An adequate warm-up program is an important part of any stretching and flexibility regime. The right balance of warm-up and stretching an integral part of any soccer-specific strength and fitness training program. Injury prevention is a crucial consideration and and important reason for an individualized warm up, stretching, and flexibility program. Prior to initiating a workout program, a routine soccer practice or a match, the soccer athlete must be warmed up and have stretched for a period of between 15 and 30 minutes, not only to reduce the risk of injury, but to improve training results and match performance.

The proper warm-up routine has several important elements. The elements of a properly structured warm-up and stretching regimen must be integrated into a holistic strategy designed to properly engage all of the various muscles of the body in such a way as to be ready for peak performance prior to the workout, practice or competition. Every muscle and muscle group must be working together and fully warmed up in order to reduce the chance of injury, regardless of whether it is due to stress, strain or trauma.

Why is warming up so vital to the overall success of a training program?

Proper warm-up before training is important for a number of reasons and is responsible for a myriad of benefits. The properly designed warm-up routine prepares the athlete, physically and mentally, for peak performance and for strenuous, physical and mental exertion. While there are many reasons for this, the most important may be the fact that warm-up increases the body’s metabolism and core temperature. As a consequence of an overall increase in temperature, there is accordingly an increase in the temperature of the various muscles involved in training and competition. Increased muscle temperature, and the associated increase in blood flow, allows for muscles that are ready for strenuous activity, being oxygenated, fully fueled, and supple. Additionally, the warm-up will also have a positive, overall cardiovascular effect, increasing both heart and lung function and allowing for more complete delivery of oxygen and energy-providing nutrients to the musculature during periods of peak demand. Once again, this has a ripple effect and the connective tissue, so at risk during periods of strenuous activity, to be warmed up and prepared for activity prior to the workout or competition. The latter is vitally important, as many sports-related injuries are connective tissue based, as in ACL injuries!

How to Develop a Warm-up Program for a Soccer-Related Strength and Fitness Training Program

There are several factors and considerations that come into play when designing a soccer-related strength and fitness training program. Along with diet and nutrition, warm-up, stretching, and flexibility are crucial to the overall success of the program. For that reason, we will spend quite a bit of time on the proper warm-up design and integration in this article.
It goes without saying, or should anyway, that it is very important to begin with the simplest and gentlest movements and tasks first. The idea is to move from one motion and movement to the next, an overall build taking place, and once again a ripple effect leading to a fully engorged and oxygenated musculature prior to strenuous activity. The process of easy to difficult, slow to faster motions and activities, each building and compounding upon the other, fully engaging the athlete’s body and optimizing performance regardless of the task involved.

The body, if properly engaged and warmed up, will be at its mental and physical peak prior to strenuous activity and the demands of soccer-related performance, whether for strength and fitness training, practice or match play. With the body at peak readiness, optimally engaged mentally and physically, the likelihood of soccer-specific, sports-related injuries will have been minimized and the soccer athlete can continue into the training or the competitive area fully prepared. The next step, now that we understand why…is how!

The Four Components of an Effective Soccer-Specific Strength and Fitness Training Warm-up

The first stage is a general, overall warm-up program. The second stage is static stretching and differs from the third stage, that of soccer-specific stretching and warm-up. The fourth stage is dynamic stretching, stretching used to engage and involve the entire musculature, synergistically. The four components are equally crucial to the overall success of the program, one building upon the other, all equally vital. The components come together, in very much the same way as muscles do, synergistically, all four working in unison to prepare the body, physically and mentally; and, also preparing the soccer-athlete for whatever is to come. Once again, this process is designed to ensure the soccer-athlete has minimal exposure and consequently risk of sports-related injuries.

Stage One: Overall and General Strength and Fitness Training Warm-up

The overall, general warm-up consists of mild, minimally demanding physical activity. I recommend jogging, no faster that a brisk walk, generally for 400 meters or one-quarter of a mile. We then jump on the stationary bike, increasing the intensity and duration from a low tension setting and a duration 2 minutes, to a high of medium range tension for up to 20 minutes; and, in winter we start off with the stationary bike. The level of difficulty and the length of time on the bike is usually determined during testing and is determined by the soccer-athlete’s overall level of fitness. A good indicator that the athlete is starting to warm-up is a moderate sweat and perhaps an elevated heart rate and respiration. The heart rate and respiration are usually tracked by chart at the onset of the program and then weekly; this will help in establishing overall training results, and also will aid in watching for signs of overtraining.

The primary goal of stage one is to increase the pulse and respiration, an indication that blood and oxygen are being moved at a faster rate through the body. As stated, increased heart rate and respiration will thus increase blood flow to the muscles and provide for oxygenation and energy supply to the muscles during strenuous physical training. The increased blood flow and nutrients to the muscles also helps elevate the overall body and muscle temperature; and, this in turn will provide for a better static stretching stage.

Stage Two: Stepping it Up and Static Stretching

Stage two is the static stretching phase and is really the basis for overall flexibility. Given the importance of the static stretch, and of flexibility in general, it is always interesting how few soccer-athletes engage in it…or any other stretching routine for that matter. Static stretching is slow, easy, and constant stretching of the various muscles groups and is usually quite safe; and, it is a very efficient and effective means of achieving overall flexibility. The biggest issue with stretching is in the form and the carry out, how the stretches are actually carried out. The proper way is in a long, ballistic-free motion, one of constant and applied pressure to a specific muscle or group of muscles. If done properly, the static stretch is very safe and quite beneficial. During the second stage of the warm-up and stretching program, the static stretch must include the various major muscle groups, working from largest to smallest muscles groups and then back again. The entire regimen will generally last from five to fifteen minutes, at first; and, taking somewhat less time as training progresses.

