The majority of a soccer match involves running. This means that soccer players are required to be incredibly fit from a cardiovascular point of view. However, this does not have the implication that they should neglect their strength training.
Being strong, and having a lot of lean muscle mass, assists with keeping your body powerful. This, in turn, will boost your speed agility as well as stamina – all this which a successful soccer player needs in each and every single match.
In this article, we look at several that you need to do if you want to build your speed, endurance and agility as a soccer player.
Exercises For Speed
Single-Leg Squat
When you need to do a couple of quick manoeuvres to help you get away from the opposing team, you put your emphasis on your legs, one at a time. While regular squats assist with training muscles such as your quads, hamstrings and glutes, single-leg squats help you with training each of your legs to bear your full weight.
Dumbbell Bench Step-Ups
It is recommended that you do try these exercises as these train the same muscles that you need when you are going from a sprint to a jump.
Weighted Sled Drags
These exercises help you to drain all of the muscles that you need to activate in order to propel yourself forward. Specifically, these muscles are your calves, glutes, core, back as well as shoulders.
Exercises For Stamina
HIIT On The Treadmill
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) mimics the same physical activity that you would be doing on a soccer field. This type of training conditions your body so that you can quickly switch between aerobic and anaerobic states and, as a result, will be better able to work the field.
Burpee Pull-Ups
Burpee pull-ups are a great combination of strength and cardiovascular training. These exercises work your arms, chest, quads, glutes as well as hamstrings. They also make sure that you get your heart rate up, which is something that you will be doing on a soccer field.
Lateral Band Walks
Lateral band walks are responsible for activating your glutes and strengthening them. If you glutes are strong, this will prevent injury during the game.
Exercises For Agility
Medicine Ball Push-Ups
Medicine ball push-ups will strengthen your core which, in turn, will assist you in terms of improving your balance. This will help your game as you will be able to perform agile moves while not falling, and you can find great guides online to give you a hand.
Lateral Hurdle Sprints
Lateral hurdle sprints allow you to get your footwork to be quick as well as accurate. The hurdles force you to lift your feet higher than you normally would, which helps you to avoid sliding tackles on the pitch.
Forward-Backward Sprints
These types of sprints train you to move quickly in every single direction. They help you to develop deep muscle memory, which is useful for the times when you cannot take your eyes off an oncoming player from the opposing side.
