What Is the Best Abs Workout for a Soccer Player?

Although the legs appear to be the most important muscles when playing soccer, the abs also play a critical role. The frequent and sudden changes in direction in soccer require strong abs to maintain the stability of your torso, explains professional coach David T. Kirkendall in the book, "Soccer Anatomy." Additionally, your abs stabilize the hips and spine, reducing the risk of sudden injury caused by impact that threatens the internal organs. Several effective exercises can help strengthen the abs to prepare your body for the rigors of soccer.

  1. Abdominal Crunches

    • Abdominal crunches are a popular exercise, but people often do them without paying attention to proper form to prevent injury to the back and neck. Crunches typically strengthen the muscles that lie at the center of your abdomen, which includes the "six-pack" comprised of the rectus abdominis and internal obliques. The exercise is performed by lying on your back with your legs bent at the knees and your feet placed shoulder-width apart. Lace your fingers behind your ears and contract the muscles of your abdomen. Although your shoulders will rise off the ground slightly, no other areas should come up off the surface, explains the International Fitness Association in its online article, "Ab Crunch."

    Single-Leg Abdominal Presses

    • Single-leg abdominal presses not only strengthen your abdominal muscles, they also help to isolate the gracilis muscles that are located on the inside of each thigh. Single-leg presses are performed from the same starting position as abdominal crunches. Each leg is individually raised to make a right angle at the knee and hip. Place your right hand on your raised right knee or thigh, tighten the abdominal muscles to flex your trunk muscles while also pressing your hand against the flexion. Switch your leg and repeat the exercise for the other side.

    Stability Ball Exercises

    • You may do abdominal crunches on a stability ball and engage more muscles than you would by doing crunches while lying on the floor. In addition, you can perform stability ball trunk lifts, which engage the muscles located in the neck and pectoral areas. Place the stability ball centered under your lower back with your feet flat on the ground approximately shoulder-width apart. Holding your hands gently behind your head, gradually lift your shoulders off the ball, using only your abdominal muscles. Hold the position briefly before lowering your upper body back to the starting position.

    Stretching the Abs

    • Your abdominal muscles won't respond with maximum effort to any exercise if you don't stretch them. Depending on the position you play, your body can be subjected to rapid starts, stops, changes in direction and impact from other players, explains a 2007 research study published in the "Journal of Sports Science and Medicine." Stretching prepares the body to receive these demands with reduced risk of injury. Stretch the abdominal muscles without bouncing and pay attention to both sides of your body, explains the Mayo Clinic on its website.