Hi everyone, I'm new....my son is currently playing soccer and his coach would like for him to gain weight. Does anyone know how someone one can add 20 pounds without loosing their speed and continue developing their skill? Yes, I know the coaches have people who have expert advice on this matter, however I also would like to check up on things myself.
Welcome Adah, I guess the first questions would be how old is your son? What position does he play? Unless he's extremely underweight, I don't know if it would be wise to add that much muscle, depending upon the area that the coach thinks your son needs to improve in. If it's all around muscle to strengthen him up because of contact concerns, then that might not be so bad. I know there are others here that are better equipped to handle this than I am so I'm sure you'll get great advice from the folks here....Good luck! Cheers...
a good link that might help is soccerconditioning.net The focus on that website is helping players become faster and better conditioned, but you might find some of the info helpful. I'm assuming your son would undergo a similar program while gaining weight in order to maintain speed and agility. I'd assume that a stretching program would help as well. That link helped my little brother tremendously (although he didn't share your son's problem).
Like Grady08, I'm not an expert so my first step would be to consult one who knew my son--his pediatrician would be a good place to start. Then move on from there. Manipulating body weight for reasons other than basic health is a tricky business and frankly if one of my son's coaches suggested this I'd think long and hard about the guy's judgement. Here's my nonexpert 2 cents: Key question: How old is your son? Because this makes a big difference in how the suggestion that he gain 20 lbs ought to be interpreted. It ought to be approached cautiously in any case but if he's still developing I wouldn't consider anything beyond a healthy diet and regular exercise for anybody under 12. Over 12, you can start looking at weight lifting, which will add mass and, if done right, increase speed and quickness. Again, consult an expert or at least read up on this before starting out. There are some very good programs out there than combine lifting and plyometrics and some of them are soccer-specific, but you can hurt youself badly (I know from first hand experience) by going about it the wrong way. One way to go might be to pull some of the routines off the website eldiablito referred to and bring them to a trainer. Good luck, and welcome to BS.
Hi Everyone, Thanks for the information. I wasn't expecting a response so fast. To answer some of the questions. My son is 18 and just completed his first year of college soccer. He is 5 9' around 160 pounds and solid. He work out all year long as well as try to play soccer all year long. The position they put him in is Defense. He normally plays up front, but I guess they figure with his size he would be good in the back since he is veryfast and quick as well as given him an opportunity to further develop his skills.
personally, id recommend doing a lot of core workouts. its tough to gain 20 pounds of muscle without getting too bulky for soccer. but a strong core, increases speed and stamina while preventing a lot of injuries. this is just from personal experience though.
Huh? The kid's big enough as is from his measurements. You need to give a physical description of your boy. Where does he carry most of his weight(barrel chested or?), etc. Landon Donovan is 5'9" 150lbs. I'd say he does OK dealing with physical play. Your son, given his current profile and activity schedule, won't be able to gain 20lbs. unless he 1)uses performance enhancing drugs or 2) he quits playing soccer and spends about 6 months to a year(maybe longer) lifting weights. Are you sure you have his measurements right? Or are you sure that his coach wasn't kidding?
Actually, considering your son's age I would think it is quite possible for him to gain 10-15 pounds without using performance enhancing drugs (maybe even without dietary supplements). I think Wanderer's skepticism is a healthy reaction, but your son is at the age when his body will begin "to fill out" naturally. It's true that males may continue to grow in stature until they're 21, but most stop around 18, if not earlier. At that point in time, it's natural for the body to gain weight as it no longer requires the amount of caloric intake as it would when the body is growing. (On a personal note, I was 5'9'' 140 lbs when I started my freshman year. By no means was I skinny as a rail. Most of my weight was in my thighs, but I had a thin or underdeveloped upper body. By the beginning of my sophomore year I was still 5'9'' but I was 170 pounds. Now some of this weight gain could have been attributed to a change in lifestyle, but most was me filling out. I wasn't involved in a weight training program, so I wasn't "solid," but I wasn't a chunky monkey either.) If the college coach is asking for 20 pounds, because he's switching him to defense, that makes sense. He might be solid now (especially for a forward, but he'd be virtually an impenetrable brick wall if he gained more weight). I'd assume he means mostly upper body (because most solid 18 year-old soccer players already have thick legs). I'd also assume that your son has until August to gain 20 pounds (which is doable). Hitting the weights for six months should do the trick. He could continue to do speed exercises, but I would think the best thing to do to maintain agililty would be to undertake a stretching program while hitting the weights.
Well, not everyone just "fills out naturally". It depends on the body type of the person. Many people on these boards talk about late bloomers, etc., and many quoted how "Donovan will fill out". Donovan has maybe put on 5-10lbs. since he was 17 years old when I saw him at Dallas Cup in '99. 20 lbs. is a ridiculous amount of muscle to put in a short amount of time. Think of adding two inches to your biceps, that would about be the equivalent of gaining 20lbs. Now, 20lbs. of overall weight is something that can be done, but why would you want to add fat? It slows you down and adds nothing to your actual strength. Personally I think that too much is made of actual 'weight' when the strength of the person isn't considered. A person can be strong and not necessarily be 'bulky' or muscled up. The best exercise I know of to put on weight is the squat. It taxes the hell out of your body's muscles. Combine it with a bench press and those can be the core staples to gaining mass. Nutrition is also 50% of the battle. Don't expect to eat the same things and still put on weight. You need to give more details about your son and his age.
Gaining weight really isn't that big a problem, nor will it adversely affect speed, mobility, etc. (unless overdone, of course). I myself "suffer" from an incredible metabolism and at the age of 32 am still trying to gain more weight all the time. I was always a very skinny kid in high school, but the bottom line for me was simply one thing - EAT! He will burn off the fat with all the running around. He must EAT. Four or five meals a day, lots of training, lifting for an hour or two three to four times a week. It sounds to me like his stomach just doesn't carry much. That can change. He should slowly eat more and more everyday and eventually his stomach will grow. Remember - muscle is heavier than fat so with this combination, he should be in good shape. If he's only eighteen, it shouldn't be a problem. Like I said, I'm 32 and went from 160 to now 195 in about a year and a half, strictly by eating, working out and paying attention to what my body was telling me. My ultimate goal for my 6'1" frame is 200lbs. But your kid shouldn't have any problem at all - he's just gotta commit to it.
weight gain roarksown, this is not a singles board. because you are obsessed with your appearance, and what you do does not translate into enhanced performance on the soccer pitch. are you saying u have not lost any speed or agility with your cosmetic weight gain? have u kept track? Your comment; "it sounds to me like his stomach dosen't carry much" is a diagnosis out of nowhere. this is unbelievable. 5'9" and 160 lbs. is probably a proportionate weight. is this a joke thread? if so, remember, there are posters like roarksown out there. roarksown, when u get to your ideal weight, what are u going to obsess about?