Every soccer player should take soccer training seriously. The fact is that weight training is something that almost every athlete needs; Especially football players. Strength and bodybuilding exercises for soccer players are a little different, but they definitely need bodybuilding.
Stay with us in this article to learn about the importance of bodybuilding exercises for football players and to know the best football bodybuilding program and include them in your sports program for your further progress.
The importance of physical training in football
As we said, if you seriously want to follow football, you must seriously go to football bodybuilding and prepare your body well for professional sports and progress in it. Now we will talk about the importance of these exercises for football players in detail.
Protects athletes: Football is a relatively hard physical sport in which there is always a possibility of injury. Muscle building and bodybuilding exercises can make the body stronger and reduce the chances of athletes getting injured.
It causes faster recovery: The only way to shorten the recovery time and even improve the injuries, is for the body to be in a state of high strength. For this exact reason, soccer bodybuilding exercises are added to the routine of soccer players and make them recover faster and better.
It increases the athlete’s speed: Increased strength also means players can act and run faster. Having quickness on the field will set you apart and this is a great plus and will increase your endurance to withstand the pressure of the game.
Prevents injury: Strong muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones can withstand more force. If the football player’s body is strong, his joints are also safer. Not only during games, but also against tackles and collisions, a strong body can better take care of itself.
Improves balance and stability: Working on the strength of your legs, core and even arms will help you improve your balance and stability, coordination and posture. All these things happen on the field with the work of football players.
Increases self-confidence: Bodybuilding as a form of strength training can help improve your overall health and self-confidence because you have less to worry about getting injured or coming up short on the field. Therefore, football bodybuilding increases your physical and mental fitness and improves your performance on the field.
What features should the fitness program of football players have?
A soccer player needs various physical fitness skills that require soccer training to acquire them. It is not necessary for football players to be very big; But they should definitely prepare their body enough by doing bodybuilding. Stronger muscles mean more strength and power and will make you more successful and progress in football.
In other words, to be fast and agile, you need to be strong, and being strong requires continuous football training. Other than that, there are many situations on the football field where strength is an advantage, and not all of them are directly related to speed. For example:
Explosive jump to attack
Higher speed in kicks and passes
Maintaining balance against tackles or challenges
Explosive acceleration to create an open space or defend the goal
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Don’t neglect stretching!
You definitely need stretching and body weight exercises in your football training program. Such exercises are performed in order to increase the flexibility and physical endurance of the footballer.
From a team point of view, football is such a technical game that it requires a variety of exercises and high physical fitness. Football players can have bodybuilder-like legs, but these legs are built naturally as they run miles around the field.
Football fitness program at home
If you can’t go to the gym, you can do soccer bodybuilding using your body weight and simple equipment you have at home. This program is designed to improve your strength, endurance and speed:
The first session
Squat with body weight: 3 sets, each set 15 repetitions
Walking lunges: 3 sets, 12 repetitions per leg
Step-up: 3 sets of 12 repetitions
Hip bridge: 3 sets, each set 15 repetitions
Standing leg: 3 sets, 10 repetitions each leg
squat
How to move
First, open your legs shoulder-width apart;
stretch your hands and keep them in front of your body;
Your body should be completely straight and your gaze should be forward;
Move down without leaning forward;
Be careful not to let your knees go past your toes;
Then slowly move upwards.
Dumbbell lunge
How to move
Choose two suitable dumbbells and keep them stretched by the body;
Stand straight at the beginning of the movement;
take a long step forward;
place the back foot on the tip of the toes and move down until the knee of the back leg does not hit the ground and the knee of the front leg does not come out of the thumb;
Then move up and take a step forward and perform the movement again.
step
How to move
To perform this movement, you can stack three or four steps or use a 40 cm platform;
Keep your hands beside your body;
Your body should be completely smooth;
First, place your right foot completely on the step and go up;
then lift your other leg and place it on the step;
Follow the video and place your feet on the platform in order.
Tip: By increasing the intensity of the exercise, you can increase the height of the step and use weights.
bridge
How to move
Sleep on the floor with the soles of your feet on the floor;
The knee angle should be 30 to 40 degrees and the palms should be next to the body and on the ground;
lift your hips and waist up until your body is straight and your hips are fully contracted;
Then slowly return to the original position.
standing leg
How to move
First, keep your feet together shoulder-width apart;
You can stand on a low ledge or platform to experience more traction during the movement;
keep your hands on your waist;
Try going up and down on your toes;
You can keep your hands on a support for balance.
