Pro Soccer Workouts

Pro soccer players are extremely fit, with good body strength, stamina and explosive speed. Players can cover up to 12 kilometers in a game. Modern professionals have access to the very best in fitness coaching and expertise, as well as dietitians and physiotherapists who all ensure that the players are at their absolute physical peak. But we can all do pro soccer workouts in our home; no expensive equipment is required.

  1. Single Leg Dead Lifts

    • The hamstring is the long muscle that runs down the back of the thigh. It is one of the most commonly pulled muscles in soccer. Spanish striker Fernando Torres injured his hamstring in the late stages of the 2010 World Cup Final. The single leg dead lift increases the strength of the hamstring. Standing with the back straight, gently raise one leg toward your back. Use ankle weights to increase resistance.

    Lunges

    • According to Robb Rogers, a National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) certified fitness professional, lunges improve hip mobility, which is essential for all sports, especially soccer. Stand with your feet the length of your foot apart. Take a big step forward into a lunge and hold. After returning to standing position, switch legs.

    Squat Hold

    • The squat hold, according to Brijesh Patel, an NSCA certified trainer, is ideal for soccer strength training. With feet flat to the ground, push out your buttocks and bend your knees as if you are sitting on an invisible chair. Hold this position for as long as you can, before slowly standing. As you increase the strength in your legs and back, hand held weights or even tins of food can be introduced to increase resistance.

    Circuit Training

    • Cardiovascular fitness is essential in soccer. Circuit training, otherwise known as high intensity interval training, improves stamina and endurance. Circuit training is often done during the closed season to condition players that are coming back from a break in training. During the season, circuit training is normally reduced in favor of match practice. Match practice itself is a type of circuit training as it requires regular bursts of high intensity exertion.

    Ladder Run

    • The ladder run is an effective exercise for improving general fitness, agility and balance. With a rope ladder laid flat on the ground, players sprint across the ladder, raising their knees and ensuring that their feet land cleanly inside the squares made by the ladder rungs.