Training Manual

1
EVIDENCE-BASED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
FOR YOUNG FOOTBALL PLAYERS
Developed for
Jyväskylän Komeetat Ry
Developed by
Alistair Inglis and Shane McDermott
Spring 2016

2
CONTENTS
1 INTRODUCTION 3
2
PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING FOR STRENGTH AND
CONDITIONING 4
3
DEVELOPMENT AND MATURATION OF YOUNG
ATHLETES
11
4
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING – PRINCIPLE TRAINING
TYPES
14
5
EXAMPLE TRAINING SESSIONS: STRENGTH,
PLYOMETRIC, SAQ TRAINING AND HIIT TRAINING
28
6
TRAINING MODEL: A FULL-YEAR TRAINING PLAN FOR A
YOUTH FOOTBALL TEAM
30
7 CONCLUSION 34
8 REFERENCES 35
9 APPENDIX: RESULTS OF McDERMOTT ET AL. 36

3
INTODUCTION
In 2015, McDermott et al. conducted a research study in conjunction with Kometaat
F.C and the Department of Biology of Physical Activity at the University of Jyväskylä.
Kometaat B Juniors were the subjects in the study, which comprised an 8-week
intervention program. The aim of the study was to develop a recommendation
regarding the most suitable training program for youth football players for improving
sprint performance, agility with and without the ball and jumping parameters. The
results and conclusions of this study can be found in the appendix.
The purpose of this report is to provide Komeetat F.C. with research-based evidence
regarding strength and conditioning for young football players, including:
o Principles of training for strength and conditioning
o Main training types
o Strength and conditioning excises, drills and activities that can be
implemented by coaches and trainers within the club into training
sessions
o drills and exercises/activities that can be incorporated into training
sessions by club coaches and trainers.
o A “training model” that describes a full year training plan for an elite,
youth football team
Football is a high-intensity, intermittent, physically demanding team sport. On
average professional football players perform 700 turns, 30-40 sprints occurring
every 90 seconds lasting 2-3 seconds, and 30-40 tackles and jumps during a 90
minute game (Bloomfield et. al., 2007 & Mohr et. al., 2003). Football requires a high
level of athleticism; football players need to be gifted both physically and
physiologically. Aerobic endurance, speed, agility, strength and power are all
associated with superior football performance (Turner and Stewart, 2014).
Tactical skills and technical skills play a major role in the success of a football player;
however the development of high levels of aerobic and anaerobic conditioning,
speed, agility, strength, and power are equally important.
The practical aims of this report are to:
o Create a culture of evidence-based strength and conditioning within the
club (Kometaat F.C.)
o Increase football performance and reduce athletic injuries within the
club

4
PRINCIPLES OF TRAINING FOR STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING
To obtain maximum benefit from a training regime it is important that coaches (and
athletes) understand and apply certain basic principles. This will not lead just to
improved performance but will help to avoid fatigue, stress and overtraining, and will
help to avoid injury.
The “FITT” Principle
The main adjustable variables of any coherent training program are frequency,
intensity, time and type.
 Frequency: The number of training sessions over a set period of time -
typically one week.
 Intensity: Refers to the “effort” exerted in a training session.
In endurance training, intensity is expressed relative to heart rate, either as an
absolute value (ex - 150 beats per minute) or as a percentage of maximum heart
rate. The higher the heart rate, the more intense the training
In resistance training, intensity is expressed as an absolute value (ex – 100 kg) or
relative to the maximal load (1RM)
1RM – the maximal load an athlete can lift for 1 repetition. If an athlete is performing
a bench press exercise with a 100 kg barbell and can do 1 repetition only, then their
1RM is 100 kg.
2RM is the maximal load an athlete can lift for 2 repetitions, 3RM the maximal load
an athlete can lift for 3 repetitions, etc.
Example – Expressed as a percentage, in this case for example, 70% RM would be
70% of 100 kg, so 70 kg.
The greater the load the greater the intensity of the training.
 Time: The duration of a training session (1 hour, 2 hour etc.)
 Type: The type of training (football-specific, strength, power etc.)
Volume describes the total “amount” of training done. It refers to the number of sets,
repetitions and exercises performed. The greater the number of sets, the greater the
volume of training.
These variables (frequency, intensity, time, type and volume) should be
manipulated by coaches and trainers in attempts to achieve optimal gains or
benefits, taking into account the age, maturity and development of athletes; their
gender and skill level; and the availability of time and resources.
The greater the frequency, intensity, type, time and volume of training, the greater
the potential benefits will be. However, as the variables are increased, the risk of
fatigue, stress, overtraining and injury increase as well.
General rule: As the intensity of training increases, the volume of training
should decrease – and vice versa.

