AN INTRODUCTION
It is not feasible for a coach to achieve match fitness in football players solely through an hour of intensive training each week.
Physical fitness must be developed consistently on a daily basis, and this ongoing responsibility primarily lies with the individual player.
While weekly high-intensity sessions can enhance performance, they serve as supplementary rather than foundational elements of fitness.
Traditional practices such as pre-season sand dune runs have largely fallen out of favour in modern coaching, though they can still contribute to general fitness.
Today's game is notably faster and more dynamic; therefore, elite athletes require an exceptional baseline level of fitness to add dynamism to their play.
Merely starting from a low level of fitness and improving speed is insufficient.
As matches last at least 90 minutes, it is common for the most successful teams to score frequently in the final quarter, underscoring the importance of superior conditioning.
For instance, one of the most accomplished teams in recent memory, Barcelona featuring Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta, exemplified the combination of extraordinary technical skill and outstanding fitness, making them exceptionally difficult to overcome.
Likewise, during Pep Guardiola's early tenure at Manchester City, players like Kevin De Bruyne demonstrated remarkable work rate and positional awareness.
His consistent movement enabled him to receive passes effectively, contributing to a high completion rate and sustained team possession—an essential component of success, as only the team in possession can score!
To get fit for football, combine cardiovascular endurance with strength training and speed and agility drills.
Include interval sprints and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for bursts of energy, but also incorporate long-distance runs to build overall stamina.
Don't forget strength training exercises like squats and lunges, agility work such as box jumps, and proper flexibility and recovery, including dynamic warm-ups and rest days.
For you this means
* go for a run each day ( but don't just solidly run at the same pace, that's not football, that is running!! Occasionally put a sprint in to the overall running)
* work yourself to the maximum at training, dont just go through the motions, really put a "spring in your step" with everything you do
* check your body language (are you slouching around, do you look enthusiastic?)
* undertake a bleep test once a month and try to improve results every time (one training session per month will see us undertake a bleep test!)
Cardiovascular and stamina
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HIIT:
High-Intensity Interval Training is highly effective for football's demands, which require repeated bursts of speed.
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Incorporate steady-state and long-distance runs to build a strong aerobic base for endurance.
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Match-specific drills:
Use drills that mimic the demands of a game, such as changing speeds and directions over varying distances.
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Mix high-intensity sprints with lower-intensity jogging or rest periods. For example, sprint for 30 seconds, then jog for a minute, repeating several times.
Strength and power
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Strength training: Focus on exercises that build overall strength, such as squats, lunges, and deadlifts.
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Core strength: Develop a strong core for stability and power through core exercises.
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Plyometrics: Include explosive movements like box jumps and lateral bounds to enhance power, acceleration, and jumping ability.
Agility and speed
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Practice exercises that improve your ability to change direction quickly, such as using agility ladders or cones.
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Work on your maximum sprint speed through drills that focus on acceleration and top speed.
Flexibility and recovery
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Flexibility: Perform dynamic stretches as a warm-up and static stretches after your workout to improve range of motion.
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Warm-up: Always begin with a dynamic warm-up to prepare your body for exercise.
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Rest and recovery: Schedule rest days to allow your body to recover and prevent overtraining.
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Hydration and nutrition: Stay hydrated and fuel your body with proper nutrition to support performance and recovery.
MORE SPECIFICALLY
Fitness
Fitter teams win more games – it’s as simple as that.
Of course, I know that most grassroots clubs will not have a fitness trainer or a well-equipped gym.
But .......... there is a lot you can do yourself, as a player!
How many times have you seen a close game decided in the last 10 minutes because one team is fit and the other is running out of energy?
The best training sessions, and games, are when players use their skill, technique, fitness and, most of all, their concentration from the word go.
Concentration is more difficult when you are tired, so fitness can help mental strength too!!
By way of example - in a game - it's one thing to read an interception, but a player who is ready and able to move quickly, and get in front of the intended recipient of the pass, will be much better equipped to actually win the ball.
