Strength Training should be carried out two to three times per week, especially in the off-season.

Rest the muscle group and only do every other day.

Training can be:

Doing the entire body every other day (2 to 3 times per week)

Training every day, alternating body group. (Example upper body one day, lower body the next day)

Strength Training is only part of the overall conditioning program. Emphasis must also be placed on speed and agility work.

All forms of training can be done isolated or as part of your technical skill training with the soccer ball.

Note: Below are suggestions of strength training? Not all of the training exercises need be done, on a regular basis. It is important to do all the muscles groups. It is also recommended to shock the muscles by performing different exercises different weeks.

Weight training: We are not looking for heavy weight training. Lighter weights with two counts up, four counts down are important. Do slowly, and do not swing the weight. Controlled motion with proper form, with 12 to 15 reps. Three to four sets, with your muscles fatiguing, slightly increasing weight.

Suggested Exercises:

·          Push ups – two hands, hands clapping, and hands together.

·          Head to head challenge- (two players)-maintain push up position, facing each other. Try to pull the other players supporting arms away, as he is trying to do the same.

·          Lower back- two players face down facing each other. Keep arms off the ground. Throw a ball back and forth to each other. (Arms off the ground at all times).

·          Back extensions- lie face down, arms and legs off the ground as far as possible. Let them fall back, but do not touch the ground.

·          Stomach- crunches, scissors, leg lifts, leg and arm sky extensions. (Note to be careful of the lower back)

·          Quadriceps- Do squats with a player (of comparable weigh) on your back. Do set of 10 or 12 squats, be careful to keep the head looking straight ahead and not down.

·          Hamstrings- Lie face down and bend legs against resistance form a partner.

·          Calf raises- Player on your back, stand on balls of feet and lift up.

·          Ankles- hopping on the right and left leg (balls of the foot). Also skipping with a jump rope.

Jumping Strength:

• Make a number of jumps in sequence over an object (cone, ball).

One foot then two footed jumps.

Forward to backward

Side to side

• Run and jump to a ball thrown by a partner. Take off one footed and progressing in your jumping height. Proper technique is important.
• Three players. 1 throws a ball to 2 and 3. Player 3 behind player 2. Player 3 jumps higher than player 2 to head the ball back to 1. Player 2 is somewhat passive. Progress in the height.

Challenging strength:

• Pushing- two players try to push each other.
• Face to face
• Back to back

• Pulling- two players grab hands and try to pull each other. (Tug of war)
• Squatting-two players stand back to back-sink gradually into a squatting position. Maintain position for a few seconds and repeat.
• Shoulder charge-two players stand close to each other. Sprint about 15 meters to and object. Be the first player to put your foot on the object. Players should legally shoulder charge each other to gain advantage.
• Shielding- 1 v 1 challenge. One player has the ball and the other is at his back or side. Player with the ball uses his body to shield the ball. The other tries to exert continuous pressure on the player in possession through physical contact.

Starting Strength:

Push off strength of the first 3 or 4 strides.

• 1 to 2 seconds (3 to 4 strides) 100 % from a standing position. (Do not take the first step back). 8 to 10 repetitions with 2 to 4 sets. (30 seconds between repetitions, 4 to 6 minutes between sets with active rest)
• Uphill sprints-short uphill sprint.
• Upstairs sprint. Runs up a set of stairs.
• Sprinting out of a backward dribble. On top of the ball with the sole of the foot, and sprint forward with the ball at speed.
• Stand up and sprint. -Back, stomach, sits-jump up and make a short sprint.

Eccentric soccer strength:

·          Slalom sprints-sprint from cone to cone. Cones not in a straight line. You must constantly break and change directions. Do different cone formation. (Short spring 8 to 10 repetitions with 2 to 4 sets. (30 seconds between reps, 4 to 6 min. between sets with active rest.

Integrated strength conditioning:

·          Hopping + sprinting.

·          Jumping + sprinting

·          Jumping forward or backward + sprinting.

·          Jumping left or right + sprinting.

·          Skipping + sprinting.

·          Jumping + shoulder charge + sprinting (partners)

·          Pushing competition + sprinting (partners)

General Strength Conditioning:

Resistance should be light during the first phase of strength conditioning. Good muscle coordination is first developed. Correct form is important, the resistance can be slowly increased.

