During the offseason, I want to increase my strength, especially in my legs so that I can really send the long balls. What lifts do you recommend to increase my kicking power?
Static lunges - these are lunges done one leg at a time, don't switch and step forward with the other leg, rather keep one leg forward and one back, then go up and down for 8-12 reps. Switch to other leg forward and repeat. Do three to four sets. Usually just an olympic bar will suffice for extra weight untill you you get stronger. Hip sled/Leg press - go deep, very deep into the down motion, and make sure you DO NOT lock out your knees at the top. Go heavy and do at least five sets of 8-12 reps. Just make sure you don't jerk, move smoothly and stay under control because you are using lots of weight. Try to be explosive on the way up, but smoot and controled on the way down. Hamstrings hamstrings and more hamstrings (curls) - this muscle is the primary factor in stopping and changing direction (along with the calves), and they are hugely important in knee stability. Make sure that you do just as much work on your hammies as anything else because if you get your quads too strong in comparison, you are just asking for a pulled hamstring or worse a twisted knee. Calf Extensions - Use a leg press to do these, you can use a squat rack and stand up, but I like sitting down to do them with a back support because I can use more weight without straining my back. Go really hi in reps for these..... at least 15 to 20 reps for 4 or five sets. Most importantly eat lots and lots of protein, successful weight training is 90% nutrition. You can eat fish, chicken, red meat, beans, nuts, anything, just try to make it lean if you don't want to get fat. Beef jerky makes a great snack, and milk to provide lots of calcium to reduce craps and strengthen those bones.
Woops meant to say cramps, not craps on that calcium thing.......... hehehehe. Didn't mean to scare ya there. By the way, one other thing I forgot to mention is not the Static Lunges - make sure you get your front foot far enough forward that as you go downwards, you knee soes not stick out over your foot. If someone looked at you from the side would see your knee always staing "behind" your foot as the leg bends. This has two purposes, first it is really hard on you knees to let them go forward past the feet as you bend the leg. The other is that you make the muscles in the forward leg work a LOT harder, especially the hamstrings and hip flexors (hip flexors control the leg lift motion and provide a lot of power to your kicks).