In order to properly stretch the muscles during the static phase of stretching, the athlete’s body must be in a position in which the muscle or muscle group is under constant, applied tension. To begin with, the muscle or muscle group to be statically stretched is relaxed. Additionally, the opposing muscles are also relaxed. The opposing muscles consist of those muscles “in front of” and “behind” the target muscle or muscle group. Then, carefully and with deliberation, the athlete slowly and carefully places the body under pressure, with emphasis on the area to be stretched, increasing overall tension to the muscle, or muscle group. At the point of greatest tension, the stretch is held in place, allowing the muscles, tendons, and ligaments to stretch and, when possible, to lengthen. This stage of the soccer-related, strength and fitness training program is extremely effective in advancing flexibility. Stage two assists in lengthening muscles and tendons, and in a synergistic fashion impacts ligaments too. The static stretching allows for a greater degree of movement and range of motion. This stage is crucial in sports-related injury prevention, as it, once again allows for a strengthening, as well as the aforementioned lengthening of muscles and tendons.

Stage one and stage two form the foundation for what will follow. The first through fourth stages form an overall and effective soccer-specific warm-up and stretching program. The overall warm-up and stretching program thus laying the basis for the training to follow. It is crucial that the first two stages be completed completely and in the proper fashion before increasing the intensity and moving into stages three and four. The correct implementation of stages one and two will provide for safe and effective exercise in stages three and four.

Stage Three: Soccer-Specific Stretch and Warm-up

Generally, if the focus of the warm-up and stretching was on practice and match play, we would now move to paired stretches and various warm-ups designed to be competition-specific. However, because this is primarily focused on strength and fitness training for soccer-athletes, we usually up the level of the stretching to include another round of static stretching, followed by a number of isotonic-related stretches. The primary focus in stage three must be inside out, largest to smallest and back in. That is, for the upper body a series of stretches including the back, chest, shoulders, triceps, biceps, forearms, wrists, and hands. The neck is very important and great care must be taken when stretching the neck for obvious, and not so obvious reasons. The neck has a number of very small muscles and muscles groups but, as Woody Hayes once pointed out to me, “as the neck goes, so goes the body.” While Coach Hayes is obviously a legendary football coach, but his lesson was not lost on his student (your’s truly). The neck should always get special attention and, as a soccer player, the neck plays so many roles, its importance cannot be overstated. After the upper body and the neck, the lower body is next. Included in the lower body are stretches for the gluteus maximus and minimus, the hips, quadraceps, hamstrings, calves, ankles, and feet. Finally, the abdominals must be focused on, and they get special attention because, like the neck, they are a determining factor in the overall performance of the body.

Obviously, the stretching program can and often does take up an entire workout session, particularly at first and until the routine is set. There are myriad stretches available and any number of them will suffice. However, if you would like to have a personalized program, one effective and designed just for you, you must engage the services of an experienced, and knowledgeable (they are not always the same), strength and fitness coach, one experienced in dealing with soccer-athletes, in particular.

By the time the athlete has completed stage three, he or she should be perspiring and their heart rate and respiration should be significantly elevated. The idea is to integrate the warm-up and stretching into the overall conditioning program is such a way that it has a number of cascading affects and effects on the body of the athlete, all with one thing in mind, optimizing overall development and match performance gains. In other words, it is my desire to see them be able to put it on the pitch!

Stages Four: Soccer-Related Strength and Fitness Training, Warm-up and Dynamic Stretching

Ultimately, the proper warm-up must culminate in a series of exercises known as dynamic stretching exercises or simply as dynamic stretches. Significantly, dynamic stretches often result in injury. The main reason for the high incidence of injuries due to dynamic stretching has to do with athletes who are not trained properly by coaches who are experienced in working with soccer athletes, or athletes in general, or the athletes themselves simply do not adhere to training guidelines. For the reasons stated above, dynamic stretching should only be engaged in when training with a competent strength and fitness instructor; and, not just someone who likes to work out and thought it might be a great business to get into! Dynamic stretching has to do with what I refer to as neuro-muscular coordination and is about muscle conditioning, rather than simply flexibility, as the name would seem to imply. The dynamic stretch regimen is usually designed and best suited for top-level amateur and professional soccer-athletes, those individuals who are well-trained, and are highly-conditioned, competitive athletes. A dynamic stretch routine is usually implemented as a final, ultimate step in a flexibility program adhered to for quite some time and it is obvious to trainer and trainee that the “next-level” is appropriate.

Dynamic stretching usually involves controlled movement, a bouncing or pendulum motion, forcing the muscle beyond its normal range of motion. Gradually and over time the degree of bounce and the range of the swing is heightened and increased to achieve an exaggerated range of motion and enhanced flexibility. The best example of this done in an incorrect fashion may be when young athletes attempt to stretch their hamstrings, one foot crossed in front of the other, bouncing up and down to stretch the biceps femoris. Done in this fashion, the young athlete may cause a micro-tearing of the hamstring and risk serious injury. But they see others do it and they model the behavior. A recipe for disaster…or at the very least a blown hamstring! During stage four, it is crucial that the athlete integrate dynamic stretches that are soccer-specific. Stage four the culmination of the soccer-specific, warm-up, stretching and flexibility program and will result in the soccer-athlete achieving peak mental and physical preparation prior to training and/or match play. At this point in the training session, the trainee is prepared for the what will come next, the rigors of an intense soccer-specific, strength and fitness training program.