5
Example – An effective training session would never feature 50 sets of 100 m (50 x
100m) maximal sprints – in this case, both the intensity and volume are extremely
high, which may lead to fatigue, overtraining and injury
Use the FITT principle to schedule and plan training sessions over weeks, months
and years.
Within the FITT principles, the coach/trainer will develop their program with
particular groups of athletes and specific aims in mind. The factors to be considered
in fleshing out the program are as described in the following section
1. Specificity
Exercising a certain body part or component of the body primarily develops that
specific part.
Performing agility training will improve the agility of an athlete, but will have little
effect on their strength. Strength training targeting the lower body (ex – squats) will
have little effect on upper body
Coaches and trainers must match training sessions to the specific goals that
they want to achieve
2. Adaptation
Overtime, the human body adapts to stimulus.
The body will adapt to strength training overtime leading to increased strength
specific to the training. The body will adapt to endurance training over time leading to
increase endurance capacity, for example the ability to run longer, faster etc.
The goal of the coach and trainer is to enhance and stimulate these
adaptations among their athletes

6
3. Overload
The frequency, intensity, time, type and volume (See FITT principle) of training
needs to be high enough so that significant adaptation occurs
One strength training session of 30 minutes duration using an intensity of 40% RM
for 1 set and 5 reps (1 x 5 x 40% RM) will have little effect on strength – in this case
none of the frequency, intensity, time and volume is enough to have a meaningful
effect .
As the human adapts to the stimulus of training, the stimulus must be increased so
adaptions can continue to occur
If an athlete is performs a bench press exercise with a 100 kg barbell twice a week,
over time their body will adapt to this stimulus. so the intensity needs to be
progressively increased (105 kg – 110 kg – 115 kg etc.), so that adaptation
continues to occur.
Coaches and trainers must design training programs that overload their
athletes, to maximise adaptation; and the overload must be progressive.
4. Recovery
If some training sessions are very long, intense or high in volume, then athletes will
need longer rest periods between these sessions. Athletes, especially young
athletes, need ample rest and recovery time or else the risk of fatigue, stress,
overtraining and injury increases – leading to decreased performance
More is not always better – the frequency, intensity, time, type and volume of training
cannot be increased indefinitely – at some point this will lead to overtraining and
injury
Athletes must have adequate recovery between competitions, training
sessions.
5. Individualization
A certain training program may ideal for one athlete, but too demanding for another,
and vice versa. Training sessions must be matched with the abilities and maturity of
the athlete.
It is important for coaches and trainers to identify what works and doesn’t work for a
given athlete, and make the changes accordingly. For example, in a training session
where 12 year old boys are doing push-ups as a form of strength training more
developed athletes will be able to complete the exercise with little difficulty while
others may not. Coach should identify which athletes are struggling, and instruct
those to perform the push-up from their knees rather than their feet, thus decreasing
the difficulty of the exercise.
Training should be individualized for each athlete

7
6. Periodization
Periodization is an organized approach to training that involves the progressive
cycling of various aspects of a training program during a specific period of time to
bring about optimal gains in physical performance.
Aspects to be cycled include Type (e.g. strength, power, endurance), Intensity (e.g.
low, moderate and high intensity) and Volume (e.g. low, moderate and high volume).
The aim of periodization is to plan the program so that peak performance is reached
at the optimal time. In team sports, the year is typically divided into Off-season, Pre-
season and In-season.
Training for football should follow the general pattern:
o Phase 1 (off-season) – general preparation, training general fitness –
low intensity, high volume
o Phase 2 (off-season) – specific preparation, training specific fitness
(speed, strength, skills and techniques etc.) – increased intensity,
reduced volume
o Phase 3 (pre-season) – Beginning of competition season – lots of fine
tuning and low level competitions – general training is reduced and
training is competition specific – high intensity and low volume
o Phase 4 (in-season) – Low level physical training – only for
maintenance – training should be sport-specific
o Phase 5 (off-season) – Transition – recovery of athletes after rigours of
season.
Two principle types of periodization can be utilised, Linear and Non-linear
periodization.
Linear periodization starts with low intensity and high volume training and
progresses to high intensity and low volume – in a linear fashion. This is the “classic”
form of training, where the aim is to reach the peak of high-intensity training right
before competition.
For example, Linear periodization for a weightlifter, with World Championship
competition starting in the beginning of April might be:
o January: Low intensity, high volume strength training
o February: Moderate intensity, moderate volume strength training
o March: High intensity, low volume strength training
With Non-linear periodization the various aspects of training (intensity, volume,
type) are varied within each period, typically a week, in a non-linear fashion

8
An example of Non-linear periodization for strength training could be
o Monday – 4 sets of 12-15 reps (high volume, low intensity)
o Wednesday – 3 sets of 4-6 reps (moderate volume, high intensity)
o Friday – 4 sets of 10 reps (high volume, moderate intensity)
o Sunday – 3 sets of 1-3 reps (low volume, high intensity)
A second example of Non-linear periodization for multiple training types might be
o Monday – strength training
o Wednesday – power training
o Friday – endurance training
o Sunday – speed, agility and quickness (SAQ) training
o Other days – football-specific training
“The traditional periodization strategies (e.g., implementing a particular component
focus for approximately 4 weeks) are generally concerned with athletes who need to
peak for a single or acute phase (<2 weeks) of competitions (e.g., track athletes and
martial artists) and are therefore not necessarily suited to team-sport athletes.
Soccer players must reach their peak as part of preseason training, and then
maintain it for extended periods of up to 35 weeks. Therefore, it has been suggested
that while the classical or traditional form of periodization is appropriate during the
off-season and preseason, a nontraditional (nonlinear) form of periodization is more
appropriate to team sports during the in-season. This form of periodization involves
the variation in training prescription and volume loads on a session-by-session basis
to concurrently account for multiple training goals. It is suggested that one of the
merits of this system is the ease with which sessions can be quickly tailored and
administered in response to the intense and variable competition schedule” (Turner
and Stewart, 2014)
Coaches should note that for football It is most effective to use linear
periodization during the off-season and the pre-season, but best to use non-
linear periodization during the in-season
7. Tapering
Tapering is a reduction in the intensity, volume and frequency of training before
competition to allow for adequate rest and recovery to ensure optimal performance.
Tapering should be progressive – intensity, volume and frequency are gradually
reduced, not suddenly reduced.
An example of tapering for a Football team in in-season might be
o Game on Sunday
o Week before competition training volume reduced by about 50%
o Intensity reduced gradually leading up to the competition
o Intensity may have one peak on Tuesday before competition but not
very high
o Intensity of drills may be maintained but with greater rest intervals and
less reps
Allow adequate rest and recovery before competition to ensure optimal
performance.