The second session
Swedish swimming: 3 sets, each set 12 repetitions
Bent leg bench dip: 3 sets, each set 12 repetitions
Plank from the side: 3 sets on each side, 30 seconds each set
Intermittent shoulder press with stretch: 3 sets, each set 15 repetitions
Swedish swimming
How to move
Lie on the floor so that your palms and toes are on the floor;
keep the upper body up while the hands are stretched and at a distance of about 90 cm from each other;
Go down until the chest does not reach the ground;
Return the upper body to the starting point and contract the chest muscle;
After a short pause at the highest point, you can go back down and repeat the movement as many times as needed.
Bent leg bench dip
How to move
To begin, sit on a bench and hold one of its edges with your two hands, and place your feet while the soles of the feet are on the floor and the knees are bent;
The knees have a 90 degree angle to the ground;
Then, while the back is flat and the abdominal muscles are contracted, suspend the upper body, this is the starting point of the movement;
Then inhale and bend the elbows until you feel a full stretch in the back of the arm;
return to the starting position using the muscles of the back of the arm;
Maintain the contraction for a moment, then repeat the movement as many times as necessary, the elbows should point towards the back of the body throughout the exercise.
Side plank
How to move
Sit on the floor in the plank position;
so that your hand is ninety degrees and your forearm is completely on the ground;
The spine should be parallel to the ground;
then place your body on the left side so that the weight of the body is on one of the hands;
Your body should form a straight line from your ears to your ankles.
Intermittent shoulder press with stretch
How to move
Stand straight and keep the band under your feet;
hold the elastic bands so that the elbows are bent and the hands are next to the ears;
Try to move the right hand up and return to the starting point;
Now repeat the same thing with the left hand;
Perform one repetition with the right hand and one repetition with the left hand;
Make sure that the upper part of the movement of the elbows is not completely straight so that the pressure from the target muscle does not enter the joints.
The third session
Burpee: 3 sets with 12 repetitions
Knee high: 3 sets of 20 seconds
Jumping rope: 4 sets, each set 30 seconds
Plank: 3 sets, each set 30 seconds
Long jump: 3 sets with 12 repetitions
Convert plank to swimming: 3 sets, each set 10 repetitions
burpee
How to move
Sleep on the ground with your chest in a swimming position.
your palms are on the ground;
Remove your body from the ground;
Then by doing a small jump, gather your legs inside the stomach and stand;
At the end, perform a butterfly movement.
Kneeling with a pause
How to move
Stand straight to perform this movement;
Perform four repetitions of the long knee movement and take a short break;
To perform the pause, hold the right leg up once and the left leg up once.
rope
How to move
Hold both ends of the rope in your hands, place the rope behind you on the ground;
Raise your hands, pass the rope over your head and lower it;
Jump over it when it lands;
Find a suitable speed that you can keep constant to turn the rope;
To create diversity, you can use different techniques and speeds;
Jumping is an exciting sport, it challenges your reaction speed and requires a lot of energy;
A person weighing 150 pounds will burn about 350 calories in 30 minutes, compared to the more than 400 calories a person would burn in the same amount of time while jogging.
Plank
How to move
This movement is an important exercise for the abdominal muscles;
Sit in the right position on the ground and put your body weight on your big toe and forearm;
Elbows should be bent and exactly below the shoulders;
Keep your body straight all the time and maintain this form as much as you can.
long jump
How to move
First, stand straight;
Take a step forward;
Try not to let your knees go past the tips of your toes;
The back leg should be stretched and the knee should be close to the ground;
Try to put your back foot on the tip of the toe;
move down and bring the back knee close to the ground;
Then when you come up, after a jump, jump up.
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Football fitness program to increase strength
Our usual recommendation is to have a specialized and personal plan for yourself; Because you will reach your goal faster and better with specialized exercise. In this section, we present an example of a football fitness program.
move name
Number of sets and repetitions
single front
First set 15 / second set 10 / third set 8
Standing on the back of a single leg
3 sets of 12
Shot with wire
3 sets of 12
Cable standing leg press
First set 15 / second set 12 / third set 8
Walking squat with a cable
3 sets of 12
Lateral dumbbell lunge
3 sets of 12
Barfix Smith is seated
3 sets of 12
Barbell squats
3 sets of 12
Belly Roll
3 sets of 10
single front
How to move
First, choose the right weight and place your feet in the right place and sit on the machine with your feet in front and hold the handles of the machine;
You must adjust the position of the foot so that the pad is on the bottom of your foot;
Make sure that a ninety degree angle is formed between the front leg and the leg;
While your body is still, using the front leg muscle, straighten your leg;
Do this movement with one leg; Pause at the highest point, then slowly return to the starting point;
Repeat this movement for the other leg;
Be careful not to lock your knees while performing this movement.
