“It’s all very simple: if you score one more than your opponent, you win.” -Johann Cruyff
This is one of my favorite quotes about The Beautiful Game, and I think it encapsulates the sport at its basic level. In theory, soccer is a simple game; ten field players try to put a ball into a goal using only their feet past a goal keeper who can use both their hands and feet to stop it from happening; sounds simple, right? It’s the players that do anything necessary, within the rules, to accomplish this goal. Different skills and talents are needed and utilized to achieve victory. Jogging, sprinting, cutting, jumping, tackling, kicking, diving and more are all skills that need to be taught, practiced and executed during a game to achieve the greatest success. So, a game that is perceived as easy is actually complex due to the players’ skill sets brought out to the field of play with them.
One other misconception in the sporting world is that the use of unconventional training tools and programs are unnecessary, crazy and flat out dangerous. I’m here to dispel these myths and display the benefits that unconventional exercises have in a training program for soccer athletes.
First off, I would like to start by dispelling the myth that unconventional exercises are intimidating and dangerous. The reason for this attached title and stigma is because they are not mainstream movements. You will almost never see anyone doing sandbag cleans, kettlebell swings and training ropes in commercial gyms. Who knows, maybe in ten years the unconventional exercises of today will become the popular movements and replace bicep curls in the squat rack. I sure hope so. But until that day comes, unconventional exercises continue to get a bad rap because they are not widely used. The truth is, any training movement can be deemed safe or dangerous depending on how it’s performed and who is using it.
Unconventional training has several benefits for the knowledgeable coach and the prepared athlete. Unconventional exercises:
- Challenge the stability of the athlete in ways traditional weights typically do not.
- Enhance the coordination of movement for the athlete.
- May actually be safer to use than other conventional types of training.
- Excellent to use during strength circuit sets.
Anyone that knows soccer will never doubt the need for stability when playing the sport. Using sandbags and uni-lateral kettlebell movements train stability and coordination of the legs and core musculature needed to absorb physical contact and directional changes in soccer. Sandbag and kettlebells can also be used to replace traditional Olympic weight lifting cleans and snatches which are much more complex in their movement patterns and take much more time to learn and perform correctly and effectively.
Soccer requires a combination of strength, power and endurance. There are moments where speed and power are needed for repeated sprints, jumping for headers and striking the ball for power. Soccer also has low level activity that does not require much power but must be maintained for 90 minutes; jogging around the field to get into position, dribbling and passing all require stamina. It is important to create a conditioning program that encompasses all of soccer’s grueling requirements and this can be done with unconventional exercises. Using some unconventional training exercises in a circuit fashion will not only enhance the strength and stability of the athlete, it will also condition them to perform at the highest level for 90 minutes. I will explain some of the unconventional exercises I use with my soccer athletes and how to incorporate them into different conditioning programs.
Kettlebell Training
Single leg work is crucial when training soccer players because most players have a leg that is stronger and more stable than the other. If this instability gap becomes too large the physical demands of the game may be too much for the joint integrity and a non contact injury, like an ACL, may occur.
I have found single kettlebell lunges to be some of the best way to train leg strength and also stability. Holding the kettlebell on one side in either the low position or the more demanding racked position engages the core, keeping the body aligned and stable, while training the legs independently. I particularly prefer forward lunges to train the hamstring muscles to decelerate the body as needed to slow the body down and change directions quickly.
My favorite single leg kettlebell movement is called the single kettlebell Romanian Dead Lift (RDL). Using one kettlebell for the RDL not only strengthens the singe leg, it also enhances balance. If you have strength and stability differences between legs, this movement will expose it rather quickly.
The kettlebell swing is king and perfect for training soccer players. As stated earlier, soccer is a game with repeated bouts of power. The kettlebell swing trains the posterior chain to generate power and also adds to the overall conditioning of the athlete. Nearly every circuit I create for my soccer athletes has a kettlebell swing variation exercise within it.
Sandbag Training
Sandbags can be used to train both power and stability while being easier to learn than the Olympic lifts. One of my favorite exercises for power production is sandbag shouldering. This movement requires a stable upper body and an explosive movement from the legs to get the sandbag to the top of the shoulder.
In soccer, transferring power from the legs through the body to shoot, sprint or jump is essential. Sandbag Thrusters (squat to press) are a great way to train the hips to generate power and transfer the power through the upper body.
