Soccer Strength

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Soccer Strength – Introduction

Modern soccer is getting more and more physical and strength has become a crucial factor when evaluating a player's qualities. Of course, it's not a rule that a good player must necessarily be a strong one and a few examples that come to mind from today's soccer include Kaka, Robinho and Lionel Messi.

Sometimes soccer strength is so well shadowed by a player's other qualities that we don't really picture them as spending too much time in the gym. But if you look at players such as Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane or David Beckham, you'll notice they all have a solid constitution and make heavy use of their bodies when dribbling or protecting the ball.

Soccer Strength – Importance

Soccer conditioning through physical strength affects several of the soccer fundamentals, including:

Shot/Header Power – Most of the power in a shot or a header comes from the lower back and abs. Working these areas out, as well as your legs in soccer strength training will soon show off in your shots and headers (but don't forget you also need a good striking technique to go with the strength in order to achieve shot/header power).

Shielding – The bigger you are, the harder it will be for your enemy to work his way around you and take or push the ball away from you. Strong legs can keep you vertical in a shielding situation and having a solid upper body can also help pushing the opponent away, making room for a pass or a shot.

Balance – Having strong legs is the key to having a good balance on the pitch. Balance is useful when shielding a ball, when dribbling, when jumping for a header & when trying to avoid a tackle, so it's a pretty important ability to have.

Jumping – Knowing how to head the ball right is great, but in most cases the hardest part is getting to it first and that's done by jumping for it. Your soccer jumping skill can be improved through soccer strength training by increasing your leg strength to jump higher and your upper body strength to manage to position yourself in the air perfectly to hit the ball.

Soccer Strength – What you should work out

Soccer fitness is obviously much needed by any soccer player, regardless of his position on the pitch, but strength affects each position in a different way and a player must put extra effort in working out the exact body areas that are required for him. For example:

Goalkeepers – A goalie doesn't require that much strength as he requires agility, so if working out at the gym hinders your agility you should only focus on the essential areas: your legs for jumping and diving, your lower back and abs for kicking and your shoulders and biceps for shot stopping. The upper body can also be worked out entirely, in order to give you a better shock absorption when you dive to the ground, avoiding injuries. Much like a wrestler, a goalkeeper uses his strength to avoid getting injured when slammed on the ground.

Defenders – Good balance and jumping skills are essential for a good defender and since both of these skills are affected by your leg strength, it's that area you should focus on at the gym. A good upper body helps you shield the ball better and will also make you harder to dribble and better at shoulder-to-shoulder situations.

Midfielders – A midfielder's main strength doesn't lay in his physical constitution, although this will help a great deal. If you look at some of the best dribbling midfielders out there such as Ronaldinho or Zidane, you'll notice how they use their upper body to perform the dribbles and gain an advantage on their opponents. However, your lower back, abs, quadriceps and femoral biceps should also be worked intensely, especially if you're often found in the position to shoot at goal. Defensive midfielders should work out just like a defender would, since they'll rarely dribble or shoot at goal.

Attackers – A goalmouth striker can use his physical fitness to overcome his opponents and score even when he is outnumbered. Knowing how to use your upper body strength to shield the ball before receiving it in the box is crucial, but you'll also need to have that strength in the first place, so working out your upper body is important. Given the fact that you'll need balance in order to put the ball down and score, or to jump and head it in the back of the net, leg strength is also crucial, making the attacker the hardest working player in the gym.