Finally, the most neglected aspect of any training regimen, the warm-up and stretching, must come first. Without adequate preparation, both physical and mental, the soccer-athlete cannot hope to achieve peak performance and optimal training gains. The four stage training program is a workout in and of itself and will generally take between twenty-five and forty-five minutes to work through. As the trainee becomes used to the routine, its system and its rigors, the amount of time it takes to get through it is lessened. Interestingly, as time lessens, intensity increases…but so does the fitness level of the athlete. So, when integrating and off-season, soccer-specific strength and fitness training program into your training routine, it is imperative you recognize the importance of diet and nutrition, combined with a proper warm-up and flexibility regimen. With the above two components in place, we are ready to move on to the next ingredient, the actual soccer-specific strength and fitness training program.

Should you desire more information or a consultation, please contact me via email, phone or Skype. Leave a detailed message and I will get back to you within 24 hours.

CoachZ
John Zajaros
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
coachz@ultimatesoccertraining.com

The key to an effective soccer-specific, sex-specific strength and fitness program is planning. A well constructed training regimen will yield greater results in a shorter period of time. Additionally, a well planned and well-thought out program will make it easier to track progress throughout the season. As noted in the previous article on this topic, soccer-specific strength and fitness training is quite a bit different from training programs for other sports and/or activities. It is widely known that the average soccer athlete may run several miles during the course of a match; and, goalkeepers being the exception, of course. Proper nutrition is vital for success, both in training and in competition. Dietary habits, combined with proper nutrition can make or break a program. This article, the second in a series will deal with diet and nutrition for an off-season, soccer-specific, sex-specific strength and fitness training program.

3 Components to Success

The key to an effective soccer-specific, sex-specific strength and fitness program is planning. A well constructed training regimen will yield greater results in a shorter period of time. Additionally, a well planned and well-thought out program will make it easier to track progress throughout the season. As noted in the previous article on this topic, soccer-specific strength and fitness training is quite a bit different from training programs for other sports and/or activities. It is widely known that the average soccer athlete may run several miles during the course of a match; and, goalkeepers being the exception, of course. Therefore, it is assumed that running and running alone is the secret to effective training. It is not unusual for other training methods and considerations, even diet and nutritional requirements particular to soccer athletes, male and female, to be totally ignored for this reason. In fact, one only has to watch top level amateur or professional soccer match to get a sense for just how physical, and physically demanding, “The Beautiful Game” can be.

On the Ball or Off?

For this reason, and for a myriad of others, a complete, soccer-specific, sex-specific strength and fitness program must be followed. The proper training routine will be one that takes into account diet and nutrition, stretching and flexibility, and strength and overall fitness. It is true, much of soccer training, particularly in-season training, should be done “on the ball;” and, this is not at issue. Yet, even in-season a suitable strength and fitness program should be adhered to, not only to maintain strength levels, but for flexibility and tone, as well.

Diet and Nutrition

The initial focus and primary stages of any off-season program, as noted above, should cover three factors: nutrition and diet: stretching and flexibility: and, the third stage is aerobic conditioning. This article will cover the first of the three stages, diet and nutrition in some detail. Nutrition and diet play a central role in any fitness program, particularly during periods of peak, strenuous training; and, for that reason, we will address nutrition and diet first. Diet, dietary habits, and nutrition are inextricably linked. Dietary habits, particularly when the athlete is involved in a strenuous strength and fitness training program, will make or break your results, determining the success or failure of your overall program. For a number of reasons, including how your body is able to break down and metabolize nutrients, meals should be taken in every two and one half to three hours, give or take a few minutes. The old days of steak and eggs before football and basketball games, and huge amounts of pasta the night before soccer matches and endurance events have made way for balanced, well-thought-out meals, planned at regular intervals. While carbohydrate loading is still used and may still have valid applications, that strategy is not applicable for our purposes.
Carbohydrates are extremely important as they provide immediate and intermediate range fuel for the body. Carbohydrates are made up of simple carbohydrates and complex carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are generally made up of sugars and starches; and, they break down into glucose molecules as they are metabolized by the body. If the body does not have a need for immediate energy, glucose is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles for future energy needs.

Carbohydrates: Go Fuel!

The average athlete who weighs between 155 and 165 pounds, which may be a little, needs approximately 2400 calories, carbohydrate calories, to fully supply his glycogen tanks. To take in 2400 to 2500 carbohydrate calories requires 600 grams of carbohydrates. It should be obvious to anyone reading this that the body cannot take in and metabolize that sort of volume in one, two or even three sittings. It generally takes a day and one-half to three days to consume that many carbohydrate calories (approximately 40 pieces of whole wheat bread!). For that reason, and for others, carbohydrate loading is not only ill-advised, it is impractical. When the body uses up most of its store of glycogen, it will begin to burn fat for fuel. While fat may be a good fuel source, it is not optimal for our purposes and should be avoided at all costs. Ultimately, if the body depletes both glycogen and fat stores it will begin converting and consuming amino acids from proteins into fuel. This can be particularly problematic if dietary protein is not readily available because the body will begin to cannibalize itself, using muscle for fuel. Additionally, if the body must use amino acids, taken from ingested protein, this may weaken your immune system and inhibit muscular development.

