the overall plan.

Running programme

The running programme uses similar running times, albeit with shorter rest periods. In addition, exercises 7-10 (inclusive) need to be performed at a higher intensity – 85%+ of maximum heart rate, compared to 75% for exercises 1-6 inclusive.

Refer back to the ’Muscular endurance programme schedule’ table for information on how to run this element in the greater context of the overall plan.

Weights programme

Starting with a uniform weight programme, the progression over the next three sessions is judged on the abilities and performance of each individual player.

Refer back to the ’Muscular endurance programme schedule’ table for information on how to run this element in the greater context of the overall plan.

Cooling down

A cool down can be viewed as the opposite to the warm-up, where there is a gradual decrease in intensity. It is an extremely important aspect of training and matches. Stopping suddenly after a hard exercise allows waste products to remain in the blood and muscles (for example lactic acid). This can lead to cramps, stiffness and discomfort over the next few days. This could prevent you from performing at your optimal level on a subsequent day.

A sensible cool down (i.e. a slow 400m jog) can reduce these effects greatly, and it can also be advisable to perform some static stretching (10-15 seconds) to enhance lactate removal.