[thedefender23]

Do pro teams do a lot of long distance running on a track or around the field? Or do they improve their fitness while they're doing drills and scrimmaging?

[gimpy]

they do both of those, plus more. on their off days they run like 5 miles

[goyoureddevils]

No..... they do not do alot of long distance running. Most especially not around a track! They train the way they play, with lots of sprints at different speeds, (half-speed, three-quarters, full) and distances, as well as plyometrics and foot-speed training.

Why go out and run several miles at a jog? You don't run this way in a game. Jog-sprint workouts and jog-sprint-walk workouts are much more realistic. Plyometrics provides the aerobic workout for explosiveness, and long full speed sprints provide the anaerobic strengthening workouts for late-in-the-game endurance.

If you have a pro team in your area, call them up and ask them if you can come watch a training session so that you can learn how to train like a pro....I bet they would welcome you.

[Richie]

Originally Posted by thedefender23

"Do pro teams do a lot of long distance running on a track or around the field?"

No

"Or do they improve their fitness while they're doing drills and scrimmaging?"

Yes, but they also do distance running going to some place. You now see the sites talk and back.

[dienasty]

its usually up to the players to come to the new season in about 95% shape they need to be in with wieght down and all. they take a physical test for fat percentages and all and they also do 2 or 3 a days and get in shape by simple playing soccer.

[cody_kiziak]

Of course the pro's have to do long distance running if they didnt they would be like out of shape badly most of the pros run like 9 miles a game if they didnt do runing there would be no way that they could do that[/COLOR]

[cody_kiziak]

Of course the pro's have to do long distance running if they didnt they would be like out of shape badly most of the pros run like 9 miles a game if they didnt do runing there would be no way that they could do that[/COLOR]

[Elninho]

Pro teams (and even college teams) generally do long-distance running only in the early part of preseason. By the time the season starts, practice will consist almost entirely of drills and scrimmages, with occasional sprint or jog/sprint conditioning workouts.

Given your current location, it may be hard to observe professional practices... closest ones are probably DC United or the Virginia Beach Mariners. If neither is possible, it may be worthwhile to try http://www.3rddegree.net which generally features observations of one or two Dallas Burn training sessions each week and usually says a little about the drills that were done.