Soccer Training Program Using Periodization Principles

Introduction

Soccer is a true total sport. It requires of its players the ability to show intense bursts of speed and power while simultaneously commanding the ability to conserve energy and endure for the complete span of the game. It demands athleticism, strength, and agility, and players must be conditioned at a top level to remain competitive. That is why training for three to five days a week is essential in every season. To avoid injury, pre-season and off-season training is also vital (Heidt, Sweeterman, Carlonas et al., 2000). The sheer physicality of the sport requires its athletes to stay in shape throughout the year.

Every soccer training program should be tailored to meet the needs of the individual (Manzi, Castagna, Padua et al., 2009). This program is designed for a 185 lb, 15-year-old male high school soccer midfielder. It is developed for off-season, pre-season, and in-season periods so that the player is in optimal physical condition at every point in the year. The end goal is to have the player ready to perform at a top level. To that end, this program utilizes the principles of periodization so that the best possible performance from the athlete is achieved during the most competitive period of the year.

It is also important to remember that overtraining can threaten the safety and health of the athlete (Kellmann, 2010). For that reason, this program may be considered moderate in that it strives to seek the right balance in training exercises, allowing time for muscle rebuilding and avoiding mental and physical exhaustion. Safety should always be a priority in every training program (Finch, Gabbe, Lloyd et al., 2011).

Off-Season Phase 1: Building a Foundation

The off-season schedule covers a six-month period divided into three phases. Phase 1 lasts one month, Phase 2 covers months two and three, and Phase 3 spans months four through six. Each phase focuses on a specific regimen designed to complement the others and enable the athlete to build upon physical gains progressively.

The first month is designed to get the player into physical shape with an emphasis on increasing speed and agility. It consists of a three-day-per-week program. Day one centers on building strength; day two focuses on developing agility and speed; and day three develops endurance.

The program for day one consists of the following exercises, all of which can be completed in a gym or basic workout room:

• Back Squats: 3 sets of 15–20
• Pull-Ups: 3 sets of as many repetitions as possible
• Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 15–20
• Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 15–20

These exercises help get the player into shape and act as the foundation of muscle building and conditioning. Without this basic foundation, the athlete will not be able to advance to the more complex exercises required for maximum conditioning by the end of the off-season.

The program for day two consists of exercises that may be completed outdoors or in a facility with sufficient space to run:

• Standing Long Jump: 1 set of 5
• Counter-Movement Jump: 1 set of 5
• Sprint to Lateral Shuffle: 3 sets of 30 yards (switching sides every 5 yards)
• Sprint to Backpedal: 3 sets of 30 yards

These exercises promote coordination, speed, and agility. They empower the athlete to develop the ability to shift from short bursts of speed and power to sudden stops and changes of direction.

The program for day three consists of exercises completed with a medicine ball. Each exercise is performed for 3 sets of 30 seconds:

• Twist and Throw
• Chest Pass
• Overhead Throw
• Clean and Press
• Med Ball Leg Raises
• Med Ball Squat
• Med Ball Lunges
• Med Ball Crunches
• Half-Field Game: 20 minutes

These exercises increase the core strength of the player, which is necessary for developing the endurance needed to compete over the full duration of a game.

Off-Season Phase 2: Expanding Strength and Conditioning

The second phase of the off-season program encompasses months two and three. The exercise program for this phase expands to five days per week. Three of the days center on developing strength and conditioning, while two days focus on developing plyometrics, agility, and speed.

Day one will follow the same program as day one of Phase 1, with the addition of Sprints: 10×30 yards with 20-second walking recovery between sprints. Day two will be the same as in Phase 1. Day three will be the same as in Phase 1. Day four will be a repeat of day two.

Day five will consist of squats, lunges, toe and heel walks, wheelbarrows, bear crawls, push-ups, pull-ups, and dips. Each exercise is performed for 30 seconds, followed by a 30-second sprint after every exercise. The purpose of this session is to build stamina. These exercises are not overly demanding on the body and should not contribute to overtraining.

Conclusion

Using the principles of periodization, this program has been designed to enable the soccer player to reach maximum potential during the in-season period. Off-season exercises are designed to get the player ready and in shape. Pre-season training is designed to prepare the player mentally and physically for the levels of endurance that will be required. In-season exercises are designed to enable the player to compete at top levels at the height of the athlete's power.

As Lidor, Tenenbaum, Ziv, and Issurin (2016) show, the principles of periodization are designed to increase the player's output at precisely the right time of year so that the maximum amount of energy, focus, skill, speed, determination, and coordination can be achieved when most needed. This program has been developed to ensure that burnout does not occur prior to the end of the season. The athlete should, at all times, monitor his performance for signs of overexertion. In such cases, a full week of rest is recommended.

References

Finch, C. F., Gabbe, B. J., Lloyd, D. G., Cook, J., Young, W., Nicholson, M., ... & Doyle, T. L. (2011). Towards a national sports safety strategy: Addressing facilitators and barriers towards safety guideline uptake. Injury Prevention, ip-2010.

Heidt, R. S., Sweeterman, L. M., Carlonas, R. L., Traub, J. A., & Tekulve, F. X. (2000). Avoidance of soccer injuries with preseason conditioning. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 28(5), 659–662.

Kellmann, M. (2010). Preventing overtraining in athletes in high-intensity sports and stress/recovery monitoring. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 20(s2), 95–102.

Lidor, R., Tenenbaum, G., Ziv, G., & Issurin, V. (2016). Achieving expertise in sport: Deliberate practice, adaptation, and periodization of training. Kinesiology Review, 5(2), 129–141.

Manzi, V., Castagna, C., Padua, E., Lombardo, M., D'Ottavio, S., Massaro, M., ... & Iellamo, F. (2009). Dose-response relationship of autonomic nervous system responses to individualized training impulse in marathon runners. American Journal of Physiology — Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 296(6), H1733–H1740.