


But don’t go to them just yet! OK, let’s look at each phase in a little more detail… Early Pre-Season (4-6 weeks) You’ll find lots more articles at the bottom of this page covering strength, speed, drills and so on. This is the “big picture” – how all the different types of training fit together. Side Note At this stage don’t worry about individual sessions. If you simply want to improve your fitness over the summer – ready for trials next season – base your program on the late pre-season phase.

The first thing to do is split up our program into 4 distinct phases… Build your soccer training program around those areas that need most improvement, especially if your time is limited.Įven if you only play 8 months of the year, your soccer training program should stretch the entire 12 months. Stay on the right side of the 80/20 principle. Of all the different types of soccer training you could perform (strength training, speed training, skill work etc.) 20% will make 80% of the difference to your game… You can do these in one afternoon and it’s well worth the effort. Which elements of fitness do you need to work on most? Speed? Strength? Endurance? If you don’t know…ĭevelop a series of simple fitness tests to find out.

Step 2 - what is your current level of conditioning? Be more precise than “fit” or “unfit”. Then take a bit off to account for over enthusiasm! Step 1 - ask yourself honestly how much time you are willing to commit to your soccer training program. If you take the time to prepare now you will reap the rewards later on… Think about what you want to achieve in soccer. Soccer players must perform with short bursts of power and speed AND have the ability to keep going for 90 minutes or more…įirst and foremost though… a soccer training program should be individually tailored to your needs AND your resources.Īll the training theory – the perfect 12-month fitness regime – it all flies out the window if you simple don’t have the time (or the inclination) to train 3 or 4 days a week. And a well-thought-out soccer training program must reflect that.