Standing on the back of a single leg
How to move
To perform this movement, we will use the front leg device;
because some clubs don’t have the device behind the standing leg;
To start, the thigh must be attached to the seat of the device;
Now lower the pad to where it rests on the back of the leg, lock it;
Take the seat or the support with your hands;
keep the thigh attached to the pad all the time and use only one leg, so lift the leg straight up; Make the movement slow and controlled;
Your thumb should be pointing down;
Raise the legs, this part of the back leg muscle should be well activated;
A common mistake is to use too heavy a weight, and the number two mistake is to separate the foot from the pad;
Attach the foot to the pad, and lift the weight straight up;
If you can’t do these steps, choose a lighter weight and do the exercise correctly.
Shot with wire
How to move
Set the wire spool at the lowest point;
Stand straight with your back to the machine;
You can fix your hand somewhere (pillar, chair, your back) as a support;
Try to stand as straight as possible and move your right leg to which you have attached the strap forward and up;
The left knee should be straight or slightly bent;
After completing the movement, do the same for the other leg.
Cable standing leg press
How to move
Place a bench in front of the wiring machine;
Set the wire spool at the highest point;
Stand on the bench and connect one leg to the band;
Now try to swing your leg down;
When finished, perform for the opposite leg as well.
Walking squat with a cable
How to move
First, stand in front of the wiring device;
Set the wire spool at the lowest point and connect the straight or double handle to it;
Hold the handle and come back a little;
The hands should be completely flat on your face;
Spread your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart and point your toes slightly outwards;
Now go down into a squat position;
Make sure that your hands are completely steady;
In the same position, take your legs back one by one;
Try to maintain your posture and move back only by pressing on the gluteal muscles;
After the desired number of repetitions, move forward step by step in the same position;
Do this slowly and with control.
Lateral dumbbell lunge
First, stand straight;
hold a dumbbell in your hands, the hand should be straight and stretched in front of the body;
take a step aside with the right foot;
Bend the right knee a little and sit, then stand up and return to the initial position;
When performing the movement, the body should be completely straight;
Do the same for your left leg.
Barfix Smith is seated
How to move
Stand in front of the smith’s bar;
According to the picture, the Smith bar should be in front of your chest or a little lower;
Grab the bar with your hands wider than shoulder width;
Place your feet forward and place your soles on the ground;
The angle of the knees with the ground should be 90 degrees;
Lean your upper body slightly backwards;
Now pull yourself up and then return to the secondary position.
Barbell squats
How to move
First, sit on the edge of the bench;
Choose a barbell with the right weight;
Place a towel on your thigh and place the barbell on it;
Place a step under your toes;
Try to move the weight upwards with the tip of the paw.
Belly Roll
How to move
Remove the abdominal wheel and lie on the floor so that your knees and toes are on the floor;
put the hands on the bar;
keep your back straight and your hips forward;
Move forward and push the wheel forward;
Move forward until the body is parallel and level with the ground;
Then go back.
Football fitness program for teenagers
As a teenager, you should focus on improving your endurance, core strength, and agility. Also, your fitness program is not supposed to be too heavy; For this reason, only three training sessions a week are enough for you. At the same time, you should work with weights that are not too heavy and stressful for you.
The first session
Specialized warm-up includes slow jogging, dynamic stretching, squats without weights – 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Lunges 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions
Leg press 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions
Step up or step movement 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions
3 sets of plyometric jumps with 8 to 12 repetitions
After 3 sets with 8 to 10 repetitions
Specialized cooling
The second session
Specialized warm-up includes slow jogging, dynamic stretching, deadlifts without weights – 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Japanese salutation movement 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions
Jumping from the box 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions
Russian rotation 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions
Specialized cooling
The third session
Specialized warm-up includes slow jogging, dynamic stretching, chest press without weights – 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
Dumbbell fly 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions
Back arm dip 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions
Barfix 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions
Swedish swimming 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions
Specialized cooling
Bodybuilding exercises without balls for soccer players
Now we introduce and teach the best and most effective football bodybuilding exercises that do not require a ball.
squat: The classic one-legged or two-legged squat is an essential exercise for every soccer player. Doing squats for a soccer player will stabilize your calves, backs of your feet, midsection, and joints, which will benefit you more than you think on the field. Squats can be a difficult technique for some, so start with just a barbell and no weights until you master the movement.
long: Any soccer player who is looking for lower body strength should definitely have the lunge in his bodybuilding routine. The beauty of lunges is that they can be done anywhere with or without weights to reap the benefits. Leg strength, leg flexibility, and increased balance are just a few of the benefits of including lunges in your workouts.
barfix: Barfix is a great exercise to help strengthen the upper body while stretching the spine and back. As a soccer player, you should be able to do 7-10 barfixes easily.
lying on his back: One of the most common injuries in football is hamstring strain or even tear, this can be caused by sprinting and very strong shots; But the fact is that neglecting hamstring exercises is the main cause of your injury. This movement, with or without weight, is vital to keeping your hamstrings strong.