Carbohydrates, particularly complex carbohydrates, are the best source of fuel for your muscles, as well as for the brain which is a voracious carbohydrate consumer. Keeping in mind that a strenuous, soccer-specific strength and fitness training program will deplete glycogen stores, as well as fluids from the body, lost as sweat, it may take between one and two days for the body to fully recover. It may take longer if you’re not eating a high quality diet made up of complex carbohydrates, plenty of fluids, and easily digested, high-quality proteins. You should be able to see why, if you do not adhere to the proper dietary and nutritional guidelines, you may go into nutrient debt, and stay, there in a relatively short period of time.

Vegetarians Beware!

I am assuming, for the course of his program, that the reader is not a vegetarian. The vegetarian dietary requirements are very complex and may not be conducive to this sort of a training regimen. While I am not making a value judgment, a vegetarian diet and optimal soccer performance may not coincide, unless of course an incredible amount of forethought and planning, particularly as it relates to combining the necessary proteins in the proper ratios to make available all of the necessary amino acids for easy assimilation and metabolism.

Protein Intake

Protein intake, like carbohydrate intake, is central to a good overall program. The average male, at 5’ 10” and an ideal body weight of 165 to 175 pounds, depending on musculature, must take in between 50 and 60 grams of protein per day. Protein, in large quantities and in one sitting, is very difficult for the body to completely digest, meaning much of it may go to waste. However, if the protein is broken up into five, even six smaller meals, the body will have little or no trouble using most, if not all of the protein taken in. There are approximately 28 grams in an ounce, and since there is not a precise one to one ratio of ounces to protein, even in the leanest meat, it will usually take between two and 4 ounces of lean meat per day for the average person, twice that if you are involved in a strenuous training program. For a female, 5’6” tall, protein intake should be between 40 and 50 g per day, with the same sort of meal schedule.

Fats

Fats are also very important, not only for nutrition but for nervous system health; and, for other reasons beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say, and diet high in quality carbohydrates, a moderate level of high quality proteins, and low to moderate fat content will keep the body fueled and the athlete engaged in a strenuous, soccer-specific strength and fitness training program fueled and lean. The proper balance will ensure the development of the musculature and endurance for optimal performance by the time the season rolls around.

Hydration!

For all of the above reasons and many more, it is extremely important to eat smaller meals, at regular intervals, and as well balanced as possible. In addition to the above carbohydrate, protein, and fat considerations, hydration must play a central role. Carbohydrates are crucial for holding water in the body until needed. Water consumption also plays a vital role in dietary role when it comes to nutrient intake and digestion. While sports drinks have been shown to have some use, water is the training beverage of choice, period! Vitamins should also be considered, particularly if life events and/or work or school prohibit you from taking in all of the proper nutrients. Ultimately, a well thought out, daily and weekly plan for nutrient consumption, including what you are going to eat and when, is as important to the overall success of your program.

In Conclusion!

Nutrition is as important to the success of the program as any exercise or group of exercises you may do. If you do not provide your body with the necessary fuel, it will soon revolt, and you will go into a state known as overtraining, something we will cover in an upcoming article. Overtraining is a condition no athlete can long endure and still perform at peak levels. In the next article we will discuss stretching and flexibility, followed by an article on the aerobic foundation. Do you think you are flexible and aerobically fit? We will see soon enough! For now know this, a soccer-specific, sex-specific strength and fitness training program, properly design and fueled by the proper dietary habits and nutritional guidelines, will make you into a different athlete, a formidable presence on the pitch by the next season.

Junk Food is Out!

Oh yeah, one last thing! Cut out the junk food. That’s right, cut it out! How bad do you want it? Do you think your competition for the spot you envision yourself playing next season is pigging out on Big Macs and fries? Or buttered popcorn and nachos? Carbonated beverages and Kool-aid? If you are going to be a top-level athlete, start acting like one, training like one, and eating like one! If you want garbage? Give yourself a cheat day one day every couple of weeks, as a reward. You will find you enjoy the reward more and, after a while you will crave the junk less and less. But again, it’s up to you, you will get out of this what you put in. Garbage in, garbage out…just like a computer!

Coach Z, John Zajaros
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
coachz@ultimatesoccertraining.com

Training for soccer is very different than training for almost any other sport, for a variety of reasons. Soccer-specific, sex-specific strength and fitness training presents some interesting challenges for both the athlete and the strength coach involved in developing and implementing the program. Over the next week, I will propose several alternative programs, both male and female-oriented, that you may use to get ready for the upcoming season.

Summer Leagues, Camps, and ODP

I realize many of you are probably playing straight through the summer, particularly those of you who are playing at the highest levels, going to camps or are involved with your state association’s Olympic Development Program (ODP) state, regional, and/or national team. For that reason, and for others, I will attempt to develop alternative strategies for those of you who may be playing either throughout the summer or for part of the summer, both with an eye toward the next competitive season.

Overall Considerations: Balance and Flexibility

First of all, a soccer-specific training program must balance anaerobic and aerobic activity, combined with a strategy developed to enhance overall flexibility. Flexibility is extremely important, both in male and female athletes, for a variety of reasons. When designing and implementing a soccer-specific, sex-specific strength and fitness training program, overall muscle balance is a key consideration. Therefore, the proper program will balance strength training with stretching, combined with aerobic and anaerobic interval training, along with periods of intense circuit training to fully engage the athlete’s musculature as well as his or her cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary systems. The combination of affects, if and when the overall program is implemented properly, will peak athletic performance in time for the next soccer season.

