Workouts Soccer Players Should Do To Improve Their Game
It’s truly admirable to watch soccer players out on the field. It looks as if they’re made to smoothly shoot across the field, dodging the other players effortlessly while leading the ball to the goal. Of course, it’s not as simple as it looks. Being a soccer player requires a lot more than meets the eye. In fact, soccer players have to be in great shape overall – not just in their legs. So, we’re going to address what kinds of workouts are crucial for players to be at the top of their games.
Cardio and Speed
Just because players run on the field doesn’t mean they don’t have to do cardio otherwise. In fact, quite the opposite is true! To improve their stamina and endurance they have to incorporate cardio into their workout routines. One great way to do so is by jumping rope. Of course, there are many more options like agility ladders, sprints, jumping jacks, and so on.
Calf Raises
One particular move that’s great to add to a soccer player’s workout is calf raises. It’s a small thing to do but it makes a huge difference. It goes without saying that soccer players use their legs for the game more than anything, so it only makes sense they have to keep them strong and capable to really play their best. To tone and strengthen the calves you don’t have to do anything too complex – good old calf raises are a great move.
Upper Body
Soccer players do need to focus on their legs quite a bit in their workouts, as we’ve mentioned. However, that doesn’t mean they should neglect their upper body. In fact, the upper body needs to be trained just as much – if not more. Aside from improving posture, upper body strength improves the body’s ability to withstand more force in the game. For example, when a player reaches maximum speed, their torso is upright and their mid too upper back muscles should be working as hard as their hip extensors in order to reach top speed. If they have a weaker upper body, they won’t be able to produce as much force and extension from their arms when running.
Core
As the name indicates, the core of the body is pretty much the, well, core of the body. Meaning that it essentially supports all the rest of the muscles in a way that is crucial for any kind of sport. However, doing 100 ab crunches at the end of each practice won’t do much to enhance a player’s performance. While that might lead to a six-pack there are so many more muscles in the core than just those. The first step to take when looking to increase speed, shooting power and multi-directional agility is realizing that the core is made up of the hips, abdominals, and lower back. Players need to make sure they have a good functioning core to be at the top of their game. For a player to sprint cleanly, their entire core must be strong for them to achieve optimal hip flexion and hip extension without flexing the lower back. Additionally, a strong core allows for less arm crossover when running at higher speeds. This is important since running with arms crossing over the body will slow players down.