Leg exercises: A simple leg exercise can definitely speed up the process of muscle building as fast as possible in the quadriceps and glutes. Incorporating the leg press into soccer training is essential for every professional player.
squat
How to move
First, open your legs shoulder-width apart;
stretch your hands and keep them in front of your body;
Your body should be completely straight and your gaze should be forward;
Move down without leaning forward;
Be careful not to let your knees go past your toes;
Then slowly move upwards.
Intermittent Dumbbell Forward Lunge
How to move
Stand straight while holding the dumbbells in your hand and by your side; This will be the starting point.
Now take a step forward with your right foot;
One leg is placed in front and one leg is placed behind the body;
The hands should be stretched by the side of the body;
Move down until the knee of the back leg hits the ground and the knee of the front leg does not come out of the big toe;
When you reach the lowest point of the movement, slowly return to the starting point;
Perform this movement with the other leg as well.
Barfix Smith is seated
How to move
Stand in front of the smith’s bar;
According to the picture, the Smith bar should be in front of your chest or a little lower;
Grab the bar with your hands wider than shoulder width;
Place your feet forward and place your soles on the ground;
The angle of the knees with the ground should be 90 degrees;
Lean your upper body slightly backwards;
Now pull yourself up and then return to the secondary position.
Lying on the back with a stretcher
How to move
Install the cache under the door;
Lie with your back on the floor on your chest;
Put your feet in the elastic;
so that your feet are towards the door;
Try to bend your leg and then slowly open it.
Leg press machine
How to move
To perform this exercise, place your feet on the press machine and place your feet on the machine while the distance between your feet is shoulder-width apart;
Unlock the device and push it up until the legs are fully extended;
Do not lock the knees;
This will be the starting point of the movement;
Now, at the same time as inhaling (breathing in), fold your legs inwards until the front leg and leg form a 90 degree angle;
Now by applying force to the device through the heel, return the moving part of the device to the starting point.
8-week football bodybuilding program
The program that we mention below is a comprehensive but general program. In this program, we try to increase strength and lose weight (fat burning). It also helps your physical fitness and endurance.
First session: focus on lower body muscles
Back squat: 4 sets of 8 repetitions
Deadlift: 4 sets of 6 repetitions
Front squat: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Standing leg with barbell 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg
Second session: focus on upper body muscles
Shoulder press: 4 sets of 6 repetitions
Dumbbell bench press: 3 sets of 8 repetitions
Back of the arm in the plank position: 3 sets of 8 repetitions in each arm
Palov press 3 sets of 10 repetitions
The third session: focus on mid-body and functional muscles
Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of 8 reps per leg
Crunches: 3 sets of 15 repetitions
Lunges: 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Palov press: 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side
Important points of football bodybuilding exercises
If you want to improve as soon as possible in the sport of football and have the best performance on the field, we suggest that you pay attention to the following tips and apply them.
Don’t just do single-joint exercises!
As a soccer player, you’re not supposed to do as much bodybuilding as professional bodybuilders. So don’t waste your time with single joint exercises. Exercises like dumbbell curls, hamstring curls, leg extensions, dumbbell curls, etc. only affect one muscle group and take up your valuable time.
Soccer is a sport that requires a lot of all-around mobility, so do exercises that involve several muscles at the same time; Like squats or chest presses.
Listen to your body!
Just like any other exercise, listen to your body when weight training. That is, excessive pressure is prohibited. Sometimes training is hard and that’s okay, but training hard shouldn’t be annoying or painful. If you’ve had a tough week, are competing or have an injury (even a minor one) then your body needs rest and the intensity of your training needs to be reduced.
When you feel too tired mentally or physically, don’t hesitate to take an extra day or two of rest. Sometimes the best way to recover from an injury is to listen to the signals your body is giving you.
Be patient!
It takes time to become a hero. Whether on the football field or in football training, always rely on gradual progress. You will not become a champion overnight.
Keep your mind positive and professional!
Like all other success, it all starts from within the mind. For success, go inside your mind and analyze all negative and failure items. The only person stopping you from being great is yourself.
final word
If you want to improve your soccer performance day by day and shine on the field; It is necessary to take football players’ bodybuilding exercises seriously. Exercising regularly will keep your body agile and fit and protect you from injury. For you to get to know more about the football bodybuilding program, we have brought you a sample program. If you have any questions about this topic, ask in the comments section. Our experts will respond as soon as possible.
