Fitness Program of Rider Pride Inside

The members of RPI expend tons of energy cheering on our team. In order to keep up, we have to train year round to build our strength, endurance, and quickness. You don't want to be the guy with the skinny arms giving everyone high fives after a two-and-out, and you definitely want to be able to make it up and down the stadium stairs after a BIG Rider Touchdown to celebrate with the other fans. Here is a sample fitness program we use to stay in shape, as referenced from Bally Fitness.

Football Fan Training - Fitness Program
There are three components necessary to prepare for football season: Strength improvement, cardiovascular and cardio respiratory improvement, and skill improvement. To achieve the highest success rate, it is best to begin a program to establish an aerobic base as well as to attempt to increase sprint endurance. Ideally, this football fan training conditioning program should begin eight to ten weeks before the season. Create a log to track your progress and watch how you improve week to week. Be sure to include timing your runs, number of runs, number of sets, reps and weight used for the training sessions.

*Beginning any new training program should be preceded by a physical exam by a licensed physician where deemed appropriate.


Day 1:
Run 3 miles (4.8KM is 12 laps of a track)
(Shorter distances may be necessary in initial training phase)
Stretch

Day 2:
1/4 mile warm-up and stretch then (400M is 1 lap of a track)
10 x 10 yards, then
10 x 20 yards, rest 1 minute then
10 x 40 yards, rest 1 minute then
1/4 mile cool down (400M is 1 lap of a track)
Stretch

Day 3 :
Run 3 miles (4.8KM is 12 laps of a track)
Stretch
Strength Training

Day 4:
1/4 mile warm-up and stretch then (400M is 1 lap of a track)
10 x 10 yards, then
10 x 20 yards, rest 1 minute then
10 x 40 yards, rest 1 minute then
1/4 mile cool down (400M is 1 lap of a track)
Stretch

Day 5:
Run 3 miles (4.8KM is 12 laps of a track)
Stretch
Strength Training

Day 6:
1/4 mile warm-up and stretch then (400M is 1 lap of a track)
10 x 10 yards, then
10 x 20 yards, rest 1 minute then
10 x 40 yards, rest 1 minute then
1/4 mile cool down (400M is 1 lap of a track)
Stretch

Day 7:
Rest and Recover
 

The Details

On those cold winter days, you can substitute your runs for the bike using the formula below:

Body Weight in KG x Time in hours x METS = Calories burned

To illustrate, if you are an 80kg person and can complete your 3 mile run in 30 minutes at a pace of 6mph the calculation would look like this:

80kg x 0.5hr x 10METS = 400 calories

For an equivalent calorie burn on the bike, you would have to bike for 30 minutes between the 14-15.9 mph range, as shown in the example below:

80kg x 0.5hr x 10METS = 400 calories

METS Values

Bicycling: 12-13.9 mph, 8
Bicycling: 14-15.9 mph, 10
Bicycling: 16-19 mph, 12
Bicycling: > 20 mph, 16
Running: 6 mph (10 min. mile) 10
Running: 6.7 mph (9 min. mile) 11
Running: 7.5 mph (8 min. mile) 12.5
Running: 8.6 mph (7 min. mile) 14
Running: 10 mph (6 min. mile) 16

There should be at least 48-72 hours in between workout sessions and at least 48-72 hours of workout recovery time before the game.

Strength Training Exercises: