Stay Ahead of the Game: Outdoor Training Regimen to Prepare for Calgary Soccer Season!
Calgary soccer season is now upon us, with ideal weather to be outdoors. With the right training regimen and a focus on strength and diet, you can be at the top of your game.
In this blog post, we'll share some training tips to keep you in top form and give you a competitive edge. From conditioning drills to strength and daily exercises, we've got you covered. Get ready to elevate your game and make this soccer season your best one yet!
Warmup and Stretching to Prepare for Exercise
Stretching and warming up are essential for training, drills, and the game itself. If you don’t prepare, you will be subject to injury, and your practice may be less effective.
While exercising and doing drills are great to keep you in shape, don’t overexercise without giving yourself a proper break. This can lead to overuse injuries like runner’s knee, shin splints, and Achilles tendonitis.
Start by warming up for five to ten minutes with light stretching and jogging to slowly get your heart rate up.
Then, spend 30 minutes to loosen up and strengthen your lower body with low-resistance exercises. These can include walking, doing lunges, and squatting using resistance bands on your knees and ankles.
Work on symmetry and balance with light toe touches and jumping.
Soccer Conditioning Drills
In general, the best training for soccer is playing soccer. However, these conditioning drills can help enhance your physical skills and help you defend your team on the field.
Shuttle Runs
Moving and running in soccer requires agility, speed, acceleration, deceleration, and running in different directions. Shuttle runs use five cones set at 30 feet apart. You’ll run from one cone to the second one, then back to the first one as fast as possible. Repeat from one to three, one to four, and one to five.
For an extra challenge, try running sideways or backwards.
Squat Jumps
Squat jumps help increase the power in your legs. To do this drill:
Stand with your feet lined up under your hips.
Bend your knees into a squatting position, then bring your arms behind you and jump up and forward.
Upon landing, jump again.
Repeat until you reach the end of the field.
Ball Jumps
Ball jumps help strengthen your core and legs. Place a ball on the ground and stand next to it. Keep your feet and knees together, and jump over the ball to land on the opposite side. Immediately jump back to your starting position. Repeat for 30 seconds to a minute.
Circuit Training
Circuit training is highly customizable. It uses a combination of strength exercises and movement. Alternate a speed drill with a strength drill for a certain amount of time. For example, you could do two minutes of ball jumps, then two minutes of pushups.
Pushups
Pushups help build upper body and core strength. To do this, kneel on the ground with your hands under your shoulders. Straighten your legs and press your toes into the floor so your knees are off the ground. Inhale, then bend your elbows and lower your body towards the ground. Exhale, then straighten your arms up, returning to your starting position.
Daily Light Exercises to Get in Shape for Soccer
These daily exercises help build endurance and strength without exerting too much effort. Be sure to warm up with stretching and light jogging.
Cardio
Getting enough cardio in every day is essential. Try jogging or striding (walking vigorously with long strides) to build endurance without straining your muscles. Aim to get your heart rate up to 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate.
Obstacle Course
Jogging an obstacle course is a great exercise to work many muscles, including your core, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, gluteals, and gastrocnemius.
To set it up, place 6 to 10 cones on the field in parallel lines, 15 to 30 feet apart. Start at the first set of cones and jog to the second set with light, short steps. Stop and jog backwards to the second set of cones. Jog forward to the third, then back to the second.
Continue going two forward, one back until you get to the last set of cones.
Interval Training
The goal with interval training is to get your heart rate up fast, then slow it down. With consistent interval training, you can run faster for longer.
Jog at a steady pace for five to ten minutes, then sprint for about a minute or two, giving it all you’ve got. Slow down to a jog again, and repeat for about 30 minutes.
What to Eat for the Best Performance
Your diet is just as important for rest and recovery as the big game. Here’s some advice on what to eat to fuel your body.
It's important to choose whole foods that nourish your body and work for you, not against you. Your diet should consist of the right amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Carbohydrates
Carbs are the main fuel source for high-intensity sports like soccer. Some examples of good carbohydrates to include in your diet are:
Rice
Pasta
Bread
Bananas – a great source of potassium
Apples – high in vitamin C, fibre, and antioxidants
Oranges – high in vitamin C, can help reduce inflammation
Kiwis – packed with vitamins C, E, and K, fibre, antioxidants, and folate
Protein
Protein is the building block of muscle. As a soccer player, you need it to help your body recover, repair, and rebuild. Try to get some protein in at each meal.
Animal protein can include beef, chicken, and fish, and plant protein can include soy, beans, and lentils.
Fat
Fat is used for long-lasting physical exercise and helps to tap into glycogen. It is found in cooking oils, nuts, seeds, dairy products, and most animal products.
And don’t forget to stay hydrated! Aim to drink 2-3 litres of water a day. Take a look at a more comprehensive guide on nutrition here.
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Sources: Drills & exercises: https://www.sportsrec.com/6237706/youth-soccer-conditioning-drills Nutrition: https://www.julienutrition.com/soccer-nutrition-soccer-player-diet/