Field Hockey Program

An off-season and in-season template for field hockey athletes. Builds strength, endurance, repeated sprint ability, and change of direction — then maintains them through a 60-minute running game.

Overview

Field hockey is a 60-minute running sport with a stick. The engine is the primary limiter — you can’t play hockey if you can’t run. This program builds the aerobic base, adds repeated sprint ability, and layers strength and stability on top.

Phases:

• Off-season (12-16 weeks): Build strength and aerobic base
• Pre-season (4-6 weeks): Sharpen speed and RSA
• In-season (season length): Maintain strength, stay healthy
• Post-season (2-4 weeks): Rest

Who It Is For

• High school, college, or adult field hockey athletes
• All positions (adapts by position emphasis)
• Both male and female athletes (with ACL prevention emphasis for females)

Not for:

• Beginners (build a strength base first)
• Athletes with active ankle, knee, or low back injuries

Position-Specific Emphasis

Position	Emphasis
Forward	Acceleration, sprint speed, COD
Midfield	Highest endurance — aerobic base is priority
Defender	Lateral quickness, strength, COD
Goalkeeper	Reaction, lateral power, flexibility

Off-Season (Weeks 1-12)

Goal: build the aerobic base + strength.

Weekly structure: 4 training days + 2-3 conditioning days

Day	Session
Mon	Lower body + speed
Tue	Conditioning + core
Wed	Rest / mobility
Thu	Lower body + power
Fri	Conditioning + speed
Sat	Sport-specific drills + skill work
Sun	Rest

Monday — Lower + Speed:

• Back squat: 4x5 @ 80%
• Romanian deadlift: 3x8 @ 70%
• Bulgarian split squat: 3x8 each leg
• 10m sprints: 8x, full recovery
• Nordic curl: 3x5

Tuesday — Conditioning + Core:

• Steady-state run: 30-40 min Zone 2
• Plank: 3x45 sec
• Dead bug: 3x10 each side
• Pallof press: 3x10 each side
• Lateral band walks: 3x15 each direction

Thursday — Lower + Power:

• Front squat: 4x5 @ 75%
• Hip thrust: 3x8 @ 70%
• Single-leg RDL: 3x8 each leg
• Box jumps: 4x5
• Calf raise: 3x12

Friday — Conditioning + Speed:

• Repeated sprint intervals: 8x30 sec hard / 60 sec easy
• 5-10-5 shuttle: 6 sets
• Lateral shuttle: 6 sets
• Nordic curl: 3x5

Saturday — Sport-Specific:

• Small-sided games or scrimmage
• Skill work (hitting, dribbling)
• 20-30 min aerobic run

Pre-Season (Weeks 13-16)

Goal: sharpen speed and RSA, maintain strength.

Weekly structure: 3-4 lifts + sport-specific work

• Reduce main lift volume to 3 sets
• Keep intensity (RPE 8)
• Increase RSA and COD work
• Sport-specific conditioning: full-field drills, small-sided games
• Increase skill work

In-Season

Goal: maintain strength, stay healthy.

Weekly structure: 2 lifts + practices/games

Day	Session
Mon	Full body (low volume)
Tue	Practice / game
Wed	Recovery + mobility
Thu	Full body (low volume)
Fri	Game
Sat	Game
Sun	Rest

Monday — Full Body A:

• Back squat: 2x3 @ 85%
• Romanian deadlift: 2x5
• Pull-up: 2x5
• Nordic curl: 2x5
• Pallof press: 2x10

Thursday — Full Body B:

• Front squat: 2x3 @ 85%
• Bench press: 2x3 @ 85%
• Single-leg RDL: 2x8
• Lateral band walks: 2x15
• Plank: 2x45 sec

Rules:

• 45 min max per session
• No soreness-inducing work
• No max sprints in-season — practice provides that
• Nordic curls every week
• Single-leg balance every week
• Sleep 8-9 hours

Injury Prevention (Every Session)

Field hockey has a high injury rate. This is non-negotiable.

• Nordic curls: 2-3x per week (hamstring)
• Single-leg balance: 3x per week (ankle)
• Lateral band walks: 2-3x per week (hip stability)
• Landing mechanics: 1-2x per week (ACL)
• Planks / dead bugs: 2-3x per week (low back)
• Hip flexor mobility: daily
• Thoracic mobility: daily

Progression Rules

Off-season:

• Add 5-10 lbs per week to main lifts
• Add 5% per week to conditioning volume
• Increase RSA work every 2-3 weeks
• Deload every 6-8 weeks

Pre-season:

• Maintain main lift loads
• Increase sprint and COD specificity
• Deload 2 weeks before season

In-season:

• Hold the weights steady. No PRs.
• Deload every 4-6 weeks (cut volume 40%, keep intensity)

Testing

Test at start and end of off-season, and mid-season:

Test	Metric
Yo-Yo IR1	Level
10m sprint	Time
30m sprint	Time
5-10-5 shuttle	Time
Back squat	3RM
Deadlift	3RM
Nordic curl	Reps
Pull-up	Max reps

Common Pitfalls

• Training too hard in-season. Preserve energy for the pitch.
• No conditioning in the off-season. The engine is the sport.
• Skipping single-leg work. COD and injuries demand it.
• No Nordic curls. Hamstring injuries are the #1 soft tissue injury in field hockey.
• Ignoring low back pain. Bent-over position is a real load. Train for it.
• Maxing out in-season. Never do this.

When to Switch

• After off-season: transition to pre-season
• After pre-season: transition to in-season
• After in-season: 2-4 weeks of rest, then off-season

Journal

Uses the Training Log — Field Hockey template. Track lifts, conditioning, sprint times, RSA, and injury prevention work.

Related Resources

• Field Hockey Training (concept)
• Sport-Specific Training (concept)
• Sport-Specific Program README
• Conditioning Methods (concept)
• Speed (concept)