Improve your general fitness

Like all of your workouts, you want to be as efficient as possible and get the most from the session. General strength circuits do just that. Many master athletes lack the general strength it takes to produce their desired results, and lack basic work capacity. You can get both of these from general strength training.

General strength circuits

General strength circuits are usually bodyweight exercises that involve little or no external loading (weights). Perform these two or three times each week during the season to build aerobic conditioning, increase your flexibility, and most importantly, thwart injury.

Sample workout 1 – Running Circuit

Perform on the grass of a football field. All runs performed at 65% maximum heart rate (MHR)

1. Run 100 yards
2. Walk along the goal line, across the field
3. Run back 100 yards
4. Walk along the goal line, across the field
5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 three more times
6. Rest for three minutes – active rest, keep moving and do not sit down
7. Repeat steps 1 to 4 four more times.

In under 30 minutes, you just improved your strength, aerobic conditioning, and helped prevent injuries.

Sample workout 2 – Jump Rope Circuit

1. Jump rope – one minute (30 seconds – two feet, 30 seconds – hip turns)
2. Jog 50 yards
3. Prisoner squats – 1 x 20
4. Jog 50 yards
5. Jump rope – one minute (30 seconds – crossover, 30 seconds – double skip)
6. Jog 50 yards
7. Burpees – x 10
8. Jog 50 yards
9. Jump rope – one minute (30 seconds – skip, 30 seconds – high knee)
10. Jog 50 yards
11. In-place alternating lunges – 10 each leg
12. Jog 50 yards
13. Rest (active rest, keep moving and do not sit down) for three minutes then repeat steps 1-12.

When you repeat this exercise you can change the exercises (e.g. add lateral lunges, split squats etc) and also change the order of the jump rope exercise.

In under 45 minutes, you just improved your strength, balance, aerobic conditioning, core conditioning, helped prevent injuries and worked on mental focus during fatigue.