THE
FOOTBALLER
PHYSIQUE
BECOME ELITE
THE FOOTBALLER PHYSIQUE
Created, written, and designed by
MATT SHELDON
COPYRIGHT Notice
No part of this report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form whatsoever,
electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any informational storage or retrieval system without expressed written, dated and signed permission from the author. All copyrights are reserved.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this guide is for educational purposes only. I am not a
doctor and this is not meant to be taken as medical advice. The information provided
in this guide is based upon my experiences as well as my interpretations of the
current research available. The advice and tips given in this download are meant for
healthy adults only. You should consult your physician to ensure tips given in this
course are appropriate for your individual circumstances. If you have any health
issues or pre-existing conditions, please consult with your physician before implementing any of the information provided below. This product is for informational
purposes only and the author does not accept any responsibilities for any liabilities.
3
Table of contents
Page
Content
1-2
3
4
5-8
Title Pages
Disclaimer Page
Table of Contents
Introduction
9-12
13-19
20-21
22-26
27-32
33-44
45-50
51-55
56-59
60-70
71-72
73-78
79-81
82-92
93-98
99-100
101
102-114
115-127
128-140
141-155
156-170
171-179
180-192
193-216
217-224
My Story
Common Misconceptions
Is This Program for Girls?
Diet Basics
Determining Your Needs
Calculating Your Needs
Creating a Meal Plan
Sample Meal Plans
Snacks and Cheat Meals
Supplement Review
Cardio Overview
Stretching Overview
Workout Philosophy
Training Style Overview
Training Customization
Program Overview
FAQs
General Focus Program
Functional Focus Program
Power Focus Program
Hypertrophy Focus Program
Shred Focus Program
Maintenance Focus Program
Bodyweight Focus Program
Gym Exercise Glossary
Fitness Exercise Glossary
Introduction
What is a football physique?
A “physique” is the form, size, and development of an individual’s body. A football
physique is the form, size, and development of an individual’s body with the specific
aim to perform at the highest possible level on the football pitch. The goal should be
to develop a strong, powerful, and athletic build in a lean and lightweight frame to
maintain agility and the ability to perform over 90+ minutes. The goal of this program
is to give you the information and tools needed to do so.
Who is this program intended for?
This program is intended for any player that believes they can improve their overall
game by either cutting down excess fat/weight, increasing lean muscle mass, developing fast-twitch muscle fibers, and/or improving muscular endurance. These workout programs, diet techniques, and exercises are the exact same procedures that I
have been doing my entire football career. I started performing bodyweight training
programs at age 10 and have progressed and experimented with hundreds of different styles of dieting, plyometric training, cardio training, and resistance programming on my journey to the professional level. I have learned every step of the way
and now I want to share my 15+ years of research and knowledge.
Why is it important to develop a football physique?
As you progress higher and higher in the world of football you will not only face more
skilled and tactically intelligent players, but you will also notice that the players‘
overall size, athleticism, speed, strength, and stamina will increase tremendously as
well. Just look at physicality of the top leagues in the world and compare the average player’s body and strength to the average youth player’s body and strength.
Developing a proper football physique combined with technical and tactical skills will
greatly help your chances of pushing up to the professional level. In addition, the
exercises and diet information in this booklet is not only important for performance,
but also critical for injury prevention.
5
How to use this program
Informational overload
This program is structured slightly differently than my other programs. This is because understanding nutrition and developing a physique is more about gaining knowledge and tailoring it to your
specific external and internal requirements rather than just following along with a program. I can
create a 2,750 calorie sample diet plan and it could actually cause one person to gain weight and
cause another person to lose weight. That’s why you must learn how to calculate and create your own
plans based upon your own body. This booklet has just under 100 pages of information before we
even get into the actual programming. However, I don’t want you to get overwhelmed by the surplus
of material and have that discourage you from starting. Despite all the technical jargon, calculations,
and info it really is quite simple. All you have to do is follow the four steps below:
Step 1
Envision what your specific vision for your body is and determine clear-cut goals. This is talked about
in-depth on pages 28-32.
Step 2
Calculate out your daily required calories and macros based upon your goals then develop a general
diet plan that fits those calories and macros. This is talked about in-depth on pages 34-50.
Step 3
Realize that nutrition is the most important aspect of developing your goal physique such as gaining/losing weight and that your training style is mainly used to achieve your performance goals such
as getting stronger, fitter, or more balanced. Then, adopt the training style that fits your performance
goals. This is talked about in-depth on pages 72, 83-98.
Step 4
Realize that no diet plan or training regimen will work in less than 4 weeks. Stick with your diet and
workout plan for a minimum of 6-8 weeks and then after that, feel free to re-evaluate your situation and
goals.
My goal
My goal for this program is to get you to understand the difference between constructing your
goal physique and training for your performance on the field and then utilize both aspects to create a
physique that will not only look good, but perform at the highest possible level.
6
Priorities
In Order of importance
Most
Technical skills
Tactical IQ
Mindset
Least
Physique
Fitness
Training Hierarchy
I am a firm believer that developing a football physique is an incredibly
important aspect in becoming a high level player (hence this book). In fact, all of the
above aspects are incredibly important, but there is a training hierarchy:
1. Technical skills are the most important aspect to becoming a professional soccer player.
This includes skills such as dribbling, passing, first touch, shooting, etc.
2. Tactical IQ is defined as your knowledge of the game such as positioning, movements,
combination play, decision making, etc.
3. Mindset is comprised of mental toughness, coach-ability, work ethic, dedication, etc.
4. (Tie) Physique is your athleticism, body composition, strength, speed, etc.
4. (Tie) Fitness is your stamina, endurance, or your ability to perform over a 90 minute game.
There is a reason why you can find players like Neymar, Di Maria, or Mahrez
tearing apart defenses and competing at the highest level of professional football
while not entirely having the most impressive physiques, but you will never find a
high level player who has an impressive physique with poor technical or tactical
skills. For that reason, I believe that most of your time and effort should go into developing as a footballer through technical, fundamental skill training and then working
to develop a physique like Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, etc. to supplement your
game.
8
Common misconceptions
Common Misconceptions
MYTH: Weightlifting stunts growth
This is the biggest misconception regarding weightlifting in your adolescent and teenage years and
yet there has never been a single study to show that weightlifting inhibits or stunts growth. In the past,
people used to think that the gravitational effects of lifting heavy weights would compress the epiphyseal plate (commonly referred to as the growth plate) of younger athletes halting the growth process.
However, this has been proven to be false.
The only way to truly damage the epiphyseal plate is through significant
trauma such as a fracture or break of the bone. Weightlifting is actually
much safer than contact sports as more broken/fractured bones are
reported from soccer, basketball, football, baseball, rugby, etc. than
weightlifting. Even if you were to get unlucky and break a bone across
the epiphyseal plate, 85% of fractures of the growth plate end up
healing perfectly fine with no inhibition of growth at all.
The American Association Of Pediatrics has stated that, “Appropriate
strength training programs have no apparent adverse effect on linear
growth, growth plates, or the cardiovascular system.”
Another study titled “Strength Training in Children and
Adolescents” reviewed relevant studies dating all the way
back from 1980 up to 2008 and concluded, “Strength training,
when performed in a controlled, supervised environment, can
help children and adolescents of all athletic abilities safely
improve their strength and overall health and well-being.”
epiphyseal plate
Yet another review in the Clinical Journal Of Sports Medicine (“Weight Training In Youth: Growth,
Maturation, And Safety“) looked at 22 reports dealing with resistance training programs in young
lifters and stated, “Experimental training protocols with weights and resistance machines and with
supervision and low instructor/participant ratios are relatively safe and do not negatively impact
growth and maturation of pre and early-pubertal youth.”
