Off-Season
Energy Systems
Development.
An 8-week conditioning program built for team and field sport athletes. Aerobic base, repeat-sprint capacity, and the work tolerance you need to arrive at pre-season fitter, not further behind.
One-time purchase. Instant download. Lifetime access.
Field.
Machine.
Why this program
Strength builds the body.
ESD builds the engine.
Most athletes get to pre-season with strength that's held up over the break but conditioning that's evaporated. Two weeks in, they're gassed by the 60th minute of a trial, and the season starts with a fitness deficit they spend the first month clawing back.
This program is built for that gap. Eight weeks of structured energy systems development, taking you from an aerobic foundation through anaerobic capacity work, so you arrive at pre-season with the engine already built.
Three sessions a week. Every session written twice, so you can run it on a field or on any cardio machine. Same protocol, same result, whichever your access allows.
What you get
Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.
A complete conditioning system, delivered the moment you purchase. Structured, tested, and calibrated to fit around the rest of your off-season training.
The PDF Program Guide
40 pages of structured conditioning across two progressive blocks. Every session written twice: an on-field version and an off-feet machine version, with full instructions, timing, and testing protocols.
The Excel Tracking Spreadsheet
Log your times, distances, and outputs every session. The tracker mirrors the program week by week so you can see genuine progression across the 8-week block, whether you're on a field or a machine.
Field & Machine Protocols
Every conditioning session laid out for both formats. Bronco tests, shuttles, and interval runs for the field. Machine-based ESD protocols (any bike, rower, ski erg, treadmill, or assault bike) for the gym. Choose what fits your week.
Testing & Benchmarks
Built-in fitness tests across the program so you can measure your engine at the start, track progress at the halfway mark, and confirm gains at the end. Real data on your conditioning, not guesswork.
Pairs With Strength Training
Three conditioning sessions per week, designed to slot around a strength program without overloading your recovery. Runs cleanly alongside our Off-Season Strength programs, or your own.
The 8-week progression
Two blocks. One engine.
Built for the season ahead.
The program is periodised into two 4-week blocks. Foundation builds your aerobic base and running economy. Capacity turns that base into the anaerobic power you need for repeated efforts.
Aerobic-dominant work at controlled effort. Build the base your engine sits on. Longer efforts, sub-max intensity, focus on running economy and movement quality. RPE 7-9.
Anaerobic-dominant work at high effort. Repeat-sprint capacity, lactate tolerance, and the ability to keep working when the game gets physical. RPE 9-10.
Why this works
Six gains that
change your game.
Aerobic Capacity
Build a bigger engine and recover faster between efforts, on the field and between sessions.
Repeat-Sprint Ability
Reduce drop-off across repeated high-intensity efforts throughout a match.
Lactate Threshold
Sustain higher work intensities for longer before fatigue sets in.
Work Capacity & Fatigue Resistance
Handle greater training and game loads without a drop in output.
Movement Efficiency
Maintain running economy and change of direction quality under fatigue.
Recovery & Durability
Handle increased training loads while improving your ability to recover between sessions.
Two ways to run it
Field or machine.
Your call, every session.
Because your access changes week to week. And your body sometimes needs the pounding of the field, and sometimes the joint-friendly precision of a machine. Both are here, in every session.
On-Field Cardio.
Field-based conditioning built around the running patterns that actually show up in team and field sports. Includes the Bronco test used by professional rugby programs across Australia and New Zealand.
- Bronco test (1.2km rugby fitness benchmark)
- Shuttle runs (5, 10, 15 meter progressions)
- Interval running with position-specific timing
- Repeated high-speed running protocols
Off-Feet Cardio.
Machine-based ESD protocols for when you can't get on a field, when weather kills your session, or when you need joint-friendly conditioning without the pounding. Works with any cardio machine.
- ESD Green protocols (any machine)
- Bike, rower, ski erg, assault bike, treadmill
- Work-to-rest ratios prescribed for each block
- Measured in distance, calories, or power output
Complete the picture
Pair with the strength
program for your position.
The engine matters, but so does the body driving it. Our position-specific rugby strength programs pair cleanly with this conditioning block.
Off-Season Strength
Forwards.
Muscle, maximum strength, and contact resilience. Built for the physical demands of forward play. 8 weeks, 4 sessions per week, pairs with this conditioning program on your rest days.
Off-Season Strength
Backs.
Power, speed, change of direction, and repeated high-speed efforts. Built for the demands of back play. 8 weeks, 4 sessions per week, pairs with this conditioning program on your rest days.
Best value
Get both. Save more.
Complete off-season bundles.
Strength plus conditioning, bought together, at a genuine discount to buying them separately.
Forwards Complete
Off-Season.
Off-Season Strength for Forwards + this Conditioning program. Everything a forward needs across the full off-season, at a saving over buying them separately.
Save $88.00Backs Complete
Off-Season.
Off-Season Strength for Backs + this Conditioning program. Everything a back needs across the full off-season, at a saving over buying them separately.
Save $88.00
A preview of what's inside
Sample session.
Week 1, Session 1.
Every session written twice. Field version on top, machine version underneath. Same protocol, same result.
On-Field Cardio Options
Field| Seq | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Bronco (1.2km test) | 1 | 1 | 5-7 min |
| B | 5, 10, 15 Shuttle | 5 | 4 | 2 min |
Off-Feet Cardio Options (any machine)
Machine| Seq | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Work / Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | ESD Green (test effort) | 1 | 1 | 5 min max |
| B | ESD Green (intervals) | 2 | 7 | 30s on / 30s off |
Common
questions.
Everything you need to know before you start.
Two files, delivered to your email instantly. A 40-page PDF program guide with all 8 weeks of conditioning, both field and machine versions of every session, testing protocols, and progression notes. Plus an Excel spreadsheet that lets you log your times, distances, or outputs every session and track progression across the block.
All team and field sport athletes. The energy system demands of rugby, AFL, football, hockey, and lacrosse are similar enough that a well-built ESD program serves all of them. Some of the field-based exercises (like the Bronco test) come from rugby heritage, but the underlying protocols work for any repeated-effort field sport.
No. Every session in the program is written twice: once as a field-based session, once as an off-feet machine session. You can complete the entire program on any cardio machine (bike, rower, ski erg, treadmill, assault bike) if you don't have field access. The choice is yours, session by session.
Yes, and that's how it's designed to be used. Three conditioning sessions per week fit cleanly around a 4-session strength program. If you're running our Off-Season Strength programs for Forwards or Backs, the schedules complement each other with rest days built in.
Block 1 is aerobic-dominant and controlled in intensity, designed to build a foundation regardless of your current fitness. That said, this is a genuine conditioning program built for team sport athletes, not a beginner running plan. If you haven't done any conditioning in months, expect the first two weeks to hurt as your body adapts.
Adjust your schedule and complete it on a different day. Consistency over the 8 weeks matters more than sticking to a rigid weekly pattern. Aim to complete all three sessions each week to maintain the intended progression.
Stop the session immediately. Review the intensity and consider swapping to the off-feet machine version if it's musculoskeletal. If pain persists, contact us at reception@4dhp.com or consult a healthcare professional before continuing.
As this is a digital product delivered instantly, we're unable to offer refunds once the file has been downloaded. If you have any issues accessing your file, contact us at reception@4dhp.com and we'll sort it out.
Build your engine.
Own your off-season.
8 weeks of structured conditioning for team and field sport athletes. Field or machine. Foundation to Capacity.