You might disagree, but hear me out on this. Weight training soccer is very essential while coaching the player on sports that needs a lot of strength, and, or explosive power. If player do not need strength and power to a large extent even for them, strong abdominal and lower back muscles are helpful.
In this article you will find the basic concept of weight training for soccer using simple techniques for applying those concepts.
During soccer strength training, Specificity is a very important concept. It means that if you can train your players in a way that emulates their activity when playing on the field, then you must spend the majority of your time training in that way. Like running is a good drill for runners and swimming for swimmers.
To improve power, speed is an important aspect in training. Weight training programs should be designed in a manner that takes in to account the individuals role in team sports, their age, physical and mental ability to take pressure, and the level at which they are to play.
All this information is useful for a trainer in designing a fitness training program, to make a good start.
Such exercises should be planned for physical conditioning which improves specific training. For example: swimmers also run and lift weights to improve their aerobic and strength and power fitness.
Injury prevention is also something which is commonly overlooked although it is an important part of weight training soccer. Although it does not contribute directly to an increase in a player’s performance, injury prevention can positively support a player’s performance by ensuring that he or she is fit to play at crucial times in the event calendar.
Running, sprinting, turning and twisting, side-stepping, and getting ready for a shot are all the exercises performed in soccer. The muscle chain that is required in these movements named as the “anterior and posterior chain,” should be exercised to build strength, stability and power.
Hence the core lifts, like squats and deadlifts are essential working out for building these muscles. A comprehensive soccer fitness program giving due stress upon these two core lifts should work miracles for leg, hip, back and abdominal strength.
To concentrate on the shoulders, arms and back muscle areas the program should also include swimming.
Ordinary strength program comprises of doing pretty heavy weights but only a few times. You know by now that soccer is a sport which requires sufficient strength with mobility, speed and stamina not just building bulk and mass like other sports.
Even if primary strength, power or endurance gains are absent, developing particular muscle groups would also help to increase performance. Thus the lower back and hamstrings, and the quadriceps muscles that aids the knee joint function are such muscle groups.
So this is it. Always remember these points while weight training soccer since in sport like soccer weights may not give much advantage. You are welcomed to our youth soccer coaching community that has a plethora of informative articles, weekly newsletters, and videos to help you better understand the concepts of youth coaching.
Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Soccer Practice Tips.
