The Recommended FA Warm Up.

This is an example of a warm up for Football. It is designed to gradually increase in intensity and follows a logical, well-based pattern of phases. You can substitute different activities to form your own workouts, being mindful of the objectives set for each phase. Brentford, Gillingham and Liverpool all whom I have studied follow a very similar routine.

This warm up involves 3 separate phases of work. In each the intensity of effort is increased from the previous level, giving a gradual progression towards the fully prepared state.

For each phase of the warm up there are

• Objectives
• Suggested activities
• Heart rate ranges to achieve

This warm up lasts for 20 minutes.

Each phase may be reduced if you have less time to devote to the warm up. Warm up should be amended to the age of the players involved. Younger players (10-12 year olds) may require a shorter, less intense warm up, (10 minutes) with more emphasis on fun, and less on flexibility. It is also important to remember that children lose heat more easily than adults and may require additional clothing to maintain body temperature. For older players it is important that they are taught good habits with regard to the phases of warm up and the correct methods of stretching.

PHASE 1:

Objectives:

• Gradually raise pulse rate from resting levels
• Preparatory stretching

Content:

• Slow jogging, stop, and turn, at a low intensity, skipping, backwards and sideways jogging.

DURATION: 5 minutes

Heart Rate Target for players: Between 120 and 140 bpm.

• Preparatory stretches: Calf’s, hamstrings, quads, hip flexors, lower back-all stretches to be held for only 5 seconds.

DURATION: 1 min 30 secs

PHASE 2:

Objectives:

• Further increase heart rate through higher intensity activities involving changes of direction and greater distances to cover.
• Begin some longer hold stretching on major muscle groups.

Content:

• Faster jogging followed by striding out, slight changes of direction, high knees, heel flicks.

DURATION: 5 minutes

Heart Rate Target for players: Between 120 and 160 bpm.

• Stretches for: Calf’s, hamstrings, quads, adductors, hip flexors, lower back and gluteus. All stretches to be held for 10 seconds.

DURATION: 2 minutes 30 secs.

PHASE 3:

Objectives:

• Increase heart rate to final working level
• Full hold stretches
• Specific movements used in the game

Content:

Striding out followed by sprinting over varying distances, specific movements e.g. jump and head, turn and sprint, repeated sprint work of short duration, backing off, jockeying.

DURATION: 5 minutes

Heart Rate Target for players: Between 160 and 200bpm.

• Stretches for: Calf’s, hamstrings, quads, hips, adductor and gluteus. All stretches to be held for 15 seconds.

DURATION: 3 minutes

• Following this players should return to some high intensity sprinting activity specific movements such as jumping, heading, turning and sprinting, jockeying etc., to ensure full readiness for the game.