9
8. Injury Prevention and Safety Considerations
Football is a contact sport, and some and injury is inevitable. Elite football players
experience at least one performance-inhibiting injury each year (Turner and Stewart,
2014). Injuries occur more commonly in competition than in training, but WILL occur
in both. It is important to properly warm-up and cool-down for training, similar to
competition
There is correlation between the number of days lost to injury and lack of team
success in elite male football teams (Turner and Stewart, 2014).
Lower body extremities are the most likely to be injured, especially knee, ankle,
thigh, groin and calf with the commonest injuries types being sprains, strains and
contusions.
Injuries more often occur in non-contact situations then in contact situations,
in running, accelerating, turning etc.
In a review article, several strategies for the prevention and reduction of injuries in
football were described (Junge and Dvorak, 2004):
Proper warm-up
Pre-game/pre-training warm-up should always feature dynamic stretching, never
static stretching. Dynamic stretching increases the range of motion of limbs (ROM)
and the blood flow to soft tissue. Static stretching should only be used after
competition and training, as it reduces the tension in muscles, decreasing their
potential strength and power output – this is detrimental to performance (Simic et al.
2013).
Examples of dynamic stretches include
 Standing/walking lunges
 Standing squats
 “High knees”
 “Butt-kicks”
 “Skipping with high knees”
 “Touch the grass”
 Leg swings
 Arm swings
Proper cool-down
A proper cooldown employing static stretches allows the body to transition
slowly back to the resting state.
All athletes require adequate rehabilitation, and sufficient recovery time.

10
Additional notes on safety and injury prevention
1. Always ensure appropriate protective equipment is utilised.
2. Maintain and inspect fields/gyms for safe playing conditions.
3. Insist on adherence to rules
 There is a myth that resistance training/strength training is unsafe for youth
athletes. There is low injury risk when:
 Qualified supervisor is present
 Correct technique is used
 Age-appropriate guidelines are used
 Adequate rest is allowed and recovery is achieved between
sets, training sessions
 The use of maximal or heavy loads is avoided
o Resistance training actually has a lower incidence of injuries compared
with other sports including gymnastics, basketball, football etc.
o Resistance training protects against injury by strengthening muscles,
ligaments, tendons and bones (Turner and Stewart. 2014).
o General rule – if a child is ready to participate in sporting activities then
they are likely able to partake in organised strength training.

11
DEVELOPMENT AND MATURATION OF YOUNG ATHLETES
It is critically important that the development of a long term athletic training
program take into account the way in which young athletes develop physically
(and mentally). It is possible to generalise the development stages, as each
individual follows the same path. However, coaches should note the gender
overlap, and should also be aware that each athlete is an individual. Whilst their
development follows the same trajectory, each athlete develops at his or her own
pace, and the ages given below are not absolute boundaries. The stages as
given by Balyi are as follows (Balyi et al. 2014):
o Active start (0-6 years old)
 Development of general movement skills
 Some organized physical activity
 Exploration of risk and limits in safe environments
 Active movement environment; gymnastics, swimming, etc.
 Daily physical activity with an emphasis on fun
o Fundamentals stage (males 6-9 years old, females 5-8)
 Overall movement skills; agility, balance, coordination and
speed
 General, overall development; running, jumping and throwing
 Integrated mental, cognitive and emotional development
 Develop strength through use of own body weight exercises
 Introduce simple rules of fair play and ethics of sport
 Daily physical activity, still emphasizing fun!
o Learn to train (males 9-12 years old, females 8-11)
 Major skill learning stage – all basic sport skills should be
learned before entering puberty
 Introduction to mental preparation
 Develop strength through use of own body weight, adding
medicine ball
 Sport-specific training 3 times per week; participation in other
sports 3 times per week
o Train to train (males 12-16 years old, females 11-15)
 Sport-specific skill development
 Major fitness development stage: aerobic, speed and strength
 Build the physical and mental engine
 Introduce free weights (dumbbells, barbells etc.)
 Sport-specific training 6 - 9 times per week, including
complementary sports
o Training to compete (males 16-18 years old, females 15-17)
 Sport/event/position-specific physical conditioning
 Sport/event/position-specific technical tactical preparation
 Sport/event/position-specific technical and playing skills under
competitive conditions

12
 Advanced mental preparation
 Specialization
 Sport-specific technical, tactical and fitness training 9-12 times
per week
o Training to win (males 18+, females 17+)
 Maintenance or improvement of physical capacities
 Further development of technical, tactical and playing skills
 Modelling all possible aspects of competition in training
 Frequent preventative breaks
 Performance on demand
 Sport-specific technical, tactical and fitness training 9-15 times
per week
 Training certain physical and physiological components should be done
according to age
 There are “critical periods” where certain training-types should be
emphasized:

