No, the phrase "Ultimate" doesn't refer to the fact that my 12-week program is the peak of fitness. It refers to the sport, Ultimate (the actual title for what everyone else knows as Ultimate Frisbee). The physical demands and movements that are made could best be described as a cornerback or wide receiver in North American football, or perhaps even a soccer player, adding in some jumping, diving, and more quick cuts.
Anyway, I'm 17 years old and play for my high school's Ultimate team and I'm looking to really improve my endurance, agility, speed, and explosiveness for next season, which starts in March. It's almost to the point where it will be too cold or snowy to play Ultimate anymore (I live in Minnesota), so I'll have to rely on indoor conditioning and training to reach my peak for next season.
I bought a book over the internet five or six months ago entitled "Ultimate: Techniques & Tactics". It's essentially a manual for improving every aspect of your game. At the end of the book, it has the following 12-Week Training Program. I was posting here to look for some critique and input from everyone else regarding the appropriateness (word?) and credibility of the following program. Here's a rough key for understanding it:
- The first words listed refer to the actual workout itself. For instance, "3 sets 3 x 400" means "3 sets of 3 successive 400 meter dashes".
- The parentheses refer to the rest times. Larger numbers represent time in seconds between sprints, whereas numbers such as 3.5 or 4 represent time in minutes between sets. For instance, "3 sets 3 x 400 (80,4), 4-min rest, 1 mile" means doing three sets of three 400-meter dashes, with 80 seconds between dashes, and 4 minutes of rest between sets, then resting 4 minutes and running a full mile.
- The term "10-minute death" refers to three sets of the following routine: "1 minute of sit-ups, 15 seconds rest, 40 seconds of push-ups, 15 seconds rest, 1 minute of jumping (40 seconds of jumping jacks straight into 20 seconds of jumping off both feet, bringing knees up high). Allow 15 seconds between sets. The workout takes exactly 10 minutes."
Here's the entirety of the program listed in "Ultimate: Techniques & Tactics":
Week 1:
Track - 3 sets 3 x 400 (80, 4), 4-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Squats, calf presses, hip-flexor lifts, hamstring curls, bench press, curls
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 2-mile jog
Week 2:
Track - 3 sets 3 x 400 (80, 3.5), 4-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Squats, calf presses, hip-flexor lifts, hamstring curls, bench press, curls
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 2-mile jog
Week 3:
Track - 3 sets 3 x 400 (80, 3.5), 3-min rest, 1/2 mile, medium pace
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Bench press, legs, plyometrics (lunge, bound, jump, skip, abs)
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 2.5-mile jog
Week 4:
Track - 3 sets 3 x 400 (75, 3), 3-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Plyometrics (lunge, bound, jump, skip, abs)
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 2.5-mile jog
Week 5:
Track - 3 x 400 (75), 3.5-min rest; 2 sets of 1 x 400, 4 x 200 (75, 45, 3.5), 3.5-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Plyometrics (as above)
Other - 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, curls, wall sit, 3-mile run
Week 6:
Track - 3 x 400 (75), 3.5-min rest; 6 x 200 (45), 3.5-min rest; 2 x 400, 2 x 200 (75, 45), 3.5-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - 10-minute death, agility
Other - 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, curls, wall sit, 3-mile run
Week 7:
Track - 1 mile, 5-min rest; 6 x 100, jogging curves, 3-min rest; 1 mile, 5-min rest; 6 x 100, jogging curves, 3-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - 10-minute death, agility
Other - 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, curls, wall sit, 3-mile run
Week 8:
Track - 4 sets 1 x 400, 3 x 200, 2 x 100 (80, 45, jogging curves), 3-min rest between sets.
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - 10-minute death, agility (cones, cuts, jumps)
Other - 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 3-mile run
Week 9:
Track - 4 sets 1 x 400, 2 x 200, 4 x 100 (80, 45, jogging curves) 3-min rest between sets.
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Agility (cones, cuts, jumps)
Other - 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 3-mile run
Week 10:
Track - 4 sets 1 x 400, 3 x 200, 2 x 100 (80, 45, jogging), 3-min rest between sets.
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Agility
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 3-mile run
Week 11:
Track - 3 sets 4 x 200 (45, 3.5)
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Stationary bike, stair-stepper
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 3-mile jog
Week 12:
Track - 3-mile jog
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - None
Other - At least two 2-mile jogs
I'm told to warm up and cool down before and after each workout. Run a couple laps at a light pace, stretch the muscles, sprint for a few seconds to see how loose/tight I am. Cool down is running a couple laps and stretching again.