Nutrition and Dietary Habits

Nutrition is also a vital component in any off-season soccer strength and fitness training program. Because the soccer athlete will be burning a great deal of energy, and consequently calories, it is imperative that meals are taken 4 to 6 times a day, usually 3 hours apart, with adequate amounts of water and nutrients, particularly proteins and carbohydrates, during periods of peak energy expenditure. If nutritional guidelines are not adhered to, an athlete will soon overtrain and/or will reach the point of diminished returns, at which time risk of injury goes up exponentially. While I am not a dietitian, yet I have been training and advising athletes for more than three decades and will make certain recommendations I feel are appropriate. Of course, it is up to you to either follow them or not, but for optimal results, nutritional guidelines and dietary suggestions should be adhered to, particularly as they relate to the frequency of meals and protein intake. You will be breaking down muscle tissue and, if you do not provide your body with adequate resources, it will begin to use your own muscle tissue for fuel, never a good situation. Nutritional supplements? If you are eating properly and taking a multiple vitamin, one I will recommend in an upcoming article, you should have no problems with energy or overtraining. Additionally, the use of protein supplements may of may not be a good thing, with much depending on your individual circumstances. We will discuss the use of protein supplements in an upcoming article, as well.

Medically Cleared: Get a Physical!

To get started, every athlete should have a complete physical. Fortunately, most athletic departments, both at the high school and college level, and particularly at the professional level, require a physical prior to competition. It is also important to be medically cleared before engaging in a strenuous anaerobic and aerobically demanding soccer-specific strength and fitness training program, male or female. We will discuss some of the considerations particular to males and females in an upcoming article but there are myriad differences and there are considerations for one versus the other when implementing the proper strength training regimen, and we will deal with those variations, as well.

Where to Workout: High School Gym to Cushy Health Club?

Finding the right facility is so important! If you do not have access to a high school or college weight room, the YMCA or YWCA is usually extremely reasonable and quite accessible. Many of the commercial training facilities will also have special seasonal rates for students, generally three months in length. Do your homework, find a workout facility you feel comfortable in. Also, talk to the staff and the manager of the facility you are considering, a friendly yet serious training atmosphere is crucial to your success. Make sure they not only sell memberships to young people, particularly athletes, but that they welcome you too. Some gyms will take your money, they are after all in business to make money, but they will make you feel less than welcome. Avoid those places like the plague! One bad trainer or manager can ruin your workouts and your overall training focus.

Training Partner, Accountability Partner, and Spotting Partner

Having a training partner can mean the difference between succeeding and failing. It’s always beneficial to be accountable to and pushed by a workout partner. If all else fails, ask a family member to at least be your spotting partner, because you will be working with heavyweights at times and a spotting partner is necessary. In commercial establishments this is usually not as much of a problem, as there are trainers or employees on hand to help you out. It may also be possible to ask for a “spot” from someone else training there. There is an unwritten code among individuals who train a great deal, particularly strength athletes (bodybuilders and powerlifters) and they will provide assistance in return for a reciprocal “spot,” when needed. It is a good system but you should not count on someone being available. If at all possible, have your own spotting or workout partner, it will also improve the effectiveness of your program and up the intensity.

Coming Attractions!

So, you understand a little bit about what is ahead and what is expected of you. We discussed nutrition and diet, not necessarily the same thing, and we also talked about where you should work out, at least for the weight training. There is always a track and/or a soccer pitch somewhere around. If not? “Got field?” Little “Got Milk?” joke there! In the next article, we will go into a detailed stretching and flexibility program, one that should be integrated into your daily routine, particularly prior to workouts, and hopefully twice a day. The rest is up to you, if you follow the program, by the time the fall season comes around you will be a different player. If you simply go through the motions, you might as well save yourself the time and energy, because you will get little or nothing out of it at all… it is up to you.

Of course, should you ever feel the need to call, to ask specific training questions, please feel free to do so.

Coach Z
216-712-6526
coachz@ultimatesoccertraining.com

Strength and Fitness Training has always been a point of contention among soccer players and coaches, alike. For years the argument went, “Soccer is played with the legs, and we run enough. Nothing else is necessary!”

Well, to that I say, “Beans!”

As you are by now well aware, the contention regarding whether soccer players should engage in soccer-specific strength and fitness training goes much deeper than whether soccer players need strength training or not, the argument as to whether female athletes would benefit from such training has also been hotly debated. Their can be little doubt, given the findings of several recent studies by such prestigious institutions as the Cleveland Clinic, that the benefits are many and there are really no disadvantages whatsoever!

The fact is, the belief that soccer players were fit enough and strong enough without soccer-specific strength and fitness training was completely wrong. It has been proven, not only in the lab but on the pitch, soccer players play better, are more fit, are a more formidable force on the pitch, play with more confidence and assertiveness, and can do things they couldn’t do before a strength and fitness program was integrated into their training routine; and, they are less injury prone!

It is a well known fact that female soccer players suffer a greater number of knee injuries than their male counterparts. There are myriad reasons for this difference and we will address many of them as we progress. The interesting thing about this, as it pertains to this article, is that female athletes who have engaged in a regular, supervised soccer-specific strength and fitness program were 73% less likely to sustain a career shortening or career ending knee injury! The statistic, supported independently by several studies, is staggering and puts to bed once and for all the notion that soccer players, male or female, need not engage in regular strength and fitness training.