Having said this, weightlifting is not completely risk free. Personally, I suggest to start learning the
basic movements of exercise through bodyweight training for at least a year. Then, when you choose
to start lifting weights make sure to seek guidance from qualified individuals. Use light weights when
learning the technique and slowly progress up the weight over time. Lastly, do not perform one rep
max lifts for at least a year until you have mastered the proper form as any slight break down in form
can lead to a serious injury when performing at maximum exertion.
14
Common Misconceptions
MYTH: Weightlifting makes you slower and less agile
The next misconception that I want to talk about is the relation between weightlifting and speed/agility. Now to an extent, it is true that the more mass you accumulate the more weight you have to carry.
Once you cross the threshold of building a strong, athletic physique to building as much muscle mass
as possible then the extra muscle mass will slow you down. It will start to act as unnecessary extra
weight. Imagine trying to sprint down a field while wearing a 20 lb weighted vest. It slows you down.
However, the extra weight you add up to a certain point isn’t useless like a weighted vest. The muscle
you pack on up to a certain point can be used to push harder into the ground and can make you
more explosive.
Let’s take a look at the fastest people on the planet... Olympic 100m Sprinters. Look up Yohan Blake,
Justin Gatlin, Usain Bolt, and Tyson Gay on Google images. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see
that they have built incredibly muscular physiques. This is because sprint speed is a combination of
high speed foot turnover and force applied into the ground. In fact, these sprinters have been shown
to put as much as 5x their bodyweight of force in to the ground when running at top speed. Read that
sentence again... 5x their bodyweight of force into the ground. I weigh 170 lbs that means to run at
the speeds they do I would need to be able to exert 850 lbs of force into the ground while running.
In fact, in The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research they tested 1 rep max for squat as a
ratio to bodyweight and compared that ratio to sprint times in the 40, 20, and 10 yard dash. They
found that, “the strength of the lower-body musculature appears to play a role in maximal sprinting
velocity. The data from this investigation further support the concept of maximizing lower-body
strength to improve sprinting ability in athletes.” Now, notice they chose squat to bodyweight ratio.
The stronger you become as a ratio to your bodyweight led to the fastest sprinters. They found that
the ideal ratio of 1 rep max squat to bodyweight was about 2 to 1. This implies that if you weigh 150
lbs you’d be your fastest if your 1 rep max for squat was 300 lbs.
Figure 1.1
Figure 1.2
Figure 1.3
Figure 1.1-1.3: McBride, Jeffrey M; Blow, Daniel; etc. “Relationship Between Maximal Squat Strength and Five, Ten, and Forty Yard Sprint
Times” British Journal of Sports Medicine. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research
16
Common Misconceptions
MYTH: Weightlifting makes you slower and less agile
(Continued)
Now, should we aim to accomplish this strength and physique as footballers?
Well, it’s a balance. There are huge benefits to being fast while playing football. Look at some of the
top players in the world, Messi, Neymar, Ronaldo, Bale, etc. they are incredibly fast over 40 yards.
However, soccer players need to also run for 90+ minutes instead of 10 seconds and carrying around
50 lbs of extra muscle would get exhausting over a 90 minute game. The goal of players should be
to get strong and powerful while maintaining a lighter bodyweight.
In the British Journal of Sports
Medicine, they tested the
maximal strength in half squats
and sprinting ability (0–30 m
and 10 m shuttle run sprint) and
vertical jumping height of
seventeen international male
soccer players with a mean age
of 35 and found a, “strong
correlation between maximal
strength in half squats and
sprint performance and jumping
height” and that “Maximal
strength in half squats determined the sprint performance in
these elite soccer players.
Strong correlations are evident
in all aspects of 0–30 m sprints
as well as the 10 m shuttle run
Figure 2
test and jumping height. The
players with a high level of
strength in this team had used a training regimen with few repetitions, high loads, and emphasis on
maximal mobilization of force in the concentric part of the half squat.”
Over and over again, the research shows that the stronger you are, the faster you will be and that the
emphasis of speed training should be on low rep, high weight, power workouts. The idea that weightlifting will slow you down is only true once you pass the threshold of the 2 to 1 squat to bodyweight
ratio. Under/over that ratio and you will not be at your fastest. Weightlifting doesn’t slow you down... It
speeds you up.
This book’s goal is to show you how to apply the right diet and training to build a lightweight, but
powerful frame to reach your maximum potential as a footballer.
Figure 2: U Wisløff, C Castagna, J Helgerud, R Jones, J Hoff, “Strong correlation of maximal squat strength with sprint performance a
nd vertical jump height in elite soccer players” British Journal of Sports Medicine.
17
Can a girl use this?
Can a girl use this?
Can a girl use this program?
First off, I completely understand that most girls don’t want to look like Cristiano Ronaldo. I understand
that most girls don’t want to end up looking bulky and have big muscles popping out, but that’s just
not how nutrition and our bodies work.
The intention for this program is to inform athletes about proper nutrition and how to increase muscle
mass and decrease body fat to a size and proportion that you think is ideal for football. The general
premise behind this program is that if you want to lose fat or a combo of fat and muscle you’ll enter
into a caloric deficit, if you want to gain muscle or weight in general you’ll enter into caloric surplus, or
if you want to maintain your current bodyweight, you stay in a caloric maintenance. All of those
principles still apply whether you are a girl or a boy.
What is different about girls and guys in regards to sculpting a football physique is the natural testosterone level in the body and the amount of fat our bodies naturally carry. Girls have lower levels of
testosterone than guys, especially post-puberty. Testosterone is a key determinant in the amount of
muscle our body can put on (this is why bodybuilders usually inject additional testosterone into their
bodies). So from a biological standpoint, girls will have much more difficulty putting on the same
amount of muscle than her male counterpart from the exact same workout and diet program. Girls
also naturally carry a higher level of fat than guys, which makes it much more difficult for a girl to
develop a shredded physique like that of Cristiano Ronaldo.
So, what does this mean?
This means that as a girl you will utilize this program the exact same way that a guy utilizes this
program. You will find a female professional footballer who has a body that you want to emulate and
you will compare her body to yours.
You will gauge whether you need to cut fat, gain muscle, gain size in general, lose size in general or
do some combination of the four and you will develop a nutritional plan accordingly. Your meal plan
will still be based off the basics of a caloric deficit to cut weight, caloric surplus to gain weight, and a
caloric maintenance to maintain weight, but the calculations will just be slightly different for your
specific body.
In terms of the weightlifting and fitness programs, you should understand that women’s professional
teams usually do the exact same exercises and routines the men’s professional teams do. You just
have to realize that in terms of building muscle and gaining strength you are genetically at a disadvantage.
The idea that if a girl touches a dumbbell or does a similar workout program to a guy will mean she
turns into a female bodybuilder is completely wrong. Your goal should be to develop an ideal female
football physique using the exact same principles and tactics that are described in this booklet.
21
Diet basics
Diet Basics
General Diet
In this book, I want to assume that you know the basics of what makes up a healthy
diet. I don’t want to go in depth about why potato chips aren’t as good as an apple. I
don’t want to spend my time (or yours) talking about how athletes should eat food
rich in protein because it builds up muscle, because all that stuff can easily be found
online anywhere and I want this book to cover more advanced topics. I want you to
feel like you really gained knowledge from this book and have learned something
you didn’t already know. I will briefly go over the basics of a diet, but I will quickly be
moving on to the advanced topics such as calculating macros for your specific
age/goals/body. If you do not know the very basics of nutrition, then I suggest you
spend some time researching on your own before progressing much further in this
book.
All general diet information about what’s healthy and what’s not can be summed up
in one sentence: focus on real, whole foods.
Focus on real, whole foods
Lean sources
of protein
Unsaturated
fats
Complex
carbs
Organic chicken,
turkey, beans,
tuna, eggs,
shrimp, tilapia,
tofu, salmon, lean
ground beef, etc.
Olive oil, mixed
nuts, fish oils such
as salmon, avocados, peanut butter,
sunflower oil,
seeds, etc.
Green vegetables,
whole-grain products, brown rice,
quinoa, sweet
potatoes, beans,
lentils, peas, etc.
