Introduction to Power of Football

Power of Football

Ball Handling

Whether you play for your football school or a professional club, strength training should be as integral to your preparation as ball handling and tactical literacy. Modern science-based strength training in football is a set of techniques that, when applied correctly, can improve your game and accelerate progress.

Ricardo Pereira is a shooting guard signed by Leicester City from Porto in 2018. Despite his Portuguese heritage and superior ball skills, his position in Leicester's first team was soon in doubt. In the realities of the English Premier League, he constantly lost the ball. However, Leicester's coaching staff identified the problem and the strength and endurance training program helped Ricardo return to the top ranks. 

Basic Recommendations

Age

Always consider your age or the age of those you train. Strength training for adults, and mass training, in particular, can lead to serious injury if applied to young players. But that doesn't mean kids can't do strength training. They can and should exercise, but according to their age. Studies have shown that

9-year-old children who have connected strength training perform better in jumps have better endurance and flexibility than children from the control group, who are limited to working out the technique. 

Age recommendation

Remember that all children develop at different rates, both physically and mentally. A one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate here, so the coach must always control the individual load, reps, and technique to minimize the risk of injury. Exercises for developing the strength of children should become more complicated gradually: weights increase with age, rest between sets decreases as physical fitness increases. 

It is not recommended to begin strength training until children have acquired basic musculoskeletal skills. The optimal age is 6 years. For elementary school children, the focus should still be on muscle control, especially how to create and release tension in the muscles, as well as low-intensity training (stages 1 and 2) to speed up the formation of the brain-muscle connection. This is technically known as integrative neuromuscular learning. Older teenagers benefit from more advanced strength exercises. Studies show that the results of this approach are especially noticeable if the formation of neuromuscular learning in children of athletes is completed before the onset of puberty

Floor

It may not be fashionable to talk about it today, but there are indeed physiological differences between men and women. For women's football, strength is just as important as for men's, but men and women need to use a different set of exercises to develop strength. Initially, women have about a third less muscle mass than men, and the composition of this muscle mass also differs. Women tend to have a little more "slow" muscle fibers of the first type and a little less "fast" fibers of the second type, which means that their advantage is more in endurance than in brute strength.

Floor

This may explain why men get tired faster during monotonous workouts. The third main difference is the effect of strength training on hormones. Male testosterone levels rise with increased strength and muscle mass, while the production of female estrogen increases the muscle's ability to convert glucose into fuel. One consequence of these physiological differences is that women generally show greater gains in upper body hypertrophy than men as a result of resistance training, but there is little difference in lower body hypertrophy. Since whole-body development is important in football, studies show that football training for women and men should be different.

Season

Pre-season training for football players is different from training during the regular season. In essence, in the off-season, you gain energy after a period of rest. Training at this time should be for strength, speed, power, and endurance. 

The exact program will depend on the length of preparation for the season. It can last up to six months, but the calendars in today's game, especially the professional game, are becoming increasingly crowded, with closing and off-season periods getting shorter. Trying to do too much in a short period of time can increase the chance of injury, especially when doing strength exercises. Therefore, take a sober look at the amount of training that can actually be completed in the allotted time.  

The level of seasonal strength training depends on the meeting schedule. With two games a week, one possible training plan involves a heavy strength workout (performing a whole set of strength exercises) the day before the first game of the week, followed by a lighter full-body workout the day after the first game. This is followed by a speed and agility workout the day before the second match, followed by a speed and endurance workout the next day. The weekends with a rest day, and the program repeats the next week.

Returning to play after an injury suspension is conducted like an off-season, players need to rebuild their core strength through high-intensity training.  

Pre Session

The warm-up and final part of the workout 

Most players are aware of the need for a thorough warm-up before a game and a cool-down after, but they don't always realize that the same must be done during practice. 

Most of the videos below do not include these exercises as they are the default. Therefore, we want to recall some techniques that can be used to start and end each workout. 

In the first video, Sean Buckley demonstrates a dynamic warm-up that can be done both in a group and individually: 

Basic concepts and approaches to strength training 

When you have learned about the differences in training regimens required for different age groups, genders, and seasons, and have developed a warm-up and cool-down regimen, it is time to consider possible approaches. Many of them use technical terms from anatomy, physiology, and sports science, which can be confusing for beginners. This post does not require special knowledge, we will explain complex terms in the process. 