13
Remember – every youth athlete will develop and mature at different times, rates
etc.
It is important for coaches and trainers to identify the different development
and maturity levels of their athletes, and design training programs accordingly

14
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING – PRINCIPLE TRAINING TYPES
Training types can be conveniently grouped under three headings: Resistance
Training, Endurance Training and Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ)
Training.
1. Resistance Training
Here muscles contract against external resistance: common examples are push-ups,
pull-ups, plyometrics, strength training etc. Resistance training is used to
increase/train
o Strength (strength training)
o Power (power training)
o Size/hypertrophy (hypertrophic training)
o Muscular endurance (muscular endurance training)
2. Endurance Training
Endurance Training, also known as cardio, aerobic training, etc enhances the
aerobic and anaerobic systems: common examples could be jogging, running,
sprinting, cycling etc. Endurance Training is used to increase/train:
o Aerobic system (aerobic training)
o Anaerobic system (anaerobic training)
3. Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ) Training
Common examples of SAQ training are sprinting, suicides, ladders, running
cones etc. SAQ Training is used to increase/train:
o Speed (velocity)
o Agility (change of direction)
o Quickness (reaction speed)
________________
1. Resistance Training
Resistance training is often, incorrectly, referred to as strength training. Strength
training refers to training designed specifically to increase strength: Resistance
Training can be used to increase strength, but it can also be used to increase power,
size and muscular endurance.
Resistance training can be performed in the gym with weights dumbbells, barbells
and free weights. But, sometimes more usefully for football, it can also be performed
outside of the gym without specialized equipment. With Bodyweight exercises (e.g.
push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, planks etc) the athlete’s bodyweight is the external
weight their muscles contract against. These can be preferable to traditional
resistance training performed in a gym because bodyweight exercises are more
space and cost efficient – can be done on a field, at home with little equipment etc.
Football players should perform full-body resistance training for the major muscle
groups (ex – quads, hamstrings etc.): care should be taken to include the muscles

15
on BOTH sides of a joint to avoid imbalances – for example both biceps and triceps
around the elbow: and there should be an emphasis on emphasis on lower body and
core strength training
Generally speaking, any type of resistance training will lead to increased strength,
power, size and endurance. To achieve optimal gains it is important to manipulate a
resistance training program to target the specific goals you are trying to reach. Some
resistance training programs will increase strength better than others – certain
resistance training programs will increase power better than others etc.
It is primarily through the manipulation of intensity and volume (see FITT principle)
that resistance training protocols are manipulated to target certain goals
o Strength training uses high intensities and low volumes
o Hypertrophic training uses moderate intensities and moderate-high
volumes
o Power training uses low-moderate intensities and moderate volumes
o Muscular endurance training uses low intensities and high volumes
Remember, strength training for example, will likely lead to a small increase in size,
power and muscular endurance – but it will primarily effect strength – and vice versa
The table below (taken from (Kraemer and Hakkinen, 2002) shows how to best
manipulate a resistance training program to target a specific goal, whether it be
strength, power, size or muscular endurance.
Training Methods Sets x Reps Load
(% of 1RM)
Duration
(seconds)
Recovery
(minutes)
Maximal strength 4-6 x 1-3 80-100% 0.5-1.5 sec 3-5 min
Hypertrophy 3-5 x 6-12 60-80% 2-3 sec 1-2 min
Explosive strength 4-6 x 5-10 30-60% 0.2-1 sec 3-5 min
Endurance strength 4 x 15-30 0-30% 1sec 0.30-1min
Strength training
Evidence shows that high intensity and low volume programs best stimulate strength
gains. Because strength training is so intense, long recovery periods (3-5 min) are
used between sets. Strength training is important for football players as it has been
shown (Turner and Stewart, 2014) to
o Improve initial acceleration
o Improve running economy (“cost of running”)