FRUITS AND
VEGGIES
water
Pretty self-explan- NOT FRUIT JUICE
atory, but apples,
bananas, broccoli,
asparagus, pears,
zucchini, etc.
23
Diet Basics
FOOD = Calories
CALOries are a unit of energy. Food is energy for our bodies to
function.
Calories
Calories can be broken up into macro and micronutrients
Macronutrients
Micronutrients
required in relatively large amounts
required in trace amounts by organisms
WAter
Protein
Fats
Carbs
VItamins
Minerals
Water: Your body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature
and maintain other bodily functions.
Protein: Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make
enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones,
muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
Fats: Your body uses fats for a multitude of purposes from providing energy to producing
hormones. You wouldn't be able to digest and absorb food properly without lipids (fats).
Carbs: Your body’s digestive system changes carbohydrates into glucose, also known as blood
sugar. Some glucose is used for energy and the rest is stored in the liver and muscles for later
use.
Vitamins + Minerals: Vitamins and minerals are considered essential nutrients—because
acting in concert, they perform hundreds of roles in the body. They help shore up bones, heal
wounds, and bolster your immune system. They also convert food into energy, and repair cellular damage.
24
Determining your needs
c a lc u l at i n g yo u r n e e d s
Calculating your needs
The first step in calculating our caloric, protein, carbohydrate, and fat needs is to
calculate our Basal Metabolic Rate.
BASAL MEtabolic rate
Your Basal Metabolic Rate, or BMR, is the rate at which you expend energy over
time while at rest. Basically, this is the minimum amount of calories that your body
would need to consume in order to keep yourself alive while not performing any
activity at all. As an athlete, it is very useful to be able to calculate your BMR so that
you can accurately create a diet plan for yourself and your goals.
Unfortunately, calculating our BMR accurately requires sophisticated equipment
used in a highly controlled testing environment. We can however use calculations to
determine a highly educated guess of what our BMR would be and base a diet plan
around that. We then can tweak and alter the plan as we see fit depending on how
our body reacts.
Calculating your Basal Metabolic rate
1. Measure your height in centimeters.
2. Measure your weight in kilograms.
3. Plug your numbers into the equation below:
For Men: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) + 6
For Women: BMR = (10 × weight in kg) + (6.25 × height in cm) - (5 × age in years) - 161
EX) My Calculation: BMR = (10 x 76.3 kg) + (6.25 x 184 cm) - (5 x 25 years) + 6
My BMR = 1794 calories per day
This means that if I stayed in bed all day every single day and did no activity at all, I would need
to consume 1794 calories per day to just keep myself alive and functioning.
35
Calculating your Macros
Calculate Carbohydrate requirement Examples
1) Let’s say that Bulking Matt wants to consume 3395 calories in total. He also wants to get 170
g/protein a day and 90g of fat a day.
g of Carbs = [(3395) - [(170 x 4 calories) + (90 x 9 calories)]] / 4
g of Carbs = [(3395) - [(680) + (810)]] / 4
g of Carbs = [3395 - 1490] / 4
g of Carbs = 1905 / 4
g of Carbs = 476.25
2) Let’s say that Maintenance Matt wants to consume 3000 calories in total. He also wants to get 170
g/protein a day and 90g of fat a day.
g of Carbs = [(3000) - [(170 x 4 calories) + (90 x 9 calories)]] / 4
g of Carbs = [(3000) - [(680) + (810)]] / 4
g of Carbs = [3000 - 1490] / 4
g of Carbs = 1510 / 4
g of Carbs = 377.5
3) Let’s say that Cutting Matt wants to consume 2595 calories in total. He also wants to get 200
g/protein a day and we are now lowering our fat to just 75g of fat a day to make room for more daily
carbs.
g of Carbs = [(2595) - [(200 x 4 calories) + (75 x 9 calories)]] / 4
g of Carbs = [(2595) - [(800) + (675)]] / 4
g of Carbs = [2595 - 1475] / 4
g of Carbs = 1120 / 4
g of Carbs = 280
43
Counting calories
Empty Calories vs. Nutrient Dense Calories
Empty calories are foods that take up large spaces in your stomach with little benefit
to macro or micronutrients. Think of popcorn, chips, iceberg lettuce, white bread,
crackers, etc. For the most part you want to avoid these, but they can be used effectively to make you feel full while trying to cut fat and when consumed immediately
before games as a quick digesting form of simple carbs.
Nutrient dense foods are foods that take up relatively small spaces in your stomach
with high levels of macro and micronutrients. Think of lean ground turkey, quinoa,
brown rice, vegetables, fruit, salmon, olive oil, eggs, etc. For the most part you want
to consume these as an athlete, but they can also easily be consumed in excess and
lead to weight gain.
When attempting to build muscle you will need to be in a caloric surplus. For many
athletes this is challenging as they constantly will feel full during the day. If you are
experiencing this problem, you have to focus on nutrient dense foods that will give
you the best macros and micronutrients in relation to the space they take up in your
stomach. Loading up on a huge iceberg salad and light dressing with popcorn and
chips on the side will fill you up, but will give you barely any good macro nutrients or
calories, but consuming a salmon fillet drizzled in olive oil, with brown rice, and a
sweet potato you’ll be less full with so many more beneficial macros and calories. By
focusing on nutrient dense foods you will be able to eat less food and feel less full
throughout the day while still hitting you high macronutrient and micronutrient goals.
When attempting to cut fat you will need to be in a caloric deficit. For many athletes
this is challenging as they will constantly be hungry during the day or won’t consume
the right foods to provide enough energy for their trainings or games. If you are
experiencing this problem, you should still consume nutrient dense foods, but you
can try to utilize healthy empty calorie foods to your advantage. Think of a huge
iceberg lettuce salad with cucumbers, broccoli, celery, carrots, peas, and a can of
tuna (not empty calorie food, but a healthy one with great macros) and light balsamic
vinegar dressing. It’s a HUGE bowl of salad and will make you feel full, but you won’t
actually be consuming that many calories. The calories in the salad would be equivalent to a small bag of fries from McDonald’s which wouldn’t fill you up at all. So
when cutting, focus on using these healthy, empty calories to your advantage.
44
C r e at i n g a M e a l P l a n
How I count as I go
Most people have the hardest time hitting their protein requirements. They can easily
go over in fats and carbs, but often will under consume protein. Therefore, most
nutritionists recommend to focus your meals around lean sources of protein.
Follow along with my “Count as I go” technique
First, I’ll have already entered in my goals of 2,800 calories, 150g protein, 350g
carbs, and 90g fats into the app.
Breakfast: I’ll make 4 eggs loaded with spinach and mushrooms and cooked in
butter, 2 bananas on the side, and maybe a scoop of protein powder in a big glass
of water.
I’ll then head into MyFitnessPal and enter in the food.
Lunch: I’ll have a can of tuna with some hot sauce, salt, pepper, I’ll have a few servings of berries and maybe some almonds
I’ll then head into MyFitnessPal and enter in the food, but check to make sure I am
on track to reach my goals by the end of the day.
Dinner: I’ll have a big dinner of chicken cooked in olive oil, brown rice, and lots of
steamed veggies with a big glass of chocolate milk.
I’ll head into MyFitnessPal and again enter in the food.
I’ll now check to see how I am stacking up with my macros. Since, I am in a maintenance, I’ll be okay going slightly over or slightly under in any of the categories.
I might find that I am slightly over in fats and lower in carbs and protein. So what I’ll
do is I’ll make a protein shake with 2 scoops of protein powder and a ton of spinach
and fruit to increase my protein and carb consumption for the day.
I’ll add everything into MyFitnessPal and now see that I am now slightly over in protein, just under in carbs, and slightly over in fats. I am now happy with my macros for
the day and can sleep soundly.
49
How I create my meal plan
Follow Along as I make my Meal plan
So let’s say I want to make a meal plan for my current maintenance goal of 2,800 calories,
150g protein, 350g carbs, and 89g fats.
