Programme Objective: Strength Development & Core Development Glossary Reps - Also written as repetition. This refers to the completion of one single lift/exercise Sets - This is the completion of the prescribed number of reps without rest Posture - Keeping your body in alignment. Making sure that your body is in the most efficient position for any given situation. Good posture while standing is a straight back, squared shoulders, chin up, chest out, stomach in, feet forward, your hips and knees in a neutral position. Strength - The ability to exert force against a resistance. (i.e. Jumping higher) Power - The ability to express strength over a shorter space of time (i.e. Running faster) Tension - The state of something being stretched tight. W/C - Week commencing. This means that you must complete the prescribed reps and sets during that week. What is the core? Your core is made up of many different muscles on the front, back and side of the body. In the front, it is made up of the transverse abdominis (TA) and rectus abdominis. On the sides there are the internal and external oblique s, and on the back there is the erector spinae which run from your lower back up as far as the base of your neck. All these muscles combined make up what we call your core. The core is the bridge between your upper body and lower body. It is involved in postural control, balance and force transmission. In short, a stronger core results in a more stable and powerful athlete.
Strengthening up these muscles is key to improving your performance. Like mentioned above, if the core is weak, then there will a loss of power/strength and also a reduction in performance. Each muscle must be trained effectively to develop a well-rounded and developed core. Bracing: By using the bracing technique, you are engaging all parts of the core effectively and creating tightness in the mid-section. This tightness allows a better redistribution of tension, like when in the plank position, and also allows for better transmission of force through it. Simply put, bracing fills your lungs with air, creating pressure in your trunk and then pushing out against it as if someone was about to punch you in the stomach. While in this position you should never hold your breath, your core/trunk should be tight but you should be able to breath normally. It may take a couple of weeks to get this right. Exercises:
Complete all sets of an exercise before moving on to the next one. Rest for about 30 seconds to 1 minute in between sets. Rest for 2-3 minutes in between each exercise. Perform these exercises maintaining perfect form throughout all reps and sets. The programme outlined is progressive, meaning, that as long as you stick it, you will improve. If you don t, you will fall behind and will not realise your full potential. Complete the routine 2-3 times per week.
Core Exercises Exercise Demonstration Explanation Plank Side Plank (left and right) Superman Bird Dog Dead Bug Get into a prone position on the floor, supporting your weight on your toes and your forearms. Your arms are bent and directly below the shoulder. Keep your body straight at all times, and hold this position. Ensure your abdominals are braced at all times and breathing remains normal. Get into a side plank position by balancing your weight on one elbow, keeping your elbow underneath your shoulder and lifting your hips off of the floor. Keep your body straight and feet stacked. Keep other hand on hip or extended in the air. To begin, lie straight and face down on the floor or exercise mat. Your arms should be fully extended in front of you. This is the starting position. Simultaneously try to raise your arms, chest and legs off of the floor and hold this position for 2 seconds. Tip: Squeeze your lower back to get the best results from this exercise. Remember to breathe normally during this movement. Slowly begin to lower your arms, legs and chest back down to the starting position while inhaling. Get on all fours on the floor and brace your abdominal muscles, keeping your spine and neck in a neutral position; you should be looking at the floor (top illustration). Slowly extend your right leg behind you while reaching your left arm forward (bottom illustration). Repeat on the opposite side. Begin lying on your back with your hands extended above you toward the ceiling. Bring your feet, knees, and hips up to 90 degrees. Brace your abdominals. Try to make sure your back is flat against the floor at all times. Hold this position throughout the movement. This will be your starting position. Initiate the exercise by extending one leg, straightening the knee and hip to bring the leg just above the ground. Maintain the position of your back as you perform the movement, as your back is going to want to arch. Stay tight and return the working leg to the starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.
W/C 12 th September 19 th September 26 th September 3 rd October Plank 1 10s 1 15s 2 10s 2 15s Side Plank 1 10s 1 15s 2 10s 2 15s Superman 1 5 1 8 1 10 2 5 Bird Dog 1 5 1 8 1 10 2 5 Dead Bug 1 5 1 8 1 10 2 5 W/C 10 th October 17 th October 24 th October 31 st October Plank 1 20s 1 25s 2 20s 2 25s Side Plank 1 20s 1 25s 2 20s 2 25s Superman 2 8 2 10 2 12 3 5 Bird Dog 2 8 2 10 2 12 3 5 Dead Bug 2 8 2 10 2 12 3 5 W/C 7 th November 14 th November 21 st November 28 th November Plank 1 30s 3 15s 3 15s 3 20s Side Plank 1 30s 3 15s 3 15s 3 20s Superman 3 8 3 10 3 12 4 8 Bird Dog 3 8 3 10 3 12 4 8 Dead Bug 3 8 3 10 3 12 4 8 W/C 5 th December 12 th December 17 th December 22 nd December Plank 3 20s 3 25s 3s 25s 3 30s Side Plank 3 20s 3 25s 3s 25s 3 30s Superman 4 10 4 12 5 8 5 10 Bird Dog 4 10 4 12 5 8 5 10 Dead Bug 4 10 4 12 5 8 5 10
Strength Development This part of your programme is going to look at making you a stronger, more well balanced player on the pitch. It will work in three phases. The first phase will aim to make your muscles work for longer, increasing their endurance. The second phase will aim to make them stronger, increasing your overall strength. The third phase will aim to make them more powerful and explosive. Again, like the core programme, if you do not stick to this, you will fall behind and your team mate will become a much stronger, better player than you will. Aim to complete 1 push session and 1 pull session every week. Leave 2-3 days in between strength workouts, and never complete a strength workout the day before, the day of, or the day after a match. Exercises: Complete all sets of an exercise before moving on to the next one. Rest for about 1 minute in between sets. Rest for 2-3 minutes in between each exercise. Perform these exercise maintaining perfect form, following the instructions given, throughout all reps and sets. For example, if the programme says complete 3x10, this means 3 sets of 10 reps, it does not mean complete 30 in a row. If still unsure on how to do the exercises, you can find all the exercises and more on the internet/youtube so there s no excuses for not knowing how to do them!