16
o Improve change of direction activities
o Improved repeated sprint ability
o Delays fatigue experienced during competition
More complex resistance/strength training exercises using added weight (ex – squat,
bench press, deadlift etc.) are very effective for increasing strength – but due to
safety concerns, should only be performed by youth athletes over the age of 14-
16 years - when they are in the train to train and train to compete stages of
development (see above). And of course they should only use maximal or heavy
loads if they are following appropriate safety procedures (ex – supervised, using
correct technique etc.)
With youth football players, bodyweight exercises are a safe, effective method of
increasing strength. They may not be as intense as traditional resistance training
performed in gym using dumbbells, barbells and free-weights (as it is difficult to add
external loads to bodyweight exercises), but bodyweight exercises are safe and
evidence indicates that they are effective in inducing strength gains in youth athletes
Size/hypertrophic training
 Used to increase muscle mass (also known as hypertrophy)
 Employs moderate intensities and moderate-high volumes
o Short rest periods are used to induce metabolic stress within the muscle,
necessary to induce optimal increases in hypertrophy
o Size/hypertrophic training uses long, slow controlled exercise movements
with a large ROM (ex – think of a long, slow push-up all the way down and
all the way up)
 Size/hypertrophic training will typically also increase strength, but its primary
role is inducing hypertrophy
 Hypertrophy is not a primary concern of football players
o While hypertrophy is associated with increased strength, considerable
hypertrophy is not associated with increased power, agility and quickness
– which is of primary concern for a football players (ex – think of a
bodybuilder trying to play football)
o Therefore, strength and power training are more important for football
players
o Further, as hormonal levels are low in young athletes, hypertrophic training
will have be ineffective
Power/explosive training
 Used to influence the power of an athlete. Power is the combination of force
and velocity.
o Being able to lift a heavy load doesn’t necessarily make you powerful, it
simply means you are strong
o A shot-putter who throws a heavy load (the “shot”) at high velocities is
not just strong, but powerful.
Power training uses low-moderate intensities and moderate volumes, the key feature
of power training being the speed or explosive nature of the exercise movement.
While the intensity of power training appears low due to the relatively low loads used,
due to the explosive nature of the movement power training is actually very intense,

17
and so Power training uses long rest periods. It is the fast, explosive movements of
power training that lead to an increase power over time
An example is a “clap push-up” (see below) – The athlete explodes upwards with
such power that they have time to clap their hands together before coming back
down.
Power is extremely important for football players as football involves repeated
powerful movements like kicking, sprinting, tackling, jumping etc. Measures of power
generation including sprinting ability and jumping height and distance have been
shown to positively correlate with performance in soccer (Turner and Stewart, 2014)
Complex power training exercises (ex – clean and jerk, snatch etc.) are very
effective in increasing power. However, due to the complexity of these movements,
and safety concerns, they should only be used in the ‘train to train’ and ‘train to
compete’ stages of development (see above) – that is approximately from 14-16
years old and onwards.
Plyometric training is a form of power training.
Plyometric training uses jumping and bounding-type exercises to increase power,
and has been shown to improve explosive strength, agility, jump height and sport
specific performance (Michailidis et al. 2013). Plyometric training is safe and
effective for young athletes. Plyometric training is effective because it activates the
stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) mechanism.

18
The SSC is when the muscle is lengthened (eccentric phase) and then immediately
after the lengthening the muscle is shortened (concentric phase) (McArdle et al.,
2007; Komi 2000). During the SSC, elastic properties in the muscle (ex – tendons
etc.) act like springs and store energy, and recoil in the shortening phase of the
movement making it more efficient.
Plyometric training is an effective method of increasing power in young
football players.
In plyometric training, intensity is expressed as “contacts”, or the number of times the
athlete makes contact with the ground. As an example, two squat jumps over hurdles
is 2 contacts: the more contacts the greater the intensity.
Typical sessions consist of 3-5 sets and 6-16 reps (contacts) of each exercise
(starting at 3 sets working up to 5 sets). For youth athletes starting plyometric
training, the numbers of contacts starts at around 50 and increases up to 100 over
an eight-week period. Good technique (for squat jumps, landing mechanics and
technique) should be perfected before progression or increase in intensity is
considered.
Markers of proper technique, for squat jumps would be:
 Head is up, looking forward
 Back is straight, with bend in knees and hips
 Landings should be soft, on the balls of the feet – should never hear a
“slapping” sound when landing
 Jumps should be straight up and down (not lateral unless it is specifically
asked for)
 Knees and feet should be aligned and pointing forward – watch for knees
collapsing inwards (especially with girls)
Muscular endurance training
Muscular endurance is the ability to perform repeated muscular contractions against
a resistance for an extended period of time. Muscular endurance training uses low
intensity and very high volume, with short rest periods between sets.
Muscular endurance is important for football. Over the course of a 90-min game, a
football player will perform countless repeated muscle contractions. A football player
who is strong, but has a low level of muscular endurance will be able to perform
high-force contractions at the beginning of the game, but they will not be able to
maintain this throughout the game.