First, I know I want to make a meal plan around an egg scramble in the morning because
I love eggs. I know I want a ton of fruit and veggies for majority of my carbs, but also want
more complex carbs such as brown rice/pasta. I love the simplicity of chicken breast,
veggies, and brown rice for dinner and I know for lunch I love to eat a pasta type meal.
So this will be the general structure that I go with.
Breakfast: I’ll start with 5 eggs, 1 tbs butter, 2 cups spinach, 1 cup white mushrooms, a
banana, 1 cup watermelon.
Macros so far: 643 cals, 38g protein, 53g carbs, and 31g fat.
Lunch: 2 servings shrimp, 1 serving whole wheat pasta, 1/2 cup alfredo sauce, apple,
and banana
Macros so far: 1474 cals, 94g protein, 162g carbs, and 50g fat.
Dinner: 1 1/2 chicken breast, 1 tbs olive oil, 1 cup brown rice, 2 cups veggies cooked in 1
tbs olive oil
Macros so far: 2213 cals, 139 protein, 223 carbs, and 85g fat
Now, I see that I still am pretty low in carbs and protein. So I now will add a snack
between breakfast and lunch.
After workout snack: I’ll go with a big protein shake with 1/2 scoop of protein powder, 3
cups of mixed berries, banana, and spinach as well as 4 rice cakes on the side.
Macros so far: 2848 cals, 161 protein, 353 carbs, and 88g fat
There we go. That’s a great meal plan full of variety that hits my macros and I’ll actually
enjoy eating. It’s not exactly perfect, but it’s close enough for my goal of maintenance.
50
SAmple Meal Plans
Maintenance
If you remember back to the calculation of our macronutrients, Maintenance Matt needs to consume
3000 calories in total in order to maintain his current weight. He also wants to get 170 g of protein,
90g of fat, and 377g of carbs a day.
My Meal Plan
Breakfast: 2 servings of smoked salmon on two slices of wheat toast, raspberries, cantaloupe,
honeydew, protein shake with 1 scoop plant-based protein
Macros so Far: Calories = 732 kcal, Protein = 57g, Carbs = 99g, Fat = 12g
Snack 1: 5 pieces of celery with almond butter, 1/2 bell pepper
Macros so Far: Calories = 1072 kcal, Protein = 75g, Carbs = 121g, Fat = 32g
Lunch: Greek Yogurt with Granola and Banana, apple, and carrots
Macros so Far: Calories = 1708 kcal, Protein = 102g, Carbs = 235g, Fat = 40g
Dinner: Ground Turkey cooked in 1 tbs Olive Oil, White Rice, Asparagus, Mixed Salad with Avocado
Macros So Far: Calories = 2422 kcal, Protein = 143g, Carbs = 287g, Fat = 78g
Snack 2: Protein Shake with 1 scoop Plant based Protein, 4 rice cakes, apple, and 2 Nectarines.
Macros So Far: Calories = 3020 kcal, Protein = 172g, Carbs = 385g, Fat = 88g
Total Calories: 3020 kcal
Total Macros: Protein = 172g, Carbs = 385g, Fat = 88g
Notice how these macros are not exactly what we were aiming for; like mentioned before we determined these macros based upon an educated estimation of what your body needs so it’s not necessary to create a meal plan that exactly reaches those numbers. The goal is to get close to the calorie
and macro goal each day. In general, if you are aiming to gain weight it’s better to overshoot your
target macros and if you are aiming to lose weight it’s better to undershoot your target macros.
Again, after 4 weeks if you are not seeing results (1 lb gained/lost per week), or you are gaining/losing
weight when you want to be maintaining, then it’s time to adjust your macros accordingly.
54
S n ac ks a n d C h e at M e a ls
Healthy Snacks
Healthy Ideas
When many people think of healthy meals they think of meals that require a lot of cooking or prep
work. This becomes discouraging when many of you are at school or work all day and don’t have the
time to be in the kitchen for hours preparing healthy meals. Here are a list of very easy healthy snacks
that can be prepared the night before or morning of, can be stored away for most of the day, and can
be eaten quickly during the day.
Healthy Meal Ideas
Avocado, Chicken Chop Salad: Can’t go wrong with chicken breast as a good source of protein,
healthy fats from the avocado, and tons of good carbs and micronutrients from the mixed greens.
Ground Turkey, Guacamole, Spinach Wrap: Great source of lean protein from the turkey, healthy
fats from the guacamole, some decent carbs from the wrap, and tons of vitamins and minerals from
the greens.
Smoked Salmon and Crackers: Salmon is a great source of protein and healthy fatty acids. Pair that
with some decent carbs from some crackers and you have a great meal.
Chicken, Guacamole, Spinach Sandwich on Wheat Bread: Just a simple sandwich with great
macronutrients.
Healthy Snack Ideas
Peanut/Almond Butter and Banana/Apple/Celery/Bread: High in healthy fats, carbs, and protein.
Hard Boiled Eggs: Super easy source of protein.
Rice Cakes: Good carbs straight from a bag.
Any Fruit: Can’t go wrong with any fruit as a source of carbs.
Cut-Up Bell Peppers: Very low calorie, but very good snack full of vitamins and minerals.
Hummus and Carrots/Celery: High in protein and healthy fats.
Cottage Cheese: One of the best sources of protein that you can get.
Pre-made Protein Shake: Quick, easy, reliable. Just don’t rely on them for all your protein!
Mixed Nuts: Healthy fats and high in protein!
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Supplements
Supplement overview
Are they Necessary?
There is never a NEED for supplements. You can get everything you possibly need through a proper
diet, but sometimes you might find that you have trouble consuming enough of a certain macro or
micronutrient. In those times, supplements can be great for exactly what the name implies… supplementing a healthy diet
Remember the car example from the beginning of this booklet? Well, imagine supplements as like a
NOS Turbo Booster for your car. By now you know that if you get your caloric needs and macronutrient requirements in check then you can build the beautiful exterior of a Ferrari. You also know that if
the calories you are consuming are coming from a diverse array of healthy, natural foods then your
engine will perform the way a Ferrari engine should perform.
Well, imagine supplements as a NOS Booster; that red button that you can hit to make the car accelerate just a little bit faster.
If you have a beat-up Honda Accord (you aren’t tracking your macros and are consuming unhealthy
foods) and add a NOS Booster to it, you’ll still get demolished by a Ferrari with proper gasoline and oil
even if the Ferrari doesn’t have a NOS Booster.
However, if you have two identical Ferraris with the same oil, gas, engine, upkeep, etc., but one has a
NOS Booster then the Ferrari with the NOS Booster will just slightly come out ahead.
Does that make sense? Adding supplements to an improper diet is like adding a NOS booster to a
Honda Accord. It’ll help, but you’re better off just with the Ferrari.
Now having said all that, I have definitely used my fair share of supplements and continue to use
supplements to this day. I have found some great benefits and effects from doing so, but I’ve also
wasted hundreds of dollars testing them out. In the next few pages, I have compiled a list of my
personal experiences as well as the current scientific data supporting/disproving some of the most
popular supplements out there.
As with everything, do your own research and talk to your own doctor before starting any new supplement or diet. Finally, if you truly believe that a certain supplement is helping you out despite what is
said by me or the science, then continue taking it.
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Protein Powder
Whey Protein Powder
My Rating: 9/10
My Experience: I try to get all my protein from real food sources, but if I find that I am short on protein
throughout the day, then I love using whey protein powder as a quick and easy source of high quality
protein. It mixes easy and generally tastes pretty good, but can be expensive.
What does the science say?: Whey protein classifies as a complete protein, meaning it contains all
nine of the amino acids necessary for human dietary needs. The two main proteins in dairy are casein
and whey. They are digested and absorbed at different rates, with whey appearing more quickly in
the bloodstream. Whey protein is of particular interest because it appears to have a stronger anabolic
effect on muscle growth, thanks to a higher content of a specific essential amino acid called leucine.
