THE ULTIMATE WORKOUT PROGRAM TO BE AN ALL-AROUND ATHLETE

With a combination of strength training, hardcore conditioning work, and “pre-hab” movements to keep you operation at 100%, this five-day program will hone your mind and body into an athletic marvel.

Man running with an iPod

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DURATION30-45
EXERCISES5-6
EQUIPMENTYES

For all the focus on performance training and functional movement over the last 15 years, many guys still head to the gym and follow the familiar bodybuilding-based blueprint established by Arnold Schwarzenegger and his contemporaries 40 years ago.

These guys still hammer through “leg days” and “chest-and-back days,” as if the body were a collection of isolated parts rather than an integrated system of muscle, bone, and drive. Thankfully, that same dedication to lifting heavy iron can be applied to a more functional movement program that creates more power, endurance, mobility, and resistance to injury.

With this workout program designed for any sport, you’ll still end up with a lean physique—assuming you don’t out-eat your workout with a bunch of junk food. More importantly, you’ll become a better all-around athlete, able to thrive at weekend-warrior endeavors, whether that’s basketball, tennis, golf, cycling, backpacking, paddle sports, triathlon training, or obstacle course racing.

Elite athletes for years have tailored their conditioning to mimic the movements of their sports while reducing the risk of injury. By viewing your body as a collection of movements, rather than muscles and bones, you might come to think this way as well.

Here’s a five-day-a-week plan to best train to become an all-around athlete.

DIRECTIONS

On Mondays, you’ll start each workout with a “pre-hab” routine that will help warm up your body and prevent injury. Then you’ll move into a circuit workout. Do 3 rounds of this circuit, resting 1 minute between rounds.

On Tuesdays, you’ll begin with a 5-minute warmup of your choosing. Do a 30-minute interval workout of your choosing—run, bike, burpees, you name it—and then finish with a 5-minute cool down. The idea here is to build up your overall endurance and stamina, so you stay sharp no matter how long the game goes.

On Wednesdays, you’ll start with a new “pre-hab” routine before doing another circuit workout. Just as on Monday, you’ll do 3 rounds of this circuit, resting 1 minute between rounds.

On Thursdays, you’ll begin with a pre-hab routine of your choice (Monday’s or Wednesday’s will work), then move into a circuit workout designed to improve elasticity, or your body’s ability to store and release energy. This translates into power and quickness, especially laterally, and translates well to sport. Do 3 rounds of this circuit, resting 1 minute between rounds.

On Fridays, you’ll start with a pre-hab routine of your choice (Monday’s or Wednesday’s will work), and then do another circuit workout. As before, do 3 rounds of the circuit, resting 1 minute between rounds.

Pete Williams is a NASM-certified personal trainer and the author or co-author of a number of books on performance and training.

MONDAY: WARMUP Pre-hab 1

EXERCISE 1.

SIDE LUNGEHow to

Side Lunge thumbnail
1 sets
10 (each side); hold for 2 sec. reps
rest

EXERCISE 2.

LEG CRADLEYou’ll need: No EquipmentHow to

Leg Cradle thumbnail
1 sets
10 (each side) reps
rest

EXERCISE 3.

GLUTE BRIDGEHow to

Glute bridge thumbnail
1 sets
10 reps
rest

EXERCISE 4.

MINI-BAND EXTERNAL KNEE ROTATIONYou’ll need: Elastic BandHow to

How to do a Mini-Band External Rotation thumbnail
1 sets
10 (each leg) reps
rest

MONDAY: WORKOUT Total-body strength & conditioning circuit 1 (do 3 rounds)

EXERCISE 1.

ALTERNATING DUMBBELL BENCH PRESSYou’ll need: DumbbellsHow to

Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press thumbnail
sets
10 reps
rest

EXERCISE 2.

JUMP SQUAT You’ll need: No EquipmentHow to

Jump squat thumbnail
sets
10 reps
rest

EXERCISE 3.

HALF-KNEELING CABLE CHOPYou’ll need: Cable MachineHow to

Half-Kneeling Cable Chop thumbnail
sets
10 (each side) reps
rest

EXERCISE 4.

