Improving your football performance is about much more than just partaking in team training and playing a few games here and there. To reach your potential, it's vital that you out the work in off the field, by lifting weights, and performing cardiovascular workouts. Four weeks isn't a lot of time, and if you're really out of shape, then you may find getting into top condition to be too much of a challenge. However, if your general fitness and strength levels are fairly good, then four weeks may just about be enough time, provided you train hard and focus on your goal.
Strength and Power
Strength and power are vital in football, as you may need to be able to tackle, block and fend off opposing players. Your routine should be based around multi-joint compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses and chinups, as these help to strengthen your whole body. You should also include some exercises for developing power. Joe DeFranco, owner of DeFranco's Strength and Conditioning recommends including jumping exercises, like box jumps, broad jumps and depth jumps in your training, as these improve strength, power, speed and overall athleticism. Three strength training sessions per week is ample.
Fitness
You need great aerobic conditioning to compete at the highest level in football. Try to vary your cardio sessions. In a game, you never have to run for a prolonged period of time, so don't make the mistake of doing lots of steady state, time-consuming runs in your training. Try to vary your aerobic work by performing a little running, along with cycling, swimming, games of tag football, and body-weight exercise circuits. If your aerobic fitness is lacking, try to do 20 minutes per day.
Speed
Being quick off the mark is another attribute you need to have. While regular sprint training, or hill sprint sessions are fine for improving your speed, Chad Wesley Smith, owner of Juggernaut Training Systems advises that you use a prowler instead. A prowler is a sled, on which you can out weights, and has three vertical handles, which you use to push it along the ground. Smith recommends setting up a 10 to 15 yard track, and pushing the prowler as fast as you can over the distance. Perform as many sprints as possible, until your time drops below 10 percent of your original sprint. Rest for 30 to 45 seconds between rounds, and use between 140 and 230 pounds, depending on your body-weight and strength levels. If you don't have a prowler, you could also use a dragging sled.
Pre-habilitation
Football is extremely demanding physically and, if you're not properly prepared, you can get injured, so you need to include exercises and recovery methods which helps prevent injury. Your shoulders and knees are at a high risk during games, so make sure to include some should stabilization exercises like external rotations, Cuban presses and face pulls, along with single leg exercises for your lower body. According to corrective exercise specialist Mike Robertson, unilateral leg exercises like split squats and lunges improve the balance and proprioception around your knee joints, making them less prone to injuries. You may also consider sports massages, foam rolling and ice baths to improve your recovery, and keep you injury-free.
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