Fit For Lax - Off Season made simple

In the fall of my 9th grade year in high school, some of the most influential words were given to me in the phrase, “Gentlemen, there is no off season”.  At the time it didn’t make sense, who would want no off season? No off season to me, meant no fun.

    Think about it though, if you really want to get better, then there really is no off season. If you were to only practice, workout, play, and compete in season, then you would never get better. You would constantly be spending every minute in season trying to get back to the level you were at by the end of last season only to lose it in that off season because you stopped playing. Why not work on maintaining your level of play out of season and fine tune some aspects that you need to improve upon allowing yourself to get better. That way when the season rolls around instead of trying to get back in shape, regain your skills and play catch-up like everyone else, you can showcase your improvement in turn making a positive impact on your team.

Here is a list of some simple things that you can do in the off season as Middle School or High School Players to maintain and improve upon your Lacrosse game without taking away too much of your “fun” time.

In order:

1.)    Warm-up passes: 100 totals, 50 each hand off the wall. Total time =13 min

2.)    Jump Rope: Double, single, crossovers; switch it up for about 200 jumps. Total time= 10 min

3.)    100 sit-ups: 50 twists 25 each side, 50 crunches. Total time: 5 min

4.)   5 X 50 yard sprints 1 min rest in between repeat 5 X 100 yard sprints. Total time=17 min

5.)    100 push ups:  50 wide base, 25 regular, 25 diamonds or however you want to mix it up. Total time= 10 min.

6.)    2 mile runs for conditioning. With ball in stick and stick in hand. Total time=20 min

7.)    Cool down passes:  100 totals, 50 each hand off the wall. Total time=Min

Some of these exercises may seem like they are not advanced enough for you or may not appear to be helpful.  I can assure you that if they are done consistently and correctly then you will notice a dramatic increase in your ability to improve your game, especially when the season rolls around. Notice that if you add up the minutes, this workout should only take you about an hour and a half (Min) total. Again, that may not seem like enough to make you any better. Complete this simple workout three to four times a week for at least 5 weeks and tell me you don’t notice a change in the way you run and throw the ball. There are at least 20 weeks left until the season so that is more than enough time to get moving. If you have any other questions about working out, conditioning or drills specific to position, hit me up at [email protected].

-          Good luck