Everyone knows that football is about speed. The best players have one thing in common, they are around the ball or they are with the ball (in which case they are breaking free from everyone else). And while you need to focus on all other aspects of the game, speed is one of the most important. It doesn’t matter how big you are, how strong you are, or how much you understand the game. You will never be able to move the ball (or prevent someone else from moving it) unless you can beat your man on the first step and accelerate faster than anyone else.
So if you want to develop superior soccer speed, the first thing you need to understand is what speed training calls for. Speed training isn’t just about exploding the ball, reaching top speed, or going in and out of breaks while changing directions with the ball; it’s all of them! You need to make sure that you focus on all of these aspects to really develop all aspects of your game. Keep this in mind when designing your workouts and speed training sessions. And by the way, you definitely need to train and condition in the offseason, because if you show up to the first day of spring training camp not having run or worked out, then you’ll already be at least a few steps behind the competition.
Mobility and correction of faulty movement patterns
Before you consider running or lifting heavy weights in the off-season, it’s critical that you restore your body’s balance. One of the fastest ways to take a step or two is by using a mobility program and attacking faulty movement patterns. If, for example, you have a tight hamstring and a sluggish hip flexor, you’re losing speed and working against your body to run faster.
Much has been said about “cookie cutter” programs, but you can’t go wrong with a 5-10 circuit of exercises with an emphasis on improving ankle, hip, and shoulder mobility like this:
- Leg swings x 15-20
- Ankle Mobs x 15
- Hip Flexor Self Mobs x 8-10
- Linear lunge with rotation x 5-7
- Side Lunge + Cross Front Lunge x 5-7
- Yogaplex x 4-6
- 1 Leg SLDL x 4-6
- Wall Slides x 10
- Band separations x 5-8
Strength training improves speed
Think of two muscle cars lined up revving their monster engines for a drag race. Other things being equal, which car wins: the one with the most horsepower or the one with the best driver?
Strength gained from squats, Olympic lifts, plyometrics, single leg exercises, and sled training are effective in improving starting power and soccer speed. If you can increase power while losing body fat, you’ll run faster without having to do direct speed training. Your off-season soccer training program should be designed around increasing relative and maximal strength with a strong emphasis on exercises that carry over to the soccer field (i.e., sled pushes, kettlebell swings, clean power, etc).
It might not sound like a big deal, but if you offered a wide receiver a free move off the line for just one step, or a defensive end a free step in his career, they’d both take it every time. In fact, that first step can be the difference between beating your man outright or just being stood up and out of the game! The biggest benefit of strength training is to improve starting power and acceleration.
run fast to be fast
Another way to answer the question “how do I run faster?” It arises when you realize that maximum speed training is essential for soccer. You can make plays in crowds, but some of the best players can break away from the pack or chase another guy with the ball to avoid a touchdown. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, but more than anything, you just need to run.
Ground contact time, contraction velocity, and the biomechanics of top speed are very different from the acceleration phase of a sprint. When you reach top speed, speed has more to do with the elasticity of your muscles than with your strength.
Fast starts and mixing specific combinations of distances have typically shaped most soccer speed training, but a progressive short to long, block to sequential speed program has been shown to improve all qualities of the game. soccer simultaneously. Your speed training should not only simulate a real game, but also your preparation period. Just as you are not expected to play both sides of the ball for 4 quarters in the first game of the season, you should not start your sprints by repeating 100 or even 40. Progress from short 5 to 10 yard sprints with an emphasis on acceleration mechanics to variable sprints from 10 to 50 yards with more skill involvement (ie cuts, shuffling, back pedals, change of direction, and reaction).
Regardless of position, soccer is not a linear sport. To achieve dramatic performance improvements in the off-season, you need to maintain a balanced emphasis on mobility, strength, and speed training. It’s not just about being strong in one direction; it’s about being faster than the other in EVERY phase of the game.