Black Sheep said it best "You can get with this, or you can get with that" in The Choice is Yours. Today you get to pick which side you fall on with these training myths in soccer. It seems now-a-days there is a fear of getting so jacked you can't scratch the back of your head, and we've decided running half marathons is best to prepare for the upcoming season. So, we will dive into reveal how targeted strength and conditioning programs can enhance athletic performance, and what might be holding you back from tapping into that next level on the field. We’ll explore the importance of effective communication, organization, and individual skills, and how integrating diverse training methods can make athletes stronger, faster, and more resilient.
"STOP LIFTING" | "ADD STRENGTH & CONDITIONING" |
Lifting Made Me Slow & My Overall Play Worse | Training for Strength, Speed, and Power Has Improved My Abilities on The Pitch |
For years, the idea that resistance training leads to bulkiness and decreased speed has circulated in the world of soccer. Many have hesitated to incorporate strength training into their regimen, fearing it would hinder their performance on the field. Most athletes have plenty of room to develop general strength characteristics that will transfer to more specific skills, knowing how to train to create the adaptation you want is key.
Contrary to popular belief, resistance training for soccer players is not about strictly packing on mass. Instead, it's about developing strength, power, and speed to enhance on-field performance. We know that athletes with higher levels of strength tend to excel in sport-specific actions. Having greater muscular strength allows athletes to potentiate earlier and to a greater extent, we can also see these athletes tend to be more robust which can help reduce the risk of injury. (1) The training methods employed are vastly different from those used in bodybuilding, powerlifting, CrossFit or any specialized type of training not aligned with your sport.
· Bodybuilding – Hypertrophy Focus
· Powerlifting – Maximal Strength Focus
· CrossFit – HIIT Focus
· Athletes – Strength, Strength-Speed, Speed-Strength, Speed, Power Focus
It's time to dispel the myth that lifting weights will make soccer players slow and bulky. By embracing structured strength training programs tailored to enhance athletic performance, players can unlock their full potential on the field.
"RUN MORE" | "TRAIN/LEARN BETTER" |
Lack of Fitness Levels | Lack of Preparedness & Understanding |
It's a common belief that players who struggle to keep up with the pace of the game are simply lacking in fitness. The assumption is that increasing their endurance through rigorous training will ultimately improve their performance on the field. While many players and coaches believe that being the fittest team guarantees victory, it's often the teams not only with the best fitness but the team with stronger technical skills and better tactical readiness that come out on top.
Click the link below to read more on the 4-Coactive ModelAddressing the Physical using Technical/Tactical
From the sidelines, it's easy to assume that your team looks unfit as they chase the ball around the pitch, maybe a shout of instruction to the team in hopes to keep them organized. This situation highlights the importance of good communication for achieving success. Both athletes and coaches need to communicate clearly and effectively to minimize misunderstandings that often lead to mistakes or goals being conceded. Organized teams are more efficient during games, avoiding unnecessary energy expenditure caused by being out of position or needlessly chasing the ball, as well as thoroughly understanding the game plan in all 4 moments (attack, defend, and both transitions) (2). Additionally, individual skills and physical capabilities significantly impact efficiency and performance. Highly skilled players can achieve more with less effort, often becoming key players who can take over a game when the pressure is on.
USING CONES AND LADDERS FOR AGILITY | GET STRONG AND MOVE WELL |
Understand the Difference Between Agility and Change of Direction Drills | Soccer Players Require a Foundation of Strength, Power, and Neuromuscular Coordination |
It's a scene often witnessed on social media and soccer fields worldwide: players weaving through cones, navigating speed ladders with lightning-fast footwork, and leaping over mini hurdles with the goal of enhancing their agility. These drills, while popular, are often seen as the go-to method for improving agility in soccer players. However, this approach fails to address the underlying mechanisms that drive agility and may fall short of delivering comprehensive results.
First, let’s get a few definitions out of the way, “Agility can be defined as a whole-body movement with change of velocity or direction in response to a stimulus. Change of direction is defined as pre-planned and thus does not entail a reaction to a stimulus and subsequent change of direction and velocity (Young et al., 2015)”So, we know now that agility is not simply about quick feet and sharp turns; it's about the ability to change direction (COD) rapidly while maintaining balance, control, and speed. (3) To achieve this, soccer players require a foundation of strength, power, and neuromuscular coordination that extends beyond the confines of traditional “agility” drills. Lastly, having a pre-planned exercise where the athlete changes direction is not agility, there needs to be some sort of response to the stimulus as mentioned, and the more it replicates the game the better.
