1. Conditioning for kids
  2. Cross country, 14 year olds and older

Cross country conditioning for 14 year olds and older

Cross country conditioning for 14 year olds and older at home means aerobic base, hills & terrain and finishing kick through 35 drills picked for the age. From 14, conditioning can be most of a session: up to 75 minutes from 15, on up to 5 days a week, with rest days between. Why: Organized sport should total no more hours a week than the child's age in years, with two rest days a week (NATA youth sport specialization recommendations).

For parents and coaches: the physical drills that work at home for 14 year olds and older, one session to follow and the load rules the app applies to the age group.

By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated November 5, 2026

Start your free trial Or build a free week first, no account

A parent's page. Free to read; no card to start; running a team is always free.

At a glance

The drills
35 physical-focus cross country drills work at home for 14 year olds and older, 24 of them cross country's own. 6 of them are jump, bound or sprint drills, which a plan limits.
How it is built
From 14, conditioning can be most of a session: up to 75 minutes from 15, on up to 5 days a week, with rest days between.
Load rules
Box jumps and contact drills open at 14 for practice with a coach; neither is ever in an at-home plan. Loaded lifting is not in an at-home plan: strength work with weights is for a coach or trainer in a gym.
What you need
Most used: cones (8 of the 35 drills), watch (8), loop (4), water (4), mat (3), stopwatch (3), gentle grassy hill (2), bike, scooter or hiking path (1). 1 drill needs nothing but space. 12 are for two, and a parent can be the partner.

cross country's own

Cross country conditioning drills for 14 year olds and older

These drills build the body for cross country itself: aerobic base, hills & terrain and finishing kick. Every one is open to 14 year olds and older by the app's age gates and works at home with one parent.

aerobic base

Aerobic Base

hills & terrain

Hills & Terrain

finishing kick

Finishing Kick

running form

Running Form

Every sport

Athletic drills cross country players share

Speed, balance and control carry across sports. These athletic drills are the same for every sport, picked from the ones open to 14 year olds and older.

aerobic base

Aerobic Base

finishing kick

Finishing Kick

A 40-minute session

A conditioning session for 14 year olds and older

A warm-up, 2 drills and a cool-down: 40 minutes. Box jumps and contact drills open at 14 for practice with a coach; neither is ever in an at-home plan.

  1. 1Cross Country Warm-Up, Ages 14 and UpA 12-minute moving warm-up for cross country players 14 and up: moving stretches, strength, single-leg control, cuts and build-up runs, then cross country moves at practice speed.12 min
  2. 2Talk Test JogIf you can chat, it is right.10 min
  3. 3Same-Speed LoopsSame feel every loop.10 min
  4. 4Cross Country Cool-Down Stretches, Ages 14 and UpA 8-minute cool-down for cross country players 14 and up after training: stretches for the legs, hips, lower back and sides, each held 20 to 30 seconds, never to pain.8 min

Healthy load

How much cross country conditioning is healthy for 14 year olds and older

From 14, conditioning can be most of a session: up to 75 minutes from 15, on up to 5 days a week, with rest days between.

Box jumps and contact drills open at 14 for practice with a coach; neither is ever in an at-home plan.

Loaded lifting is not in an at-home plan: strength work with weights is for a coach or trainer in a gym.

Organized sport should total no more hours a week than the child's age in years, with two rest days a week. (NATA youth sport specialization recommendations).

The research behind it

Questions and answers

What is cross country conditioning for 14 year olds and older?

From 14, conditioning can be most of a session: up to 75 minutes from 15, on up to 5 days a week, with rest days between. The 35 drills below are physical-focus cross country drills that work at home.

What cross country conditioning drills can 14 year olds and older do at home?

A few to start with: Nature Scavenger Jog, Run-Walk Builder and Talk Test Jog. Most used: cones (8 of the 35 drills), watch (8), loop (4), water (4), mat (3), stopwatch (3), gentle grassy hill (2), bike, scooter or hiking path (1). 1 drill needs nothing but space. 12 are for two, and a parent can be the partner.