This all round HIIT workout for futsal that I prepared along with Alexis Herraiz for Perak Futsal when we first went into lockdown is an excellent session for players that they can do at home now. And I’ve just done it myself and thought it might be useful for people in this second lockdown, wherever you are!
Not much equipment needed, just a yoga mat and you and your players can keep in shape.
HIIT is an essential part of a fitness regime, alongside cardio (zone 1/2), strength and stability. This workout covers a couple and if you did this 2-3 times per week as part of a wider regime, you’d be on the right tracks.
This podcast by Peter Attia MD made me reevaluate my programme a bit: have a listen!
Download the images and use them with your phone, get a timer and off you go! Let me know what you think – you can comment or get me on twitter.
Warm up
Start with some light mobility work to warm the body up – do this routine twice through. Drink plenty of water.
- 60 seconds hip mobility
- 20 seconds per leg glute stretch
- 60 seconds cat cow pose
- 60 seconds world’s greatest stretch
Injury Prevention
Strengthen the muscles around the most commonly injured areas to better prepare for a return to futsal.
- 45 seconds balancing on a cushion/towel
- 10 each leg – Lunges (ignore “glute stretch”)
- 10 each leg – jump and land, reinforcing our ankle strength and braking/deceleration muscles.
Core
Do each exercise 3 times in a row with the prescribed rest between.
- 12 hip raises
- 20 superman – lift arms and legs simultaneously
- 20 plank with leg raises
- 20 side plank with leg raises (10 each side)
- 12 push ups with rotation
- 30 crunches
HIIT
Now that you’ve warmed up and done a bit of core strength; you are ready for the main event – the HIIT workout for futsal! 6 sets, each with 4 exercises of 20 seconds and 10 seconds rest. 1 minute rest between each set – drink water here.
This routine was done by my players in the first lockdown and they liked it (so they said) and I have done it at points since then too when I didn’t have a gym or wanted a change – it’s harder than it looks.