- When you get to “full fitness”, players can often get bored by “dull” fitness exercises, so Managers and
Coaches should vary the work to make it useful AND fun at training!!
Using a combination of jumps is a great way to help muscles get warmed up and you can do a series of short sprints to prepare yourself for a match.
It gets the blood circulating in your legs and prepares you for the short sprints used regularly in games
When coaching fitness, I believe passionately in using footballs (as this makes it more fun and also "game realistic"!!).
Also, here are three truths that are worth remembering when trying to maintain fitness, or recover from injury.
1) Don’t run through a stitch
The stabbing pain in the tummy, otherwise known as a stitch means that you have taken on too many carbohydrates before you started training.
This often means too much pasta, maybe an hour or so earlier, or after a big meal. well intentioned this may be but it’s really not good!
What has happened is that there is a sudden rush of sugar, increasing the amount of insulin your liver has to cope with.
The liver squeezes and this is where you feel the real pain – the stitch.
Action: You should not run through a stitch.
The pain will mean that you are not able to maintain a proper body shape and might cause you to injure yourself in another way.
It is simply a case of stopping and waiting for the pain to subside.
2) Loss of performance through loss of water – think about the water intake timings
It only takes a loss of 3% of water from the body to impair the performance of most grassroots footballers.
Rehydration, the replacement of lost water, needs to occur on regular intervals, normally every 15 to 20 minutes.
Ideally you need to replace the same amount of water with each drink.
However this sort of rehydration does not represent the game situations where water intake is not as controlled.
If possible it is better to train as you play and this goes for rehydration.
The body adapts through training to the conditions set, therefore benefiting the football player when they play in the game.
3) Two good nights sleep will repair your muscles more effectively
Most muscle repair occurs while you are asleep.
This happens through something called deep orthodox sleep.
Deep orthodox sleep last for 20 minutes on average and happens at most 4 or 5 times a night, but on average 3 times.
You need 5 cycles to give the maximum muscle repair.
A good night’s sleep is when you reach that 5 cycles level, but for most that means two good night’s of sleep for fully repaired muscles.
Diet
In simple terms, what we eat and drink provides the fuel for us to train, play and recover from training.
What we need to know is what is the best “fuel”, for our players.
Carbo education for the benefit of the players
Carbohydrates are recognised to have the most immediate effect on the players’ performance, so Managers should try to help educate the team to eat better to operate better, but at the end of the day eating is fun too and is very much personal choice!!
It is impractical to give all players a specific diet sheets because of the variety of home cooking circumstances (e.g. mothers, partners, flatmates, schools).
However, an appreciation of the benefits will help you choose better options!
Low fat carbs for low fat players
Despite the horrors outlined by some trendy diets, there are many staple foods which provide excellent sources of carbohydrates e.g. potatoes and pasta.
The key though is to avoid high carb foods with a high fat content.
This will mean that high consumption will also lead to weight gain.
For example, crisps and pizza are two hazards to be avoided.
So, What’s good to eat?
Some good, low fat, high carb foods are:
- rice,
- popcorn
- breakfast cereals
- fruit
- toast and honey
- potatoes
- pasta
BUT, Some treats should be had as well:
- chocolate
- sweets (eg fruit gums)
-Coca Cola (though this drink is not a substitute for water).
Baked potatoes and sandwiches are good “whole” meals, with fillings which avoid too much fat, this making an even healthier option.
So cut down on butter, cheese and mayonnaise and use baked beans, lean meats and low fat cheeses.
Keep the balance
A diet cannot just be carbohydrates, but also protein, fat and hydration.
It is worth thinking what you are eating and drinking, if only to help you make their own more informed decisions.
DIET FACTS
On average, carbohydrates makes up at least half of a player’s total energy intake. In football, the intensity of the sport means that carbohydrates are the primary energy source. All milk has the same carbohydrate content, but differs in fat content, therefore footballers would do better to drink semi skimmed or skimmed milk.
There is little evidence to suggest any difference for performance on whether a player should eat complex carbohydrates (e.g. pasta or potatoes) and simple carbohydrates (e.g. sweets and fruit).
Hope that all helps!
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