Ultimate (frisbee) Semi-pro to Club Transition Strength and Speed
SHIFT Speed Coaching
Field SportsUltimate players: playing both semi-pro and club? Want to get your body ready for multi-game tournament weekends without hurting yourself in track workouts?
One-and-done in the league is a fast, explosive way to play ultimate...but you still need to be ready for the third game on day two of a tournament weekend. It takes less than you think to get there: smart day-after training, strength days which build you up rather than exhaust you, just enough sprint work to keep you as sharp as you started the league season without risking overuse issues.
This program is built specifically for your transition. I've supported dozens of players through injury-free seasons to avoid burnout when you are on from March through October yet still be an impact player in both styles of play. This transition program is like a Greatest Hits of training programs that worked.
This 5-week program assumes you have three regular season games left in the semi-pro season and can handle five days per week of exercise. It covers:
- sprint mechanics for maintaining top speed
- conditioning both on the field and in the gym
- injury prevention specific to overuse issues in ultimate
Prep
A
floor shoulder + hip rehab/prep
Layouts are hard on shoulders and collisions are hard on hips & knees. This prep addresses all those areas. 2 rounds: - 10 x lying leg swings, alternating - 5 R/L x long-lever hip bridge with 3 sec hold *each rep* - 5 R/L x prone shoulder flexion with 3 sec hold *each rep* - 10 x scap plank (1 rep = protraction + retraction) - 10 x cross-body mountain climber with brief pause in the knee-on-elbow position, alternating
B1
2DB Stiff-Leg Deadlift
4 x 5
B2
Push-Up
4 x 10
C1
DB Box Squat
4 x 5
C2
Chin-Up
4 x 5
D1
SHIFT long plank
2 x 0:30
D2
PT deep squat heel raise
2 x 20
Prep
A
Hip lumbar and pelvis prep
Stability (and injury mitigation) starts with midsection strength and the single-leg control it enables. This prep gets your hips (and, indirectly, your abs) ready for asymmetric loads. Train asymmetrically to become symmetric! 2 rounds, doing all drills on *each side*: - 10 wall rolls (hip abduction with foam roller) - 5 wall hip airplanes - 15 clamshells (band optional) - 5 heel to ceiling fire hydrants - 5 knee to side fire hydrants
B1
1DB 1-leg Deadlift
4 x 6
B2
1-Arm DB Row
4 x 10
C1
low RFE split squat, 2DB
5 x 10
C2
DB Snatch
5 x 4
D1
DB Bench Press
3 x 5
D2
Dead Hang
3 x 0:30
E1
Hollow-body hold
3 x 0:20
E2
PT prone quad stretch with band
1 x 0:45
A
Cycling Intervals
2 x 1 @ 5:00, 20:00
A
In Sport Conditioning Work
1 x 125:00
Prep
A
SHIFT Shake Out Mobility Warmup
Roughly 15 seconds of each movement: 1. shake feet/ankles x R/L 2. shake thigh/hips/knees x R/L 3. arch/round the upper back 4. standing twists with arms out 5. shake shoulders/upper back 6. arm circles from the elbow x fore/back 7. shake hands/wrists/elbows 8. overhead side stretch, quick & alternating 9. reach the sky, touch the toes
B
SHIFT Field Drill Warmup
1 x 10
C
200yd Shuttle conditioning
3 x 250
Prep
A
SHIFT Shake Out Mobility Warmup
Roughly 15 seconds of each movement: 1. shake feet/ankles x R/L 2. shake thigh/hips/knees x R/L 3. arch/round the upper back 4. standing twists with arms out 5. shake shoulders/upper back 6. arm circles from the elbow x fore/back 7. shake hands/wrists/elbows 8. overhead side stretch, quick & alternating 9. reach the sky, touch the toes
Prep
B
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)
C1
SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup (full)
1 x 20
C2
Build Ups
1 x 2 @ 30
D
SHIFT Standing Start
3 x 30
E
Form Run (SHIFT)
1 x 8 @ 40
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.
Flow smoothly from semi-pro to club using a proven plan from an established coach who understands ultimate.
Get Ultimate (frisbee) Semi-pro to Club Transition Strength and Speed
