Preparing for Football Training Plan
While the football season may be put on hold, there is still work you can do to keep football-ready while in lockdown and/or away from training.
Aim to complete at least two training sessions per week.
The following conditioning plan has been prepared by Matt Whalan from Figtree Physio, who works with the Australian football teams and is currently in Tokyo helping to prepare the Socceroos and Matildas for the Olympics.
TRAINING PLAN
Session 1
Session 2
Session 3
Session 4
(Repeat Session 2)
30-15 Intermittent Fittness Test
Download the 30-15 IFT app
The 30-15 IFT consists of 30-second shuttle runs interspersed with 15-second walking recovery periods. The test starting speed is 8 km/h (i.e. first 30-second shuttle run), and this speed increases by 0.5 km/h for every 30-second stage thereafter. So, the running speed at stage 1 is 8km/h, stage 2 is 8.5km/h, stage 3 at 9km/h and so on.
Athletes are required to run back and forth between the two lines set 40-metres apart (Figure 1) at a speed governed by an audio “beep”. As the individual progresses through the levels, the time between the beeps decreases giving the individual less time to complete each shuttle, thus increasing the speed/intensity of the test.
The two 3-metre zones in the middle of the testing area (6-metres in total) exist so that the athletes can gauge the required running speed, and therefore adjust their speed accordingly (i.e. speed-up or slow-down). The two 3-metre end zones/turning lines also help guide the athlete to adjust/maintain their speed. During the 15-second recovery period, athletes are required to walk in a forward direction towards the closest 3-metre zone; this zone is where they will start the next running stage from.
Athletes must reach the next 3-metre zone – either the middle one or the end zones – on a consistent basis. Failure to reach the next 3-metre zone on three consecutive occasions results in elimination from the test.