Soccer is a very physically demanding sport that needs its players to be on top form. Players run around the field for plus minus 90 minutes and have very strict rules to follow about how their bodies may move. In other words they can’t just push another player out of the way to get hold of the ball. There is a lot of swift action that takes serious agility skills.
The fast and furious world of soccer online betting is proof of just how action packed this sport is which is why soccer players undertake intense training to keep them fit and on top of their game. Training on a professional level is highly demanding and focuses on a number of important elements of soccer fitness. These being endurance, agility, speed, flexibility, strength and nutrition.
It is highly important that soccer players keep up with their training especially in off season. This keeps them in shape right up until the beginning of soccer season where the real hard work begins.
A Good Programme for Endurance
Since playing soccer isn’t merely the players running around at the same speed, and without them doing anything else, simple running isn’t enough to build endurance.
Interval training is best for building endurance as players run on the field in varying intensities. So training should involve running in varying intensities such as alternating between walking, jogging, running and sprinting.
Agility and Speed Soccer Training
Agility and speed are two of the most important skills to have for soccer players to play successfully. The competitive edge these skills give players makes this very important in soccer fitness training and soccer conditioning.
Speed should be combined with power therefore short sprints should be accompanied by jump squats, power cleans, high pulls, plyometric drills and push presses and so on.
Flexibility of Body and Powerful Strength
Soccer conditioning needs to allow players a healthy range of motion. Their bodies twist and contort and without flexibility they could injure themselves. Proper and high level stretching to warm up before any game is crucial for performance and preventing injuries. The correct methods are not conventional stretches but to do full arm circles, high knees, bodyweight squats and butt kicks amongst others.
Physical strength may be seen as less important than endurance in soccer but it is in fact vital for a number of reasons. Strength is vital for power and speed as well as injury prevention. Strength can give a player a faster metabolism, a leaner body composition, more energy, improved stability and faster recovery.
Maintaining a Healthy Diet and Nutrition
Nutrition is vital because what players eat directly impacts their energy levels, their performance and can keep them in shape.
Some important nutrition tips to follow are to drink a lot of water each day, eat protein and wholegrains as well as plenty of fruits and vegetables. Carbs should only be eaten after physical exercise and the nig