Interval-training

Tired of the Treadmill? Try This Instead

By Parker & Walsh 2 Comments

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and winter is approaching. For soccer players looking to stay fit, those cold winter months can be a challenge.

Running indoor on a treadmill is a tried-and-true technique, but for many, it gets boring after a while.

If you’re tired of running on a treadmill during the winter months, can you still get the same type of cardio workout?

You certainly can! Jump on the row machine because it’s better than the treadmill.

It works more muscles including your shoulders, traps, triceps, pecs, biceps, core, quads, hamstrings and calves.

The row machine will also boost your cardio. I have personally found that rowing at a 7 resistance really works the whole body.

Below are a few great booster workouts on the row machine to cap off your gym session and keep you in shape during the winter months.

Interval Training – Interval training is a fitness method with a lot of benefits. Sprint row for 1 minute and then rest for 1 minute for a total of 10 minutes (working for 5; resting for 5). How many meters can you row? See if you can row farther each time you interval train on the row machine.

Descending Workouts –

Row for 1000 meters; rest for 2 minutes

Row for 750 meters; rest for 1 minute

Row for 500 meters; rest for 30 seconds

Row for 250 meters

Rowing for Distance – A good pace is to be able to row 500 meters in 2 minutes for 10 minutes. If you want to step it up a notch, then try to row 2,000 meters in 7 minutes.

Have you tried any of these workouts on the row machine, or do you have another way to stay fit during the winter months? If so, let us know in the comments.

Best Ways to Stay in Soccer Shape Over the Summer

By Parker & Walsh 2 Comments

Summer is a time to relax and have fun, but also get into shape for your upcoming soccer season.

For many players, your club soccer is just about to end and you will have a couple of months of free time before your high school season begins.

(And even if your season is on another schedule, it is likely there will be a summer break in there somewhere.)

Summer is a crucial time to get into soccer shape, and this post will outline the best ways to stay in soccer shape over the summer.

Setting fitness goals for soccer

When you physically write down the goals you wish to accomplish, you are more likely to follow through and succeed.

One good goal is to be able to run 2 miles in 12 minutes.

Another goal should be the number of push-ups, abs, lunges, and split-leg jumping squats (jumping lunges) done in a week. You should try to raise the number by at least 1 each week.

Just get out there and run: A way to accomplish the first goal above is to get a watch, pick a running loop (whether it is shorter or longer than 2 miles), then try to run it faster each time. Then periodically test your 2 mile time throughout the summer. (Check out our post on Interval Training and the Importance of Change of Pace in Soccer.)

Does Playing Other Sports Help You in Soccer?

You bet! Other sports can be great for improving your soccer fitness, such as basketball, tennis, swimming, kayaking, rock climbing, and biking.

Aside from being fun, other sports have distinct fitness benefits.

For example, playing basketball allows you to work on your lateral movement while getting in a lot of short sprints. Tennis is the same way.

Swimming, on the other hand, will help improve your cardiovascular fitness.

Kayaking will help your arm strength to shield and hold opponents off.

Rock climbing is a full body workout which improves the strength of your arms and legs.

Biking will help strengthen your legs.

Especially for those who have to force themselves to go running each day, playing other sports helps spice up your summer while helping you to prepare for the upcoming soccer season.

Play Soccer! (And What to Focus on)

Finally, there is no better way to get into soccer shape than just playing the game itself.

If you are a defender, then try to make more attacking runs out of the back to get more running in.

If you are a forward, then try to track more guys down from behind. As for a midfielder, try to play box-to-box to get the most fitness in that you can.

Best Time of the Day to Train for Soccer Fitness?

Finally, when working out, you should take into account the time of day.

The hottest part of a summer day is usually from 2pm-4pm.

Many players would not work out during this time, but I think that it is a great time to work because your workout is intensified with the heat.

If you can perform in intense heat, then it will only make the games in optimal weather like a walk in the park.

If you are going to do this, however, be absolutely sure to stay hydrated and stop if you are feeling overheated.

This also depends on your location. If you live in a hot region where there may be a heat advisory, we do not recommend practicing then and instead in the morning or evening when it is cooler.