Not all movements need to be power-based. Sandbag get-ups train the core muscles for strength and stability. I prefer the sandbag variation over the kettlebell, especially for novice athletes, because it is much safer on the shoulder joint to keep the weight close to the body rather than extended it overhead.
Other Unconventional Exercises
Sled training is highly advantageous to add onto a soccer athlete’s training program. Sled training strengthens the legs for increased agility and power production necessary for quick burst of speed on the soccer field. More importantly, sled training is one of the best exercises used to improve and enhance cardio vascular endurance. Medicine ball slams or Tire sledgehammer training does the opposite of the sandbag training. While sandbag training generates power from the legs to the arms, these exercises generate power from the arms to the legs. Success as an athlete requires balance of the body. If you train one direction it is best to train the opposite as well. Training Ropes are a greatway to train upper body coordination and even more importantly the cardiovascular system. Soccer players run most of the time during practices and games and I am not a big fan of adding more stress to the hips, knees and ankles with excessive lower body cardiovascular training. A few rounds of rope training will get the heart pumping while being friendly to the athlete’s major points.
There you have some of myfavorite unconventional exercises for soccer players. Beloware some examples of various conditioning circuits I use totrain with my soccer players.Kettlebell and Sandbag Circuit
This circuit consists of three rounds of three exercises; rounds one and three are three exercises only and round two each exercise must be performed on each side. I like to have my athletes perform each exercise for 30-45 seconds of work and 15-20 seconds of rest. Have the athletes complete both rounds before resting 1-3 minutes or starting another circuit. Perform this whole circuit 2-3 times.
Unconventional Training for Soccer: Kettlebell & Sandbag Circuit
Round 1
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Sandbag Thruster
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Kettlebell Alternating Forward Lunge
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2-Arm Kettlebell Swing
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Round 2
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(Each Side) Sandbag Shoulder
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Single Kettlebell RDL
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1-Arm Kettlebell Swing
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Round 3
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Sandbag Get Up (Left)
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Sandbag Get Up (Right)
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Alternating Kettlebell Swing
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Swing In Between Circuit
Small circuits are fun and larger circuits are a blast. I enjoy throwing a variety of exercises to keep the intensity high and emphasis on conditioning up. In this circuit the athlete will keep a kettlebell close by because every other exercise will be a swing variation. Each exercise should be done for 30-45 seconds, rest 15-20 seconds. Perform this whole circuit two to three times with a three minuets rest between rounds.
Unconventional Training for Soccer: Swing In Between Circuit
Exercise
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Work Interval
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Rest Interval
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Alternating Sandbag Shoulder
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40 sec
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20 sec
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2-Arm Kettlebell Swing
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40 sec
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20 sec
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Alternating Kettlebell Lunge
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40 sec
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20 sec
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1-Arm Kettlebell Swing (Right)
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40 sec
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20 sec
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Medicine Ball Slams or Tire Sledgehammer
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40 sec
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20 sec
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1-Arm Kettlebell Swing (Left)
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40 sec
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20 sec
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Training Ropes
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40 sec
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20 sec
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Alternating Kettlebell Swing
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40 sec
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20 sec
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Sled Push
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For Distance
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The concept of soccer may seem simple in theory but upon further analysis there are a lot of areas to train and perfect to be successful in the sport. To quote the great soccer player Roy Keane; “Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.” Training outside the sport is not an option it is a necessity. Adding some unconventional training exercises into a carefully structured strength and conditioning program will enhance core strength, increase stability and optimize power production, making the athlete ready to compete with the rigors of the game. Now go out and make it happen.
Article Information:
This article was featured in the Feb/Mar 2012 Issue of the My Mad Methods Magazine. “Stability, Coordination, & Strength: Unconventional Training for Soccer" was written by Doug Fioranelli. Learn more about the My Mad Methods Magazine by Clicking HereContributor Information:
In the summer of 2008, I accomplished my lifelong dream by opening: RISE ABOVE PERFORMANCE TRAINING. Mentally and physically pushing my body to the limit has always been a major part of my life. I was a promising high school athlete with dreams of playing college soccer. Unfortunately, I was forced to give it all up due to multiple injuries sustained on the field resulting in a series of complicated surgeries. Unwilling to abandon my dreams entirely, I shifted my focus towards helping others achieve their goals. I thought if I could understand what had happened to me and how to overcome it, I could train other athletes to reach their maximum potential while reducing their risk for injury through proper strength training and conditioning. Find out more.