The data supports the notion that sex-specific and soccer-specific strength and fitness training not only helps the athlete develop into a better athlete but it keeps the athlete playing longer by significantly reducing the incidence of injury. There can be little doubt that such a training strategy benefits the players, the coaches, and even the fans by keeping their favorite players on the pitch that much deeper into their careers.

Three programs to get your team going, made for coaches starting out or wanting to step thing up a notch!

CoachZ
John P. J. Zajaros, Sr.
216-712-6526
Skype: johnzajaros1
coachz@ultimatesoccertraining.com

Laying a Foundation and Setting the Pace: Brian’s Introduction to Strength and Fitness Training for Soccer Athletes

The night before had been a difficult one for both of us and I wasn’t sure whether Brian would be up for his testing. The testing for soccer-specific strength and fitness training is not really that different from testing for any other sport, it is demanding and takes the athlete to the limits of his or her strength, fitness, and endurance. Soccer-specific testing, many would argue, should be based more on the lower extremities because soccer is played primarily with the legs, ankles, and feet; this is, unfortunately, the prevailing mindset.

Prevailing? Yes!

Correct and proper? No!

For one thing, anyone who thinks soccer is only played from the waist down hasn’t watched too much soccer. Additionally, there is a secret to working out and getting optimal results.

The secret? No, not the new-age “Secret!” Although this secret is perhaps as revolutionary or at least as controversial, particularly among those less-informed. The secret I am referring to is something discovered years ago by bodybuilders. Yes, those heavily muscled hulks, male and female, who work out for hours and pose in front of the mirror a lot. Another stereotype!

Am I going to get cards and letters, phone calls and emails, IMs and smoke-signals about that one!

Anyway, back to the secret. The common perception regarding working out is that if you work out a particular body part more than any other part of the body it will continue to grow and develop until you look something like Popeye (forearms) or Tom Platz (thighs).

Platz? Google him! My age, actually, and an absolutely dominant force on the bodybuilding stage in the late 1970s to mid 1980s. Platz was known for incredible, some argued too incredible leg development. Google him and you judge. He competed with guys you may remember. Arnold? Lou (speaking of Hulks!)?

Back to the thought behind Brian’s soccer-specific strength and fitness test.

The secret? If you don’t find a balance, a proper ratio in the focus of your workouts, upper body to lower, your development and your progress will not be to the levels possible with a well-balanced routine. Hence, Brian’s testing, and subsequent workout programs, were an overall, holistic approach to development focusing as much on the upper body as the lower.

Now that the theory is behind us, only one more thing must be noted before we continue. No one, and I mean no one, who isn’t experienced working with young athletes should ever go any where near them in the context of a strength and fitness coach. Let me say that again in a slightly different way: Do not attempt to train an athlete, particularly a young athlete, particularly a prepubescent adolescent, unless you have extensive, and I mean extensive, knowledge and experience working with kids!

Brian Arrives!

Brian walked in to the facility at a little after 10am EST on an unseasonably cool morning for Northern Ohio, it was mid-May. Funny thing? Mom, Dad, and Sis…still giggling… were right behind him. Mom and Dad thought they’d stay and watch, just to make sure Brian worked hard and did his best. Not on a good day!

Something I learned almost day one in training athletes: loved ones stay home, especially parents! Why? There are a thousand reasons and, believe me, they are all valid. Two stand heads and tails above the rest. One, I tend to get very intense when I work with athletes and, while another coach or athlete will understand this and handle it properly, moms definitely do not! Two, they are a distraction! Moms, dads, wives, and especially girl or boyfriends are strictly forbidden, they are the kiss of death when it comes to intensity. Case closed! So, Mom, Dad, and even Sis were sent packing. I told them to be back in an hour. Mom looked a bit perturbed. Dad was grinning, I think he had an idea why I sent them away and he wasn’t arguing. Sis was oblivious but somewhat disappointed that she wasn’t going to get to see her little brother get worked out…and over!

Brian by this time had returned from the locker room with his gym shorts, t-shirt (no tank tops/muscle shirts), white socks, a clean pair of Adidas, and two towels. He was also instructed to bring two more towels and not to eat anything for two hours prior to his strength and fitness testing.

It’s funny how big a young soccer athlete looks when on the pitch, challenging for a ball or diving for a save. When with their peers, in uniform and competing, even a young boy or girl looks somehow bigger. However, on this particular day, standing in front of me, towels, fitness survey, and doctor’s release in hand Brian looked all of ten years old…and scared to death!

I took the forms, made sure they had been signed and notarized, and set them aside. I asked Brian if he had any last requests. I laughed! He didn’t. I then took one of his towels and set it on a flat bench half way through the circuit of machines set up specifically for testing, the other I wrapped around my neck. I looked at Brian and nodded towards the Lifecycle…he followed.

I take on a slightly different persona when training an athlete. Before and after the training session I am relaxed, even jovial in tone and temperament. My intentions? Simply put, they are to put the athlete at ease. During the session, testing or training, it is all about the work, the challenge, getting the athlete to step up and even out of him or herself…to strive for something greater than anything they have done before. That’s not to say we don’t have fun, we do, but there is a fire just below the surface, a sort of slow, intense burn, and it is that burn I tap into for 30 seconds to a minute, fifteen to thirty times during the test.

The test is intense, Intense, INTENSE!

After Brian did his 20 minutes of LSD (long-slow-distance), he hopped off the Lifecycle and I could tell what he was thinking. He told me later I was right! Brian was thinking, “This isn’t going to be so bad, I can handle this…no problem!” I have been training athletes for thirty years and you can see it on their faces every time; they all have that same look after the Lifecycle. He was even beginning to get a bit of that strut back in his step, in his talk, his manner.

