Training in the gym for a soccer player is necessary if he wants to achieve high performance on the playing field. However, not just any type of routine is optimal to achieve this goal. It should be a training plan that helps you reach peak form at key moments of the season.
The training of a soccer player in the gym should be focused on gaining strength, therefore, power in the most requested muscles in their physical work. It will be the technical training that will allow the soccer player to improve mainly other physical aspects such as speed and coordination; and non-physical aspects such as teamwork and vision of the game.
In Training.com we have already analyzed the enormous benefits that squats offer to footballers:
- Strengthening the glutes and hamstrings are vitally important in improving shooting and passing power.
- Increased running speed and jump height thanks to squat training (U Wisloff, C Castagna, J Helgerud, R Jones and J Hoff (2004)).
- Motor improvements in dribbling that can offer different variants of the squat.
But … how can a footballer, with his technical training, add physical training in the gym?
Principles of strength training for soccer players
Strength training, in any sport, has the main objectives of improving the athlete’s performance and reducing the risk of injury . For this reason, strength training must be woven around an existing technical training plan, to avoid interferences between them and make the most of the increase in performance.
Therefore, the basic principles are the following:
- Strength training sessions will be 2 a week during the competition. In pre-season, it will amount to 3 or even 4.
- The training volume will be reduced, in order not to negatively interfere with technical training.
- The intensity will be increasing, looking for peaks of form in the most important moments of the season.
- The intensity will be maintained and the volume will decrease to prolong these peaks as long as possible.
- The training will focus on improving the power of the legs and torso, therefore multi-joint exercises will be used.
- Training should include exercises to decrease the risk of injury.
Basic routine for strength training
Weights and progression
- The starting weight chosen when starting the training plan will follow the following criteria:
- For players with experience in strength exercises: Start at 60% of RM (in case of 3 x 5 squats, start at 60% of 5RM).
- For footballers with little experience in strength exercises: Start 30-40 kg below the RM.
- For inexperienced footballers: Start with the bar only.
- The progression will be carried out as follows:
- If a training session is completed successfully (all sets and repetitions of the exercise are performed), the next day the weight in that exercise will be increased by 2.5 to 5 kg.
- If a training session is not completed successfully, the next day 10% of the weight will be offloaded in that exercise.
Day A
- Olympic squats, 3 x 5. Explosive reps, always.
- Good morning, 3 x 5.
- Weighted push-ups, 3 x 5.
- Barbell row, 3 x 5.
- Trunk hyperextensions, 4 x 12.
- Cufflinks in machine, 4 x 12.
- Bicep curl superset and tricep kick or French press, 4 x 12.
- Sit-ups, 4 x 15.
Day B
- Bench press, 3 x 5.
- Bulgarian squats, 3 x 5.
- Deadlift, Snatch Grip, 1 x 5. NOTE: Grip is wider than conventional, increasing travel and placing more emphasis on glutes and hamstrings.
- Pulls / Lats to the chest in high pulley or chin-ups, 3 x 12.
- Plyometric pushups, 3 x 3.
- Work for shoulder.
- Barbell jumps, 3 x 6.
- Planks, 4 x 30 “.
Other interesting exercises as the footballer progresses he gains experience in the gym
- Ripped and loaded with force. Movements belonging to weightlifting that have been shown to allow the greatest development of power. Excellent for footballers.
- Dynamic snatch leg or snatch balance.
- Deadlift snatch grip + barbell row.
- Kettlebell throws.
- Squat + side squat.
- Hip thrust.
How to reach peak fitness with training
Form peaks are competitive periods during which the athlete’s performance is at its highest level. They are achieved after a long period of adaptation and training, with an increase in the intensity of the training. In athletes, it is considered that they are in peak form when their sports performance is above average , however there are different definitions. In footballers, the peaks of form are the moments in which he breaks his personal sprint records and his shooting and passing power are superior, as is his resistance.
There are different ways to reach this peak of form, in fact, it is possible to reach it without strength training sessions. However, such peaks in shape will be less noticeable and will take longer to reach. Without a doubt, strength training is the best way to allow an athlete to perform at their best during long competitive periods .
There is no “best method to reach peak fitness”, not all footballers respond the same to training, mainly due to their different ratio between fast and slow muscle fibers. The way to find out which training a footballer responds best to is through experience: trial and error . However, no one wants to err. For this reason, it is convenient to use a general training that, depending on the results, can be modified for each individual.
The method that I will expose next is a method of swell of weights. It is the most widely used method in power sports (such as weightlifting and rugby), however it will be slightly modified to better suit soccer and its schedules.