19
TABLE 1. EXAMPLE BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES TO INCREASE STRENGTH
AND MUSCULAR ENDURANCE
Name Description
Plank  Increases core strength and
endurance
 Hold for 30-60 seconds
 Start with 1 set per training
session, progress to 3 or more
 Make adjustments based on age,
development, gender and skill of
athlete (ex – only 20-30
seconds)
Side-plank  Increases core strength and
endurance
athlete (ex – only 20-30
seconds)
Kick-backs  Increases lower body strength
and endurance (gluteal muscles)
 3 sets of 10 repetitions each side
(3 x 10)
athlete
Side-kicks  Increases lower body strength
and endurance (gluteal and hip
muscles)
 3 x 10 each side
athlete
Squats  Increases lower body strength
and endurance (gluteal,
quadriceps and hamstring
muscles)
 3 x 10
athlete

20
Lunges  Increases lower body strength
quadriceps and hamstring
muscles)
 3 x 10
athlete
Wall-sit  Increases lower body strength
quadriceps, calf and hamstring
muscles)
athlete
Push-ups  Increases upper body strength
and endurance (pectoralis,
deltoid and triceps muscles)
 3 x 10
athlete (ex – make contact point
at knee instead of toes)

21
Pull-ups  Increases upper body strength
and endurance (upper-back,
biceps and deltoid muscles)
 3 x 5
athlete (ex – athlete performs
pull-ups while standing on a
platform – use platform to
pull/push themselves up, and
then lowers themselves down
without help of platform)
 Additional bodyweight
exercises (along with other
resistance training exercises)
can be found online or in
textbooks/journal articles
FIGURE 2 – EXAMPLE PLYOMETRIC TRANING EXERCISES TO INCREASE
POWER

22
2. Endurance Training
Endurance Training, also known as “cardio”, enhances the aerobic and anaerobic
systems. Common examples are jogging, running, sprinting, cycling etc. Under
this heading aerobic training trains/develops the aerobic system and anaerobic
training trains /develops the anaerobic system.
Aerobic training
Aerobic means “relating to, involving, or requiring free oxygen”, and this would
include aAny exercise that raises heart/breathing rate, causes sweating etc.
o Aerobic training relies on the aerobic energy system which utilizes proteins,
fats and carbohydrates (glycogen) for resynthesizing ATP
o Exercise lasting more than 3 minutes relies primarily on the aerobic energy
system (Fox et al. 1981)
o Aerobic training increases aerobic capacity:
 Strengthened lungs and respiratory muscles
 Strengthened heart – increased ability to pump blood
 Improved delivery of oxygen to working muscles
 Improved ability of muscle to use oxygen
 Improved energy storing capabilities
Improved aerobic capacity allows an athlete to exercise at higher intensities, for
longer durations and at higher intensities for longer durations.

