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Match fit in a month

Okay, so it’ll take you a lot more than four weeks to be fit enough to play an actual World Cup match, but with this power plan, at least you’ll be ready when your buddy calls you up for a five-a-side kick-about. All you need is your local soccer field.

By Mark van Dijk

 

COACH’S NOTE:

Start every session with:

A warm-up jog around the field twice

A stretch

End every session with:

A cool-down jog around the field

A stretch

WEEK ONE

DAY 1: ENDURANCE

• 10 push-ups + sprint to halfway line (10 reps each)

DAY 2: REST

DAY 3: STRENGTH

• 10 push-ups + 20 squats

+ 30 crunches (5 reps each)

DAY 4: REST

DAY 5: ENDURANCE

5 sets:

• Sprint up the grandstand + jog back down again (3 reps each)

• 10 box jumps using subs bench

DAY 6: REST

DAY 7: AGILITY

• 15 sit-ups

• 10m ladders*: lift knees high (×3) + 10m sprint

• 10 push-ups

• 10m ladders: cross feet (×3) + 10m sprint

• 15 sit-ups

• 10m ladders: step outside, then inside (×3) + 10m sprint

• 10 push-ups

• 10m ladders: double-foot hop (×3) + 10m sprint

* Put (or imagine) a ladder on the ground, using the spaces between the rungs to place your feet.

 

WEEK TWO

DAY 1: ENDURANCE

• Fast jog around the field four times

• 10 push-ups

• Run around the field twice

• 10 push-ups

• Sprint around the field once

DAY 2: REST

DAY 3: STRENGTH

5 sets:

• 5 lunges right leg + 5 lunges left leg

• 5 box jumps onto subs bench

• 25 crunches

• 10 push-ups

DAY 4: REST

DAY 5: ENDURANCE

• 10 push-ups + 10 full-length field sprints (×10)

DAY 6: REST

DAY 7: AGILITY

• Place 4 cones in a square, 10m apart

• Sprint forward + shuffle sideways + sprint backward + shuffle sideways (×5)

• Jog laterals + sprint diagonals (×5)

• Repeat set with cones 5m apart

 

WEEK THREE

DAY 1: REST

DAY 2: ENDURANCE

• 10 push-ups + 10 full-length field sprints (×10)

• 30 crunches + half-field sprints (×5)

• 10 burpees + 10 sprints from goal-line to edge of penalty box (×2)

DAY 3: STRENGTH

5 sets:

• 20 push-ups

• 30 squats

• 40 crunches

DAY 4: REST

DAY 5: ENDURANCE

• Sprint up the grandstand + jog back down again (×5)

• 15 box jumps using subs bench

• Sprint up the grandstand + jog back down again (×5)

• 15 box jumps using subs bench

• Sprint up the grandstand + jog back down again (×5)

DAY 6: AGILITY

Place 5 cones in an X, with the outside cones 2m apart

3 sets:

• Jump with feet together from centre to each corner (1 minute)

• Jump with right leg from centre to each corner (30 seconds)

• Jump with left leg from centre to each corner (30 seconds)

• Jump with feet together from centre to each corner (1 minute)

DAY 7: REST

 

WEEK FOUR

DAY 1: ENDURANCE

• 10 full-length field sprints (rest 20 seconds between each)

• 8 sprints from goal line to opposite penalty area (rest 20 seconds between each)

• 10 half-field sprints (rest 15 seconds between each)

• 2 sprints from goal line to edge of penalty area (rest 10 seconds between each sprint)

DAY 2: STRENGTH

5 sets:

• 10 lunges right leg, 10 lunges left leg

• 10 box jumps onto subs bench

• 25 crunches

• 15 push-ups

DAY 3: REST

DAY 4: ENDURANCE

• Fast jog around the field four times

• 10 push-ups

• Run around the field twice

• 10 push-ups

• Sprint around the field once

DAY 5: REST

DAY 6: AGILITY

• 15 sit-ups

• 10m ladders: two feet in each (×5) + 10m sprint

• 30 crunches

• 10m ladders: cross feet (×5) + 10m sprint

• 10 push-ups

• 10m ladders: step outside, then inside (×5) + 10m sprint

• 10 push-ups

• 10m ladders: double-foot hop (×5) + 10m sprint

DAY 7: ENDURANCE

• 5km run

 

RUN LIKE A CHAMPION

The hardest runners at the 2014 FIFA World Cup covered an average of about 11.5km per 90-minute game. Use one of these activity trackers to monitor your pace and distance during this fitness plan, and keep pace with the champions:

1. SAMSUNG GEAR SPORT

Keeps an account of distance moved, stairs climbed and calories burned, and its built-in GPS tracker makes sure it doesn’t miss a step. R4 499

2. FITBIT IONIC EMEA

Sports watch comes with dynamic personal coaching and a built-in GPS. R4 999

3. GARMIN VIVOACTIVE 3

Features more than 15 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, plus it monitors your daily fitness and stress levels. R4 999

4. SAMSUNG GEAR S3

FRONTIER is bold, rugged (it’s water- and dust-resistant) and fully equipped to keep up with you on every adventure in the great outdoors. R6 499

5. SAMSUNG GEAR fIT2 PRO

+ GPS boasts 4GB of onboard data storage, along with 50m water resistance for wet weather runs. R3 699

Shop more of the fitness and health device range at DionWired here.

This post and content is sponsored, written and provided by Dion Wired.

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