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Fitness Program

Suggested Fitness Program

Fitness Program
| Mark Matheson

Fitness will be crucial at the Nationals. A lack of physical preparation will hurt us as we could lose players through injury. Most important are core strength and interval running. I understand people have busy lives but we have a strong side this year and are a real chance to win the Championships. Extra effort made now will make a difference. Try to develop a routine over the next month.

You will know your own body and understand what needs to be done. Consider diet and alcohol intake over the next three months. It all adds up. If you have any existing injuries, please see a physio and heed their advice. I understand it is difficult to rest particularly during finals but this may be necessary. If you suffer an injury over the next three months, then get properly treated and immediately inform our manager, Mark Matheson.

Below is a circuit of core exercises recommended by Sharon Dixon, the head physio for Hockey NSW Men's Masters.

Circuit (one minute on, one minute rest) after a bike ride or jog to warm up. Beep test can be used to warm up.

  1. Push ups
  2. 20m sprints
  3. Plank
  4. Single leg squats (30 seconds each leg)
  5. Side planks (30 seconds each side)
  6. Skipping
  7. Burpees
  8. Run ball around cones 10m apart
  9. Red theraband around a pole. Hook stick in. Right side drags x 10 then swap to the left (total of 20 on both sides).
    This one is difficult to explain. Right side is like a normal push out style drag. Left side is a mirror of the right.
  10. Single/double leg bridge (one minute each leg/both legs)
  11. Backward stepping lunge. Dip down with with back foot raised on a block or stool (one minute each leg)

After a couple of weeks incorporate:-

  1. Movement/dynamic planks
  2. Copenhagen adductor exercises

A suggested weekly routine is:-

  • Monday: Recovery jog and hit about
  • Tuesday: Club training
  • Wednesday: Intervals and sprints (see below)
  • Thursday: Yoga before work
  • Friday: Sharon’s core exercises. skills in the backyard
  • Saturday: Grade hockey
  • Sunday: Park Run (5kms)

This interval and sprint session should take about 45 minutes to cover between 5-6 kms:-

  1. Warm up by running 6 laps of the field. Run a full lap then walk half a lap. Work your way around the field
  2. Dynamic stretching
  3. From backline (5m in from side) sprint to 25, jog to far sideline (where 25 meets sideline), jog to backline, walk back to start (x10)
  4. Sprint to 50, jog to where halfway meets far sideline, jog to backline, walk to start (x5)
  5. Sprint to 75, jog to where 75 meets far sideline, jog to backline, walk to start (x3)
  6. Sprint full field, jog to where backline meets far sideline, jog full length to far backline, walk to start (x3)
  7. Jog two laps for warm down. Static stretching. Possible to complete the 6 laps again as warm down

Note: This program was adapted from a program designed by Matt Lobsey and Sharon Dixon in 2018

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Author Info

Hockey Tragic

Mark is a former President of the Sydney Masters Hockey Association and is a current NSW manager in the Over 40's age group and the Australian Over 35's Manager.

When he is not working in the hockey community, Mark runs an IT Consultancy offering IT Management and Business Process Change services.

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