Strength is not just about lifting heavy weights; it’s the ability to exert force against resistance. This ability is fundamental for movements in soccer that require power and explosiveness, such as sprinting, jumping, tackling, and changing direction.
Newton’s second law of motion (Force = Mass x Acceleration), an athlete’s ability to produce force directly impacts their capacity to accelerate and decelerate.
Stronger athletes can apply more force to the ground, resulting in quicker sprints and more effective directional changes (Suchomel et al., 2016). Example: For a 75-kg athlete, this equates to approximately 5.9 times their body mass during the initial braking steps.
The Force-Velocity Curve: Understanding the Trade-Off
The force-velocity curve is a foundational principle in sports science that illustrates the inverse relationship between the amount of force produced and the velocity of movement:
High Force, Low Velocity: Activities like heavy squats or deadlifts, where the athlete produces large amounts of force but moves slowly.
Low Force, High Velocity: Movements like sprinting or jumping, where force is produced rapidly but with less resistance.
This is why we use system like Output Sports to monitor bar velocity to maximize performance.
The goal for soccer athletes is to shift their force-velocity curve upwards and to the right—meaning they can produce high amounts of force quickly. This is where strength training becomes essential. Stronger muscles allow athletes to generate more force without sacrificing speed (Cormie et al., 2011).
In soccer, players don’t just need to accelerate quickly; they must also decelerate effectively to stop, change direction, or respond to gameplay changes. Rapid deceleration places enormous stress on the body, particularly on the hamstrings, quadriceps, and gluteal muscles.
Studies have shown that the horizontal braking forces during deceleration can reach up to 2.7 times an athlete’s body weight (Jones et al., 2017). These forces primarily act opposite to the direction of motion and require eccentric muscle contractions to absorb and stabilize the movement.
Key factors affecting deceleration include:
Ground Reaction Forces (GRFs): Forces exerted by the ground back on the athlete, crucial for controlling speed reduction.
Rate of Force Development (RFD): The speed at which force can be generated, particularly important for sudden stops.
Hamstring strains are one of the most common injuries in soccer and frequently occur during high-speed activities or abrupt directional changes. Strong muscles are better equipped to handle the eccentric loads placed on the body during deceleration and acceleration phases.
Eccentric Strength: Exercises such as the Nordic hamstring curl have been shown to significantly reduce hamstring injuries by improving eccentric muscle strength (van der Horst et al., 2015).
Hip and Core Stability: Developing strength in the gluteals and core helps maintain proper alignment during high-speed movements, decreasing the risk of non-contact injuries.
Strength as the Foundation for Speed and Power
Speed is not just about quick legs; it’s about applying force quickly and efficiently. Strength training increases an athlete’s ability to apply more force into the ground, translating directly into faster sprint times and improved acceleration.
Sprint Performance: A study by Seitz et al. (2014) showed that stronger athletes had significantly faster sprint times over short distances.
Power Output: Explosive strength exercises like Olympic lifts improve an athlete’s ability to generate force rapidly, which is essential for powerful kicks, quick sprints, and rapid directional changes.
When considering a beginner's strength training program, it's essential for both players and parents to think about the long-term development of the athlete. Long-Term Athletic Development (LTAD) focuses on age-appropriate training that supports an athlete's growth and development while minimizing the risk of injury.
Key LTAD principles:
Early Exposure: Introduce basic movements and bodyweight exercises during childhood to develop coordination and movement efficiency.
Progressive Overload: Gradually increase training load as the athlete matures physically and gains experience in strength training.
Skill Acquisition: Develop proper lifting technique from the beginning to ensure safety and improve performance.
Integrating Strength Training Into Soccer Periodization
For optimal results, strength training should be periodized—structured to align with the soccer season’s different phases, especially if you play in the ECNL or MLS.
Off-Season: Emphasis on building maximal strength and hypertrophy.
Pre-Season: Shift towards power development and sport-specific drills.
In-Season: maintenance of strength levels with reduced training volume to avoid fatigue. (Missed opportunities for many levels)
Integrating Strength Training into your routine will determine where you are in your athletic maturity. Beginners need simple foundational movements to start. Do not oversimplify the athlete's needs by making exercises too complex.
Here is a, example of a Strength Training Workout for Beginners:
After a complete dynamic warm-up OR a 5:00-8:00 jog, the athletes begin with UNLOADED Movements,
*This example does not reflect individual needs
Bodyweight Squats 1x10
Lateral Lunge 1x10
Glute Bridge 1x10
Push Ups 1x20 (assist if needed)
Walking Lunges 1x20
Inverted Rows 1x20
Chin Ups 1xAMAP (As Many As Possible, Band Assisted if Needed)
Chair Dips 1xAMAP (As Many As Possible)
Loaded Varitations if proper form is achieved:
Goblet Squat 3x5 (30%-50% of Bodyweight)
Kettlebell Swing 3x5 (20%-30% of Bodyweight)
Lateral Hops 3x5 each direction
Dummbell Floor Press 3x5 30%-50% of Bodyweight
Pull Ups 3x AMAP (As Many As Possible)
Dumbbell Walking Lunges 3x5/ea
If you need more information on how to program your athletes workouts backed by Long Term Athletic Development and exercise selection, send us an email!
References:
Cormie, P., McGuigan, M. R., & Newton, R. U. (2011). Developing maximal muscular power: Part 1—biological basis of maximal power production. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
Jones, P. A., Bampouras, T. M., & Marrin, K. (2017). An investigation into the physical determinants of change of direction speed. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
Seitz, L. B., Reyes, A., Tran, T. T., de Villarreal, E. S., & Haff, G. G. (2014). Increases in lower-body strength transfer positively to sprint performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
van der Horst, N., Smits, D. W., Petersen, J., Goedhart, E. A., & Backx, F. J. (2015). The preventive effect of the Nordic hamstring exercise on hamstring injuries in amateur soccer players: a randomized controlled trial. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Suchomel, T. J., Nimphius, S., & Stone, M. H. (2016). The importance of muscular strength in athletic performance. Sports Medicine.
Comments