Methods of general conditioning:

Maximal strength conditioning:

Load: 80 – 95 % of maximal strength.

Repetitions: 5

Sets: 6-8

Rest: 2 minutes between sets.

Explosive strength conditioning:

Load: 80- 100% of maximal strength

Repetitions: 1-8

Sets: 2-6

Rest: 4 minutes between sets.

Fast Strength conditioning:

Load: 60-80 % of maximal strength

Repetitions: 8-10

Sets: 6-8

Rest: 1 minute between sets.

Strength endurance strength conditioning:

Load: 40- 60 % of maximal strength.

Repetitions: 15-25

Sets: 3

Rest: 45 seconds between sets.

Note –The above is for different conditioning methods. It is recommended to start with strength endurance conditioning. The rest period in between these sets can be shortened to increase the conditioning effect. Do not increase speed to the exercise or do the exercise without a controlled move of 2 up and 4 down. Exhale on the up and inhale on the down.

Organization:

·          Constant load (same weight and repeat)

·          Variable load and constant number of repeats (increase weight each set with same number of reps)

·          Pyramid –Increase the load and decrease the number of sets.

·          Broad pyramid –Less load with increase number of repetitions.

·          Circuit training- working with different muscle groups in a given sequence.

·          Supper sets-working with two different muscle groups going back and forth to finish a set. (doing one set  of a group, going to another set of a different group then back) example would be chest to back.

Drills for the Chest:

·          Bench press (with bar or dumbbells)

·          Flyers (dumbbells)

·          Incline press

Drills for the Shoulders:

·          Side dumbbell raises

·          Front dumbbell raises

·          Shoulder press (standing or seated)

·          Upright row

Drills for the back:

·          Lat pull down

·          Pull ups

·          Rows (free weight bent over row)

·          Seated rows

Drills for the Quadriceps

·          Squats

·          Leg Press

·          Lunges

Drills for the Hamstrings

·          Leg curls

·          Hamstring curl (leg extensions)

Drills for the calves

·          Calf raises

Drills for arms:

·          Dumbbell curls (biceps)

·          Kickbacks (triceps)

·          Dips (triceps)

·          Triceps extensions

Marking up- the farther away from your goal you are-covering spaces in conjunction with teammates, with players on the ball. The closer to goal the tighter and sharper you have to man mark. Must be concentrated with each opponent marked up. Total concentration when you are defending in the penalty box. If you are marking an opponent one of your basic tasked is to not let him take the shot. If a player is allowed to take the shot especially if he is allowed to turn and take the shot, you have neglected one of your basic tasks. There must be total concentration and tight marking in the penalty area and the defense must be very aggressive to the ball.

• Guidelines to aid in defense-
  1. Support must always be present
  2. Pinching in-covering to inside of the field
  3. Cover the opponent by staying with him. Loose opponents lead to disorganization in the defense.
  4. Players are linked together by invisibly pieces of rope. The better the positional play the harder it will be for the opponent to disrupt your defensive organization.
  5. Staying with your mark up the field on the opponents attack is a clear tactical rule.
  6. When our team clears a ball we must immediately push up as a team and gain territory. The keeper must yell, “get out or get out of the box”. This is a must to make the opponent come with you or they will be caught off side.
  7. Good defensive assistance from midfielders and forwards.
  8. Forwards –one basic task of the forwards is to defensively work together to control the play of the opponent and make their play predictable.
  9. Defensively- the three lines must play close together.

• Total Football- high-grade positional play. Players constantly involved in the build- up and attack without neglecting the defensive duties. The team must be a constantly positional searching unit.

• Negative and positive play-The ball is played backwards diagonally is playing the ball negative. The ball is played forwards diagonally, it is being played positive. This also relates to positive and negative positional play and support.

• Team aspect of play- this is our style of play.
  1. Ball on the ground, except long switching point of attack, long crosses or shots outside the 18-yard box.
  2. Triangle support and triangle passes both positive and negative, wherever the ball is.
  3. Minimize the number of touches on the ball. Fast speed of play, with low number of touches. Fast and safe passes.
  4. Reception of the ball, facing and playing opposite where the ball came from. Read the entire field. Know what you are going to do before you receive the ball.

Note-this is only the basic style of play and play may and should develop differently depending on the circumstance and the opponents reaction.

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