Soccer Specific Training

[MostValuablePoster]

I've been training for a month now for the next soccer season in the Fall. What I've found out is that I'm getting lost which excercises actually help me for soccer and which excercises are just useless for soccer. Does anybody know any excercises that really help for the soccer season. Also if anybody knows a site that gives you something like a 10 week soccer offseason workout program or something like that would help.

[goyoureddevils]

Do you want weight training or just conditioning exercises? I would suggest weights and plyometrics together.... it's what just about every college and professional program uses.

Name what you want and I can help you.

[MostValuablePoster]

Well, I was thinking of doing weight training right now and do plyometric/conditioning in late spring and summer. Some help on weight training would be good for now. Thanks.

[goyoureddevils]

Not to sound like a dick, but how familiar are you with weight training? If you are not very familiar it means my post will be long and detailed..... thats okay I don't mind..... and you shouldn't either. Everyone has to start somewhere! If you are that will help us move along a little quicker.

[Pibe04]

There is a good site about this subject on www.soccercondition.net - you have to pay for a personalized program but there are some free pointers on the site . . . it is overseen by the trainer for the USMNT . . .whatever you do try to incorporate training with the ball as much as you can even in fitness

[Pibe04]

actually it's www.soccerconditioning.net

[goyoureddevils]

Nice site, thanks fo the link.

[karinne]

Originally posted by goyoureddevils
Not to sound like a dick, but how familiar are you with weight training? If you are not very familiar it means my post will be long and detailed..... thats okay I don't mind..... and you shouldn't either. Everyone has to start somewhere! If you are that will help us move along a little quicker.

I'd like to know! I'm familiar with most excercise! If there's one I don't understand, I'll just ask!

[goyoureddevils]

karinne,

what exercises do you want to know about? or even better what muscle groups do you need to know more about?

[karinne]

Everything?!!?

Seriously though. I'm trying to lose weight now... fixing my diet really. But I've got to get a good workout going as well. So....I got a workout schedule. Like...

Day 1 - Shoulder/Back/Chest

Day 2 - Biceps/triceps/abs

Day 3 - Lower body

But I need to know which exercise (reps and all) of each I should be doing for soccer specific training!

Thank you!

[goyoureddevils]

Lets start with Day 1 - Shoulder/Back/Chest

For shoulders I suggest starting with military press with bar or dumbells - don't use machines for this as they limit your range or motion... and here more than anywhere you have to have that. For strength and toning, go 4-5 sets of 10-15 reps. Adjust weight downword if you need, but keep good form throughout and make sure you struggle with the last couple of reps.

Next shoulder exercise is a hidden little secret that I like to pass on to all soccer players. Take a light weight dumbell and find a flat bench press. Lay on one side and throw your top leg over and in front of you to brace it against the bench's upright... this is to keep you from rolling forward, extend your bottom leg back against the other upright to keep you from rolling backwards - you should have your body at exactly 90 degrees to the bench. With your top arm, hold the weight straight up above your body, you are going to lower it with a slightly bent arm down across the front of you body - get that bottom arm out of the way so you can lower it all the way. KEEP YOUR THUMB POINTED DOWN! This ensures that you are isolating the rear deltoid. Raise the dumbell back to starting position above your body and repeat. It's a bit awkward, but you can feel it right away, just make sure you don't go too heavy with the weight at first, because you want at least 3 sets of 8-12 reps. This muscle is instrumental in helping shield off defenders with that extended arm.

Finish with an exercise that is so good, everyone should be required to do it. Up-right rows. Use dumbells or a straight bar. You need to use a close, overhand (Palm towards you, knuckles out) grip, but not so close that you can't complete the full range of motion, say about one handwidth apart to get started, then adjust for what is comfortable to you. Stand with knees slightly bent and start with the weight down below your waist. Now raise the bar up all the way till it touches the underside of your chin... pause there for just a heartbeat and then back down. This exercise works all three heads of you deltoids and your trapezious. It is a real grueling one - it will probably hurt on every rep, but that means its stretching and straining those tendons and muscles.
Go 4 sets, 8-12 reps.

Next we'll talk about chest, how are these exercises looking for you? Any questions?

[karinne]

So far so good... just the second one I'll have to read a bit more on it! But.... keep 'em coming!

Thanks alot BTW!

[goyoureddevils]

Sorry its taking me so long to get to the chest workout............. i've been slacking on my BS posting!

Chest workout should go like this,

Start with Flat Bench, this exercise takes the most out of you because it uses the most muscles at once. If you do it late in your workout, you're gonna be too tired to do it well. Use a grip just outside of your elbows, but don't go too wide unless you want to use lots of back muscles to cheat! 4 sets of 10-15 really good reps.... make it burn!

Move to a Cable crossover machine if you have one, if not use dumbells and a decline bench..... you're gonna do flys. With the pully's up high on the crossover machine, step forward till arms are stretched behind you slightly, lean forward and keep arms slightly bent. Sweep hands forward and sqeeze together in front of your body while keeping arms just slightly bent. Think of this exercise as being just like when a body builder leans forward and squeezes his pecs at the audience! You want to really squeeze it hard out in front of you for a count of one before opening arms back up again. As an added trick, when you bring your hands together at the front of your body, turn your palms up so your pinkies come together..... really really hurts but in a good way!
If you have to use a bench and dumbells, use the same slightly bent arm, and squeeze at the top just the same way.

On both these versions of flys, make sure you don't use too much weight that you hurt your shoulders. 4 Sets of 10-15 reps aught to do it.

Last one, incline dumbell press. Lots of people do incline bench with a bar, and thats fine too, but dumbells allow a deeper stretch of the muscle. This gives you strength over a wider range of flexibility, which in turn will save your bacon when it comes to injury prevention.
Start with the dumbells in the up position, with your hands knuckle to knuckle or in the hammer grip position. As you lower them you let them turn thumb to thumb. VERY IMPORTANT... don't try to lower them to wide. Let the inside edge of the dumbells come down and touch the edge of your armpits, at about the nipple line (sorry, no other description works!). Back up nice and smooth while rotating hands back to knuckle to knuckle again - squeeze at the top (Turning all the way to pinkie to pinkie works well for some people here, but for others including me it hurts my shoulders)

4 sets of 8-12 reps

Next is back I think, give me until Wednesday the 5th for that post.

Good luck all, and feel free to Message me privately with questions.

[Richie]

For quickness

You can do figure 8's Put up two cones and you run around and throw and around them making a figure 8. Go in both directions. Then gradually bring the cones closer together to make the 8's in a smaller space.
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Also try thisX X
X
X X

Lay out 5 cones Players run around the cones always cutting back around the center cone
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I am asumming your an older player.

There is nothing better for explosive speed for soccer then hurdling with a sprint in between hurdles alternationg feet on each hurdle.

Start off with small hurdles like the small dutch gates, then move to hurdles or the big dutch gates.

Play every chance you get. Touch the ball every chance you get.

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Run a certain time 10/12 minutes keep track of the distance ran. Then try to do that distance beating your individual time. Then increase the distance of the run. Run on something other then a track see different surroundings enjoy them.

Get your mind off the running, you will get less tired. You do that in games as well think about your support positioning you will get less tired.


Richie

[Richie]

the cone diagram came out wrong

t up top two at the bottom and one in between them in the center