The second part of our preseason blog series is for our football (soccer) players. Soccer is known as the World Game due to it’s popularity right across the globe. Despite this many amateur player and coaches can have the wrong approach when preparing and training.
Many believe strength and power aren’t vital components of a soccer program, but that is far from the truth. Similar to our rugby players last week, soccer players should also be hitting the weights room to focus on developing strength and power. kicking, sprinting, tackling and jumping are repetitive power movements and need to be accounted for within a training program.
Another important component of your preseason program should be a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) program. Soccer is a intermittent/ stop and start style of game so HIIT is perfect for building that style of aerobic and anaerobic capacity. Soccer players need to be able to sustain high fitness levels for 90 minutes You are constantly running up and down the field, defending against a player, and moving into space to receive and make passes. You are rarely just jogging around the field. HIIT alternates periods of high intensity activity with periods of lower intensity activity. This style of training helps to condition your muscles and fitness without strain or wear and tear on the body.
The final component of your program should include agility training- ability to apply changes in direction and fast bursts of speed. The game isn’t linear; it constantly changes from one part of the field to another. You are sprinting, changing direction, stopping and starting. It’s never in a straight line, so adding some agility/change of direction change will prepare you for game day.
As always, it is important to check with an exercise professional prior to adding new exercises to your program so speak to you exercise physiologist or physio to get your preseason program started!