After the Lifecycle we stretched for another ten minutes. I was beginning to see it on his face, that look they all get, the “When are we going to lift!” look. Brian was getting bored, even a bit aggravated…it was all over his face. After all, he was thinking, it’s been thirty minutes and my Mom and Dad will be back in a half an hour. We haven’t even started lifting yet. He kept looking towards the back of the facility where some of the high school football players were putting each other through the paces. That’s where he wanted to be, with the jocks, not up here with me and all of these sissy machines. Stretching!

Brian’s Soccer-Specific Strength and Fitness Training Test Begins

It was exactly 10:34am EST when I nodded toward the first machine, the Kaiser Cam II leg extension machine. Brian looked at me and the look said it all. He hesitated and then asked, “where are the weights?” I smiled and told him not to worry about it and to hop on. Brian looked at me, still not convinced, took a seat and I turned the knob. Immediately, there was a hissing sound, something like a snake…or a ticked-off Brown fan…a compressor in the back kicked on. I told Brian what I wanted him to do, “We are going to go from machine to machine, as quickly as possible with occasional detours to that flat bench where your towel is resting” He nodded and we started.

I pushed Brian from the leg extension to the leg-biceps (hamstring) curl, to the leg press, then over to the bench in about 4 minutes. Brian was a nice rosy shade, somewhere between pink and fire engine red, breathing heavily, sweating, and a little unsteady. I told him to lie on his belly and to bring his left leg up to his buttocks, now he was really looking at me funny!

A couple of the veterans (12 & 15 years old), they had been through the test the week before so they knew it all, had gathered. The veterans, knowing exactly what was going to happen next, were all grins.

Failure the Ultimate Soccer Training Strength and Fitness Way!

I took the towel and wrapped it around Brian’s right ankle and told him to resist, to not let me pull his leg down. Brian did so. I found him to be remarkably strong for his age. Resist down and then pull the leg back up against my resistance on a six count. We did that until he couldn’t lift his leg on his own. Then we switched to the left leg and did the same thing…to failure! As soon as both legs had been fully exercised, we immediately moved (I moved, Brian kind of shuffled) to the machines for the back, three of them, then on to the machines for the chest, two more, all the time returning to the bench to take the muscle group to failure with nothing more than my hands or a towel.

Finally, we got to the bench for the triceps, it was 10:48am EST or 14 minutes into the actual test, and that was it. Brian was done! Or that’s what he thought! Quite red from the exertion and almost totally out of breath in 14 minutes. Brian bolted to the locker room and made it just in time! It seems Brian figured he would eat anyway. After all, he was in shape, he thought. He’d eaten before practices all the time. Besides, Mom said it was OK, he needed his energy! So, Brian had only himself, and his mother, to blame. He confessed after the test and promised to never, ever eat before a workout again. I didn’t say a word!

A few minutes later Brian emerged from the locker room and you could tell by the look on his face, color almost back to normal, that he thought he was done.

Wrong!

I pointed to the Lifecycle and he groaned. That’s right, he actually groaned! It seems someone had told him about the last part of the test. He figured because he had broken the rules and gotten sick as a result that I would feel sorry for him and let him slide. I told him that almost everyone gets sick the first time, mainly because no one is in the kind of shape they should be in, I don’t care if they run fifteen miles during a match!

Brian hopped up on the Lifecycle; a crowd had formed by then and all of them started cheering and clapping! I told him to start pedaling, that no matter how hard it got to never stop pushing those pedals! Pedal as if your life depends on it, and he did…for 12 seconds at level 10 manual! If you know anything about Lifecycles, level 10 manual is a bit like cycling up Mount Everest, particularly after a strenuous leg workout, even one that only lasted all of 6 minutes, with the “failure bench.”

Brian slid off the bike to rousing cheers and applause…he had made it, he was one of the Ultimate crowd now. Brian had passed, he hadn’t quit, he had lost his breakfast; and, he was on his way to becoming a real champion, he just didn’t know it yet. I, on the other hand, did!

Brian’s Mom, Dad, and Sis walked in just as Brian was pulling himself up off the floor. Mom looked at Dad, who was laughing now, and just shook her head. Brian, color almost back once again, stumbled over to his parents, gave them a big hug, and thanked them “for the best gift” he’d ever received. He loved it!

Next? Soccer-Specific Sex-Specific Strength and Fitness Training: Brian Begins the Ultimate Program and Defines the Word Champion!

NOTE: The testing techniques I use have been developed by watching, learning, and employing the techniques of the very best in the world for more than three decades. I was at the gym working out the day the first Nautilus machine was delivered (1976), and then the entire circuit. I watched and read as Penn State went from almost completely focusing on Nautilus when it first came out to moving back to a mix of machines and free weights. The following year they were NCAA National Champions and everyone in Happy Valley was Papa Joe Paterno’s fan, buddy, and pal! I had the pleasure of having one of Penn State’s best training with us at our facility that summer, 1982, just before the championship season. I have never, and I am including professionals I’ve had the pleasure to work with, ever witnessed anyone work harder than that young man. Ohio State told him that at 6’5″ and 265 pounds he was too small for their program! So he went to play for Joe Paterno, became a national champion, and played in the Senior Bowl. Bravo! And go figure!

