Power & Strength
Strength and power are important in soccer. Both characteristics help to accentuate the play of an individual.
• Strength – the ability to overcome resistance or oppose an obstacle through muscular strength. Strengths in soccer include:
– Shooting strength
– Strength in the challenge
– Jumping strength
Muscular soccer strength:
– Core Strength
– Eccentric strength
• Power – the application of strength in time, connected to explosive action of performanc
During training, the coach can use activities that place players in situations where they can overcome the resistance of their body weight or the body weight of their opponent. By decreasing the time to perform the actions, we accentuate the element of explosive power.
Strength training should also take place in the weight room. A specific, explosive weight-training regimen is recommended for soccer, in order to:
– Increase power
– Help to prevent soft tissue injuries by specifically strengthening
targeted areas; in particular, the groin and hamstrings
Because eccentric overload is a common mechanism of injury, strengthening the muscle eccentrically will help prevent it.
As we have seen, the periodization of training helps design a practice plan, which becomes a progressive, well-balanced, and organized in time. When using the same periodization principle for designing a weight program, the coach needs to include some additional progressions.
Concentric Strength
When a muscle shortens as it contracts (tenses) it is referred to as a concentric contraction. A classic example is the quadriceps during a kicking motion. As the knee moves from a bent or flexed position to an extended position the thigh muscles contract and shorten.
Lifting free weights or using weights machines in the traditional way usually trains muscles concentrically. This type of strength is important in most of the movements found in soccer.
Eccentric Strength
A muscle can also lengthen as it contracts. It is trying to shorten but the force is too great for it to overcome and so it actually lengthens. A good way to demonstrate this is to hold a heavy weight in your hand with your elbow bent. As you slowly lower the weight by extending your arm you will see your bicep contracting but also lengthening.
Eccentric strength is also important in soccer – particularly sprinting, jumping and sudden changes of direction. Plyometrics (covered later in this section) uses eccentric contractions to develop speed and explosive power.
Isometric Strength
If a muscle contracts but does not lengthen or shorten it is said to be contracting statically or isometrically. Holding a weight steady out at arm’s length is an example of isometric strength.
Although isometric strength is used far less by players in match, static strength training can be very useful in injury rehabilitation and prevention. It can help strengthen the muscles, ligaments and tendons without placing an undue amount of stress on the joint involved.