Need Suggestions On What Exercises To Do To Improve Soccer Performance?

[PrinceAmir]

I am 17 years old, 5'11 and 150lbs. By the end of the Summer, I want to have a stronger upper body/core and legs. I usually play as a left midfielder/wing or a striker. I would need that balance/strength to fend of defenders and win headers. What are good exercises for me to improve on? Are squats,deadlifts, and leg extensions fine? Any tips? Thanks

[LegitSalsa]

Bench, Overhead Press, Rows, Deadlifts, Oly Lifts, Squats.

[SDOptimist]

Wasting your time with leg extensions.

look at a 5x5 program. Rippetoes Starting strength.

Squats
Deadlifts
Bench
shoulder Press
Rows

and then add in core workouts like planks and others.

[Canadienbakon]

Wasting your time with leg extensions.

look at a 5x5 program. Rippetoes Starting strength.

Squats
Deadlifts
Bench
shoulder Press
Rows

and then add in core workouts like planks and others.

This. Don't touch the leg extension machine.. Ever

[ignmmulia]

lifting burble can be an option

[Soccercoaching]

Trying to improve soccer perfermance. I got decent muscle I think I need to work on stabilizer muscles for balance and to improve ankle strength. Any suggestions?

[LiftingSteve93]

Bench, Overhead Press, Rows, Deadlifts, Oly Lifts, Squats.

This is what you need.

Deadlifts & squats specifically. Look up GHR's. those definitely help with athletic performance. The Oly lifts are very technical and learning them may actually detract from soccer. Maybe do push presses.

[ricknadell]

Wasting your time with leg extensions.

look at a 5x5 program. Rippetoes Starting strength.

Squats
Deadlifts
Bench
shoulder Press
Rows

and then add in core workouts like planks and others.

starting strength is a vastly underrate book

[ricknadell]

This is what you need.

Deadlifts & squats specifically. Look up GHR's. those definitely help with athletic performance. The Oly lifts are very technical and learning them may actually detract from soccer. Maybe do push presses.

I agree O-lifts are very technical and tough to teach - especially to a 17 year old. I love plyometrics though. Try and some simple squat jumps, sprint squat jumps, bounding, etc. These will mimic the triple extension of the ankles , knees and hips that we aim for in the O-lifts and does so in a far less technical manner.

Also, really hit the Deadlift and Romanian Deadlift. As a soccer player I'm willing to bet you're fairly quad dominant. Working the posterior chain will reduce your risk of injury.

[marktillert]

I am 17 years old, 5'11 and 150lbs. By the end of the Summer, I want to have a stronger upper body/core and legs. I usually play as a left midfielder/wing or a striker. I would need that balance/strength to fend of defenders and win headers. What are good exercises for me to improve on? Are squats,deadlifts, and leg extensions fine? Any tips? Thanks

Those are great exercises. Also, run alot. That may sound obvious, but muscle endurance is the key in soccor.

[PrinceAmir]

Repped guys, thanks!

[BigBray]

I've trained with Pro and semi pro clubs and can tell you that relatively light compound lifts with a higher rep range(to avoid injury)and High intensity cardio is what the pro teams spend most of there time doing during pre season.

You can't really train to win more balls in the air as 90% of it is teqnique. But stabilizers are key to the other 10% and there is often contact mid air before anyone makes contact with the ball so train your obliques and abs, you can practice adjusting to contact as well.

The new official FIFA warmup suggests jogging at a partner jumping to bump shoulders midair and adjusting to land normally.

[aFootballLife]

Squats
Squats
Squats

And then of course the other important compound movements.
- Bench
- Chins
- Deadlift
- Glute Ham Raises (tough at first, but are absolutely great)
...And so on.

Leg extensions will so nothing for performance and will probably just slow your recovery... Don't bother

In fact stay away from pretty much every machine, except hamstring curls...

You aren't a pro, don't train like a pro. You do see a lot of strength coaches at pro clubs having the athletes do light weight, high reps... DONT DO THIS. They do that in fear of injury and losing their job. At the expense of their athletes not getting better. They just maintain(at best) and try to avoid injury. You are young. You need to focus on getting stronger. Lift heavy.

[ricknadell]

I've trained with Pro and semi pro clubs and can tell you that relatively light compound lifts with a higher rep range(to avoid injury)and High intensity cardio is what the pro teams spend most of there time doing during pre season.

Don't guy by what others do. A lot of pros are good in spite of their training - if they improved they're training they'd be other worldly. Sadly however, many S&C coaches aren't always up to par and don't always provide the best coaching, training and program

[ricknadell]

[QUOTE= You aren't a pro, don't train like a pro. You do see a lot of strength coaches at pro clubs having the athletes do light weight, high reps... DONT DO THIS. They do that in fear of injury and losing their job. At the expense of their athletes not getting better. They just maintain(at best) and try to avoid injury. You are young. You need to focus on getting stronger. Lift heavy.[/QUOTE]

totally agree

[SDK10]

keep sure to be strong in relation to you own body. you dont have to add unnecesary bulk or train like an bodybuilder. train you body for strength with low reps (powerlifting type) and combine that with some explosive exercises. power cleans are realy good but hard to learn. go try (weighted) jump variations and medicine ball throws with low reps high intensity.

what helped me alot with soccer is decreasing my bodyfat. i dont know what it is right now but if you decrease it you will be stronger in relation to your body and become faster.
hope this helps

[LegitSalsa]

Starting Strength is underrated?

If anything it's overrated :P

[Soccercoaching]

Man those GHR's look like they would help a lot but i am also imagining the immense cramps that would come when i am doing them. good stuff, i'll try it.

This is what you need.

Deadlifts & squats specifically. Look up GHR's. those definitely help with athletic performance. The Oly lifts are very technical and learning them may actually detract from soccer. Maybe do push presses.

[RubenOlivares]

Deadlifts & squats specifically. Look up GHR's. those definitely help with athletic performance. The Oly lifts are very technical and learning them may actually detract from soccer. Maybe do push presses.

I agree with everything above.

Although I would also consider throwing in some briefcase walks alongside some other general conditioning, too.

[SDK10]

soccer is a skill sport, the best thing to become better in soccer it to get better at the skills you need. play pick up games will help you. everyting beside that have to support you to become an better soccer player. dont go do bicep curls or things like that. ask yourself by every exercise that you do ''how can this help me to become an better soccer player''.

maybe someting you can look up to is WS4SB III and then the 2 lowerbody training (1 max effort, 1 dynamic)
this helped me alot with my lowerbody strength and speed. you dont have to go crazy on upper body and become the new arnold, this will only hinder you in your agility and speed