There is a downside to protein supplements as they can move the focus away from the undisputed
benefits of a varied training diet. People who are allergic to dairy products could react to whey protein
and so should avoid it.
Casein Protein Powder
My Rating: 7/10
My Experience: I sometimes like consuming casein protein as my late night snack before I go to bed
to get the slow release of amino acids over night, but to be honest didn’t find a huge difference when
I did that in comparison to the cheaper and more accessible whey protein powder. It’s a great
supplement, but just for convenience sake I stick with whey.
What does the science say?: Casein is the main protein found in milk. Similar to other animal
proteins, casein is a complete protein, providing generous amounts of essential amino acids. However, it is digested more slowly than most other animal proteins, resulting in a more prolonged release of
amino acids into the bloodstream. People who are allergic to dairy products could react to casein
protein and so should avoid it.
Soy Protein Powder
My Rating: 6/10
My Experience: I tested out soy protein when I tested out eliminating dairy products from my diet, but
just found soy to taste so much worse than whey. This, in addition to the amino acid profile has led
me to stick with whey over soy.
What does the science say?: To create soy protein, manufacturers grind soybeans into a meal
which contains no hulls or fat. This soybean meal is then processed into soy protein isolate. Both soy
and whey protein are “complete” proteins, meaning that they contain these nine essential amino
acids. However, they differ slightly in their relative concentrations of the essential amino acids. For
example, whey protein tends to be higher in leucine, isoleucine, methionine, and lysine. In contrast,
soy protein is higher than whey protein in arginine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan. Because lysine
has been associated with muscle growth and methionine with accelerated fat loss, many people
choose whey protein for its superior profile of these amino acids.
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C a r d i o + P ly o m e t r i c s
Cardio overview
Can you gain weight while still doing cardio?
Yes, gaining and losing weight is just a math equation. Imagine if my Daily Caloric Need to maintain
my current weight is 3,000 calories. If I want to gain weight, then I will need to consume 3,250-3,500
calories a day. If I start to add a cardio routine to my life I will then be burning more calories. Let’s say
that during my new daily cardio routine I burn 150 calories. I will now have a Daily Caloric Need of
3,150 calories in order to maintain at my current bodyweight. If I want to gain weight then I need to
consume 3,400-3,650 calories per day in order to gain weight.
Can you lose weight without any cardio?
Yes, gaining and losing weight is just a math equation. Imagine if my Daily Caloric Need to maintain
my current weight is 3,000 calories. If I want to lose weight, then I will need to consume 2,500-2,750
calories a day. You don’t need to do cardio if you don’t want to. Additional cardio will just mean you
will burn more calories and you can then afford to eat more calories and still lose weight. For example,
if you decide to start implementing a cardio routine and are now burning 150 calories a day, then now
you can consume 2,650-2,900 calories a day and still lose weight.
OR let’s say that you were doing cardio before, but now you want to stop doing cardio. Now, in this
case, you will be burning less calories than before and you now need to consume less calories as
well. Let’s say I used to have a daily cardio routine where I would burn 150 calories. To lose weight I
would need to consume 2,500-2,750 calories a day. If I stopped that cardio program, I will now need
to consume 150 calories less, so 2,350-2,600 calories a day in order to lose weight.
Steady State Cardio vs high intensity interval cardio
Steady state cardio refers to cardio that is done over long periods of time at a constant speed such
as going for a 5 mile walk, biking for 30 minutes at 20 mph, running 3 miles under 18 minutes. That is
all steady state because you are doing the entire workout at a steady speed.
High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT refers to cardio that is done at a high exertion for a short
duration, then a 30-90s rest period occurs, and then you repeat for multiple intervals.
In terms of a calories-in vs calories-out perspective there isn’t really much difference at the moment of
the workout (e.g. burning 200 calories walking is the exact same as burning 200 calories doing
sprints), but once your HIIT workout is over, your body will continue burning calories as it cools down.
This is known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), or the afterburn effect. HIIT also
tends to break down more lean muscle tissue, which then needs to be built back up. As a result, your
body will require more energy to help your muscle tissues recover and rebuild.
In terms of an athletic perspective, obviously sprint intervals will help you more athletically on the field
than going for a 3 mile walk, but steady state cardio definitely has it’s time and place.
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Stretching + Mobility
Pre Workout
Dynamic or static?
Dynamic stretching should be done before a workout, training, or match. This is because it helps
prepare your body for the specific movements, it elevates your heart rate, and it increases body
temperature which allows your muscles to move more efficiently. Studies have shown that static
stretching before an athletic event or vigorous activity can reduce your strength and power.
Pre-workout dynamic Stretching routine
Place two cones 20-30 yards apart from each other and have
players perform the following exercises/movements in a
looped run around the cones
1. Slow Jog There and Back - 2x
2. Light Skip with Arm Swings There and Back - 1x
3. Medium Jog There, Backwards Jog Back - 1x
4. Side Shuffle Right There, Side Shuffle Left Back - 1x
5. Carioca Right There, Carioca Left Back - 1x
6. High Knees There, Jog Back - 1x
7. Buttkickers There, Jog Back - 1x
8. Leg Swings with Toe Touches There, Leg Swings Across Body Back - 1x
9. Forward Lunges with Twist There, Side Lunges Back - 1x
10. Knee to Chest Stretch, Three steps, Repeat There, Jog Back - 1x
11. Quad Stretch, Three Steps, Repeat There, Jog Back -1x
12. Single Leg Hamstring Stretch There, Jog Back - 1x
13. Three Steps, Deep Squat, Jump, Repeat There, Jog Back - 1x
14. Three Steps, Fake Header, Repeat There, Jog Back - 1x
15. Three Quick Steps Forward, Three Quick Steps Backward, 75% Run There, Jog Back - 1x
16. Three Quick Steps Right, Three Quick Steps Left, 90% Run There, Jog Back - 1x
17. Three Big Knees to Chest Jumps, 90% Run There, Jog Back - 2x
18. Full Sprint There, Jog Back - 1x
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Training styles
Strength Training
Strength Training
As the name implies, the goal of strength training is to develop strength and power.
Progression: Progression is tracked through the amount of weight lifted. Usually the rep range will
remain below five and the only goal is to lift more weight than you did in the previous workout or
previous week.
Rest: Since the main goal is to lift heavier and heavier weights, very long rest times are used to allow
the body more time to recover for the next set. Since your only goal is to exert max force and not
about conditioning, 3-5 minutes between sets is not uncommon in this style of training.
Rep Range: The rep range is usually very low. They range anywhere between 1-6 reps and often are
done for a high number sets to increase the total volume of the training session.
Weight: Heavy weights are always used; sometimes the weight approaches the maximum weight
possible for 1 rep. (1 rep max).
General Exercise Focus: Compound exercises involving barbells and multiple muscle groups such
as Squats, Deadlifts, Bench Press, OH Press, Barbell Rows, etc.
Pros to this Style: It is the most efficient way to develop raw and athletic strength. The compound
exercises force the entire body to work as one and it greatly benefits athletic performance especially
in vertical leap and short distance sprints.
Cons to this Style: The longer rest times and slower lifting style is not very applicable to the
fast-paced, constant action of a soccer match, the use of a barbell doesn’t allow for unilateral training
(the training of one leg or arm at a time), and the heavy weights can be extremely taxing on muscles,
joints, and ligaments over time which can lead to many overuse injuries.
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Olympic style Training
Olympic style Training
Overview: Very similar to strength training in that heavy weights are used in compound exercises, but
the movements in this style are far more dynamic and explosive.
Progression: Just like strength training, progress is tracked through the amount of weight lifted week
after week.
Rest: Since the main goal is to lift heavier and heavier weights, longer rest times are used to allow the
body more time to recover strength for the next set. Again, rest periods between 3-5 minutes are not
uncommon in this style of training.
