Performing better in Football: Part 2

Last week we detailed how you could begin to perform better within football using various cardio techniques and training methods. This week sees us complete the football focus as we tie weight training into your regime. We will break down the aspects of physical weight training and how to use your regime effectively in order to take your football performances onto the next level.

Where to start?

When we think about weight training for football there has to be a lot of focus on your own body strength. Using exercises such as push ups, dips, crunches and pull ups is a great way to begin your training to build your base strength. From that point on there is also a large focus on your core and leg strength as you need to have a strong base in order to fend off any challenges on the pitch. Using exercises such as squats, planks, lunges and cable twists will all add to your core and leg strength which will aid your ability on the field and make you more difficult to remove from the ball.

So if we try to incorporate these exercises into your weight training based days you can follow the below example as a beginning;

Day 1

Barbell squats – 3 sets of 10 reps

Dumbbell lunges – 3 sets of 10 reps

Crunches – 3 sets of 20 reps

Plank – 3 sets of 30 seconds

Side plank – 3 sets of 30 seconds

Leg press – 3 sets of 10 reps

Box jumps – 3 sets of 8 reps

Day 2

Pull ups – 3 sets of 10 reps

Barbell deadlifts – 3 sets of 10 reps

Lat pulldown – 3 sets of 10 reps

Bench press – 3 sets of 10 reps

Push ups – 3 sets of 20 reps

Dips – 3 sets of 15 reps

Crunches – 3 sets of 20 reps

Using the above example you should be hitting the major muscle groups of your legs, core, back and chest, forming a strong focus on your base and making you a formidable opponent to try and push off possession during game time. You can always throw in different exercises and use plyometric movements in your training to try and replicate the body’s quick movements during an actual game.

Using box jumps and lunges alongside things such as pull ups and push ups will help the body get used to the movements connected to actually playing and you should begin to feel the benefits when you start playing alongside your training regime.

The biggest thing when training for football is to try and replicate movements during a game which is not always possible when training. Having a focus on staying extremely cardiovascular fit and having a good strong core should see you improve your game in the physical aspect and your continued technique work should see an improvement in your all round gameplay.

What else should I be doing?

If you can have a strong focus on staying supple alongside being physically strong you should be onto a winning formula. Stretching is a massive part of your training as you should try to avoid injury where possible. Stretching before your games is vital but it shouldn’t stop there as your training away from the pitch should be held in high regard. Use a good amount of time to get loose and warm up properly before any training you are doing to steer clear from injury and remain in the best possible shape you can.

Sleep is a great way to recover properly from a week’s stressful regime and you should be aiming to have a good interrupted seven or eight hours each night in order for your body to recover effectively.

Your diet will always play a massive part in your life if you are training or not and when playing football there needs to be a focus on recovery and preparation. Before games you should be carbohydrate loading as your body will need the extra energy for the game the following day. Think of taking in pasta, complex carbs and high proteins which will make for a great energy packed source for the game.

After games you should be focussing on high amounts of protein and carbs in order for your body to recover effectively with the correct nutrients. With your high amount of work during the week you shouldn’t be too worried about the high carbohydrate intake as you will be burning it off in high amounts through the days and when you are in mid-season your body will be crying out to be fed with the right foods so don’t ignore it and feed it when you are hungry.

This 2 step plan of action will see you are in great physical and technical shape for the season ahead and you should be in prime condition for your team. So stay focussed and remain determined to keep improving and you’ll be sure to crush the season and your opponents!

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