SHANE RICE: Keeping players fit without burning them out

WHEN the season kicks in, everything changes in Gaelic football. Games come thick and fast, recovery becomes the priority, and training time is limited.

But one challenge always remains: how do you maintain fitness levels without overloading players? This is where smart in-season conditioning comes into play and one of the most effective tools coaches can use is short-bout high intensity interval training (short-HIIT).

What is short-HIIT and why does it suit GAA?

In simple terms, short-HIIT involves short bursts of running (usually under 60 seconds) followed by short rest periods. Think:

15–30 seconds hard running

10–30 seconds rest

Repeated in sets

These efforts are done at a high intensity, around or above a player’s max aerobic speed (MAS), which is basically the fastest pace they can sustain aerobically. For Gaelic football, this fits perfectly.

The game itself is made up of short, repeated bursts of running, sprints, and changes of direction, followed by brief recovery periods. So instead of long runs, we train players in a way that matches the game.

Why it works during the season

During the season, players already get a lot of physical load from matches, especially starters. That includes:

High-speed running

Sprints

Accelerations and decelerations

So the goal in training is not to pile on more fatigue. Instead, it’s to maintain fitness efficiently.

Short-HIIT is ideal because:

It’s time-efficient (sessions can be 10–15 minutes)

It keeps the heart and lungs working at a high level

It maintains speed, power, and repeat sprint ability

It avoids unnecessary extra volume

Players can spend several minutes at very high effort levels (close to max capacity), which is key for maintaining fitness across a long season.

How to use it in a GAA week

A typical in-season GAA week is tight:

Match day

Recovery days

1–2 training sessions

So conditioning must fit around that.

A simple short-HIIT session might look like:

2 sets of 8 reps

20 seconds hard run 10 seconds rest

2–3 minutes rest between sets

That’s 10–15 minutes total, but it delivers a strong conditioning stimulus.

Managing load is key

One of the biggest mistakes coaches make in-season is treating everyone the same.

Starters: already get enough high-speed running from matches. For them, short-HIIT is about maintaining fitness with low extra stress, often using straight-line runs to reduce strain on the body.

Non-starters: need more. They may use short-HIIT to top up their weekly load, replacing what they missed in matches.

This keeps the whole squad at a similar fitness level.

Coaches can adjust sessions depending on the goal:

Shorter rest (2:1 work-to-rest) = harder on the heart and lungs

Longer reps (30s) = more aerobic stress

Shorter reps (15s) = more speed focus

Straight-line running = lower injury risk

Shuttle runs = more game-specific but higher load

Even small changes, like starting a set faster, can increase how hard the session feels and how effective it is.

The bottom line for GAA coaches

In-season conditioning isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what matters.

Short-HIIT allows GAA teams to:

Maintain fitness during busy schedules

Keep players sharp without overtraining

Bridge the gap between starters and subs

Stay ready for high-intensity championship games

In modern Gaelic football, it’s not the team that trains the hardest that wins, it’s the team that manages load the smartest.