Sport Pathway · Gaelic Sports

GAELIC
SPORTS.

52 weeks mapped to your season. Pre-season build, league in-season management, championship peaking, and a structured off-season block. Built by a coach with six years leading senior inter-county S&C.

52
Weeks
3
Sports covered
4
Season phases
6 yrs
Inter-county S&C
What's Inside

BUILT FOR YOUR SEASON.

The Gaelic Sports Pathway is a complete 52-week year of S&C built around the inter-county and club calendar. Pre-season, National League, championship, off-season — every phase has different demands, and your training shifts to match. The same model used at senior inter-county level, made accessible.

01

SEASON-MATCHED

Pre-season builds your engine and base strength. In-season manages load alongside team training and matches. Championship sharpens speed and power. Off-season rebuilds. Every block has a job.

02

FOOTBALL · HURLING · CAMOGIE

Three sports, one pathway. The base programme is shared because the underlying demands are the same — repeated high-intensity running, change of direction, contact (in football), explosive striking (in hurling and camogie). Sport-specific work tagged where it differs.

03

INJURY-RESILIENT

Hamstring, groin, and ankle work programmed into every week. The most common injury sites in Gaelic Sports, addressed structurally — not as an afterthought when you pick up a niggle.

The 52-Week Year

FOUR PHASES. ONE YEAR.

The programme moves through four blocks across the year. You enter the block that matches where your season currently is — the app routes you based on the date you start.

PHASE 01
PRE-SEASON
Nov – Jan
12
Weeks

Build your engine. Lay down strength and conditioning capacity before league throw-in. Higher gym volume, longer conditioning blocks, harder running.

PHASE 02
LEAGUE / IN-SEASON
Feb – May
16
Weeks

Maintain strength and power while managing load around team sessions and matches. Two short, sharp sessions a week. Built to keep you fresh, not exhausted.

PHASE 03
CHAMPIONSHIP
May – Aug
12
Weeks

Peak when it matters. Speed, power, and freshness emphasised. Strength volume drops, intensity stays high. Designed for fewer matches across a longer recovery window between knockout games.

PHASE 04
OFF-SEASON BUILD
Sept – Oct
12
Weeks

When the panel's not training, you should be. Higher-volume strength block. Build muscle, fix imbalances, add weight to the bar. Set up the foundation pre-season will sharpen.

Who It's For

IS THIS YOU?

  • You play Gaelic football, hurling, or camogie at club, senior, or inter-county level
  • Your team training doesn't include structured S&C — or what's there is generic and inconsistent
  • You're tired of doing the same gym programme year-round regardless of what the season's doing
  • You want the same S&C model that inter-county panels actually use — adapted for your week
Gaelic Sports training
Sample Week

LEAGUE BLOCK. WEEK 1.

Three sessions during the in-season league block, scheduled around team training and a typical Sunday match. Designed to be additive — never compromising team sessions or match day.

League · Week 1
MON
Lower · Power + Strength
  • Trap Bar Jump4 × 3
  • Back Squat3 × 5 @ RPE 7
  • RDL3 × 6
  • Reverse Lunge3 × 6/side
  • Nordic Curl3 × 5
WED
Upper · Robustness
  • Med Ball Chest Pass4 × 4
  • Bench Press3 × 5 @ RPE 7
  • Weighted Pull-up3 × 6
  • DB Row3 × 8
  • Copenhagen Plank3 × 30s/side
FRI
Speed + Power (Pre-Match)
  • Pogo Hops3 × 10
  • Sprint 10m4 × 10m
  • Hang Clean3 × 3 @ RPE 7
  • Lateral Bound3 × 4/side
  • Hip Flexor + Glute Activation10 min

Assuming Tues & Thurs team training and Sunday match. The app gives you a different weekly layout if your team trains on different days.

Equipment

WHAT YOU NEED.

A full gym setup plus access to a pitch or flat surface for sprint and agility work. Most county and club facilities have everything you need.

BARBELL + PLATES
Essential
SQUAT RACK
Essential
BENCH
Essential
PITCH OR FLAT SURFACE
Essential
DUMBBELLS
Recommended
MEDICINE BALL
Recommended
PULL-UP BAR
Recommended
SLED / PROWLER
Optional
Your Coach

BUILT BY A PROFESSIONAL.

Conall McElholm

CONALL McELHOLM

6 Years Lead S&C · Tyrone Senior & U20 · MSc · PhD Candidate

The Gaelic Sports Pathway is built on six years of leading the S&C programmes for the Tyrone Senior and U20 panels — the exact model used to prepare inter-county athletes for National League and championship football. Now an S&C Coach at Ulster Rugby. 15+ years across elite sport. MSc in Strength & Conditioning Science. Currently completing a PhD at St Mary's University.

FAQ

BEFORE YOU START.

All three. The base programme is the same because the underlying physical demands overlap — repeated high-intensity running, fast change of direction, explosive lower-body power, and either contact (football) or explosive striking (hurling and camogie). Where the work needs to differ between codes, the app flags it so you can adjust.
The in-season blocks are deliberately built around 2-3 team training sessions and a match per week. Gym sessions are short (45-60 min) and scheduled to fit between pitch sessions. The app gives you a recommended weekly layout based on when your team trains.
Start in the block that matches your current season position. If your team is in the National League, you enter at Phase 2 (League). Championship coming up, you enter at Phase 3. The app routes you to the right week automatically based on the date you start — you don't have to figure it out yourself.
Then follow theirs — that's always the answer when an S&C coach is dealing with you in person. The Gaelic Sports Pathway is built for players whose team's S&C is generic, inconsistent, or non-existent. If you're inter-county and the panel S&C is structured, stick with that.
It works from around U17 upward, assuming the player has basic gym experience and is comfortable with the barbell lifts. For younger athletes (U15 and below) the programme volume is too high — start with Starter Strength to build the movement base first.
Yes. Your subscription gives you access to all 11 programmes and 2 sport pathways. Most players stay on the Pathway year-round, but some switch to Iron Base or Power Building in the deepest off-season for a pure strength block.

START THE PATHWAY.
TODAY.

7 days free. £9.99/month after. Cancel anytime.

START FREE TRIAL →
No commitment · Football · Hurling · Camogie · Full 52-week season calendar

Not quite right? Try a different programme.

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