Q & A

Why Upper Body Strength Training is Important to Soccer Players.

Soccer players perform most or all of their activities on the field with the use of their lower body.  So one would think that players only need to strength train their legs – right? Watch any soccer game and you will see players going into 50-50 balls, head balls or shielding a ball, not just with their legs but also using their upper body.  Don’t believe me?  Take a look at the picture below.  They are using their whole body including their upper body and to compete with guys like this, you better be strong.  You need to get what I call total body strong – meaning having the whole package when it comes to your strength training.  Do not neglect the upper body (particularly now that for many it is the off season) when it comes to strength training.  Aside from fending off your opponents, whole body strength will make your body less prone to injury.  With all of this said, it should also be noted that upper body strength increases sprinting speed as well.  When it comes to force production and speed, the greater force you can generate with your upper body (such as arm strike) the more force will be generated into the ground by your hip extension. The upper body and lower body act as one!  I’ve listed some great exercises below to help you keep your upper body strong.  I’d love to hear from you!

The best two exercises to increase upper body strength are:

Barbell Bench

Chin Ups

Q & A

Mark,
I just wanted to say that I received your soccer manual on Monday. Thank you very much. I've read it in its entirety, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is filled with some great information. I do have a few questions in regards to program design during the competitive season:

1. Did you use any recovery/regeneration techniques after games (i.e. tempo runs, sled dragging, etc.)?
AYes, I recommend both.  I suggest tempo runs for about 10 minutes prior to a training session to free up any lactic acid from the game I and utilize sled dragging as well by doing backwards sled drags for about 20 yards down and back for 3 sets.

2. Did your program design differ for players in the reserve division?
APlayers that will not see the same amount of playing time as the starting 11, or first team, should raise their volume of training in the areas of strength and conditioning.  I would recommend that those players perform 2 strength workouts a week as I describe them in my manual. Conditioning would consist of heavy sled drags forward and backward for 30 - 35 yards. This is a great conditioning tool that has little impact on the body.  Incorporate more short sprint work as well (for example shuttle runs).  

3. Would you recommend incorporating some speed mechanics on a certain day during a game week?
ASpeed work is a good tool and a great change of pace for players during a long season.  I would rather perform low and high level plyometrics on different days to stimulate the nervous system and have the players’ sprint 5 to 10 yards using proper running mechanics.  Remember, real speed will come from what's done in the weight room.  Strength is speed.  I've seen players with terrible running form that are still fast because they are strong.

4. Lastly, a general question. With your clients that play overseas, how do they perceive their fitness training at their respective clubs? Would they change anything?
A Some players have told me that their programs are good when it comes to fitness and conditioning on the field, but the strength training programs still lack the aggressive approach I use with them.  For example, most players still do a circuit type training after practice with no real emphasis on the overall strength approach I take, particularly the heavy weight programs I recommend.  

I appreciate your time Mark; you're a great resource to have.
Sincerely,
Mike

 

Question and Answer Section:

You can ask Mark any question dealing with Strength and Conditioning for Soccer players and he will address two or three questions each month.

Mark now has his strength training manual Williams Soccer Strength Method available on his website!