Improving fitness for 5-a-side

JamesU2005 · 2 Jan 2010 at 21:37

Simply as the title suggests, trying to improve my stamina for 5-a-side football.

Can anyone recommend a cardio routine at the gym? I already have a Weights based routine, so perhaps something I could do on a alternate day. Perhaps bike or cross-trainer based?

Some searches on Google suggest "tabata" or "HIIT", is this a good idea for a beginner?

Matches are 40 minutes long, should I aim for a cardio work out that long or in the form of short "tabata" or "HIIT" routines?

Thanks.

Nate--IRL-- · 2 Jan 2010 at 22:02

I find Interval training really improves my fitness capacity, compared to just steady state cardio, so I would suggest you aim to get your fitness up to a level so you can begin Intervals.

Personally, I'd say if you can manage 30-40 mins on Bike/treadmill/cross trainer at a steady 70-80% Maximum heart rate, you should be ready to start HIIT or just normal interval training.

If you are a complete beginner it can take a while, but the improvements in your fitness capacity will show in almost every session.

Nate

wassap · 2 Jan 2010 at 22:15

HIIT really helps, I just do a 15 minute session on my chest training days, and its helped me immensly.

Of course playing regularly will also help.

ConTRo13R · 2 Jan 2010 at 22:24

I find swimming and cycling to be a great help to my overall fitness..just my two cents here

I really need to start again :/

JamesU2005 · 2 Jan 2010 at 22:27

Thanks for the advice Nate and wohoo.

Would you not recommend going straight into HIIT?

I was thinking about this:

5 minute warm-up
then
15 seconds high intensity
30 seconds slow intensity
repeat up to 15 minutes.

Too much too early?

Nate--IRL-- · 2 Jan 2010 at 22:41

If you feel you have a base level of fitness, I don't see why not. Just remember you have to push yourself, after a few sessions a 15/30 sec split will be easy. Gradually lengthen the interval as your fitness improves. A 45/45 or even a 1min on/1.30 off split is something to aim for. There is no real "Correct" way, as long as you improve week to week, you are going about it in the right way.

Also, I'd warm up for 10 mins at the very least, but that's a personal preference.

Nate

JamesU2005 · 2 Jan 2010 at 23:04

Would a 15 minute HIIT routine twice a week be effective in improving stamina?

Nate--IRL-- · 2 Jan 2010 at 23:11

If you push yourself hard enough in a session, it can only help. Why limit it to 2 sessions though? To be honest, just start at it, and see how you go. Again, the measure of success is finding what was previously difficult, becoming easy.

Nate

JamesU2005 · 2 Jan 2010 at 23:15

Nate--IRL-- said:
If you push yourself hard enough in a session, it can only help. Why limit it to 2 sessions though? To be honest, just start at it, and see how you go. Again, the measure of success is finding what was previously difficult, becoming easy.

Nate

I was thinking that Mon, Wed, Fri would be used for my weights routine then Tue and Thurs cardio.

Would the HIIT routine be worthwhile on it's own twice a week? Ontop of the 5-a-side football game on Wednesday evening.

Nate--IRL-- · 2 Jan 2010 at 23:32

All i can say is try it. If you find 2 sessions a weeks helps with the football, grand. It is a means to an end. Adjust it as you need to.

There is also no problem doing cardio after (not before!) weights . That's what I do.

Nate

wassap · 3 Jan 2010 at 10:09

I do mine straight after my weights session (im on the SL 5*5 routine), I do a 5 mins warmup and then 30 sec on and 60 sec off about 8 times. I do this once or twice a week, on alternate days I will do a 20 min interval session on the xtrainer. Im hoping once I get a few more weeks into my routine, to get a get a nice slow run in at the weekend.

JamesU2005 · 3 Jan 2010 at 10:24

wohoo said:
I do mine straight after my weights session (im on the SL 5*5 routine), I do a 5 mins warmup and then 30 sec on and 60 sec off about 8 times. I do this once or twice a week, on alternate days I will do a 20 min interval session on the xtrainer. Im hoping once I get a few more weeks into my routine, to get a get a nice slow run in at the weekend.

Have you seen any improvement in your stamina from this?

wassap · 3 Jan 2010 at 10:36

I have indeed, to be fair im a bit of a porker, but my stamina wasnt too bad in the 1st place, but now I can whizz up and down that pitch for 3/4 of the game now, before I was gone after 10 or 15 mins!

My biggest problem was that I could happily run on the road for 40-50 mins, but that wasnt much use for 5 aside, as 5 aside is simply lots of short fast bursts, which where HIIT comes into it.