In addition to some of the tools used we can expand our view from a different lens to see soccer players can benefit immensely from incorporating conventional exercises like squats and plyometrics into their training regimen. Squats, whether performed with dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, or body weight in some circumstances, develop lower body strength and power essential for explosive movements on the field. Plyometric exercises, such as pogo jumps and bounding drills, enhance reactive strength and improve the ability to generate force rapidly. Both can play an important role in long-term athletic development.
ACCELERATION ONLY | ACCELERATION & MAX VELOCITY |
Soccer Players Rarely Hit Top Speed in Practice or Games, so They Only Need to Train Acceleration | Developing Both Acceleration and Top-End Speed Simultaneously Enhances Alactic Capacity and Reduces Injury Risk |
Training top-end speed alongside acceleration yields numerous benefits for soccer players. Developing both aspects of sprinting concurrently enhances an athlete's alactic capacity, allowing them to handle a greater volume of short-duration, high-intensity sprints. If you take a step back, this is a major part of what the game is comprised of.
Moreover, incorporating max velocity speed work into training routines contributes to injury mitigation by strengthening muscles and improving neuromuscular coordination, notably in the hamstrings. At maximum velocity, muscles are exposed to peak forces and stress in a highly specific manner. By properly conditioning muscles through controlled top-end speed training, soccer players build robustness that aids in keeping them healthy during the season.
“Speed is the tide that lifts all boats” - Tony Holler
Small Doses of Top-End Speed Work Are Beneficial
While soccer players may not frequently reach top speed during a game, incorporating small doses of top-end speed work into training sessions remains beneficial. Priming proper mechanics and rhythm at maximum velocity helps athletes refine their sprinting technique and familiarize themselves with the sensations of running at top speed. Additionally, monitoring progress in top-end speed provides valuable feedback for athletes and coaches, allowing for continual improvement and performance optimization.
Example:
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | |
Acceleration | 10m x 3 reps | 10m x 2 reps, 15m x 2 reps | 10m x2 reps, 15m x2 reps, 20m x1 rep |
Max Velocity | 10m fly w/ 10m build x 3 reps | 10m fly w/ 20m build x 3 reps | 10m fly w/ 30m build x 3 reps |
Improving maximal sprint capabilities enhances all submaximal speeds.
Contrary to popular belief, the primary issue for slow soccer players is not their level of fitness but rather their lack of speed. The ability to accelerate quickly and reach maximal sprint capabilities is paramount in soccer, where split-second decisions and explosive bursts of speed can make all the difference.
Instead of focusing solely on increasing fitness through endless running, players should prioritize improving their maximal sprint capabilities. By enhancing their ability to reach top speed (max velocity) players can improve all submaximal speeds as well. This concept, championed by coaches like Charlie Francis, emphasizes the importance of speed reserve in athletic performance.
Let's imagine we have two players, one with a faster 30-yard dash time and the other slower. The faster player can effortlessly maintain a high percentage of their maximal speed, making it easier for them to cover ground and react quickly to the demands of the game. In contrast, the slower player must exert a higher percentage of their maximal effort just to keep pace, leading to fatigue and diminished performance. To address this issue, training sessions should incorporate structured speed work aimed at enhancing acceleration, deceleration, max velocity, and overall sprinting capabilities. By focusing on quality over quantity and incorporating drills specifically designed to improve explosive speed.
Conclusion
By dispelling misconceptions and implementing evidence-based training strategies, soccer athletes can unlock their full potential on the field, improving agility, speed, strength, and overall athleticism. It's time to shift the focus from traditional training methods rooted in ambiguity to a more informed and targeted approach that empowers players to excel in the beautiful game.
References:
Suchomel TJ, Nimphius S, Stone MH. The Importance of Muscular Strength in Athletic Performance. Sports Med. 2016 Oct;46(10):1419-49. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0486-0. PMID: 26838985.
F. Connolly, Game Changer. 2017 The 4-Coactive Model
Young WB, Miller IR, Talpey SW. Physical qualities predict change-of-direction speed but not defensive agility in Australian rules football. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Jan;29(1):206-12. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000614. PMID: 25028996.
About the Author:
Nathan Albright is the owner of XI Sports Performance, where he works with youth, high school, and college-level athletes offering a wide variety of training with various sports, including Soccer, Football, Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, and more. Nathan has a BSc. in Exercise Kinesiology from the University of Toledo, and currently resides in Northwest Ohio
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