Strength Training for
Soccer Players
Steve Murray CSCS
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach
Macalester College
Overview
• Start Basic
– First years coming into program have separate workout
• Teach proper form and technique on all exercises
– Start basic on exercise selection and progress
– Develop proper movement patterns
• Address strength and flexibility imbalances
– Front to back
» Soccer players are generally Quad dominant
• Emphasis on posterior chain
» Flexibility Issues
• Hip Flexors, Hamstrings, IT Bands
– Side to side
» Dominant plant leg and contact leg
» Work towards unilateral movements
Overview
• Core Strength
– Kinetic Chain
» Weak core creates inefficiency with force production from
foot strike
» Higher Risk of Injury
» Would you rather open a can of paint with a screw driver
or a wet noodle
• Base Level of Strength
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Squat body weight
RDL 100% of body weight(80% 6 times)
3 min. plank
Properly perform all upper body exercises
Overview
• Goals – Once basic level of strength has been established
– Create strength and power through periodization
• Progress to lower reps and higher weights
• Progress exercises to be more explosive and complex
– Maintain muscle balance and flexibility
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Emphasis on posterior chain and unilateral movements
Dynamic warm up at the start of all workouts
Static Stretching at the end of each workout
Foam rolling incorporated into workouts
Overview
– Improve Proprioception and Balance
• Improve dynamic stabilization in joints through training the
central nervous systems
– Exercises designed for Proprioception training
– Incorporate balance into existing exercises
– Activation of Glutes and Abductors
– Continue to develop core strength
• Develop core through holds(planks), explosive
movement(throws), and endurance(high repitition)
Workout Outline
• Basics
– Full body workout 2 to 3 times per week
– One day is unilateral movements/stabilization and
balance
– Emphasis on ground based full body movements
– Emphasis on posterior chain
– Need to challenge themselves to failure in the
weight room
Workout Outline
• Activation
– During warm up we utilize exercises that activate the
glutes and other abductor muscles
• Glutes
– Bridges, Band Bridges, Single Leg Bridges
» Repitition or holds
» Prior to quad hip exercises
• Abductors
– Band Abduction Series, Step outs, Craby Lady, Body Weight Side
Kicks
» Also incorporated into Core and SAQ
Workout Outline
• Triple Extension – extension of the ankles, knees, and Hips
– Every explosive movement, from sprinting to
jumping involves the extension of the ankle, knee,
and hip
– Progress from body weight exercises to Hang
Cleans and Hang Snatches
– Can accomplish this without a weight room
• Med Ball Overhead Toss, Med Ball Hip Toss, Tire Flips,
Vertical Jumps, Broad Jumps, Lunge Jumps
Workout Outline
• Quad/Hip Movement
– Assess through body weight squat or overhead squat
• Decide starting point, progress to regular squats and advanced
squating movements
– Wall Squat, Assisted Squat, Body Weight Squat, Straight Arm
Squat, Overhead Squat, Back Squat, Front Squat, Single Leg Squat
– Must be able to squat body weight before moving on to advanced
movements or maxing out
– On stabilization/Unilateral movement days
• Start with step ups and lunge variations before progressing to
single leg squats
Workout Outline
• Upper Body Push Exercise
– Base level of upper body strength is needed to
assist with speed development and positioning on
the soccer field
– Exercises
• Push Ups, push up variations, Bench Press, bench press
variations
Workout Outline
• Posterior Chain
– Target hamstrings and Glutes
• Our main hamstring exercise is RDL’s
– Very important to stress hamstrings to keep quad hip ratio
• Other exercises
– Weighted Bridges, Machine Hamstring Curls, Stability Ball
Hamstring Curls, Manual Hamstring Curls, Glute/Ham Raises
• Unilateral Movements
– S.L. Hamstring Curls, S.L. Stability Ball Hamstring Curls, S.L.
RDL’s, S.L. Manual Hamstring Curls
Workout Outline
• Upper Body Pull Exercise
– In order to keep the body imbalance we nee to have a
pulling exercise for every push
– Exercise examples
• Pull Ups, Seated Row, Lat. Pull Down. Lateral Pull Ups, Bent
Over Row, 1 Arm Bent Over Row
• Additional Exercises
– Shoulders, additional exercises for hamstrings, glutes,
back, and lateral movements
– Opportunity to target areas of emphasis
– Develop balance and proprioception
Workout Outline
• Core
– Stabilizes spine, pelvic, and kinetic chain during all
athletic movements
– Its ability to stabilize the spine allows for force
development and reduces the risk of injury
– Develop strength, endurance and proper
movement patterns
• Strength in exerting and withstanding force
• Strength means nothing if you don’t have the
endurance to use that strength
Workout Outline
• Flexibility
– Dynamic Warm Up
• Each workout will start with a dynamic warm up
– Usually start with SAQ before a lift
» See SAQ Dynamic Warm Up
– Weight room dynamic warm ups
» Hurdle Warm Up, Plate Warm Up, Hip Mobility Warm Up, Complex
Warm Up
– Foam Roll
• In Season
– Part of lift
• Off Season
– At the end of the workout
– Static Stretch
• After all workouts(practice, games, lifts, conditioning)
Example
• Hurdle Warm Up
• Band Abduction Series
• DB Hip Swings
– Ss w/ S.L. Bridges
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Single Leg Squats
DB Alt. Bench Press
S.L. RDL’s
Pull Ups
S.L. DB Alt. Shoulder Press
Balance Board Squat Hold
Timed Abs
– Planks, Side Planks, Dead Bug
3 x 3 each arm
3 x 10 each leg
3 x 6 each leg
3 x 6 each arm
3 x 6 each leg
3x6–8
2 x 6 each arm/leg
2 x 30 sec.
2 x 45 sec. each way
Information
• Steve Murray
– smurray@macalester.edu
– 651-696-6748
• Fitness at Macalester
– http://athletics.macalester.edu/sports/2008/11/5
/GEN_1105084519.aspx?tab=fitnessatmacalester
• http://www.youtube.com
– Channel: Macalesterfitness