MEDICINE BALL ROTATIONAL THROWYou’ll need: Medicine BallHow to

Man Throwing Medicine Ball thumbnail
sets
10 (each side) reps
rest

EXERCISE 5.

BURPEE You’ll need: No EquipmentHow to

Burpee thumbnail
sets
10 reps
1 min. rest

TUESDAY 30-minute interval training

WEDNESDAY: WARMUP Pre-hab 2

EXERCISE 1.

COW/CAT YOGA POSEHow to

Man does cat yoga pose thumbnail
1 sets
10 reps
rest

EXERCISE 2.

SWISS BALL LEG CURLYou’ll need: Swiss BallHow to

Swiss Ball Leg Curl thumbnail
1 sets
10 reps
rest

EXERCISE 3.

SIDE PLANKYou’ll need: Medicine BallHow to

Side Plank thumbnail
1 sets
10 (each side); hold for 3 sec. each side reps
rest

WEDNESDAY: WORKOUT Total-body strength & conditioning circuit 2 (do 3 rounds)

EXERCISE 1.

PULLUP You’ll need: Pullup BarHow to

Exercise: How to do an Eccentric Pullup thumbnail
sets
10 reps
rest

EXERCISE 2.

GOBLET SQUATYou’ll need: KettlebellsHow to

Goblet Squat thumbnail
sets
10 reps
rest

EXERCISE 3.

FARMER’S WALK You’ll need: DumbbellsHow to

Farmer's Walk  thumbnail
sets
3 reps
rest
Walk 10 yards out and 10 yards back.

EXERCISE 4.

PUSHUP How to

Pushup  thumbnail
sets
10 reps
rest
Perform with a 6-ft dowel rod, balanced from your head down along your spine and then between your glutes, to maintain proper form.

EXERCISE 5.

MOUNTAIN CLIMBERYou’ll need: Medicine BallHow to

Mountain Climber thumbnail
sets
20 (per side) reps
1 min. rest

THURSDAY: WARMUP Repeat pre-hab routine 1 or 2

THURSDAY: WORKOUT Power production circuit

EXERCISE 1.

SPRINT STARTHow to

The Whoop fitness tracker. Photo courtesy Whoop. thumbnail
sets
5 reps
rest
Rest for 30 sec. between reps.

EXERCISE 2.

3-HURDLE DRILLYou’ll need: 2-4 Inch BoardHow to

3-Hurdle Drill thumbnail
sets
30 sec. reps
rest

EXERCISE 3.

“OVER THE LINE” JUMP DRILLHow to

Two-Legged Broad Jump thumbnail
sets
10 reps for first part, 30 sec. for lateral jumps reps
rest

EXERCISE 4.

5-10-5 DRILLHow to

5-10-5 Drill thumbnail
sets
10 reps
rest

EXERCISE 5.

LATERAL BOUNDYou’ll need: No EquipmentHow to

Lateral Bound thumbnail
sets
10 (each side) reps
1 min. rest

FRIDAY: WARMUP Repeat pre-hab routine 1 or 2

FRIDAY: WORKOUT Total-body strength & conditioning circuit 3 (do 3 rounds)

EXERCISE 1.

PUSHUP How to

Pushup  thumbnail
sets
30 reps
rest
Do 10 pushups in each of three positions: hand facing straight ahead, hands pointing inside at a 45-degree angle, and hands facing out at a 45-degree angle. Keep your body straight from ear to ankle.

EXERCISE 2.

HIGH BOX JUMPYou’ll need: BoxHow to

High Box Jump thumbnail
sets
10 reps
rest

EXERCISE 3.

ONE-ARM DUMBBELL ROWYou’ll need: DumbbellsHow to

One-Arm Dumbbell Row thumbnail
sets
10 (each arm) reps
rest
Stand on one leg, grasping a stable surface in front of you such as a dumbbell rack. After 10 reps on one side, repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

EXERCISE 4.

WEIGHTED BURPEEYou’ll need: DumbbellsHow to

Weighted Burpee thumbnail
sets
10 reps
rest
At the end of the burpee, lift the dumbbells overhead.

EXERCISE 5.

V-UPHow to

How to do a v-up thumbnail
sets
10 reps
1 min. rest