About Soccer Weight Training

Soccer is a very intense sport. There's a big mix of sprinting, jogging, diving, walking, kicking and fast changes of direction. It may seem that the training for this would only involve running, but that's not the case. It's true that aerobic capacity is important, but that's only part of the equation. Weight training for soccer will turn a player into a complete, well-rounded athlete.

Weight training for soccer is just as important as agility and cardiovascular training. A player must have strength to push himself up off the ground quickly; he must have a lot of leg strength for fast bouts of running; and he must have core strength for twisting and turning.

The function of weight training for soccer is sport-specific; in other words, it's done in a way that is beneficial to the game. It's done to create muscular endurance and explosive power. Another function of weight training for soccer is to correct or prevent muscle imbalances that often occur. An example of this would be stronger quads and weaker hamstrings due to overcompensating with running.

In weight training for soccer, the whole body has to be taken into consideration. The legs must be strong for explosive speed, kicking and fast turning, the upper body has to be strong for throw-ins and fending off opponents, and the core must be strong because all of the upper and lower body's movements are generated there. Maximal power, muscular power and strength endurance are all developed in a series of phases.

Functional strength is developed during the off-season. The joints, muscles and connective tissue prepare for the season and training ahead, muscle imbalances are corrected, and symmetry between the right and left side of the body is developed. The core is also focused on during this time. The core consists of the upper and lower abs, the obliques and the lower back muscles.

Maximal strength is developed in the early pre-season. The main objective is to increase muscular speed and power. Weight training is done with the intent to move heavy weights. Multiple sets of low reps are performed with long rest periods. An example of this would be eight sets of three to five reps with 2- to 4-minute rest periods.

Muscular power and strength endurance are the focus in the last few weeks before the season starts. This is usually 4 to 6 weeks before the season begins. Plyometric training and circuit training are done to simulate a more game-specific atmosphere. Some examples of plyometric exercises are box jumps, power skips, bounding and depth jumps.

When the season starts, the main goal is to focus most of your attention on the actual game. However, maintenance weight training is done at least once a week.