Soccer & Aerobic Training

Soccer is a sport that demands a high degree of aerobic fitness. Some players can succeed mostly on skill, but most of the best players are not only highly skilled, but also extraordinarily fit. Players who are relatively equal in skill are often separated by their aerobic fitness level, and in a match between two teams of equal ability, the team with better fitness often finds ways to pull out a victory late in the game. Soccer players and coaches need to ensure they factor aerobic training into their routines so players and teams can be as successful as possible.

  1. Long-Distance Running

    • Long-distance running is an example of continuous aerobic training, and it is one key aspect of aerobic training for soccer players. Running long distances helps soccer players build the stamina they need to cover the roughly six miles they will run during the course of a match. It helps players maintain fitness levels when not in season, it is good for the respiratory muscles and it helps with concentration.

    Recovery

    • Aerobic training has a big impact on a player's ability to consistently perform at or near his peak level. Soccer is a game with periods of walking, jogging and all-out sprinting. Improved aerobic fitness means player can recover faster after intense periods of exertion. In addition, substitutions are kept to a minimum at higher levels of the sport. In fact, professional teams are generally allowed only three subs per match.

    Interval Training

    • Because soccer players experience periods of light exertion and explosive bursts of high-intensity activity, aerobic training has to approximate these conditions. This is called interval training, and it consists of periods of low-intensity work, bursts of activity, rest and repetition. One example--called figure eights--involves starting at one goal post, slowly jogging diagonally across the field and circling the opposite goal, then sprinting diagonally back across the field, circling the goal and returning to the original starting point. After several circuits, players receive a short rest and then repeat the exercise.

    Playing the Game

    • Scrimmages and exhibitions, whether inter-squad or against other teams, is another important part of developing fitness. Because players are actually playing the game, they will continue to improve their fitness level in a competitive game situation. Not only does playing in structured practice games improve aerobic fitness, unstructured pickup games outside of a formal team setting are good for improving fitness.

    Drills

    • Soccertricks.org provides some aerobic drill examples. Two are simple running exercises, and involve players jogging two to three miles at a moderate pace to improve cardiovascular performance, or quickly jogging up to a mile and a half to build muscular endurance. Another involves the ball by having players spend 20 to 30 minutes dribbling. Coaches can throw in dribbling moves to practice, allowing players to work on conditioning and ball skills at the same time.