Strength and Conditioning for Cricket at all Levels | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips
Strength and Conditioning for Cricket at all Levels [2001.201.040.001]

By Rob Ahmun, PitchVision Academy Strength and Conditioning Coach

There are not many certainties in cricket. One thing you can be sure of is that the fitter you are, the better you will perform on the pitch.

Faster batsmen can steal more runs, Fitter bowlers can maintain pace and accuracy through long spells and less tired fielders have better concentration and reactions. All the technique in the world is only good if you can maintain it.

This course shows you how to boost your cricket specific fitness in any circumstances:

  • Personalised training plans based around age, experience and time available.
  • The most effective methods I use with the professional players at Glamorgan CCC.
  • Understanding the critical but overlooked link between fitness and skill.
  • Work out if a training plan given to you is going to make you a better player.
  • Plans to boost your strength, power, endurance, speed and mobility.
  • How to change your training to keep it working all year round.
  • Lifetime access to all the resources in this course, including free updates.

This is not just a list of training plans. It's a course designed to teach you how to do things for yourself: Whether you learn better through doing, seeing, discussing or hearing. I have read the dry textbooks and spent the hours in the gym with cricketers so you don't have to. This course is the result of my hard work.

One of the most impressive benefits of joining this course is lifetime access to an exclusive 24/7 support forum. Here you can interact with other cricketers all over the world also trying to improve their cricket specific fitness, lose weight or get faster. When it comes to fitness, support is what makes or breaks your success. We will be here to stop you falling off the wagon.

I'll be on the forum with my experienced assistant coaches answering your questions too.

Fitness is hard work but simple if you know how and have the help you need. This course provides both to you whether you are a 40 year old club player looking to extend their career, a 15 year old with ambitions as a professional player but no training experience or anywhere in-between.

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Chapter 1 - Why get fit for cricket?
Learn the reasons why cricket fitness is so important

Why get fit for cricket?
This presentation goes through the three reasons all cricketers need to work on their cricket fitness.

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Chapter 2 - What are the demands of cricket on your body?
Helping you find out which factors contribute to excellent performance

The 6 unchanging principles of fitness
 Methods are many, but principles are few. All your training should be build around these basic ideas. Without them you are wasting your time and energy.

How you can use fitness to hit the bullseye of increase skill
 Cricket presents a series of different demands on your body. In this presentation we look at the relevant athletic skills you need to succeed (and the ones you want to avoid)

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Chapter 3 - From gym to pitch: Cricket specific programme design
How to choose a plan or design one yourself

How to warm up effectively for performance and injury prevention
 The warm up is your ramp from everyday life to top performance. This presentation goes through the simple elements that modern sports science has discovered works best for a warm up.

What is the best way to approach training?
With all the different training methods available these days it's hard to choose which way to go. In this audio discussion we learn what methods to avoid and what works best. (30m 02s)

Which exercises give the best crossover onto the pitch?
Certain exercises can be described as more 'functional' or relevant to cricket. This graphic looks at what exercises are most functional and why you would use less function exercises at certain times.

5 questions to allow you to personalise your training
A simple guide to customising your training to your individual needs.

The critical 7 (plus 1) movements to base your training
A good training plan is based on movements, not muscles. Here are the 7 most important movements you need to train equally to have a balanced plan with examples using both bodyweight and external resistance.

Using the right workout structure to save time and boost performance
 This section covers the different ranges you can use to customise your resistance training to your personal needs.

  • Cricket Specific Strength
  • Power
  • Work Capacity
  • Weight Loss


How to train for improved speed, agility and endurance
This section is a guide to the different ways you can use interval training to improve your cricket specific performance:

  • Running Speed
  • Agility
  • Cricket Specific Endurance


How to add core training to your workout without doing situps
.This article makes understanding core stability simple and gives you examples of the kind of training that stabilises the core for cricket.

How your perfect training week will look
This section puts all the others together into the actual workouts you will do from week to week.

Workout Log
This workout log is a blank excel spreadsheet that you can fill in with your training plan and either print or keep on the PC to track your progress. (With thanks to exrx.net).

Free Bonus - Fast Bowler's Warm Up

In this video, filmed at the SWALEC Stadium you can see how professional fast bowler's warm up in detail.


Free Bonus - Fast Bowler's Warm Up (pdf)

downloadable pdf version of the fast bowler's warm up.


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Chapter 4 - Planning your year: How to make the most of training all year round
Variety is essential to reaching your peak at the right moment. Use this plan to manage your training.

Periodising your year for cricket
Periodisation is simply the breaking down of your year in to shorter periods (or cycles) with different aims. The aim of this is to be at your best during the season. Find out how this breakdown works in cricket.

An alternative yearly plan
 This alternative breakdown is based upon the work of coach Vern Gambetta. Download the excel spreadsheet to see how the year is broken into short 6 week "blocks".

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Chapter 5 - Cricket specific workouts
A series of workouts for all types of players. Use them to improve all aspects of your cricket fitness.

Beginner strength training for cricket

This is a workout for those new to strength training or wanting to go back to basics. It will help you safely, quickly and effectively build strength and power for cricket while reducing the risk of injury.


Pre season power training for cricket

A downloadable workout for building your power to a peak for the start of the competitive season.


In season training for cricketers

A flexible workout that allows to to maintain your fitness levels during the playing season.


In season strength focus training for cricket

Many people think it is not possible to improve strength during the competitive season. However, with some focus and planning you can do so. This workout shows you how without fatiguing you for matchday.


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Chapter 6 - Credits
The people who have helped make this course possible and old content no longer in use

Image credits

Training Plan Archive

 A pdf file containing all the old workouts for this course that have been superseded.


Exclusive Course Forum

Discuss all aspects of cricket fitness with other Academy members.