- RE:World Cup 2010
- June 17, 2010 02:06 PM
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Thought this was cool—saw these tips on Menshealth.com. They feature four athletes playing in the World Cup (each focusing on their strengths: endurance, strength, agility and speed).
Here is an outline of the endurance tips:
Build World-Class Endurance
1. Forge Speed Stamina
Doing four 4-minute incline-running intervals twice a week at 90 to 95 percent of maximum heart rate—with 3 minutes easy jogging between each interval—improves cardiovascular fitness by half a percent each session, according to Norwegian research. (Think of the cumulative effect!) A recreational athlete can benefit from similar training, but at lesser intensity. Director of Soccer for Athletes’ Performance Scott Piri recommends starting out with five 15-second, 110-meter sprints with 30 seconds active recovery, twice a week. As you become fitter, gradually extend the number of reps and the length of the sprint, and reduce the recovery time.
2. Extend Muscle Endurance
Piri recommends adding this minicircuit to your workout three times a week. Do 1 set of each exercise with 30 seconds rest. For complete descriptions, see MensHealth.com/worldcup.
3. Plank with arm lift
Assume a pushup position but with your forearms firmly on the ground. Lift your right arm up and slightly to the right and hold for 2 seconds. Return to the starting position and repeat with your left arm. Complete 5 to 10 reps on each side.
4. Marching lateral plank
Lie on your left side with your legs straight and body in a straight line propped on your left foream. Lift your bottom knee to your chest, hold for 2 seconds, and return. Lift your top knee to your chest, hold for 2 seconds, and return. That’s 1 rep. Do 5 to 10 reps. Switch sides.
5. Marching hip raise
Lie faceup with your arms at your sides, knees bent, and heels on the ground. Lift your hips until your knees, hips, and shoulders form a straight line. Hold the position while lifting your right knee to your chest. Return your foot to the ground and repeat with your left knee. That’s 1 rep. Complete 5 to 10 reps on each side.
6. Build Your Foundation
To make running more interesting and to quicken your gains, do a fartlek workout once a week, says Piri. Fartlek is Swedish for “speed play” and involves 30 minutes of running. Within that session, you sprint when you feel great, run when you feel good, and jog when you’re panting. The key is to listen to your body and push yourself by creating your own impromptu interval workout.