As far as the weight room exercises go, they tell me to go for 3 sets of 10-12 reps (looking for muscular endurance, not surprised). If I should do less than that (I've heard that for anyone fewer reps is better), please tell me.
These are the times it tells me to shoot for with the 400 meters, 200 meters, and 100 meters:
400 meters - 68-70 seconds
200 meters - 30 seconds
100 meters - <15 seconds
Now I need some criticism. It says in the book that the regimen is designed for a male in his 20s to 30s. I'm pretty sure I'm a male, but I'm only 17. So I'm worrying that maybe some of the stuff in the training program might be specifically designed to prevent older athletes from pulling something (hip-flexor lifts, hamstring curls?). If those ARE important lifts for me to be doing, I've never heard of them before, so if somebody could please elaborate on what they are.
Secondly, the program's schedule is given in weeks, and there's no mention in the book of whether or not those exercises should be done 3 times a week, twice a week, or every single day. So any speculation on that would be appreciated.
Thirdly, and most importantly, there seems to be a lot stuff in here that doesn't seem legitimate. I've basically heard through this forum that sit-ups and push-ups are pretty much entirely ineffective. I don't doubt that if I did them, it would help, I'm just wondering if maybe I'd be putting in too much effort for too little gain.
A word on the ethos of the writers: They were both on the three-time world championship winning Ultimate team (DoG), have served on the board of directors or been president of the UPA (Ultimate Players' Association). So that definitely gives them lots of credit as Ultimate players. The book was published in 2004, so it should be up-to-date pretty much with any new revolutions in the fitness industry. As far as I'm concerned, they're very credible writers. But that doesn't shake the fact that there are some things that may, perhaps, be a little trivial.
Any insight into this would be helpful. If it's confirmed that the program is, indeed, legit, I plan on starting up myself in a month or so once I get more well-conditioned. They write that
"The workouts in this chapter are difficult. They're intended for players who come to the table with significant conditioning. That is, you can run 5 miles without much strain and can sprint 10 football field lengths and still bend without much soreness the next day."
I'm not at that level, and if anyone else had any recommendations for how to get to that level as soon as possible, that would also be good. I'm not in bad shape, but I'm not in great shape either. I'm one of the fastest players on my team. I used to play football for my school, but I quit that because I really wasn't having fun anymore. I'm around 150 pounds, 6'0", and lean.
Gone off on a tanget again. Anyway, I hope I've been in-depth enough. Look forward to some help.
Anyway, I'm 17 years old and play for my high school's Ultimate team and I'm looking to really improve my endurance, agility, speed, and explosiveness for next season, which starts in March. It's almost to the point where it will be too cold or snowy to play Ultimate anymore (I live in Minnesota), so I'll have to rely on indoor conditioning and training to reach my peak for next season.
I bought a book over the internet five or six months ago entitled "Ultimate: Techniques & Tactics". It's essentially a manual for improving every aspect of your game. At the end of the book, it has the following 12-Week Training Program. I was posting here to look for some critique and input from everyone else regarding the appropriateness (word?) and credibility of the following program. Here's a rough key for understanding it:
- The first words listed refer to the actual workout itself. For instance, "3 sets 3 x 400" means "3 sets of 3 successive 400 meter dashes".
- The parentheses refer to the rest times. Larger numbers represent time in seconds between sprints, whereas numbers such as 3.5 or 4 represent time in minutes between sets. For instance, "3 sets 3 x 400 (80,4), 4-min rest, 1 mile" means doing three sets of three 400-meter dashes, with 80 seconds between dashes, and 4 minutes of rest between sets, then resting 4 minutes and running a full mile.
- The term "10-minute death" refers to three sets of the following routine: "1 minute of sit-ups, 15 seconds rest, 40 seconds of push-ups, 15 seconds rest, 1 minute of jumping (40 seconds of jumping jacks straight into 20 seconds of jumping off both feet, bringing knees up high). Allow 15 seconds between sets. The workout takes exactly 10 minutes."
