Even though with competitive soccer there is no true off season, there is usually less pressure to perform in the winter. You might have a tournament or 2 but for the most part, you usually have just finished your biggest games and now have the time to put in the work to improve your strength, power, speed and overall athleticism to become a better athlete and soccer player.
I like to get back to the basics in the off-season and make sure we get in work in all planes of motion and in all the compound upper and lower push and pull exercises (see list below).
This is usually helps me identify and fix any compensations a player may develop over the season due to overusing certain muscles or due to over or under-using certain muscles. It also might be the first time an athlete has ever worked with a trainer so these movements help us build a solid foundation from which we can progress and help build a phenomenal athlete.
This is often called general prep work and just like the fundamentals for your sport, it’s a building block that you should come back to often to help keep your body functioning at 100% so that you can perform your best.
Staple General Prep Movements at Athlete Plus Performance:
Squat (goblet squats, front squats, back squats, single leg variations)
Lunges (multi-directional, walking, reverse, front foot elevated)
Hinge (deadlift, Romanian deadlift, b-stand rdl)
Push up and/or bench press
Pull up
Rows
Sled push and pull
Core (planks, payloff press, Russian twist, pull throughs, medball slams and toss variations)
Pogos
Skips
Bounds
Box jumps
Broad jumps
Sprints
This list is by no means exhaustive. Lots of other movements and exercises are great for building an athletic foundation but these are just the ones I use consistently with my athletes, along with other movements and exercises that apply directly to their strengths, weaknesses and goals.
If you want to find out more, get in touch and let’s talk about getting you better, faster and stronger for next season!
Build yourself, change your game!
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