Ultimate (frisbee) Beginner Pre-season Strength and Speed
SHIFT Speed Coaching
Field SportsUltimate players: looking to level up from leagues to club or from a rec club to competitive play? Want to learn how to train with structure rather than just working out?
You definitely have to be ready for long points and tough match-ups, but your training doesn't have to be brutal to be effective. Rather than crazy track workouts, sprint for speed and condition specifically to ultimate. Rather than general gym plans from bodybuilders online, strength train like the competitive field sport athlete you want to be. Rather than crushing yourself every day, alternate hard with easy and intense with relaxed so you stay healthy all season.
This program is built specifically for expanding your athletic envelope: sprint faster, jump higher, throw farther, and handle contact (with defenders and with the ground) without losing a step. I've supported hundreds of players since the first edition of Fast Kids Don't Train Slow and this program is the transition lots of them have used to prepare for their first competitive club seasons.
This 6-week program is both a starting point and a cycle you could repeat 2-3 times to get sharp for serious tryouts. It covers: sprinting for speed development, change-of-direction footwork skills, strength training, and conditioning.
Prep
A
field mobility circuit (pre-speed)
20 yards each (work first drill out, then next drill back) - heel walk / toe walk - heel-to-toe walk / backward hip opener - knee pull / leg across body pull - 1-leg toe touch / straight-leg kick - lizard crawl / (no second drill)
B1
Build Ups
1 x 2 @ 30
B2
SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup (full)
1 x 20
C1
Pushup start acceleration (SHIFT)
3 x 3 @ 10, 15, 20
C2
Form Run (SHIFT)
5, 3, 2 @ 30, 40, 60
Recovery
D
post-sprint foot health recovery set
2 rounds of... - 50 two-foot straight-knee heel raises - 30 two-foot bent-knee heel raises - 30 sec R/L kneeling hip flexor stretch - 50 yard backward skip
Prep
A
field mobility circuit (pre-speed)
20 yards each (work first drill out, then next drill back) - heel walk / toe walk - heel-to-toe walk / backward hip opener - knee pull / leg across body pull - 1-leg toe touch / straight-leg kick - lizard crawl / (no second drill)
B1
SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup (full)
1 x 20
B2
Build Ups
3 x 1 @ 30, 50, 80
C
SHIFT Standing Start
30, 30, 40, 40, 60, 80, 100
Recovery
D
post-sprint foot health recovery set
2 rounds of... - 50 two-foot straight-knee heel raises - 30 two-foot bent-knee heel raises - 30 sec R/L kneeling hip flexor stretch - 50 yard backward skip
Prep
A
hip-ham-heel prep circuit
(Do what makes your body feel good and activates your shoulders and hips. This is provided because you will encounter every exercise in this training block, but you can do different things if they help you get ready for limit lifting.) 2 rounds - 15 x clamshell R/L - 15 x 1-leg hip thrust R/L - 10 x scap pushups - 10 x goblet squat (weight held at your chest) - 10 x good morning (same weight hugged to your chest) - 30 x bent-knee heel raise (weight held at arm's length in both hands)
B
Chin-Up
C
Push-Up
D
Deadlift
5, 3, 2, 2, 2
Prep
A
field mobility circuit (pre-speed)
20 yards each (work first drill out, then next drill back) - heel walk / toe walk - heel-to-toe walk / backward hip opener - knee pull / leg across body pull - 1-leg toe touch / straight-leg kick - lizard crawl / (no second drill)
B1
SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup (full)
1 x 20
B2
Build Ups
1 x 2 @ 30
C1
SHIFT acceleration ladder
6, 4, 2 @ 1.5, 2, 2.5
C2
SHIFT kneeling start
2, 1, 1 @ 20, 30, 40
D
SHIFT Crouch Start
40, 40, 60, 60
Recovery
E
post-sprint foot health recovery set
2 rounds of... - 50 two-foot straight-knee heel raises - 30 two-foot bent-knee heel raises - 30 sec R/L kneeling hip flexor stretch - 50 yard backward skip
A1
SHIFT Field Drill Warmup
1 x 10
A2
Standing three jump to vertical jump
1 x 5
B1
SHIFT shuffle-forward
5, 10, 10, 15, 15, 15 @ 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 2
B2
SHIFT Shuffle-Shuffle
5, 5, 5, 10, 10, 10 @ 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3
C
SHIFT lateral line hop to start
10, 20, 10, 20, 10, 40 @ 20, 10, 20, 10, 20, 40
Skill/Tech
D
Box Drill CoD Circuit (volume)
TWO rounds, where each round includes one rep of each pattern in each direction (clockwise + counterclockwise). That means 16 total reps. Box is 5 yards on each side. All reps are independent, so execute one pattern in one direction then rest before doing the same pattern in the other direction. One rep of each pattern starting at "bottom left", then one rep of each pattern starting at "bottom right." - O pattern [always forward facing so run-shuffle-backpedal-shuffle] - N pattern, outside turns [hard plant] - N pattern, inside turns [pivot step] - U pattern [run-backpedal-crossover step to run-power step to run]
Conditioning
E
Supine floor core circuit
Supine floor core: 3 rounds - 10 leg raises - 15 sec flutter kicks - 10 leg wipers (alternating)
Dunte Hector
Full-time performance coach for adult explosive athletes. Author of Fast Kids Don't Train Slow. S&C coach to ultimate teams. Expert in speed development and injury prevention for grown-ups in field sports.
Learn HOW to train from an expert coach - and be ready to compete at a higher level while you do!
Get Ultimate (frisbee) Beginner Pre-season Strength and Speed
