Quincy was giving me some last minute pointers on my form in preparation for this post.
This week we continue our series on what makes a complete soccer player.
We determined that the best way to describe the complete soccer player was using the acronym FASTEST. This meant that the complete soccer player has the following attributes –
Fitness
Agility
Strength
Team Player
Excellent Ball Control
Shooting Skills
Tactically Sound
This week, we’re going to talk about strength training for soccer players. This is an area that players often overlook. The common assumption is that most soccer players only need strong legs because they run a lot. What people seem to forget is that soccer isn’t just a game of running. Soccer is a game of complex, explosive movements. In the stretch of two minutes, a soccer player could have to sprint the length of the field, jump up high to get the ball, use their strength to maintain position, get knocked down and have to get up quickly, and have to throw the ball in from the sideline.
As you can tell by the list above, most of the motions listed above require complex interactions of muscles. For example, Olympic sprinters always have a strong core (abs, etc) because speed doesn’t just come from the legs, speed starts from the core muscles.
When you jump up to head the ball, you aren’t just using your legs to jump high. As you prepare to jump, you crouch down a bit. When you do that, you are coiling your body so that when you jump, you can extend yourself, using your core muscles to help propel your body higher. The initial push does come from your legs, but you use the rest of your body as well.
Have you ever run down the field shoulder to shoulder with another player while you fight for a good position on the ball? You both probably leaned into each other, each trying to use your strength to get in front of the other or trying to get yourself between the other player and the ball. If the other player is stronger than you, not just in their legs, but also in their core and their upper body, they probably have the advantage in this situation.
Soccer is a game of contact, and every player at some point or another gets knocked down. Once you are knocked down on the ground, you are out of the play, so you want to get back in the play as soon as possible, right? Well in order to do this quickly, your body is going to utilize your arms, shoulders, core and legs to get you back in the game. If one of these areas is weak, you may not be able to get back into the game as quickly.
Finally, every player needs to be able to throw the ball in. In order to have any range with your throw-in, it is important for you to have strong arms, shoulders, and core muscles. It is important to have the strength to get the ball to various parts of the field with your throw-in in order to give your team options. Otherwise, the other team could just flood the area in the general vicinity of your throw-in with defenders and you’d never be able to get the ball in-bounds to your team.
As you can see from the examples above, complete body strength is important. Below are some strength drills you can do to develop different areas of your body.
1. Push-ups – Possibly the ultimate upper body exercise, push-ups work practically all of your upper body muscles, including your shoulders, pectorals, triceps, etc. Here is a great article from Mark’s Daily Apple, an online fitness community, regarding pushups, their benefits, and several variations of the exercise you can do.
Push-ups – The perfect exercise?
2. Burpees – Burpees are a fantastic full-body exercise. They work your lower body, your core, and your upper body. Burpees combine squat jumps, mountain climbers, and pushups to work your entire body.
3. Lunges – Great for building your thigh muscles. Start with two feet together shoulder width apart. Step forward with your right foot, then lower yourself down so your body is creating a ninety degree angle with both your legs. As you lift yourself back up, step forward with your other foot and do the same thing. Do this around the six yard box (the small box right in front of the goal). If that is not challenging enough, do it around the eighteen yard box (aka the penalty box).
4. Jump Squat – This drill helps you develop your leg strength. Start with your feet about shoulder width apart. Move your hips back, bend at the knees, while keeping your back straight, and reach down and touch the ground. Once you have touched the ground, jump up in the air, straightening your body out and reaching for the sky. This is a great exercise for developing explosive speed, which you use to change speed quickly.
5. Sit Ups – Sit Ups are the classic core strengthening exercises. To do sit ups, sit with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. While keeping your feet flat on the ground, lean back until your shoulder blades touch the ground. Once your shoulder blades touch the ground, use your core muscles to sit back up without letting your feet leave the ground.
There are literally hundreds of exercises you can do to develop your strength, but the examples above are great because they can be done with no gym or exercise equipment.
Developing your strength is an important part of your development as a complete player, and these drills are a great starting point. They are easy to incorporate into your soccer training regimen. The best way to do this is to add strength training exercises in between your regular soccer drills. For example, if you were going to do the inside inside slalom and then juggle, in between these drills, do 10 pushups. This way, you are getting your training in with a soccer ball, but you are also incorporating strength training drills as well.
What are some exercises you have done in the past to work on your strength? Tell us below in the comments.
