Soccer Conditioning Made Simple: Easy to Implement Plan and Drills
The Philosophy
Here’s the deal. To get better at soccer, you have to play more soccer. The problem is, you can’t compete all the time, so you have to replicate the playing conditions as close as you can. It’s that simple.
The Method
How do we condition for soccer? The simplest way is to do it outdoors, with movements that are similar to playing your position. Sprints, jumps, runs, cuts, etc. If you strive to play two 45 minute halves, break each half down into many intervals of “work” and “active rest”. Does that sound familiar? It’s because that’s what we constantly do when playing the game. But to actually implement effective conditioning sessions, you need a plan. So here it is…
The Mindset
Here is the truth. It’s all in the mind. Moving, eating, resting, it’s all directed by your mental resilience. You build this resilience in moments where your muscles are shaking, your lungs are burning, and you want to stop, but you choose to make ONE MORE SPRINT down the line to help your team to victory. Every decision comes from the mind. So, build that thing up. 🧠
When should I do conditioning sessions?
I recommend you focus on conditioning two days a week. Feel free to do other workouts in addition if you’d like (weights), just be sure to rest one day before and one day after your game-day. If you play Sundays, do this on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That way you get alternating rest days.
Where can I do conditioning sessions?
The best place to do this is on the soccer field. The next best place is track, next best is road, next best is treadmill. Why? Because outdoor running replicates weather conditions. No amount of air-conditioned gym weight-lifting and treadmill-running can condition you to play soccer out in the heat. That’s just how it’s been since the dawn of time. 🤷♂️
What should I do in conditioning sessions?
I scoured YouTube to find one single video that has effective conditioning drills that are simple and flexible enough to be done anywhere, with minimum equipment and complexity. Shout out to The Movement System for these 5 simple and effective drills you can implement in your soccer conditioning sessions to become a beast on the field.
So, save this video, watch it, and pay attention to EVERY WORD. Then go out and GET IT! 🔥
Just 5 Drills? Doesn’t that get boring?
“But Ali, just 5 drills can get boring!” Listen here… conditioning drills are not about having fun or excitement. They’re painful and boring. But when once you consistently do them and see yourself DOMINATE on game-day, moving around the field with ease and power, not gasping for air every 5 minutes, you’ll thank yourself for all the boring times you put into building the machine you call your body. 💪🏼
The Bare Minimum
If you read that and said “F*@k that, Ali. I’m not doing more than the bare minimum”, that’s fine. You’ll get out what you put in, but the bare minimum is still better than nothing.
How do I maintain bare minimum Conditioning
If you’re looking for the bare minimum then just do 2 sessions of Fartlek Run every week. Go to minute 3:13 of the video for the Fartlek run explanation.
For the road or the track:
Pick a route, set a timer for 45 minutes, imagine the ref blowing the kickoff whistle, and start running at a comfortable pace. Every 30 seconds, do a 10 second sprint. Mix it up and have fun with it. You are the only person who truly knows if you’re pushing yourself to your limit or not. So push yourself more than you pull back and you’ll improve. Be safe out there.
For the treadmill:
Same thing, just probably harder to slow down and speed up using the keys. Unless the treadmill has preset interval modes you can select or customize.
And Lastly, Be Patient
Be gracious to yourself when you first start out. This will be hard, but great things come from hard work. Remember that not every day is going to feel the same. There are ups and downs, just like the beautiful game itself. So be kind to yourself and take care of your mind and your body.