Rep Range: The rep range is usually very low. They range anywhere between 1-5 reps
Weight: Heavier weights are usually used; sometimes even approaching the maximum weight
possible for 1 rep. (1 rep max).
General Exercise Focus: Compound, explosive exercises such as the Power Clean, Hang Clean,
Clean and Jerk, Snatch, Hang Snatch, etc.
Pros to this Style: It is a very efficient method to develop explosive strength and fast-twitch muscle
fibers. The compound exercises force the entire body to work as one and the explosive nature of the
exercises forces the body to produce incredible amounts of force in a very short amount of time.
HUGELY beneficial when working to develop speed, acceleration, and increase vertical jump.
Cons to this Style: Much like strength training, the longer rest times is not very applicable to the
fast-paced, constant action of a soccer match and many of the movements require a high degree of
practice and knowledge to perform correctly. These are some of the most technical lifts done in the
gym which can require years to master and therefore can be dangerous when done by inexperienced
athletes without proper guidance or supervision. Again, heavier weights are often used and it can be
very taxing on muscles, joints, and ligaments over the long term and can lead to overuse injuries as
well.
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Customize your training
Training Overview
How to pick the right style for you
I think that everybody knows deep down what their specific strengths and weaknesses are when it
comes to their game, body, or athleticism. I constantly challenge you to focus on improving the weak
points of your game with the ultimate goal of making them your strong points. I was always tiny and
weak as a teenager, so I focused mainly on strength, Olympic, and hypertrophy style training while
implementing the other training styles as well until size and strength became some of the best parts of
my game.
I also think that the time of the year (offseason, preseason, in-season) should play a role into your
style of training. You wouldn’t necessarily want to start an intense 6 day a week strength or Olympic
lifting regimen during the middle of the season nor would you want to focus on a cardio or fat loss
program at the start of your offseason. You should tailor your training style to your goals, season, age,
etc.
Mix it up... but not too often
Again, I suggest that you mix up your training style or training regimen every 8 weeks so that after you
experience a decent progression in one style of training you can move to another style that might
challenge you in a different way. This constant varying of training styles will help you become a very
balanced and well-rounded athlete. Even with the soccer specific training programs in this book,
which are more balanced than many other weightlifting workouts, I still think you should be switching
them up after 8 weeks of progression.
Progression
Like stated before, no matter what workout style you choose to go with progression is the main key
behind any program. Every single week you should aim to make your workout harder and more
intense either by increasing the reps, sets, weights, time under tension, etc. or by decreasing the rest
time. Progression week after week is what gets you to improve. Nobody ever improved by doing the
same workout every single week.
Combining different styles
The training regimens in this ebook all have specific focuses, but they are different from many weightlifting programs since our end goal is to perform on the field. They all have a specific focus, but they
all incorporate aspects from other training styles as well. For example, the Hypertrophy Focus
Program will also have some stability exercises in it to make sure that your stabilizers in your knees
and ankles don’t weaken over time. The same concept applies to the Functional Focus Program. It will
have a functional focus, but will still have some traditional barbell exercises to work on raw strength
and power. They are all balanced training programs with a shift towards a specific focus.
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Training based on season
Training based on season
In Season: Training in season is extremely difficult. You want to progress and make the workouts
more difficult, but you have to be extremely careful to not get too sore so that it inhibits your ability to
perform in a game or training. You also need to be cautious to workout when your body is still in the
recovery phase from a game. It feels like a constant, never-ending struggle of not being able to
workout because you are letting your body recover from the previous game OR not being able to
workout because you don’t want your body to be too sore for the next game.
My Solution: You want to benefit from the workout without getting so sore that it will affect your
training. The trick is to ramp up the intensity from the previous week’s workouts very, very slightly. If
you haven’t worked out last week or the week before.. or the week before, then you need to start
incredibly light so that you barely even break a sweat. This way you won’t get overly sore the next
day. Then the next session ramp up the intensity ever so slightly. I have been able to slowly ramp up
the intensity of my workouts over a long period of time without taking a break, so that I am able to lift
heavy weights or do incredibly difficult sessions with just minor soreness the next day.
You also have to realize that there are just going to be those weeks where the team trainings or
games are just so strenuous that it makes it incredibly hard to work out in the gym. During these
weeks, I prefer to just head into the gym and do some very light maintenance work such as push-ups,
pull-ups, planks, and maybe some stretching and/or yoga. Nothing that is going to get my body tired
for the next day. To sum up, listen to your body, but slowly ramp up the intensity of the workouts so
soreness is very minor. Do not jump head first into a training regimen in the middle of a season and
have sore legs for the next 4-5 days. You are in this for the long haul, not for immediate results.
Offseason: This is a great time to train and work on your physique/strength/goals as you have no
worry about training too hard and getting too sore for an upcoming game or team training. This time
period is where I mainly focus on increasing strength, explosion, power, and working to any physique
goals that I have.
Just as a general disclaimer: I always advise athletes to take at least 1-2 weeks completely off from
activity immediately after the end of the season to allow your body to recover and rejuvenate before
starting any offseason program. This week or two gives your body time to recover any areas that
might be weakening from a season’s worth of trainings, workouts, and games.
Preseason: This is a great time to cut some excess fat and improve your stamina/fitness to prepare
yourself for the rigorous upcoming season. I tend to shift my weightlifting focus from strength, explosion, power to more of circuit style training that gets me also working the cardiovascular aspect of my
game as well to better prepare for the upcoming demands of preseason. I like to start cutting down
rest times, dropping the weight slightly, and increasing the reps to the muscular endurance side of
training.
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The programs
The programs
General Focus
Overview: A general program implementing techniques and aspects from all training styles for the
footballer not looking for a specific focus.
Format: 4 gym sessions per week + 2 fitness sessions per week
Recommended Season: All seasons
Functional focus
Overview: A more soccer-specific program utilizing functional movements for the footballer mainly
looking for practical workouts that directly translate to the field.
Format: 3 gym sessions per week + 3 fitness sessions per week
Recommended Season: All seasons
Power focus
Overview: A strength program mostly comprised of Olympic and powerlifting movements for the footballer mainly looking to improve overall strength, power, explosion.
Format: 4 gym sessions per week + 2 fitness sessions per week
Recommended Season: Offseason
Hypertrophy focus
Overview: A hypertrophy program comprised of large compound movements, a few isolation exercises,
and higher reps for the footballer mainly looking to gain muscle mass and size.
Format: 5 gym sessions per week + 2 fitness sessions per week
Recommended Season: Offseason
Shred focus
Overview: A circuit style program made up of a variation of movements with an emphasis on shorter rest
times and higher intensity workouts for the footballer looking to cut fat and improve fitness.
Format: 3 gym sessions per week + 4 fitness sessions per week
Recommended Season: Preseason
.
Maintenance focus
Overview: A lighter workload program implementing mostly stability type exercises to maintain strength
and prevent injuries during season.
Format: 3 gym sessions per week + 1 fitness sessions per week
Recommended Season: In Season
Bodyweight focus
Overview: A program implementing only bodyweight exercises for the footballer who may not have
access to a gym, but still looking to get stronger.
Format: 4 workout sessions per week + 2 fitness sessions per week
Recommended Season: All seasons
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General Focus
general focus | Gym
Week 5-8, Day 2
This is an upper body focused gym session. There are elements of strength building with large compound lifts, bodyweight movements, circuits/supersets, some stability work, and even a few exercises aimed at hypertrophy.
