Adam Kessler is a speed coach. He has worked with state championship teams, as well as athletes in different sports, many of whom have competed in the NBA, NFL and overseas. His company, Fitness Planning Consultants, is based in Columbus, Ohio. He is also the founder of howtorunfasternow.com, a website that covers current trends in speed development, plus what professional athletes are doing to make themselves stronger and faster. Visit his site at facebook.com/adamkesslerfanpage.
You’ve busted your butt all off-season to prepare for the lacrosse season. Now that your preseason is here, you can’t afford to stop working out. If you want to have a successful lacrosse campaign this year, you need an in-season workout that will keep you strong and fast.
When I was a strength coach, one of the harder things I had to do was convince lacrosse coaches that in-season workouts were necessary. Most of the teams would lift three months prior to the season, then stop lifting once practice began. The coaches wanted to spend all their free time practicing, knowing they only had so much time with their athletes.
But once you stop lifting, you slowly start to lose strength. After a month, you’re noticeably weaker than when you last lifted. Last I checked, most seasons last longer than a month. Do you really want to enter your tournament and compete for a championship physically weaker than you were at the start of the season? I don’t think so.
But this article isn’t about convincing coaches to buy in to in-season lifting—it’s about putting together a great lacrosse workout for yourself.
My goal is to make this in-season workout quick but effective. If you can get it in twice a week, that would be great. Try the day after a game or, if you play games on weekends, a Monday/Wednesday routine will work. Regardless of the day, you need at least one strength workout per week, which should maintain appropriate strength levels throughout the season.
Your in-season lacrosse workout is a circuit. You’re not going for reps, but time. Perform each movement for 30 seconds, then take 15 seconds to prepare for the next exercise. Your muscles will feel like they’ve been worked, and the circuit will give you an aerobic effect (it’ll feel like you ran some Suicides).
In-Season Lacrosse Workout
Walking Lunge With Med Ball Twist
Holding med ball, step forward with left foot and lower into lunge position
Hold position, then rotate upper body and ball to left
Bring right foot forward so it’s even with left foot
Perform to right side
Repeat in continuous fashion for specified distance
Click here to learn more workouts and become a better lacrosse player.