Reaching a peak of shape
The maxim of any method to reach peak form is the need for progressive training overload, it is impossible to achieve maximum performance if the period of time is too short. First we must select by which date we want the peak of form to be reached, once selected, we must start 3 months before . It may seem like a long time, however, we are talking about a peak of maximum form, an “outstanding period and not an“ above average ”period.
Likewise, it is impossible to plan in advance a peak of form without knowing the personal marks in squat, deadlift and bench press of the footballer. This is usual in people with little or no experience in the gym, in their case, it is impossible to determine in advance how long it will take to achieve it, since it is in continuous progression.
First month, volume
We will follow the following scheme:
- Week 1: 3 x 6 at 60% on 5 RM.
- Week 2: 4 x 6 at 60% on 5 RM.
- Week 3: 5 x 5 at 60% on the 5 RM.
- Week 4: 5 x 5 at 65% on the 5 RM.
During this phase, technical training is the most important . The reason is simple: it is useless to increase the strength and power of any athlete but is capable of correctly applying the necessary motor patterns, such as dribbling, shooting or sprints per band. Therefore, running circuits and plyometric exercises should also be added during these training sessions to improve the footballer’s physical condition.
Second month, intensification
We return to a basic 3 x 5, although this time at 70% over the 5RM, and we continue the following scheme:
- Week 5: 3 x 5 at 70% on 5RM.
- Week 6: 3 x 5 at 75% on 5RM.
- Week 7: 3 x 5 at 80% on 5 RM.
- Week 8: 3 x 5 at 85% on the 5RM.
Technical training continues to be of greater importance, with the objective of harnessing power: all strength gained in the gym must be progressively requested in technical training to consolidate the increase in performance . This is relatively easy to achieve with more complex technical exercises. A good example would be adding elastic bench resistance sprints or medicine ball shots for goalkeepers.
Failure to increase the difficulty of technical workouts during this phase will derail any effort.
Third month, reaching peak form
At the end of the 12th week, the footballer can be considered to be at full capacity, breaking personal records and with a notable improvement on the pitch. The work scheme will be as follows:
- Week 9: 3 x 5 at 80% on 5RM.
- Week 10: 3 x 5 at 87% on 5RM.
- Week 11: 3 x 5 at 95% on 5RM.
- Week 12: 3 x 5 at 100% on the 5RM. Both this week and the previous one are already personal records, the 5RM is the maximum weight handled at 5 repetitions in 1 single series.
Fourth month, maintaining peak form
What is the big mistake made once the peak of form has been reached? Keep the same training. During a peak of form, the footballer is subjected to a much greater effort, since he is surely playing all the games, at a higher performance and, moreover, surely complete.
Maintaining the same volume of strength training can be overkill and greatly affect performance on the field of play. However, we want the intensity to maintain or even increase. How can we kill two birds with one stone: prevent the player from getting tired and improve more if his peak of form fits?
- All additional gym work is eliminated, only Squats (performing it on the two training days), Deadlifts (1 of the days), Hip Thrust (the day without deadlifts), Bench Press (1 of the days) and Chins will be maintained. (the day without bench press). The trunk and abdominal hyperextensions work will be done at the completion of the training session. As you can see, they are very short but intense sessions.
- In case of knowing the technique, Snatch (1 of the days), Loads (the day without snatch), Bench Press (1 of the days) and Squats (the day without bench press) will be performed.
- Decrease the volume of work, reducing the number of repetitions from 5 to 3 (we will work 3 x 3 to start).
- We will follow the following scheme:
- We start with 3 x 3 in the exercises (except for the deadlift, which will be 1 x 3 or 2 x 3 at most) and 5 kg more than week 12.
- Once we increase the weight by 10 kg compared to week 12, we reduce the number of repetitions to 1.
- We continue to increase 5 kg per session, working at 3 x 1.
- Obviously, warm-up series will be done until reaching the initial weight. In addition, a nerve activation warm-up will be performed.
Thus we achieve a double desired effect: 1st) the footballer does not get tired in the physical training sessions, 2nd) of these sessions he will come out with optimal sensations, “stronger and fresher” than before entering the gym. This can be used to add technical training with plyometrics or cone races after the gym session.
How long can a shape peak be lengthened?
With this system, a month without problems. It can be lengthened more, even reaching several months, however, the performance after the peak of form will decrease a lot if it is lengthened in excess . The normal thing will be that a footballer reaches several peaks of form during the year, if we look for only one, very long, we can say goodbye to the footballer for the rest of the season. You will need a lot of rest after that effort .
Once we decide that the soccer player should abandon peak form, gym work will be eliminated for a week and only low intensity plyometric exercises and running circuits will be performed. Afterwards, you will start gym work again with 3 x 5 at 50-60% of 5RM as recovery .