Drill/Exercise
Sets
Hang Clean
4
Reps/time
6-8
rest
Main focus Element
90s
Power
Superset
Single Arm Cable Row
3
10 each arm
10s
Strength + Stability
Incline DB Bench Press
3
6-8
60s
Functional Strength
Plank to Push-Up Holds
3
60s
10s
Stability + Core Activation
Inverted Rows
3
12
10s
Functional Strength
Barbell Good Mornings
3
10
10s
Strength
3
12
10s
Functional Power
Clap Push-Ups
3
MAX
10s
Functional Power
Med Ball Slams
3
12
10s
Functional Power
Battle Ropes - Alternate
3
30s
10s
Muscular Endurance
DB Lateral Raise
3
10-12
90s
Hypertrophy
Pull-Ups
As Needed
50
As Needed
Circuit Style
Med Ball Wall Squat Throws
Strength + Muscular Endurance
All exercise and drill descriptions can be found in the Gym and Fitness Glossaries at the end of the eBook.
108
general focus | Fitness
Week 1-4, Day 1
This fitness routine is going to mainly be focused around mid-long distance fast paced runs. The goal should be to
decrease the time it takes you to finish each exercise each week of the four weeks. Progression. (1 lap refers to one lap
around an Olympic track which is 400m or .25 mile)
Drill/Exercise
Sets
Reps/time
rest
Running Speed
Run 2 Laps
2
Aim for Under 3:00
3 mins
Fast Run
Run 1.5 Laps
1
Aim for Under 2:00
2 mins
Fast Run
Run 1 Lap
1
Aim for Under 1:30
2 mins
Fast Run
Run .5 Lap
2
Aim for Under 0:40
1 min
Full Sprint
Run .25 Lap
4
Aim for Under 0:15
1 min
Full Sprint
Run 1 Mile
1
Aim for Under 6:30
N/A
Decent Pace
All exercise and drill descriptions can be found in the Gym and Fitness Glossaries at the end of the eBook.
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Functional Focus
functional focus | Gym
Week 1-4, Day 1
This is a functional, lower body focused gym session. All of these exercises are aimed to help you perform on the field in
one way or another.
Drill/Exercise
Sets
Reps/time
rest
Main focus Element
4
15
10s
Strength + Stability
4
10 each leg
60s
Functional Strength
Bulgarian Split Squat
3
10 each leg
10s
Functional Strength + Power
Single Arm Kettle Bell Swings
3
10 each arm
60s
Functional Power
Pistol Squats
2
MAX each leg
10s
Functional Strength + Stability
Single Leg RDL
2
12 each leg
60s
Functional Strength + Stability
Squat Jump onto Bosu Ball
2
10
10s
Balance + Injury Prevention
Single Leg Squats (Clockwork)
2
12 each leg
60s
Balance + Functional Strength
Med Ball Slams
2
15
15s
Functional Power
Skater Jumps
2
10 each leg
15s
Balance + Injury Prevention
Med Ball Twist Wall Throws
2
10 each side
15s
Functional Power
Knee Tuck Jumps
2
20
90s
Muscular Endurance
Superset
Goblet Squat
Single Leg Glute Bridge
Superset
Superset
Superset
Circuit Style
All exercise and drill descriptions can be found in the Gym and Fitness Glossaries at the end of the eBook.
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Functional focus | Fitness
Week 5-8, Day 1
This fitness routine is mainly going to be focused around short distance, agility drills. The goal should be to do each set
with full power and speed. Check the Fitness Glossary for an explanation and video of the drills.
Drill/Exercise
Sets
Reps/time
rest
5
1
20s
Full Sprint
5 each way
1
10s
Full Sprint
40 yd Varied Gated Sprint
5
1
30s
Full Sprint
Field Runs (Jog Ends, Sprint Sides)
1
4 Laps
2 minutes
Fast Paced Run
4
30s
30s
Full Effort
Shuttle Run (3, 5, 3, 10, 3, 5, 3)
Triangle Drill
Burpees
Main focus Element
All exercise and drill descriptions can be found in the Gym and Fitness Glossaries at the end of the eBook.
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Power Focus
Power focus | Gym
Week 5-8, Day 4
This is a lower body focused gym session. The main goal of this session is to increase strength and your ability to exert
force as quickly as possible.
Drill/Exercise
Sets
Reps/time
rest
Main focus Element
Front Squat
5
5
2-3 minutes
Power
Bulgarian Split Squats
5
6-8 each leg
2-3 minutes
Functional Strength
Seated Calf Machine
5
15-20
2-3 minutes
Functional Strength
Abduction Leg Machine
3
15
10s
Strength + Hypertrophy
Push-Ups One Hand Med Ball
3
20 each hand
2 minutes
Functional Power + Strength
Adduction Leg Machine
3
15
10s
Strength + Hypertrophy
Knee Tuck Jumps
3
12
2 minutes
Functional Power
Single Leg Glute Bridges
2
15 each leg
30s
Functional Strength
Back Extensions
2
20
30s
Functional Strength
Superset
Superset
All exercise and drill descriptions can be found in the Fitness and Gym Glossaries at the end of the eBook.
136
Power focus | Fitness
Week 1-4, Day 1
This fitness routine is going to mainly be focused around mid distance sprints and plyometric drills. You should be
exerting full power into each drill.
Drill/Exercise
Sets
Reps/time
rest
Running Speed
L-Drill
4 each way
1
90s
Full Sprint
Full Field Sprint
2
Aim for under 15s
2 minutes
Full Sprint
Shuttle Run (5, 10, 15)
3
1
90s
Full Sprint
Half Field Sprint
3
Aim for under 7s
2 minutes
Full Sprint
Jumping Lunges
3
8 each leg
90s
Full Power
18 yard Box Sprint
4
1
60s
Full Sprint
All exercise and drill descriptions can be found in the Fitness and Gym Glossaries at the end of the eBook.
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Hypertrophy Focus
Shred Focus
Maintenance Focus
Bodyweight Focus
gym glossary
Exercise Glossary
General Terms
Superset: A superset is when you alternate between two exercises in a given set. For example, in
this given superset:
Superset
Bench Dips 3 sets, 12 reps, 10s rest
Chin-Ups 3 sets, 10 reps, 60s rest
You would perform a set of 12 reps of Bench Dips. After completion of the 12 reps, you would rest for
10s, then immediately perform a set of 10 reps of Chin-Ups. You would rest for 60 seconds, then
perform another set of 12 reps of Bench Dips. You would continue this alternating pattern until you
have finished the required amount of sets for both exercises.
Circuit Style: A circuit is when you perform a set of every exercise in the set back to back until
you have completed the entire circuit. You then rest for a given amount of time, then start again from
the top and complete every exercise of the circuit again until you have completed the given amount of
sets. For example, in this given Circuit:
Superset
Bench Dips 3 sets, 12 reps, 10s rest
Chin-Ups 3 sets, 10 reps, 10s rest
Push-Ups 3 sets, 20 reps, 90s rest
You would perform a set of 12 reps of Bench Dips. After completion of the 12 reps, you would rest for
10s, then immediately perform a set of 10 reps of Chin-Ups. You would rest for 10 seconds, then
perform a set of 20 reps of Push-Ups. After completion of the 20 reps, you would rest for 90s, then
start the pattern again. You would continue this pattern until you have finished the required amount of
sets for all of the exercises.
Gym Terms
1,2 Bosu Ball Stick - Forward: Grab a Bosu Ball and place it on the ground about a yard in
front of you so that the ball is not touching the ground. You will then take two quick steps in place,
then jump off of one foot and land on the Bosu Ball with the other foot. The goal is to stick the landing
with your knee slightly bent and stabilize for a second or two. Then bound backwards to the starting
position, reset, and repeat. All focus should be on stability of the landing with little wobbling or instability. Example for forward and lateral: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFC9vikavdU
1,2 Bosu Ball Stick - Lateral: This is the same exact exercise as above except that you will
place the Bosu Ball a yard to your left or to your right. When the ball is on your left hand side you will
take the first step in place with your left foot, take a step in place with your right foot, bound off the
right foot to the left, then land and stick on the Bosu Ball with your left foot. Vice versa for the right.
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Abduction leg machine: Aims to strengthen the abductors.
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b97cvyH9sE
Adduction Leg Machine: Aims to strengthen the adductors.
