Brian Robinson / Head Coach and Owner, XL Training
Soccer is a physically demanding game. Players need to be fast, explosive, strong, possess good movement mechanics, and joint mobility. Ligaments and tendons must be able to handle the mechanical stress placed upon them and muscles need to have a good degree of flexibility, but also maintain the integrity of the joint.
All the above are trained through speed work (linear and lateral), plyometrics, and resistance training.
Soccer is almost a 12-month per year activity. When do players have the time to develop the qualities that will improve their performance and help lessen the risk of injury? Aside from the summer, the only time is in-season.
In-season strength and conditioning can be done at a proper athletic facility, during club training, and/or at home. Since time is limited during the competitive season, these sessions need to be efficient from a time perspective, intense enough to cause adaptations to muscle, ligaments, and tendons, but with moderate volume to minimize soreness and fatigue for weekend matches.
XL Training’s In-season Performance Program addresses all of the above in a 60-minute session. The first 20 minutes include a proper warm up, speed work, plyometrics, and lateral speed (change of direction). The next 30 minutes focus on strength and power. The final 10 minutes addresses conditioning using various shuttle runs. Players need to learn how to change direction correctly, particularly in a fatigued state, as this is when most soft-tissue (hamstring and hip flexor strains) injuries and non-contact ligament tears occur.
At home training can be done with minimal equipment. Upper body strength can be achieved through different push-up variations and chin-up/pull-ups. Lower body and core strength can be achieved utilizing different variations of isometric exercises (iso-holds, concentric isometrics, and eccentric isometrics), planks, and hollow holds.
Please contact Brian Robinson at XL Training for additional information. Brian can be reached at Brian@XLTstrong.com, www.XLTstrong.com, and 914.439.4235
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