Here's the entirety of the program listed in "Ultimate: Techniques & Tactics":
Week 1:
Track - 3 sets 3 x 400 (80, 4), 4-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Squats, calf presses, hip-flexor lifts, hamstring curls, bench press, curls
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 2-mile jog
Week 2:
Track - 3 sets 3 x 400 (80, 3.5), 4-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Squats, calf presses, hip-flexor lifts, hamstring curls, bench press, curls
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 2-mile jog
Week 3:
Track - 3 sets 3 x 400 (80, 3.5), 3-min rest, 1/2 mile, medium pace
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Bench press, legs, plyometrics (lunge, bound, jump, skip, abs)
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 2.5-mile jog
Week 4:
Track - 3 sets 3 x 400 (75, 3), 3-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Plyometrics (lunge, bound, jump, skip, abs)
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 2.5-mile jog
Week 5:
Track - 3 x 400 (75), 3.5-min rest; 2 sets of 1 x 400, 4 x 200 (75, 45, 3.5), 3.5-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Plyometrics (as above)
Other - 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, curls, wall sit, 3-mile run
Week 6:
Track - 3 x 400 (75), 3.5-min rest; 6 x 200 (45), 3.5-min rest; 2 x 400, 2 x 200 (75, 45), 3.5-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - 10-minute death, agility
Other - 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, curls, wall sit, 3-mile run
Week 7:
Track - 1 mile, 5-min rest; 6 x 100, jogging curves, 3-min rest; 1 mile, 5-min rest; 6 x 100, jogging curves, 3-min rest, 1 mile
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - 10-minute death, agility
Other - 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, curls, wall sit, 3-mile run
Week 8:
Track - 4 sets 1 x 400, 3 x 200, 2 x 100 (80, 45, jogging curves), 3-min rest between sets.
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - 10-minute death, agility (cones, cuts, jumps)
Other - 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 3-mile run
Week 9:
Track - 4 sets 1 x 400, 2 x 200, 4 x 100 (80, 45, jogging curves) 3-min rest between sets.
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Agility (cones, cuts, jumps)
Other - 150 push-ups, 200 sit-ups, 3-mile run
Week 10:
Track - 4 sets 1 x 400, 3 x 200, 2 x 100 (80, 45, jogging), 3-min rest between sets.
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Agility
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 3-mile run
Week 11:
Track - 3 sets 4 x 200 (45, 3.5)
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - Stationary bike, stair-stepper
Other - 100 push-ups, 150 sit-ups, 3-mile jog
Week 12:
Track - 3-mile jog
Gym/Plyometrics/Agility - None
Other - At least two 2-mile jogs
I'm told to warm up and cool down before and after each workout. Run a couple laps at a light pace, stretch the muscles, sprint for a few seconds to see how loose/tight I am. Cool down is running a couple laps and stretching again.
As far as the weight room exercises go, they tell me to go for 3 sets of 10-12 reps (looking for muscular endurance, not surprised). If I should do less than that (I've heard that for anyone fewer reps is better), please tell me.
These are the times it tells me to shoot for with the 400 meters, 200 meters, and 100 meters:
400 meters - 68-70 seconds
200 meters - 30 seconds
100 meters - <15 seconds
Now I need some criticism. It says in the book that the regimen is designed for a male in his 20s to 30s. I'm pretty sure I'm a male, but I'm only 17. So I'm worrying that maybe some of the stuff in the training program might be specifically designed to prevent older athletes from pulling something (hip-flexor lifts, hamstring curls?). If those ARE important lifts for me to be doing, I've never heard of them before, so if somebody could please elaborate on what they are.
Secondly, the program's schedule is given in weeks, and there's no mention in the book of whether or not those exercises should be done 3 times a week, twice a week, or every single day. So any speculation on that would be appreciated.
Thirdly, and most importantly, there seems to be a lot stuff in here that doesn't seem legitimate. I've basically heard through this forum that sit-ups and push-ups are pretty much entirely ineffective. I don't doubt that if I did them, it would help, I'm just wondering if maybe I'd be putting in too much effort for too little gain.
A word on the ethos of the writers: They were both on the three-time world championship winning Ultimate team (DoG), have served on the board of directors or been president of the UPA (Ultimate Players' Association). So that definitely gives them lots of credit as Ultimate players. The book was published in 2004, so it should be up-to-date pretty much with any new revolutions in the fitness industry. As far as I'm concerned, they're very credible writers. But that doesn't shake the fact that there are some things that may, perhaps, be a little trivial.
Any insight into this would be helpful. If it's confirmed that the program is, indeed, legit, I plan on starting up myself in a month or so once I get more well-conditioned. They write that
"The workouts in this chapter are difficult. They're intended for players who come to the table with significant conditioning. That is, you can run 5 miles without much strain and can sprint 10 football field lengths and still bend without much soreness the next day."
I'm not at that level, and if anyone else had any recommendations for how to get to that level as soon as possible, that would also be good. I'm not in bad shape, but I'm not in great shape either. I'm one of the fastest players on my team. I used to play football for my school, but I quit that because I really wasn't having fun anymore. I'm around 150 pounds, 6'0", and lean.
Gone off on a tanget again. Anyway, I hope I've been in-depth enough. Look forward to some help.