Concept of Strength Traning

Anaerobic and aerobic training 

Anaerobic training helps increase strength and power. It is based on muscle work, and you need to know that the muscles convert the glucose received from food into lactic acid for energy production. It is important to note that anaerobic exercise does not require oxygen, but this means that it can only be done for a short period of time, as lactic acid is toxic and causes weakness. Therefore, anaerobic training in football is usually interval training. Such training is defined by bursts of activity, alternating with periods of rest or lighter work. These workouts are useful for soccer players as they need to make short, explosive, powerful moves, such as jumping to hit the ball or reaching out to tackle or intercept. Basically, coordination exercises closest to the type of anaerobic activities. 

Aerobic training, on the other hand, is based on maximizing the use of oxygen by the body in order to use energy reserves over long periods of time. This is also very important for football players, given that on average a Premier League player runs 13 kilometers in a 90-minute match. This kind of athletic training requires endurance, which increases with regular aerobic exercise and increases in cardiovascular efficiency.

Anaerobic

Experienced trainers advise mixing anaerobic and aerobic workouts, although the ratio varies depending on the sport. Both types can be used in accordance with the principles of FITT. FITT stands for "frequency, intensity, time and type" - frequency, intensity, time and type, where frequency indicates the number of workouts per week, intensity is measured as a percentage of maximum heart rate, time indicates the duration of each activity, and type - the choice of anaerobic or aerobic load.     

Both anaerobic and aerobic workouts can be done with or without a ball. In this section, we will talk about ball training as it simulates game situations.   

A typical anaerobic workout for groups of four is shown below. It concentrates on explosive stretching to make a pass, control it, or make an interception and can be performed indoors or outdoors

Remember that aerobic training is always the development of endurance. This complex training is suitable for several football players:

What exercises build strength?

As we said, a lot of training takes place in the offseason. Usually, they are carried out in gyms. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, halls in many countries have been closed and are likely to remain so for a long time to come. Therefore, in this section, we will look at those strength exercises that you can do at home to stay in shape by the time matches resume.  

A small digression. Firstly, special vocabulary and professional jargon are used all the time in the world of sports. To help beginners, the basic exercises can be divided into:

1. Resistance exercises where you overcome some kind of force to build muscle and increase strength.

2. Plyometric exercises are used to develop agility, in particular jumps and hops.

3. Stretching exercises.

Most exercises are designed to strengthen some part of the body or muscle group and involve a certain type of movement, but there are also basic exercises that strengthen several parts of the body at once. 

Secondly, almost all posts and videos about football practice are prescriptive. They indicate the exact number of repetitions for each exercise, fix the order of exercises and rest periods between repetitions. 

But they rarely, if ever, explain scientifically what is behind these numbers. It is not right. As we said at the beginning of this article, there is no single approach to training, especially for children. As they say, you can't catch a fish out of a pond without effort, and it's true. It is the last 2-3 repetitions in the repetition that bring the lion's share of the benefit. But listen to your body rather than to the advice of coaches and "experts". It's often helpful to force yourself to do one more rep, but it can also be redundant. 

There are many ways to improve your athletic performance on the field. Consider strength exercises for the upper and lower body, as well as training for the whole body. 

Upper body strength exercises  

First of all, let's understand what is included in the concept of "upper body". Football players need to work out not only the pectoral muscles that all men pump. The triceps (muscles in the upper arm), for example, are important for long-range shots. Also, do not forget about the back muscles, it helps to close the ball from the opponent. Strong hips help the athlete perform strong and agile turns; especially important when you need to turn around and perform a flying shot.

Upper Body Exercise

A set of strength exercises for core muscles

Modern uplifting techniques focus on the core muscles (see photo below). This term refers to the middle part of the body between the hips and shoulders. In fact, it is the part of the body from which your limbs grow. Therefore, it is in the core area that the most important movements leading to success in football are performed, and failure to develop a strong core can lead to injuries, in particular knee injuries.

The emphasis on developing core muscles has led to countless training programs for football players to strengthen the abs, which are a key element of the core. 