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmRSV_n2E_0
Back Extensions: To do this exercise you’ll need the back extension piece of equipment, which
is the one where you lock in your heels and lean forward onto pads which come up to the hip. You will
then hinge forward all the way down so your head is almost at the floor and then raise up so your
whole body is straight using the lower back and hamstrings. You can hold onto a weight plate or
dumbbell for added resistance. Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph3pddpKzzw
Backwards DB Lunges: You will be standing and holding a dumbbell in each hand at your
sides. When ready, step backwards with your left foot and lunge downwards. Your right leg should be
at a 90 degree angle with your knee not in front of your toes. Your left knee should come down just
barely above the ground (do not tap the ground). Control the movement! You will then step forward to
return to the starting position and repeat the exercise this time stepping back with the right foot.
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9uAN6wo71U
Ball Overhead Crunch: Grab a soccer ball with both hands and lie flat on the ground on your
back. Raise the soccer ball above your head so your arms are extended straight and the ball is
touching the ground. When ready, simultaneously bring up your knees slightly past 90 degrees, raise
the ball back over your head and over your shins, and crunch forward using your abs. You will then
reset back to the starting position again and repeat.
Example at 0:54-0:58: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g4am4dX1xE
Band Monster Walks: Grab a resistance band or rubber tube and wrap it around your ankles.
Squat down slightly (about 45 degrees) and take a big step out laterally either to the left or to the
right, plant the foot, then step the same direction with the trailing leg. This is like doing a very slow
lateral shuffle. As you do this try to stay squatted down and aim to keep your head at the same height
with every step. The bigger the steps you take, the more resistance the band will provide.
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEuq4GdGYWc
Barbell Back Squat: A staple exercise for any soccer player. Head to a squat rack, place a
barbell across the back of your shoulders on your upper back then just squat down and back up.
Keep the back straight, neck in a neutral position (don’t look up at the ceiling), heels planted on the
ground, feet just greater than shoulder width apart, toes slightly pointed out, knees straight forward
slightly pushing out (Knees not turning inwards), and squat down to at least 90 degrees. Make sure
you master the form before moving on to heavier weights! Get an experienced trainer to help critique
and perfect your form! Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW_C1A-rejs
Barbell Bicep Curl: Grab a straight barbell or a slightly curved EZ bar with your palms facing
outwards away from you and stand up straight. With minimal swinging and momentum, curl the
barbell up towards your chest, pause for a split second, then lower back to the starting position. Try
to keep your elbows in the same position the entire time to act as a hinge.
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY1V6UbRHFM
Barbell Front Raise: Grab a straight barbell with your palms facing in towards you and stand
up straight. With minimal momentum and straight arms raise the barbell up towards the ceiling and
stop just above 90 degrees, pause for a split second, then lower back to the starting position. Try to
keep your shoulders in the same position the entire time to act as a hinge.
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxeY7kMYhLc
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Fitness glossary
Exercise glossary
General Terms
Superset: A superset is when you alternate between two exercises in a given set. For example, in
this given superset:
Superset
18 yard Box Sprint 3 sets, 1 rep, 10s rest
Burpees
3 sets, 30s, 60s rest
You would perform an 18 yard Box Sprint. After completion of the sprint, you would rest for 10s, then
immediately perform burpees for 30s. You would rest for 60 seconds, then perform another 18 yard
Box Sprint. You would continue this alternating pattern until you have finished the required amount of
sets for both exercises.
Circuit Style: A circuit is when you perform a set of every exercise in the set back to back until
you have completed the entire circuit. You then rest for a given amount of time, then start again from
the top and complete every exercise of the circuit again until you have completed the given amount of
sets. For example, in this given Circuit:
Superset
18 yard Box Sprint 3 sets, 1 rep, 10s rest
Burpees
3 sets, 30s, 10s rest
L-Drill
3 sets, 1 rep, 90s rest
You would perform an 18 yard Box Sprint. After completion of the sprint, you would rest for 10s, then
immediately perform burpees for 30s. Once again, you would rest for 10 seconds, then this time
perform a set of the L-Drill. Finally, you would rest for 90s and start the pattern again from the top of
the list. You would continue this circuit until you have finished the required amount of sets for all of the
exercises.
fitness Terms
18 yard Box Sprint: For this exercise simply start on the end line of the field. When ready you
will sprint out as fast as you can to the top of the 18 yard box. It is a very short sprint so the focus is
on power and acceleration.
18 yard Shuttles (3x): For this exercise start on the end line of the field. When ready you will
sprint out as fast as you can to the top of the 18 yard box, touch the line with your foot, and sprint
back towards the end line and again touch the line with your foot. You will repeat that pattern two
more times. This is a slightly longer sprint, but still the focus is on quick accelerations and change of
direction.
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40 yard Sprint (3 Point Stance): Mark out 40 yards on the field. If you are on a field with
American Football lines then simply start on the end line and sprint out until the 40 yard line. You will
start this sprint in a three point stance so that you have two feet and a single arm on the ground.
When ready you will sprint out the 40 yards as fast as you possibly can.
40 yard Varied Gated Sprint: Create a “gate” by placing two cones, one yard apart from
each other. Walk about 5-10 yards and place another “gate” on the ground. You will be creating a
running lane to sprint through. Continue to place a gate every 5 or so yards until you have a 40 yard
running lane, but vary up the placement of the gates so you aren’t just running in a straight line. When
ready start at one end of the lane and sprint through all the gates until you get to the very end. Challenge yourself so you have to make a variation of turns in both directions.
100m Sprints, 100m Jogs: For this exercise you should be on an Olympic running track, but it
can be done in any large area if you just measure out the required distances. When ready you will
slowly jog 100m around the track (1/4 of a lap), as soon as you complete the 100m you will sprint
100m as fast as you can. After sprinting 100m you will slowly jog another 100m. Finally, after jogging
100m you will sprint 100m one more time. At the completion of the second sprint you should now
have done full lap around the track. Repeat this exercise for the required time, laps, distance, or reps.
200m Sprints, 100m Jogs: For this exercise you should be on an Olympic running track, but it
can be done in any large area if you just measure out the required distances. When ready you will
slowly jog 100m around the track (1/4 of a lap), as soon as you complete the 100m you will sprint
200m (1/2 a lap) as fast as you can. After sprinting 200m you will slowly jog another 100m. At the
completion of the second jog you should now have done full lap around the track. Repeat this exercise for the required time, laps, distance, or reps
400m Run, 200m Jog: For this exercise you should be on an Olympic running track, but it can be
done in any large area if you just measure out the required distances. When ready you will slowly jog
200m around the track (1/2 of a lap), as soon as you complete the 200m you will sprint 400m (full lap)
as fast as you can. After sprinting 400m you will slowly jog another 200m, then again sprint 400m. At
the completion of the second sprint you should now have done three full laps around the track.
Repeat this exercise for the required time, laps, distance, or reps
Back Pedal to Sprint: For this exercise start by back pedaling about 5-10 yards as fast as you
can. After 5-10 yards of back pedaling, turn 180 degrees mid run and continue sprinting in the same
direction that you were back pedaling. Try to make this turn as fast and as fluid as possible!
Battle Ropes - Alternate: Hopefully you have access to some sort of rope that can be used
for these exercises, but if not you can replace this exercise with Burpees. Grab the end of the ropes,
place your feet about a foot wider than shoulder width, squat down slightly, then raise one of your
hands to head height, then at explosively switch your hands (bring one hand down and the other
hand up) and repeat for the allotted amount of time.
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKI7-veqxf0
Battle Ropes - Circles: Hopefully you have access to some sort of ropes that can be used for
these exercises, but if not you can replace this exercise with Divebomber Push-Ups (see Gym Glossary for definition and example). Grab the end of the ropes, place your feet about a foot wider than
shoulder width, squat down slightly, then draw large circles with the ends of the ropes to create a
circular wave effect in the ropes. Explosively repeat this over and over as fast as you can for the
allotted amount of time.
Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rhHwJkUMws
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