Every season must come to a close, and training is given a break at some point each year. It can be challenging to stay motivated during that rest time and know what exercise you should do during your free time. We’ve teamed up with Kerry All Ireland Football Champion Aidan O’Mahony to give you different workouts to keep you fit and ready for the next season.
We’ve broken the training up into 3 different sections, strength, speed and agility, and conditioning, giving you the best way to keep your fitness and motivation levels high during the off season.
Improving your game
To keep yourself pitch ready during the off season, you need a combination of strength and conditioning, mobility, movement, and speed and agility. You should do each one of the exercises for a minimum of four weeks to see the results. Within each section, there are three different options of exercises, all aimed towards helping you improve your game. Always be sure that you stretch before attempting any of these exercises and after to optimise your recovery.
Strength
Strength and Conditioning is a significant part of team training in recent years, especially GAA. You need to be in top shape to compete at the highest level. Even the most skilled player on the field won’t reach their potential if they can’t break through a tackle. This 4-week plan, designed by Aidan O’Mahony, will help you make the most of the time you have off and focus your efforts on a significant part of the game.
For these exercises, make sure you use the correct form, even if that means dropping your weight, then work on adding weight as the weeks go by.
Workout 1
3 sets of each exercise
5 reps per set
2-minute rest between sets
1) Squat
2) Jumps
3) Floor Chest Press
4) Thrust
5) Rollout
Workout 2
3 sets of each exercise
5 reps per set
2-minute rest between sets
1) Snatch 1st Pull
2) OH Squat
3) DB Floor Press
4) OH Lunge and Press
5) Rollout
Workout 3
3 sets of each exercise
5 reps per set
2-minute rest between sets
1) Back Squat
2) Squat Jumps
3) DB Floor Press
4) hang Clean Pull
5) Rollout
Speed and Agility
Speed is one of the fundamental parts of team training. From a young age, most of your training will be dedicated to speed work. Simply because, if you get to the ball first, you have a significant advantage. Speed and agility are essential for getting off the mark and bursting runs that will allow you to get away from a defender.
There are a few ways you can train for speed, such as practising running faster than others in short sprints, or you can hit the gym and improve on your muscles strength and ability to move faster.
Aidan has some exercises you can do to increase your speed and agility. Perform this routine once a week on top of your weight training until closer to the season. In the lead up to the season, try to get in 2-3 sessions.
Warmup
Marches, ladders, skip, ladders, skip, ladders, bounds, ladders, bounds for distance, ladders, step in/out, ladders
Acceleration
Sprints x 4
Acceleration - deceleration
Falling starts x 4
3 point starts x 4
Changing Direction
Sprint with turn x 4
Conditioning
Injuries are common in team training. How often have you seen a player get injured and end up never winning their original position back? Unfortunately, so many team sports players neglect mobility training. Mobility training can keep you injury-free and allow you to move in ways that will hugely benefit you, whether that’s in the gym or on the pitch.
People’s mobility is decreased by the way we live— being static on chairs for a large proportion of the day and then lifting weights wrong when we go to work out. So many players are hindered by poor mobility, lower-back issues, poor posture, and a weak core, which makes training and doing simple things like hip hinges, squats, and other staples of a training programme very challenging.
This 4-week conditioning plan will help increase your movement and your response time when on the pitch, giving you a head start against the rest.
Perform this routine once a week on top of your weight and speed training until closer to the season. In the lead up to the season, try to get in 2-3 sessions.
Warmup
Your own stretches and light running
Parachute Max Velocity Runs
2 sets
6 reps per set
80-meter sprint = 1 rep
1-minute rest between reps
3-minute rest between sets
Conditioning run
2 sets
4 reps per set
60m x 4 = 1 rep (cones 60m apart. sprint up and back twice)
45 second rest between reps
2-minute rest between sets
Looking for more exercises? Why not take a look at our 10 dumbbell workouts for beginners. These are great for getting you started on your strength and conditioning work.
