Exercise Program For A Professional Soccer Player

An exercise program is a year-round activity for professional soccer players. Fitness coaches such as Dawn Scott of the U.S. Women's National Team follow the training principle of "periodization," which seeks to make significant fitness gains in the preseason so that the player peaks when competition starts. One difference between the professional and amateur levels, German coach Gerhard Frank says in "Soccer Training Programs," is that pro players receive individualized training plans from their fitness coaches.

Preseason Strength

As do college players, soccer pros begin workouts about two months before the season starts. After physical exams and physiological testing, players begin exercises to work on speed and endurance. These are mainly sprint-jog combinations over distances ranging from 50 yards to 300 yards. Twice a week, a team such as Major League Soccer's D.C. United hits the weight room to work on squats, lunges, lateral pull-downs, dumbbell bench presses and other exercises. In the newsletter "Performance Soccer Conditioning," D.C. United's strength and conditioning coach Brian Goodstein says the players do three sets of 10 repetitions in each exercise.

On-Field Circuit

Once a week in the preseason, D.C. United's athletes go outside to the practice field and work with a partner. The pairs visit stations set up with medicine balls, resistance bands and exercise balls used for hamstring curls, for example. Players sprint in place against waist belts and resistance bands held by their partner, or sit with a medicine ball and rotate the ball, legs lifted above the ground, from one side to another. Body-weight exercises include lying on their backs and doing bicycle-riding movements with their legs.

In-Season Speed and Agility

During the season, pro soccer players work on increasing foot speed during their sprints; D.C. United's program includes 20- to 60-yard sprints, agility work and running against bungee cords for resistance. Agility work focuses on 10 repetitions of footwork patterns through agility ladders, around cones or over hurdles or sticks.

In-Season Weight Room

After the season starts, D.C. United's pro players conduct circuit training in the weight room, visiting each of 28 stations for about 30 seconds each. Stations include equipment to perform box step-ups, upright rows, bench presses, dips, triceps pull-downs and knee extensions. Players also do single-leg jumps on a trampoline. The exercise ball high-low exchange works the core; players lie on their backs and grab the ball above their heads, move into a V shape with arms and legs extended, pass the ball to be gripped by their calves and lie back, arms extended while the legs lower the ball to the floor. If a scheduled league match is on Saturday, Goodstein sends players to the weight room on Wednesday. The idea is to have players recovered and rested by game day.