Soccer players require strength in both the lower and upper body. Nearly every movement in the game from kicking, to tackling, to twisting and turning, sprinting and heading, requires a good foundation of strength and power.
However, strength training for sport is very different from simply lifting weights and trying to lift more and more each session. The bodybuilding mentality still predominates in soccer strength training routines but it's important to remember that for most players, simply adding muscle size and bulk, or even pure strength, is not what they require to play soccer successfully.
There are essentially FOUR distinct types of strength training for soccer. Each one has its place and don't worry... they are not all completed at the same time! In fact, in older players, the most effective strength-training plan is designed so that one form of strength training builds on another over the course of a season. Let's look at each in a little more detail...
Basic Strength Training
Basic strength training is designed to build a solid and balanced foundation. It prepares the joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons for more intense work later on in the training plan. It is designed to strengthen underused stabilizer muscles and to balance the right and left side of the body. Soccer, like any sport, tends to place uneven demands on various muscles leaving some overdeveloped and some neglected. Overly strong quadriceps is a classic example, placing the hamstrings under an uneven amount of stress.
Maximal Strength Training
Once a solid base has been built, and muscle balance is restored, more intense training can be completed in order to develop a player's maximum strength.
Maximal strength and muscle size or bulk are NOT the same thing. Bodybuilders train for muscle size - known as hypertrophy training. A bodybuilder may look very strong, and they are, but their strength is not proportionate to their huge size. In order to train for maximal strength, very heavy weights are used for a small number of repetitions. This limits the amount of muscle bulk that is developed but adapts the neuromuscular system so the greatest amount of force can be applied.
The main goal here is to develop as much strength as possible so that it can be converted into a high level of explosive power and muscular endurance.
Explosive Power Training
Power is the ability of the neuromuscular system to produce the greatest amount of force in the least amount of time. A soccer player can be very strong but unable to apply that strength rapidly, so their explosive power is limited.
One way to develop power is through a form of training called plyometrics. A muscle that is stretched before it contracts will contract more forcefully and rapidly (like an elastic band). This is essentially what plyometric exercises do - they stretch muscles rapidly and then immediately demand a powerful contraction. It's easier to imagine with a practical example:
Imagine the jumping movement to win a header...
The very first phase of this movement has to be a downward thrust. If you try jumping off the ground without first bending your knees, you can't even leave the ground. As you "dip" down just before a standing jump you are stretching muscle groups like the quadriceps and hip extensors. These are the muscles that will contract very forcefully a split second later to produce the jump.
The shorter and more rapid this downward movement or pre-stretching action is, the more forcefully those muscle groups can contract... and the higher you will jump!
Muscular Endurance Training
Training for muscular endurance incorporates lighter weights and more repetitions. One of the best formats is circuit training where several exercise stations are performed consecutively. Many of the exercises can be performed with little or no equipment such as push-ups, step ups, burpees, squat thrusts, walking lunges, bench dips, crunches and so on.
Ideally, exercises should stress the same muscles in a similar way as a competitive soccer game would. For example, using high box step ups rather than lying leg presses for the leg muscles, is more specific to soccer.
Here's another example... squat jumps are a classic circuit training exercise that build strength in the lower body. Having a partner throw a ball in the air to head is one way to make the drill more soccer specific. Another adaptation is to have a partner play a ball along the deck for you to pass back on every landing.
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