Ready for week two of my five week workout plan? (Here’s Workout #1, in case you missed it.) This fun, fast routine will help you take your fitness to the next level. Just like week one, Workout #2 consists of moves for injury prevention, improving speed and agility, and strengthening your legs and core. Throw on your workout gear, find some space, and let’s go!

Workout #2

Warm Up (5 to 10 minutes)

Take up to 10 minutes to warm up your body any way that you would like. Biking, walking, dynamic stretching (moving through a stretch, rather than statically holding a stretch for more than 5 seconds) are all great. Pick anything that gets your body moving and ready to go!

Circuit (8 minutes)

3-in-1 power squat  Begin in a wide squat, explode up and land into a shoulder width squat, then explode up and into a narrow squat with your feet almost touching. And finally, explode back out to a wide squat. Repeat for 30 seconds.? (0:00-:0:30)

Good Mornings  This move can be done with or without a weight or an object—sometimes I use a pillow, or a 10-pound dumbbell. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Pick up your weight or object, if you’re using one. Take your hands and place them at the back of your head. While keeping your core tight, slowly lean forward until you can feel a good stretch with your hamstrings. Then come back up. That is 1 rep. Slowly do as many reps as you can in 30 seconds.? (0:30-1:00)

Inchworm  Start by standing shoulder width apart. Then bend forward and place your hands on the ground. Use your hands to walk yourself out until you are in a full plank position, and then walk your feet up to meet your hands. (You can also do this backwards by walking your feet out into plank first, and then walking your hands back to meet your feet.) Repeat for 30 seconds. (1:00-1:30)

Calf Jumps  Standing with feet shoulder width apart, jump up with both feet. As you jump make sure to get good ankle flexion by flicking your toes forward. Jump continuously as fast as you can on the balls of your feet, getting a good calf workout for 30 seconds. (1:30-2:00)

Around the World Lunge  Start by standing with your feet shoulder width apart. Take your right leg and do a forward lunge, making sure your core is nice and tight and you knee is in line with your toes. Then come back to the start position. Next, lunge to your side with your right leg. Bring it back, then do a backwards lunge. Switch legs and start again. Repeat the series on both legs for 30 seconds.? (2:00-2:30)

T Plank  Start on your elbows in a plank position. Slowly turn your body into a right side plank and bring your left arm straight up—your body will look like a “T.” Then slowly come back to the center. Turn slowly onto your left side plank with the right arm in the air. Do this continuously, moving from side to side for 30 seconds. (2:30-3:00)

Mountain Climbers  Get into a full plank position with elbows straight. While engaging your core, bring your right knee up towards your chest then quickly send it back down. Then bring your left knee to your chest and send it back. Continue switching legs as fast as you can for 30 second. For a bigger challenge, you can perform this move on a medicine ball or soccer ball.? (3:00-3:30)

Clam Shells  Lay on your right side with your legs stacked on top of each other. Slightly bend your knees. With your left foot still stacked on your right foot, raise your left knee up and away from your right knee, and then bring it back down. This is a hip strengthening exercise, so that’s where you should feel it working. After 15 seconds on your right side, rollover and perform the move for 15 seconds on your left side, lifting your right knee. (3:30-4:00)

Repeat! Do the series of eight exercise again for a total of 4 minutes. If you need to take 30 seconds to 1 minute to catch your breath, do so before repeating the exercises. (4:00-8:00)

Agility Segment—Dot Drill (2 minutes)

Imagine there are 5 dots in front of you; 2 on top, 1 in the middle, 2 on bottom. Use these dots as a point of reference as you perform this agility dot drill.

Rest for 30 seconds to catch your breath after the segment before starting the agility segment. (0:00-0:30)

Make an “X” Left  Jump with 2 feet to the bottom left dot, then jump to middle dot. Next jump to top left, then across to top right, then back to middle, then to the bottom right, and then across. Keep going in this direction, jumping as fast as you can for 30 seconds. (0:00-0:30)

Rest for 30 seconds. (0:30-1:00)

Make an “X” Right  Repeat the dot drill going in the opposite direction, starting with the bottom right dot. (1:30-2:00)

Cool Down (5 to 10 minutes)

It is vital that you cool down after each workout to reduce inflammation and prevent injury. Use this time any way you would like. Walk and stretch—holding each stretch about 15 seconds, or try foam rolling. If you don’t have a foam roller you can use a softball or soccer ball, or just sit and stretch out well.

Come back next week for another #soccerfit workout from Lauren Sesselmann!

 

Lauren Sesselmann is a professional soccer player for the Houston Dash in the NWSL and a member of the Canadian national team. She won a gold medal in the 2011 Pan American Games, a bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics, and recently competed in the 2015 World Cup. Lauren is also the host and co-owner of the Fit as A Pro brand and owner of Success Through Soccer, which holds soccer clinics for kids all around the U.S. and Canada. Look for her in Dark Awakening, her first feature length film role, and in an upcoming movie in 2016.