ON TRAINING AND FAILURE: When I take an athlete to failure I am aware of several things. I won’t go into all of the conditions here are two: One, he or she is already a conditioned athlete and we are not starting from scratch; Two, I am taking them to failure not with a machine or free weights but with my hands or a towel. In doing so, taking them to failure in such a way, I am in total sync with how their body is reacting and how they are dealing with the stress every step of the way.
One more thing! I never take an adolescent to failure with heavy weights and low repetitions, machines or free weights.

NEVER! Workouts for soccer athletes vary and can range from fast-paced circuit training to high repetition, machine and free weight training; and, occasionally, heavier training is employed with older, mature, and seasoned athletes. The program and the intensity varies from athlete to athlete and situation to situation.

The ULTIMATE result of Ultimate Soccer Training, the Soccer-Specific Sex-Specific Strength and Fitness Testing and Training, is an athlete who is faster, quicker, more powerful, more self-confident, and, probably most important of all, more INJURY RESISTANT than ever before! This can be particularly important when training female athletes, given their increased susceptibility to knee injuries. I have never, I will say that again, NEVER, had a female athlete suffer a knee injury requiring surgery after training with me for a significant period of time! Strength and fitness training is not only appropriate, it is essential for today’s soccer athlete, male or female!

See You in the Championship Circle!

CoachZ
216-712-6526
coachz@ultimatesoccertraining.com

How-to?

Well, there are a variety of  ways to train for the game of soccer or football (futbol) as the majority of the world knows it. Theories dealing with how best to prepare for the “Beautiful Game,” are as prolific as there are individuals, teams, clubs, leagues, countries, and continents seeking to master its play and rise to the upper echelon of international play. Soccer, and for the sake of simplicity and time we will refer to “Association Football” as soccer, is a physical contest of intelligence, vision, quickness, strength, and endurance. Contrary to the position taken in the Wikipedia article below, soccer is much more than a game played (exception: goalkeeper) with the feet, and occasionally the torso and head. The reality of any soccer match, as anyone who has played can attest to, is quite a bit different. Soccer can be as physical as American Football, as fast as Lacrosse or urban, city rules basketball, and as demanding as an Olympic marathon. The fact of the matter is, a well-trained soccer athlete must be in a condition that rivals any triathlete.

As we explore the various popular, and not-so-popular, theories dealing with training and fitness, we will also deal with the differences that must be accounted for when developing an appropriate training regimen suitable for a wide range in age, gender, present level of fitness, soccer-ability, and level of competition among and between soccer athletes. While primarily individual in orientation and focus, we will also seek to reveal current group training tactics and team practice philosophies, particularly as they relate to and impact the development of the individual soccer athlete.

WOW! Did I just say all of that? And I plan to sleep, too?

Yes!

And that’s where all of you come in. This blog is a community forum and not the platform for a singular training philosophy or agenda. Please! Contribute, suggest, question, and debate. That is why this vehicle has been created and that is why I encourage each and every soccer athlete, advocates, coaches, managers, owner, referees, administrators, parents (yes, we have to include the parents), and fans (which may be about half the world’s population come World Cup 2010) to contribute, as often as you would like.

Warning! Soccer, football, and futbol (in all of their similarities and differences) often bring out the best and, unfortunately, the worst in some individuals. It is unfortunate but necessary that we must warn against abusive language and behavior. Disrespectful and abusive behavior may earn the individual at fault an immediate RED CARD! When it comes to foul language, threats, and oh yeah(!), spitting on the playing field or pitch, the offense will be grounds for immediate ejection from the match.

Enough said? I hope so!

So, on with the games! And in that regard, almost everything is fair game. English Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, MLS, Futbol Mexicano, the FA Cup, UEFA Cup, UEFA Champions League, National Team play, the World Cup, and we could continue well into 2010 and not name all of the leagues, teams, players…you got it!

Well, you understand. I am certain this blog will find its own level and, if not, we’ll simply build more! How’s that for positive thinking?  IN OTHER WORDS, if it has to do with soccer and, in the best of all worlds, soccer training, have at it and play on!

For informational purposes only and properly cited below:

Association football

An attacking player (No 10) attempts to kick the ball past the goalkeeper to score a goal.
Highest governing body	FIFA
Nickname(s)	Football, Soccer, Futbol, Footy/Footie
Characteristics
Contact	Contact
Team members	11 at a time
Category	Indoor or Outdoor
Ball	Football
Olympic	1900

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and is widely considered to be the most popular sport in the world.^[1][2][3] It is a football variant played on a rectangular grass or artificial turf field, with a goal at each of the short ends. The object of the game is to score by manoeuvring the ball into the opposing goal. In general play, thegoalkeepers are the only players allowed to use their hands or arms to propel the ball; the rest of the team usually use their feet to kick the ball into position, occasionally using their torso or head to intercept a ball in midair. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time and/or a penalty shootout, depending on the format of the competition.

The modern game was codified in England following the formation of The Football Association, whose 1863 Laws of the Game created the foundations for the way the sport is played today. Football is governed internationally by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football), commonly known by the acronym FIFA. The most prestigious international football competition is the FIFA World Cup, held every four years. This event, the most widely viewed in the world, boasts an audience twice that of the Summer Olympic Games.^[4

“Association football.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 21 Dec 2008, 19:03 UTC. 27 Dec 2008 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Association_football&oldid=259385394>.

“Football (Soccer).” Wikimedia Commons, . 6 Nov 2008, 21:32 UTC. 27 Dec 2008, 16:12 <http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Football_(Soccer)&oldid=15827544>.

Have a great day, enjoy, and have fun!