What do you do the day after a power or speed training day? Because you want to give your central nervous system a rest after the heavy stress from the previous day, we perform a recovery (or conditioning) day. This is to get the heart rate up and flush out the metabolic wastes while getting a workout that isn’t taking to the central nervous system.

Here’s an example of a recovery day workout:

Active warm up

• high knee walk
• lunge with inner thigh
• single leg deadlift (backwards
• lateral lunge w/ squat
• Spiderman
• lunge w/ twist
• inchworm

Agility ladder (two to four times starting with each leg)

• Ali shuffle
• Icky shuffle
• Icky shuffle (high knee)
• brake run
• in/out
• in/out backward
• lateral
• carioca

General strength circuit (or tempo run)
Perform on the soccer field. Jog at 65 percent on the sidelines to each corner. Do one exercise in each corner.

• prisoner squats X 20
• military push-ups X 12
• squat jumps X 12
• rotational push-ups X 8 each
• burpees X 12
• lunges X 12 each
• staggered push-ups X 12 each
• mountain climbers X 15 each

Rest four minutes and then repeat the circuit.

Pillar conditioning

• Russian twist
• side L-raise
• diagonal wood chops (medicine ball)
• rotation (medicine ball)

Hip/glutes (3 X 15)

• straight leg
• fire hydrants
• lead leg pick-up
• side leg raise
• hip ‘L’
• up and back

Foam roller or active isolated stretching (one to two minutes each)

• calf
• hamstring
• piriformis
• IT band
• quads
• low back
• adductor

The exercises can be added or subtracted depending on the goals of your workout. However, your conditioning/recovery days should be in this outlined form. General strength circuit exercises and volume as well as the way that jogs and rests are performed is also dependant on what phase or season you’re in. Tempo runs are also used for conditioning/recovery and can either replace or be in addition to general strength circuits. Your core workouts should still change daily depending on what types of exercises you used the day before.

Patrick Beith is the co-owner of Athletes’ Acceleration, Inc. He holds his bachelor’s of science degree in exercise physiology and is recognized by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS), the National Academy of Sports Medicine (PES), the American College of Sports Medicine (HFI), the International Youth Conditioning Association (IYCA), and the USA Track and Field Coaching Level II (jumps, sprints, hurdles, and relays).

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