The Princeton Approach

Since the highest priority for any student athlete is academics a player’s most precious commodity becomes his time.  Thus, the design of this program can be summed up in one word: efficiency.  The most efficient program is one that produces the maximum possible results in the minimum amount of time.

Preseason

The pre-season starts when players return for classes in the fall and continues on into the beginning of spring lacrosse season.  This 6-month period prior to the season is essential for winning programs and in developing the physical preparedness of the team.

Conditioning

Lacrosse players are required to be as highly conditioned as possible.  A simple conditioning test can be used to assess a player’s readiness.  Regardless of a player’s position or body weight, all players should be able to run 1.5 miles in 9 minutes or less.  The players should officially be tested four times during the pre-season.

Heavier players should be encouraged to do most of their earlier conditioning with low-impact, non-weight bearing activities (i.e. stationary bicycling) to reduce their potential for orthopedic problems that can result from the higher impact forces of running.   The duration of any conditioning workout should not exceed 20 – 25 minutes.  Keep in mind, that although the length of the workout is low, the intensity of the effort is extremely high.

Shuttle Runs

• Shuttle Runs are a set number of yards apart and down and back counts as 2 sprints in this drill. 
• This drill is run continuos for each set.  So if you have 5 Sets of 12, you will be required to run down and back without a rest six times for a total of 12 sprints.  After you have completed that it will count as 1 set, then you will rest the allotted time and begin set 2.
• Benefits - This drill will help to focus on your ability to accelerate off the cut, your ability to change directions, your discipline, footspeed, and endurance.  The key is to keep the distance and times accurate so you can mark improvement.

1.5 - 3.0 Mile Jogs

• For accuracy the run needs to be on a track or must be tagged for 1.5 miles and/or 3 miles
• All times should be recorded
• 1.5 in nine minutes 3.0 in 19minutes

Strength Training

Weight training should be no more than 45 minutes per workout with no or little rest during training.  Players should have two total body workouts on nonconsecutive days.  For example, a player can train his upper body on Monday and Wednesday and lower body on Tuesday and Thursday.  The important point of Pre-Season is to not waste time sitting around in the weight room.  Progression should follow that whenever the player can achieve the maximum number of prescribed (see below) repetitions they increase the weight resistance until muscle fatigue is reached.  Since there is no significant differences in strength improvement when comparing single sets to multiple, the key is to push to the right level of muscle fatigue whether it be one set or four.
Repetitions for muscle fatigue should fall within these ranges:

• 18 to 20 repetitions for hips, shoulders, back, abdominal, and oblique
• 10 to 12 repetitions thighs, neck, and chest
• 13 to 15 repetitions calves, biceps, and triceps

It is important that all weightlifting be controlled and deliberate in both speed and movement.  Furthermore, players should perform the exercise at the greatest possible range of motion that safety allows.

In-Season Training

The lacrosse team generally begins the season the last week of February – the first week of practice permissible by the IHSA – and ends as late as the first week of June – State Championships.  The in-season training should focus on more lacrosse-related agility and drilling with a big reduction in the strength and weightlifting part of the program

Conditioning

Once the season begins, most of the team’s conditioning work is done during practice. The primary focus should be short distances with recovery intervals.  As the progression of conditioning program goes longer the players should be given shorter intervals of recovery.  The object is to be the best come the later parts of the lacrosse game.  Strike your opponents when they are at their weakest.

Recovery Runs

Benefits - This drill is reenactment of the aerobic activity the body goes through in an actual game.  Lacrosse like basketball is a game of almost constant sprint and recovery.  The key is to always keep jogging and to really explode for those sprints.  It will be necessary to have a stopwatch for this drill.

Corners

• 1 corner equals one lap around a football, lacrosse, or soccer field (approximately 320 yards). 
• Benefits - Stamina with speed is the key to being a lacrosse player.  The important point in corners is to track time progression.

Week 1 - (8 Corners each under 1 Minute).  A one-minute rest should follow each corner.  10 corners if time requirements for any corner are not met.

Week 2 - (10 Corners each under 1 Minute).  A 55-second rest should follow each corner.  12 corners if time requirement for any corner is not met.

Week 3 - (12 Corners each under 1 Minute).  A 55-second rest should follow each corner.  14 corners if time requirement for any corner is not met.

Week 4 - (12 Corners each under 1 Minute).  A 45-second rest should follow each corner.  14 corners if time requirement for any corner is not met.

