The 5 Best Exercises for Soccer Players

There is something peculiar about all great soccer players including other athletes. Sports legends like Muhammed Ali, and Michael Jordan, and soccer legends like Pele, and Maradona have excelled because of this peculiarity. But what does this peculiarity entail exactly? Exercising. It’s no secret that these best exercises for soccer have remained an integral part of many legendary players’ success stories for more than a thousand years now, probably way more.

When soccer players hit the gym for exercise, the focus is either heavy resistance training to build size or strength, or balance training. It can also be said that some take on specific drills to increase athletic performance to an exceptionally high level. There are several other exercises that soccer players carry out. In all, the goal is to improve their ability as soccer players and perform well on-pitch.

Why Soccer is Awesome

Soccer, the largest number of worldwide participants, improves fitness, health, and social abilities. So even a regular individual, an aspiring soccer player, or an already established soccer player, everyone should participate in soccer. Most importantly, as an aspiring soccer player or an already soccer player, to become a top-level soccer player (or footballer) exercising must be taken as a habit, at least. This is the way soccer players get better gradually and become top soccer stars.

As a soccer player, you must train actively to improve your skills in order to become the best version of yourself as Messi and Ronaldo (arguably the sport’s GOATs, sans Pele) have done. If you want to represent your country in qualifying and competing in the FIFA World Cup 2022, you’ll have no choice but to put in the time and effort to achieve greatness. It all starts with diet and exercise.

What is the Importance of Exercise for Soccer Players?

While on the pitch playing soccer, running, walking, sprinting, and kicking benefit your health. For example, it develops stamina, improves cardiovascular fitness, reduces body fat, and more. This is a very good reason why some soccer players have chosen to stick to exercising till death. For those who don’t fully know, physical fitness is one of the most critical aspects of soccer performance, according to research. 

A player who only possesses skill will have a limited career in soccer. However, by training to full fitness plus other elements, they become a complete player at the height of their sport. If you don’t have a well-constructed plan/blueprint in the gym or you’ve been carrying out several exercises but you still want to improve your ability as a soccer player to the optimum level, then consider these top five best exercises for soccer players. It is focused on the development of strength, speed, agility, muscles, power, body control, and endurance. You don’t need to worry about aesthetic abs, that will eventually come as a by-product.

Today we are going to skip the generally accepted power movements used by all athletes and bodybuilders such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and pull-ups. Those exercises are obvious and if you’re an athlete you should already be using them. But this amazing list of best exercises for soccer will be sure to kick your training up a notch.

1. Lateral Bound

It is very very beneficial for soccer players or those who aspire to play soccer to practice Lateral Bound. This is because all soccer positions require leg explosive lateral power, and this is exactly what Lateral Bound is designed to help you develop.

The following are the steps to perform Lateral Bounding:

First, a soccer player has to take a standing posture. While standing firmly with both feet on the floor, put your weight mostly on the right foot. Then, try to adopt an upright posture. Next, use your gluteus muscles and your right leg to jump to the left while slightly squatting. Then, land only on your left foot as you leap with your right foot expanded. As soon as you gain your balance or composure, repeat the process on the other side.

Doing lateral bound exercises helps improve a footballer’s in these ways:

Power production can be trained through lateral bound exercise. By doing this exercise, a soccer player builds his explosive movements. In particular, Lateral Bound teaches soccer players how to use power and maintain control of their hips, knees, and ankles.

2. Jumping Lunge

For soccer players who know little or nothing about Jumping Lunge; Jump lunge is an advanced variation of a basic walking lunge exercise. Top soccer stars or players perform the exercise right before they participate in a match. Lunges in general are known to be one of the best lower body exercises known to man or woman.

Here are the steps to do a Jumping Lunge:

Power yourself into the air, and quickly change or switch the position of your feet (while in the mid-air). Next, move your right leg moves back behind you and let your left leg come forward. To help you move more explosively, propel your arms into the air as you jump. Gently land back on the floor in a lunge position with a leg forward.

Jumping Lunge helps footballers improve their abilities in the following ways:

If you do not know, jumping lunges have a profound impact on developing your strength and endurance, particularly in the lower body area.

• Doing the Jumping lunge exercise will enable you to move more quickly and smoothly with your legs.
• Additionally, jumping lunges help build power, as well as dynamic stability and control.
• Jumping lunges are also an excellent cardiovascular exercise, jump faster to builder higher conditioning.

3. Resistance Sprinting

The purpose of resistance training is to enhance soccer players’ power-to-speed ratio, thereby improving their ability to sprint quickly or helping soccer players accelerate faster. Despite its complexity, the concept is pretty straightforward.

Here are the steps to perform resistance sprinting:

It may be time for you to add some sprint resistance training equipment to your sprint workouts if you’re looking for speed. By using equipment such as resistance bungee bands it is possible to perform (resistance sprinting) sprinting drills. By increasing the workload of the resistance, you can enable the development of fast-twitch muscle fibers and results can be seen even faster. Also, note that adding the right amount of resistance at the back is considerably important. A human serving as the resistance at the back can help even faster.

What ability does Resistance Sprinting help increase for soccer players:

Speed. Resistance Sprinting helps soccer players develop a crazy amount of speed. When the resistance is removed or after you must have trained with the resistance, the muscles become stronger and can produce greater amounts of speed.

4. Inverted Bodyweight Row

Bodyweight rowing from an inverted position is an upper-body exercise that soccer players do. In a bodyweight row, you use several types of equipment such as handles, rings, rope, suspension straps, or dip bars. You may not be aware that many top soccer players and athletes perform this awesome exercise because of its robust range of benefits. Keep reading to discover how this helps soccer players.

Here’s how to do an inverted bodyweight row:

Make sure the bar (or ring) is around waist height. If the bar is too low, the movement will become more difficult. Lie down below the bar while facing upward. Make sure you are on the floor underneath the bar (which should be set just above where you can reach from the ground). As you grasp the bar, spread your fingers to a width greater than your shoulder width (while your palms are facing towards you).

Maintain a straight body line as you contract your abs and butt as you go down. Draw yourself upward toward the bar so that your chest comes in contact with the bar. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.

The ability that any type of row helps develop in soccer players:

There are three good reasons why soccer players perform this exercise.

• Helps soccer players gain total body control rather than focusing only on lower body.
• Adds to core stability.
• Increases the upper body strength needed to jostle for the ball.

5. Medicine Ball Push-Ups

The medicine ball push-up involves advanced bodyweight exercises. A stability ball or medicine ball is needed for this exercise. In this exercise, soccer players primarily work out their upper body muscles.

Here is how to perform a medicine ball push-ups step-by-step

Start by placing your hands on the medicine ball next to you. Hold the ball below your chest with your hands while touching the floor with your toes. Let your chest touch the ball by lowering yourself slowly with your arms. After that, raise yourself again to your starting position.

What ability does medicine ball push up exercise help increase for soccer players:

Soccer players gain tremendous agility and stability by doing medicine ball push-up exercises. Similar to an inverted row, push-ups help to build upper body strength, and executing them on a medicine ball really hits the core hard.

Final Thoughts

Adding this list of the best exercises for soccer players to your weekly routine will be hugely beneficial as you continue to play out on the field. Actually, anyone can benefit from them, but soccer players, in particular, will be able to improve their upper body and core strength, while training the lower body for powerful lateral, anterior, and posterior movements. Don’t hesitate to get started today so you’ll notice the improvements next season.

Tags: best exercises, exercise, fitness, professional athlete, soccer, Sports

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