The Best Exercises for Soccer Training

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Without hesitation, Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. There are hundreds of thousand enthusiasts and amateurs world-wide. From International Fútbol X-Change (IFX) we want to bring you closer to one of the most important subjects when you want to take the next step in your soccer career and answer the question: Which are the best Exercises for Soccer Training?

Cardio and Endurance: A soccer player training program must be built around developing a great aerobic base. Some studies have shown that player on the pitch can travel up around 13km in a 90-minutes game, that means, is mandatory to put special attention on develop player´s cardiovascular system and muscular endurance. To get this, it is not enough to include only a running session in your program. Remember that playing soccer engages varying intensity of activity for different durations, for example: Walking, Jogging, Running, Sprinting (forward and back). Incorporate intervals that include high and low intensities of activity.

Strength and Power:  Strength is an important component of conditioning that benefits soccer players in any league. Strength forms the basis of power. Soccer players need power to hold off challenges from rivals. Each player will need to define with his physical trainer – in relation to his body weight – the best program which fits him best in the gym. Your strength training program should focus on compound, functional exercises (such as lunges, squats, step ups, pushups, dips), and consider balancing the strength of opposing muscle groups (i.e.- quadriceps vs. hamstrings). Strength is also helpful to increase your injury resistance, to get a faster metabolism and, to obtain more energy and explosiveness. It is very important to work over lower core muscle group.

Agility & Speed:  Another significant component of your routine for soccer is Agility and Speed training. No matter how strong you are, if your opponent is faster than you, he will get the ball first. So alternate your practice with short sprint sessions. A good way to test yourself is to sprint more than 30 yards from the start under 5.0 seconds (Professional players average around 4.0 seconds).

Flexibility: Another important aspect of a daily pro soccer player´s life is the capacity and maintenance of a healthy range of motion. For that, focus on “active” stretching before and after practice. Many soccer players still do “passive” stretching not realizing that this diminish performance and increase risk of injury. The safest manner to add flexibility to your exercise is performing a dynamic warm-up (walking lunges, high knees, butt kicks, arm circles). Remember to spend some minutes stretching at the end of every practice.

  • Doctor says, “drink lot more water, base your diet on 4-6 smaller meals each day. Eat after exercise (not directly before).

One important point to mention to complement these exercises is correct Nutrition. No need to say how important nutrition is for a professional soccer player, suffice it to say that what you eat will directly effect your energy levels, recovery, performance and health. Doctor says, “drink lot more water, base your diet on 4-6 smaller meals each day. Eat after exercise (not directly before). Increase daily protein and cycle your carbs to boost your metabolism (alternate a low-carb diet with monthly high-carb weekends). Consume 9-13calories per pound of body weight per day. Aim for 8 hours sleep at night to complement all your nutrition program. And finally, do not consume alcohol or smoke at all.

We hope this little guide help you to keep on the road and training like a pro soccer player! From International Fútbol X-Change, we invite you to visit us at www.ifxsoccer.com to learn more about our soccer total immersion programs in a variety of international destinations.

Choose the best international soccer immersion program combining international education and football!

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