Again, many of these are suitable for doing at home, in the garden, or even on the living room floor, and don't require any equipment. Abs exercises are strength exercises, often anaerobic, and so are best done in short, explosive sets, using a stopwatch or smartphone timer to control the duration. 

While around the world quarantine in connection with the coronavirus, football players are training on their own, with a coach in 1-on-1 mode, in their local sports schools or clubs. 

Leg Strength Exercises

 As we have said, people often think that strength training is only working to increase the biceps and pectoral muscles. But high-quality leg training is necessary for a football player to develop speed, braking, as well as strength in order to take the ball away and maintain possession of the ball, unidirectional training is used to develop this skill. 

Of course, often a player balances on one foot, for example, while hitting the ball, but it is absolutely necessary to develop both legs equally in order to use both with equal confidence in the game. It is also important to understand that the foot is made up of several parts, and you may want to focus on a particular area, such as the knees, ankles, or hamstrings, especially if you have had injuries in one of these areas. 

Leg Exercise

Again, given the current situation with Covid-19, the leg strength and endurance exercises below can be done alone at home if there is no way to get to the gym

The following video will help your feet develop explosive acceleration, - says Wolverhampton player Adama Traore. The training is again based on the repetition of exercises with given rest intervals. 

The goal of the workout is to strengthen both legs. You can perform it both on the football field and in your garden, no equipment is required. 

A set of exercises to develop the strength of the whole body

Experts recommend that players do full-body workouts as a complement to more targeted top and bottom workouts. Soccer.com shared a 30-minute routine suitable for both men and women that can be done at home without special equipment:

A set of strength exercises with equipment 

So far, we've looked at ways to build strength that can be done at home with minimal equipment. But if you have the opportunity to go to the gym with equipment and a professional trainer, you will have much more opportunities. 

Strength exercises with weights

The role of weight in football strength training is controversial. Some believe that they do not allow players to achieve the necessary agility and provoke unnecessary risks, but many believe that only by performing exercises to develop muscle strength, an athlete progresses in power football.

All risks must be taken seriously. Here are the basic rules:

1. Never lift weights alone to avoid injury or getting stuck under the bar.

2. When using weights in a standing position, your entire skeleton supports you. If you over-exert yourself beyond your level of fitness, you will not be able to control the weight, the body will assume the wrong position, which is fraught with serious injuries.   

However, the discussion of agility is largely the result of confusion between hypertrophy and strength. Hypertrophy is a scientific term for muscle mass, simply put, it means that a person looks big. It's not the same as strength. 

Studies have shown that high reps at moderate weights can increase leg strength without significant hypertrophy or loss of agility, while low reps and heavyweights have the opposite effect. 

In other words, it's not about whether football players should train with weights, but about what type of weight training to choose.

Strength training not only improves running speed, but recent scientific studies have shown it increases the agility needed to maneuver before and after the short, explosive sprints typical of football. In other words, the claim that strength training impairs the agility of a football player is nothing more than a myth. But where and how to start strength training to increase strength on the field? 

As was stated in the Strength vs. Agility debate, one of the problems is the abundance of specialized vocabulary and jargon. It can sometimes be difficult to understand what is being said, which is partly why parents of young footballers have concerns about strength training. If you already know how to weight train, get started. If not, check out the guide from informatics.

Other types of equipment 

Other types of equipment can be used to perform resistance exercises, such as a medicine ball, resistance band, or various types of traction machines. Medicine balls are widely used in women's workouts, probably because they do not evoke such associations with typically masculine equipment like a barbell, for example. At the same time, many professional male athletes, and not just women, are engaged in medicine balls. 

resistance exercises

Remember again that there is no single training regimen for everyone. Choose the weight of the medicine ball so that it is right for you, your age, and your fitness level. 

Traction machines are large and expensive. To practice on them, most likely, you will need to go to the gym. But if you have access to such a machine, the following video will show how useful it can be in the process of building a strong core during the off-season.

Conclusion

The evidence that strength training in football is essential for all players who want to maximize their athletic performance seems overwhelming. But football training should not be prescriptive. For example, in this article, “ How Speed ​​and Technical Skills of Young Athletes Affect Success in Professional Football,” we scientifically prove that the speed and technique of athletes are important for success in professional football. And this means that you can not just focus on strength training. Balance is needed everywhere.