Week 5 - (10 Corners each under 1 Minute).  A 40-second rest should follow each corner.  12 corners if time requirement for any corner is not met.

Strength

The players should lift no more than once or twice a week with a rule of never lifting the day after or before a match.  Their strength conditioning should allow for a lot of stretching prior to their exercises with most focus on chest, upper back, and shoulders.

Off-Season

The off-season – essentially the summer months – is basically focused on improvement.  Some of the similar exercises should be used with a lighter focus as to not fall to burn out.  Players should focus on strength training, conditioning, skill work, flexibility, and nutrition.  Players should also use the extra summer time to keep a journal so as to track and measure performance, speed, and other improvements.

EFFORT = SUCCESS

“Successful seasons are not built on occasions of hard work or moments of brilliance; success comes from the consistency of effort at high intensity.”

Weightlifting Schedule

Speed School

Jump Rope

Jumping rope is great in terms of fitness and, most importantly, footwork, an integral part of lacrosse.  The following exercises can be used as a warm-up or as supplemental work done on any day.  Simply increase the number of jumps as you get better.

To set this up, mark off the floor into four boxes about two feet by two feet each.  Box No. 1 is the top left corner and the numbers should increase clockwise up to No. 4.

1. Regular Jump x 30
2. Side to Side (4 to 3 and back) x 20
3. Up and Back (4 t0 1 and back) x 20
4. Boxer Shuffle (Two on right foot, two on left foot) x 30
5. One Foot Up and Back (4 to 1 and back) x 10 each
6. One Foot Side to Side (4 to 3 and back) x 10 each
7. Triangle (1-2-4) x 20
8. Four Square (1-3-2-4) x 20
9. Double Jump Bounce (Two Jumps per Rope Rotation) 2x20 each
10. Double Jump Succession (Two rope Rotations per Jump) 2x20 each

100-Yard Sprint Ladder

Distance/Time/Rest

1. 10 yards / 2 seconds / 10 seconds
2. 10 yards / 2 seconds / 10 seconds
3. 20 yards / 3 seconds / 15 seconds
4. 20 yards / 3 seconds / 15 seconds
5. 40 yards / 5 seconds / 20 seconds
6. 40 yards / 5 seconds / 20 seconds
7. 60 yards / 8 seconds / 30 seconds
8. 60 yards / 8 seconds / 30 seconds
9. 80 yards / 11 seconds / 40 seconds
10. 80 yards / 11 seconds / 40 seconds
11. 100 yards / 14 seconds / 45 seconds
12. 100 yards / 14 seconds / 45 seconds

5 Minute Break

1. 100 yards / 14 seconds / 45 seconds
2. 100 yards / 14 seconds / 45 seconds
3. 80 yards / 11 seconds / 40 seconds
4. 80 yards / 11 seconds / 40 seconds
5. 60 yards / 8 seconds / 30 seconds
6. 60 yards / 8 seconds / 30 seconds
7. 40 yards / 5 seconds / 20 seconds
8. 40 yards / 5 seconds / 20 seconds
9. 20 yards / 3 seconds / 15 seconds
10. 20 yards / 3 seconds / 15 seconds
11. 10 yards / 2 seconds / 10 seconds
12. 10 yards / 2 seconds / 10 seconds

Long Intervals

Level 1 (1:30 Rest Between Reps)
1x800, 2 Minute Rest, 2x600, 3 Minute Rest, 3x400, 3 Minute Rest, 4x200

Level 2 (1:30 Rest Between Reps)
1x600, 2 Minute Rest, 3x400, 3 Minute Rest, 5x200, 3 Minute Rest, 7x100

Level 3 (1:30 Rest Between Reps)
2x400, 2 Minute Rest, 4x200, 3 Minute Rest, 6x100, 3 Minute Rest, 8x80

Short Intervals

Level 1 (1:30 Rest Between Reps)
1x400, 3 Minute Rest, 3x200, 3 Minute Rest, 6x100, 3 Minute Rest, 8x80, 3 Minute Rest, 6x60

Level 2 (1:30 Rest Between Reps except 6x20’s, 10’s)
1x200, 2 Minute Rest, 8x100, 3 Minute Rest, 6x60, 2 Minute Rest, 6x40 2 Minute Rest, 6x20, 90 Second Rest, 6x10

Level 3 (1:30 Rest Between Reps except 6x20’s, 10’s)
8x100, 2 Minute Rest, 6x60 2 Minute Rest, 6x40, 90 Second Rest, 8x20, 1 Minute Rest, 10x10

Last update: 2008-08.10