| Soccer-specific strength and fitness training for | | | | because they almost never leave the box! I could go |
| soccer players is a hotly debated topic. Off season | | | | on for days on this one but you get the message...I |
| strength training for soccer athletes has been the | | | | hope? It is old school and misinformed. |
| source of debate for many years and it still | | | | The old school point of view not only neglects to |
| unresolved. The first question to be addressed is | | | | take into account the synergy between muscle |
| whether there really is an off season for top flight | | | | groups and their actions, it fails to take into account |
| soccer players? At any level? Male or female? In my | | | | that muscle movement is complex and not only |
| opinion the answer is no! Should there be? Well, that's | | | | involves other muscles, other than the ones you are |
| a topic for another article or series of articles and is | | | | working, it impacts the connective tissue as well. |
| part of an ongoing and intense debate. | | | | And where do most profound and career ending |
| For the purposes of this article, let's assume there is | | | | soccer injuries occur? The knees! And what portion |
| something of an off season, even if it is simply a | | | | of the knees are most profoundly affected? The |
| period when a soccer player plays less often. Once | | | | connective tissue! And how do we strengthen the |
| established, then the next issue to be addressed is: | | | | connective tissue? By engaging in strength training |
| What sort of training will provide the greatest edge | | | | directed at strengthening the muscles and the |
| when the next season begins? The answer is | | | | connective tissue associated with those muscles and |
| complex but, in addition to continuing to keep your | | | | the adjacent, synergistic musculature! |
| foot on the ball, and yourself on the pitch, at least a | | | | The fact is, if you do not strengthen the overall |
| couple of times a week minimum, it is time to hit the | | | | musculature, and the associated connective tissue, |
| gym! | | | | you are more susceptible to injury and, and this is |
| I receive interesting questions and comments from | | | | the big one for this article, for the soccer players |
| time to time on this topic. Interestingly, many soccer | | | | who are engaging in strength training? They are going |
| coaches are still in the Dark Ages when it comes to | | | | to be what? Yup! Bigger! Stronger! Faster! And, if not |
| strength training for soccer players. | | | | faster...certainly more...Powerful! |
| I routinely receive and letters from colleagues and | | | | So, hit the gym but do it right. Find a knowledgeable |
| the information I receive generally falls into three | | | | strength and fitness coach, someone familiar with |
| categories: | | | | sport-specific, and, in particular, soccer-specific |
| 1) The old soccer training school: "All you have to do | | | | strength and fitness training, and start hitting the |
| is play soccer!" | | | | weights and the machines (there are benefits to |
| 2) The conservative soccer training school (usually | | | | both). |
| voiced by parents): "My child is already doing too | | | | Ultimately, it depends on how far you want to take |
| much, he (orshe) doesn't need any more training!" | | | | it but competition is intense and to play at the |
| 3) The informed soccer training school: "I realize the | | | | highest levels, you need an edge. |
| players are bigger, stronger, and faster than ever | | | | Just go to any soccer complex in almost any city or |
| before and if I want to compete at the highest | | | | town across the US, and certainly abroad, on a |
| levels, I need an edge!" | | | | Saturday morning and ask yourself these questions: |
| It shouldn't take a genius to guess which position I | | | | 1) What makes me so special? |
| take on this subject? Yup, number 3! | | | | 2) How am I going to stand out against all of this |
| The most misinformed comment I have received to | | | | competition? |
| date came from a "coach" who was critiquing an | | | | 3) What do I have to do to gain an edge? |
| article I wrote on leg training is illustrative of the first | | | | The answer is quite simple really and is two-fold: |
| school of thought, the old school. The coach | | | | 1) Play often and at the highest level possible. |
| maintained that because soccer players do not | | | | 2) Find a competitive advantage and then work at it |
| engage in muscle movement similar to the muscle | | | | until it separates you from the pack! |
| movement used in the performance of a specific | | | | The combination of the two will pay dividends you |
| exercise, or use the muscles to prompt such | | | | can only hope for at present but from one who has |
| movements in exactly that way on the pitch, there is | | | | coached soccer athletes at every level, on the pitch |
| no need for leg extensions and leg curls! | | | | and in the gym, you have to remember that one |
| WRONG! | | | | question: "What makes me special?" Answer that and |
| That's like saying football players don't need to bench | | | | you will be among the top 1% and will have an |
| press because there isn't a bench on the fifty yard | | | | opportunity to play when everyone else is sitting on |
| line or goalkeepers don't need to be aerobically fit | | | | the bench or in the stands. |