Photo credit cempey

How to Work Out While Watching TV

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In today’s society, TV is a big deal. Many of us spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on the newest models to make the viewing experience as perfect as can be. Many people even set their schedules around certain TV shows, often at the expense of other activities like working out.

Most of us do not like watching commercials (except during the Super Bowl), and a lot of people use DVR to skip them and get around the inconvenience. Today, though, we’re going to make a case for not hitting the fast forward button.

Next time you’re watching TV, why not try doing a workout during the commercials so you can improve your fitness while you’re being entertained?

By doing these TV exercises, you will be getting an interval workout. The average length of a commercial for a 30 minute TV show is three two minute breaks. Within this timeframe, you can do numerous body weight workouts, so all you need is a TV and a show to watch. (If you watch TV shows online, many of these services still have ad breaks, although the timing might differ slightly.)

Exercises to Do While Watching TV

First, if you want to work your legs you can do lunges or body weight squats.

For arms, you can do push-ups or dips. There are many different push-ups you can do by the way you position your hands: wide, close, diamond and staggered. When doing dips, you will need a chair or a coffee table.

For abs, you can do bicycles, crunches, heel touches, pike-ups, russian twists, or planks.

Famous athletes have heeded this commercial break workout advice to great effect. Herschel Walker, 2 time Pro Bowl and All-Pro running back, former Heisman Trophy winner and mixed martial artist, made it a point of doing pushups during TV commercial breaks.

You can really challenge yourself here by seeing how many reps you can get in during the first break and try to improve for the next two. You can also do a different body section for each commercial break. You can choose what works for you, but don’t forget to work on your weaknesses too. If you have any more specific questions about any of these exercises, let us know in the comments. We’ll be covering them in more detail on Soccer Training Solutions in the coming weeks.

Interval Training and the Importance of Change of Pace in Soccer

By Parker & Walsh 2 Comments

soccer-running-track To play all 90 minutes of a soccer game, you must be in great shape. Even if you get the luxury of getting a breather or two, a high level fitness is still crucial.

But soccer isn’t just running around at one pace: it involves some sprints, some jogging and even moments of walking.

Interval Training for Soccer Fitness

This means that a great way to improve fitness is interval training, a technique similar to game situations.

With interval training, you are performing a high intensity movement (running or sprinting) followed by recovering (walking or jogging).

The exact timing of your intervals can vary, but in general the key is to do the high-paced part for a short period of time, and the slow-paced part for longer so you have enough time to recover for the next burst.

You might choose something like 15 seconds of sprinting followed by 45 seconds of slow jogging. That also has the advantage of making your intervals one minute even so they’re easy to plan and track.

You also don’t need your high intensity movement to be an all-out sprint; something like 80% of your top speed can also work, and that should also allow you to do your interval run for longer.

There are nearly countless ways to plan your run, and next I’ll share one of my personal favorites.

The Neighborhood Mailbox Interval Run

I like to run outside in my neighborhood.

My youth club soccer coach once gave a way to turn this into an effective interval run. He told me to sprint and then jog every other mailbox.

In my neighborhood, mailboxes were spread out pretty evenly, although there sometimes would be a very long or short sprint or jog, but that is true in a soccer game as well.

If you live in a place where there are not any mailboxes, you can improvise.

Mailboxes were just my intervals. I have also used telephone poles and driveways.

Use anything that will create an interval unit, and if you can’t run on the streets near your home, try a local park.

I would recommend running at the maximum 3 miles, and I strongly believe though that working at high levels of intensity for short periods of time (3 miles max) can still get you into great soccer shape.

I know that soccer players run about an average of 6 miles but it is not all at high intensity.

Interval Training Improves Change of Pace

Interval training is effective because it works your fast twitch muscle fibers, which are the muscles used for quickness and speed.

In a game situation, this specifically improves your change of pace.

I’m sure you’ve heard coaches, announcers, or teammates talking about change of pace; it’s a quick burst of speed to get around or away from a defender, and that is why you want to work your fast twitch muscle fibers.

For example, after you do a move to get around your defender or put your defender off balance, you need to create separation with a strong change of pace to complete the move.

Interval training and change of pace are both crucial to work on when improving your change of pace, so stay tuned for more detailed information and training advice.

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