Push Exercises: Bodyweight Squat 1. Start with feet just outside shoulder width. 2. Place hands behind head as shown in the image. 3. Begin movement by pushing hips back first and then bending the knees. 4. Squat down until hips are under your knees. 5. Push through the heels and return to the start position. 6. Keep chest out and back flat throughout. Press Up 1. Make sure there is a straight line from your ears to your ankles, through your hips. 2. Maintain this position throughout the movement. 3. Make sure hands are positioned underneath your shoulders, or just outside. 4. Begin movement by bending your elbows (don t let them flare out to the side), bringing your chest to the floor. 5. Pushing through your palms, return to the starting position. Walking Lunge 1. Start with feet just outside shoulder width. 2. Step forward into a lunge position with your right foot, making sure your knee is over your ankle, and keep your body stable, chest out and back flat. 3. Pushing through the heel of your right foot, drive the knee of your left leg forward. 4. Immediately step into a lunge position with your left foot. Maintaining correct position. 5. Continue for the given reps.
Pull Exercises: Dumbbell Deadlift 1. Start with feet just outside shoulder width. 2. Squat down into the position shown in the diagram and grab DB (can use any slightly weighted object) tightly. 3. Keep your back flat, chest out, arms fully locked out and head facing forward. 4. Keeping your arms locked out, drive through your heels and move up into an upright position. 5. Slowly squat back down into the starting position. Good Morning Note: Complete this exercise with just a stick rather than weight as shown in the image. 1. Start with feet just outside shoulder width. 2. Hold stick across the back of your shoulders as shown in the image. 3. Slightly bend your knee, begin movement by pushing your hips back without bending your knees anymore. 4. Feel the stretch in your hamstring, but don t push it too far. 5. Keeping your back straight and chest out, drive your hips forward to return to the starting position. Hamstring Curl Note: If you have no access to a swiss/medicine ball, it is possible to perform these by placing dry tea towels or dish clothes under your feet and elevating your feet on top of a chair/table as shown in the image. Movement remains the same. 1. Begin on the floor laying on your back with your feet on top of the ball. 2. Position the ball so that when your legs are extended your ankles are on top of the ball. This will be your starting position. 3. Raise your hips off of the ground, keeping your weight on the shoulder blades and your feet. 4. Flex the knees, pulling the ball as close to you as you can, contracting the hamstrings. 5. After a brief pause, return to the starting position.
W/C 12 th September 19 th September 26 th September 3 rd October BW Squat 1 10 1 12 2 15 2 20 Press Up 1 4 1 6 2 8 2 10 Walking Lunge 1 10 1 12 2 15 2 20 DB Deadlift 1 10 1 12 2 15 2 20 Good Morning Hamstring Curl 1 10 1 12 2 15 2 20 1 4 1 6 2 8 2 10 W/C 10 th October 17 th October 24 th October 31 st October BW Squat 1 20 1 12 2 8 2 10 Press Up 1 10 1 8 2 5 2 8 Walking Lunge 1 20 1 12 2 8 2 10 DB Deadlift 1 20 1 12 2 8 2 10 Good Morning Hamstring Curl 1 20 1 12 2 8 2 10 1 10 1 8 2 5 2 8 W/C 7 th November 14 th November 17 th December 22 nd December BW Squat 3 6 3 8 3 8 3 10 Press Up 2 8 2 10 2 10 3 8 Walking Lunge 3 6 3 8 3 8 3 10 DB Deadlift 3 6 3 8 3 8 3 10 Good Morning Hamstring Curl 3 6 3 8 3 8 3 10 2 8 2 10 2 10 3 8
Safety Considerations As long as the exercises are performed correctly following the coaching points provided, there is minimal risk of injury. Normal side effects from a resistance training programme like muscle fatigue and soreness are to be expected. If experiencing any unusual pain during exercise, stop immediately and rest. If pain persists when you have stopped exercising you may need to seek a professional opinion. Recovery from exercise is vital, so getting in good quality food is critical to getting optimal results from a programme such as this. Most of all, enjoy the process and I wish you all the best.