CONDITIONING for Female Athletes Who Play Soccer, Basketball, Hockey, and More!

20 May CONDITIONING for Female Athletes Who Play Soccer, Basketball, Hockey, and More!

Posted at 21:56h in Blog, Conditioning, Off Season Training by erica 0 Comments

Keep conditioning simple.

Understand the game demands and energy systems used.

Understand muscle actions and movements.

Here is an excellent podcast with former Orlando Pride Performance Coach, Ivi Casagrande, discussing off-season conditioning for female athletes.

Here are some of the drills she mentioned in the episode that I also program in my in person Tampa training, as well as remote speed and conditioning training:

1. Full Field Tempo Runs

These are excellent at the start of off-season to develop a base with minimal change of direction.

Sprint to the end of the field in 18-20 seconds, then jog back in 60 seconds.

To progress, decrease time to make it down the field (16-18 seconds), or decrease rest (40-45 seconds).

For more sets and reps, progress tracking, and cool drone videos of my conditioning drills, check out my online training subscription HERE.

2. Repeat Sprint Ability (RSA)

These work on being able to sustain power in the second half, or final minutes of competition.

Perform a max effort sprint at 20 yards, rest for only 30 seconds. Try to get a similar time each set for the 20 yard. Perform 4-6 reps.

Be sure to progress to more change of direction volume as the season approaches (to the penalty box and back for 30 second duration, 30 second rest, then progressing to a 20 second duration, 10 second rest), so female athletes are prepared to handle the cutting, twisting, and turning of preseason.

Oh, and please don’t save your conditioning until the last minute of off-season. ;-O

For a guide book on training the youth female athlete, get The Strong Female Athlete HERE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erica Mulholland is a former college 3x All-American soccer player and now Hall of Famer from Johns Hopkins University. She holds a Master of Science in Exercise Science and has been helping female athletes of all sports with speed, agility, strength, power, and conditioning for over 13 years. She has worked with soccer, lacrosse, track, volleyball, softball, and basketball girls, and has inspired her athletes to strength train not just for sport, but for life.

Her athletes have gone on to play college sports at University of North Carolina, University of Maryland, Pittsburgh, University of Southern California, University of Detroit, Mercy, Northwestern, Eastern Carolina University, Georgetown, West Point, University of South Florida, University of Charleston, MIT, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, Rutgers, Towson University, and have gone on to play for professional various clubs in Europe.

Of course, she is proud of her athletes who made it to the college and pro levels, but she is most proud of her girls who stick with being strong and healthy for a lifetime. The training she does is about getting into good habits young, so girls can take these tools with them even after sports end.

Need more personalized help from Erica? BOOK A CONSULT HERE