Working out on a regular basis is important for all athletes. Listed below are some examples of things that you can do to stay in shape, or get in better shape than you are. You should be working out at least 3 times a week over the break. Do more if you have time (which you should). At least twice a week, you should be doing something aerobic. This can include running, playing ultimate, playing basketball, or anything else that gets your heart rate up, but make sure it stays up for at least half an hour. It's also not a bad idea to lift once or twice a week, if it's available to you.

    One example of a good weekly workout could include:

• Monday: Ride a stationary bike or rowing machine hard for 30 minutes, then do some arm lifting.
• Wednesday: Go for a 3-6 mile run.
• Saturday: Lift legs and core.

    Another example of a good weekly workout could include:

• Sunday: Play some pickup sports (ultimate, basketball, football).
• Tuesday: Lift legs and core.
• Thursday: Do some suicides and lift arms.

Workout Ideas

    Always remember to warm up before and stretch after working out.

    Distance Running:
    This can be any distance greater than 3 miles. The longer the better, but don't hurt yourself. It's good to run through pain, but if it feels like an injury (like sharp pain in joints or shins) you should stop. When running longer distances the pace also isn't as important, so if you have to slow down a little bit to get in an extra mile, you should.

    Aerobic Running:
    This is any kind of repetitive sprinting like gassers/suicides, but make sure you do several sets (at least 3 or 4) with very short breaks (1-2 minutes) in between. The Brazilians listed below are also a good example.

    Brazilians (sprinting about 30 yards in between each of these):

• 20 Pushups
• 20 Crunches
• 20 Stationary High Knees (each knee)
• 20 Mountain Climbers
• 20 V Ups
• 20 Rabbit Jumps

• 30 minutes or more of hard biking (real or stationary)
• 30 minutes or more of swimming
• 15 minutes or more on a rowing machine at a decent pace
• 1 hr or more of snow football (running through snow is hard work)
• 1 hr or more of basketball

    For the most part ultimate requires more stamina than strength. This means that for all lifts that you do, you should use an amount of weight that you can handle for sets of 3 x 10-15 reps. This will help to increase your muscle stamina as well as making you stronger without adding as much bulk as you would have gained with a larger weight at lower reps. Less bulk and more strength will also help to make you faster overall.

    If you are only lifting once a week:
Make sure that you do upper, lower and core body lifts.

    If you are lifting more than once a week:
Split up the lifts for your upper and lower body. Include the core lifting with the legs if you are lifting twice a week.

    Examples of Upper body lifts include:

• Bench Press - For this you can use a machine or free weights (dumb bells or bar).
• Curls - Same options as Bench Press.
• Triceps - For this lay on a bench with a bar, or use a single dumb bell sitting.
• Pullups - you can do actual pullups, or a machine where you pull weight down.
• Dips - If you don't have a machine for this, you can use 2 chairs.
• Pecs - You can use a machine, or laying on a bench with dumb bells.
• Back (Upper) - Some kind of pullback with a machine or 1 dumb bell at a time (rowing machine is also good for this).

    Examples of Lower body lifts include:

• Quads - You can use a machine, or you can do wall sits if you like.
• Hamstrings - Machines are easiest for this.
• Squat - You can use a leg press machine or a bar with free weights.
• Rowing - This is also good for your quads.
• Calf Raises - You can use a leg press, or use a step with weight in your hands.
• Shin Raises - If you get regular shin splints, this may help. Sit down and set a weight (not a dumbell) on top of one foot, then just lift your toes up as high as you can without knocking the weight off 12-15 times.

    Examples of Core lifts include:

• Back (Lower) - Some kind of lower back raise. Some gyms have a machine where you can hook your legs under a bar while facing the ground, and lift and lower your upper body. Rowing is also good for this.
• Crunches - You can do this on your floor.
• Oblique Crunches - Lay your legs to one side and do crunches. Make sure you do both sides.
• Side Crunches - Cross one leg on top of the other, and do a crunch while reaching the opposite elbow toward the leg that is up.
• Supermans - Lay flat on the ground, face down. Lift your arms and upper body off the ground.
• Leg push downs - If you have a partner. (You lay face up on the ground and grab your standing partner's ankles. You lift your legs up, and they push them back down.)