How to improve a soccer player's fitness by aerobic, strength, speed and power training!
Fitness is crucial for all soccer players. The most important fitness components in soccer include aerobic capacity, flexibility, strength, power and speed. From these fitness components aerobic capacity and strength can be improved the most by physical training, whereas genetics play a large role in determining flexibility, power and speed. The focus of this discussion will be on fitness tests and training to improve a player's fitness for soccer (with an emphasize on physical fitness and not on soccer skills).
Fitness testing for soccer
Testing of a soccer player's conditioning should be done regularly so that the effects and progress of training can be measured. Ideally a fitness testing battery would be designed for a team (or for individual players if their roles in the game are significantly different) and performed before and after training blocks of two to three months.
In soccer a player's aerobic capacity is essential for all roles other than goalkeeper. The most appropriate test to measure aerobic capacity are time trials or the beep test. The time trial would be between 3 and 5 kilometres of continuous running at maximal effort. The beep test which is effectively a shuttle run of 20 metres back and forth to exhaustion is more specific than a time trial for soccer fitness as it also demands a good degree of agility.
Strength is important in contests for the ball and running/kicking form. Tests for strength would include maximal strength tests where the player lifts as much weight as they can in a single effort. These would be focused on the core muscles abdominals, hamstrings and quadriceps.
Fitness scores in aerobic capacity and strength should be the focus of training and improvement but the following fitness components may also be tested:
Flexibility static stretches of hamstrings
Power maximum vertical and horizontal jumps
Speed sprints eg. 10, 50 and 100 metres
Agility timed around a course of cones
Training for soccer
After testing players fitness with the above tests the results should be analysed to determine their strengths and weaknesses. The focus of their training should then be to maintain (or improve) their strengths and turn their weaknesses into strengths. Most of the training should involve running (say 60-70%) at various speeds (developing aerobic capacity, power and speed), gym work for strength (10-15%), and flexibility (5-10%). The goalkeeper would probably focus more on agility, power and speed with much less emphasise on aerobic capacity. Drills to improve soccer skills and tactics would be integrated into the program so that fitness and skill level are developed at the same time.
Here is a very brief example of a training program for a soccer player:
Off-season (1-2 months):
- easy running (1-2 days per week)
- strength work (1-2 days per week)
- speed/power development (1-2 a week) (can be done following easy run)
Pre-season (1-3 months)
- easy run (2-4 a week)
- strength work (3-4 days per week)
- speed/power (2-4 a week)
- flexibility, agility, skills should be incorporated into sessions
In season (5-7 months)
- soccer game (1-2 a week)
- easy runs (3-5 a week)
- speed power (3-4 a week)
- flexibility and agility worked on every second day
- skills (6-7 days a week)
Soccer fitness is important and as has been discussed it can be improved significantly by training. To ensure training has a positive impact on a players condition always test their fitness before and after blocks of training and come game day they should be at their best.