How to condition for 90 minutes without losing your football explosiveness

Football isn’t a 90-minute jog. It’s sprint, recover, repeat—hundreds of times. If your training doesn’t reflect that, you’ll lose sharpness by the hour mark.

At CURVA, we build conditioning plans that go the distance—without killing your power. Here’s how we do it.

The problem with long runs

Steady-state cardio might build endurance—but it dulls explosiveness. Football is a mix of:

• Alactic power: short, max-effort sprints

• Aerobic recovery: heart rate control between efforts

If you’re still doing 5Ks for match fitness, you’re training like a runner—not a footballer.

How we train instead

repeat sprint training

Short sprints with limited rest—just like match day.

• 6 x 30m sprints, 20s rest

• Full rest between sets

aerobic intervals

Boost recovery without the mileage.

• 4 mins high tempo, 2 mins rest

• Use tempo runs or shuttles

agility + reaction

Game fitness = change of direction and reactivity.

• Cone shuttles, mirror drills, ladder + sprint combos

What CURVA does differently

We tailor your conditioning to:

• Your position — wingers need bursts, mids need engines

• Your match week — intensity adjusts to your fixture list

• Your style of play — explosive? high work-rate? we match it

All with tracked progress, built-in recovery, and session-by-session guidance.

Stop doing this

• Long, slow runs — they drain your power

• Training hard 48h before a match — you’ll feel heavy

• Copying generic fitness apps — they’re not made for football

Bottom line

Football fitness is repeat power. Don’t trade endurance for explosiveness. With CURVA, you train smart—so you can last 90 and still finish strong.