Fitness for Cricket - First Steps | Cricket coaching, fitness and tips

Fitness for Cricket - First Steps

Filed in:

The fitter you are the better you play (and the more healthy you are), but where do you start in the quest to getting fit for cricket?

Initially the best way is to concentrate on building a baseline of fitness in the gym (In fact, if you aim to play at a serious level this is essential). For example, you could use the basic fitness programme given to you when you join any gym and see quick improvements (especially if you are just starting out). However, you may want to make your basic gym work specific to building fitness for cricket. The aim here is to build a foundation of fitness (which can be built on if you desire). It is suitable for anyone wanting to start a programme of fitness to improve their game or for people returning to training after an injury or long rest period.

Underlying Principles for Cricket Fitness

Before we get to the routine, let's examine the principles it is built on:

  • Overload to Progress. In order to improve performance, your body need to be overloaded slightly more than it is used too. That's why lifting heavy weight makes you stronger and running makes you fitter. What this also means is that you constantly need to be review your workout to ensure you are overloading your muscles. They quickly adapt to the stresses of a workout. You also need to rest your body to give it time to adapt.
  • Reverse. Just as your muscles adapt to increased load, the adaptation will reverse as soon as you stop working out.
  • Specific. Training is very specific. For example, strength training does not improve endurance. So even at this early stage where the focus is on general fitness we need to consider cricket specific aims. For this reason, all training should be done at a consistent pace with as little rest as possible and exercises must focus on the muscles that you use while playing.
  • Free weights. Ideally you should use free weights rather than machines for these workouts. However if you are a beginner, using machines is safer and often easier. If you can learn the free weight techniques from your gym then take the chance as free weights give a better overall workout.
  • Periodisation. While this is a good programme for any time of the year, if you are planning to build up from this base further the best time to do this is during the off season. In the UK the months from October to December are best, but you can start as early as September.
  • Safety. This is recommended routine only and you undertake it entirely at your own risk. You are responsibility for your own health and safety. If you are not experienced in the gym a qualified instructor should supervise you. You must consult a doctor before starting any training programme. I am not a doctor and cannot advise you on this.

Fitness for Cricket - Base Building Programme

Edit: since I orginally wrote this article my ideas have changed somewhat. I now recommend the excellent and free StrongLifts 5x5 Plan for beginners to build up strength. For cricket specific endurance and speed I recommend this article.

 

© Copyright miSport Holdings Ltd 2008

 

Broadcast Your Cricket Matches!

Ever wanted your skills to be shown to the world? PV/MATCH is the revolutionary product for cricket clubs and schools to stream matches, upload HD highlights instantly to Twitter and Facebook and make you a hero!

PV/MATCH let's you score the game, record video of each ball, share it and use the outcomes to take to training and improve you further.

Click here for details.

Comments

[...] 1 in season weight training workout, like this one. [...]

[...] Here the focus is on general improvements rather than being cricket specific. You can read my base building programme for cricket fitness here. [...]

[...] Only begin this plan after building up your base fitness over 8-16 weeks and completing the pure strength programme for cricket here. [...]

[...] You can start by going over my posts on cricket fitness and nutrition. There is loads to be found in the archives with a quick search. [...]

[...] Why get fit for cricket? First steps to cricket fitness Make fitness training fun 10 keys to fast fitness How to warming up [...]

[...] Only begin this plan after building up your base fitness over 8-16 weeks. [...]

[...] great big fitness ball is a flexible tool for core strength training, especially when combined with dumb [...]

[...] Get fit - Good overall fitness means faster reactions, stronger throws and faster sprinting. [...]

[...] Overload. To improve you need to keep progressing your workouts. More reps leads to greater muscle endurance and size, more weight leads to greater strength and [...]

[...] of the fundamental principles of training is called Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand (SAID). That means if you want to get fit for cricket you need to play cricket. The only thing you [...]

Please send me tips how can i become a good crickter like sachin tendulkar