Fitness/Strength Program for return to sport

Question

Background on me:

I am 28 years old. I weigh 205 pounds (92 kg) and I am 6 feet tall (1.82m). Not sure what my BMI or fat % is but I am quite muscular but with a bit of fat. More than I'd like on my belly. Currently I'm quite strong but also quite unfit.

I last played hurling (think a cross between lacrosse and ice hockey) about 7 years ago. I intend to begin playing again in about 5 months time. As you can imagine I am not as fit as I was then. I have exercised on and off for the last 7 years, running and free weights, but not with great consistency, but just enough to stay barely in shape.

Now that I intend to start playing hurling again I want to get as fit and strong as I can before I start back in 5 months. I was hoping that I could get some advice on a program that I could follow to build strength and explosive fitness but not to completely ignore endurance fitness.

I have been doing the following for the last few weeks:

Mon: AM: Weights (Bench, pullups, dumbell press, one arm row, dumbell flyes, seated rows)

Mon: PM: Spin class

Tues: Treadmill (start off with comfortable job and increase speed every 5 mins)

Wed: Weights(Shoulder press, bicep bar curls, upright row, close grip bench press, front and lat raises, tricep extensions, dumbell curl)

Thurs: AM: Treadmill (start off with comfortable job and increase speed every 5 mins)

Thurs: PM: Spin class

Fri: Weights(Squat, leg press, leg extension, hamstring curl, calf raises)

Sat: Rest

Sun: Rest

For the weights I have been doing 3 sets of 8 reps. Lifting as heavy as I can for these reps.

Does this program look ok for someone wishing to build muscle and strength, and to build up a good level of fitness? Hurling requires a good level of overall fitness so I dont want to ignore this.

Are there any good programs out there for sports like these?

Answer 1

If you have been away for a long period from a team sport, you should try to practise as similar to the sport as possible. Your situational awareness will not be as it was 7 years ago.

So the first thing that can be improved in your program is to add hurling like drills and play (e.g. interval running instead of steady state tread mills, change of direction, reaction drills, watching games, recording & watching your own moves).

Second, your weight lifting seems to have a lot of isolated drills, I would go for more basic exercises such as dead lift, squats, press with barbells, no machines. See Starting Strength for reasoning on the importance for these drills in team sports with body contact. Especially the reasoning around "google: posterior chain"

Third, to fit it all in to a normal, non elite athlete life, I would reduce the number of training days to maybe 3 per week (1-2 hurling like cardio or 2-1 weight lifting) and trying to get in actual hurling play 1-2 times per week (e.g. play on smaller fields with fewer players if that is possible).