23
Aerobic training is very important for footballers. Maximal aerobic capacity is
positively related to performance parameters such as distance covered, time on the
ball and number of sprints during a match (Turner and Stewart, 2014). Aerobic
capacity also corresponds to a higher league position, higher level of competition,
and more starting players compared with non-starting players (Turner and Stewart,
2014).
Anaerobic training
Anaerobic means “free of oxygen”.
o Anaerobic training relies on the anaerobic energy system which relies on the
rapid breakdown of ATP for energy
o Short, high-intensity exercise stresses the anaerobic energy system leading to
the build-up of lactic acid
o Anaerobic training increases anaerobic capacity:
 Larger short-term energy stores
 More efficient use of short-term energy stores
 Improved capacity to withstand build-up of waste substances
(e.g. lactic acid)
 Improved removal of waste substances (e.g. lactic acid)
 Increased speed, power, strength over short periods of time
In addition anaerobic training increases the capacity of the aerobic and
cardiorespiratory (heart and lungs) systems – but not to the same degree that
aerobic training does. It also increases muscle mass and strength, but not to the
same degree that resistance training does.
Improved anaerobic capacity allows an athlete to produce higher levels of force and
power over short-periods of time; to generate Increased speed/velocity over a short-
period of time; to be more resilient to fatigue related to build-up of waste; and to have
an improved aerobic capacity.
Anaerobic capacity is important for football players - consider a breakaway sprint by
a striker in the 90th minute!!
Intensity is used to target endurance, based on the heart rate attained during
exercise.
Aerobic training typically uses moderate intensities (70-80% of HR max) and high
volumes, for example a male football player running for 1 hour at a pace of 6
km/hour
Anaerobic training typically uses high intensities (80-90% of HR max) and low
volumes (less than 3 minutes), for example running 2-3 100 m sprints with 5 minutes
of rest in between

24
During a football match, the majority of time, about 70%, is spent using the aerobic
energy system, the remaining 30% using the anaerobic energy systems,
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is an effective method of training both the
aerobic and anaerobic systems
HIIT features repeated, high-intensity bouts of anaerobic exercise with periods of
recovery in between. While HIIT features short, high-intensity exercises, due to its
repeated and prolonged nature it is also a form of aerobic exercise. At the beginning
of HIIT, the anaerobic system dominates – as more and more intervals are
performed, the aerobic system begins to dominate.
A benefit of HIIT over traditional, continuous training (e.g. long runs) is that it is time
efficient - a typical HIIT session lasts approximately 20 minutes, fro example:
o 60 seconds of intense sprinting at 95 % HR max
o 75 seconds rest in-between
o Repeat 8-12 times
HIIT has been reported to induce greater improvements in both aerobic and
anaerobic capacity compared with continuous training involving the same
mechanical work and duration. A study (Helgerud et al. 2001) investigating the effect
of HIIT on elite football players found that HIIT training led to:
 Increased aerobic capacity
 Increased distance covered during games
 Increased number of sprints in games
 Increased number of involvements with ball during games
HIIT appears to be the most effective and time-efficient way of improving
endurance capacity (aerobic and anaerobic) for football.

25
There is little practical use of a coach/training sending their football team on a 2
hour, low intensity run, it is very time-inefficient. It is not particularly effective in
improving endurance capacity (does not stress the anaerobic system), and it does
not match the demands of a football match – in football there are many high-intensity
sprints – not just low intensity running for 90-minutes.
3. Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ) training
Common examples of SAQ exercises: sprinting, suicides, ladders, running cones
etc. They areused to increase/train:
o Speed (velocity)
o Agility (change of direction)
o Quickness (reaction speed)
o Also – co-ordination, balance and neuromuscular activity
SAQ attempts to train all the movement patterns used in football. For example in
football, sprints are not typically performed in a straight line, but with changes of
direction – a main goal of SAQ is to improve agility, which is associated with change
of direction
Speed
Speed is an important component of football.The maximum velocity/speed an athlete
can reach while sprinting typically occurs after 30 m of maximal sprinting. The goal of
SAQ is not to improve speed in a linear fashion, but speed in combination with
changes in direction. This more accurately represents the demands of a football
game.
A 2013 study (Milanović, et al. 2013) found that 12-weeks of SAQ training resulted in
improved time/increased speed in:
o Sprint with 180o turns
o Sprint 4x5m
o Slalom test with ball
o Slalom test
o Sprint with 90o turn with ball and sprint with 90o turns
Agility
A football player changes direction every 2–4 seconds and makes 1,200–1,400
changes of direction during a game (Turner and Stewart, 2014). The ability to
produce fast-paced variable actions can impact soccer performance – agility must be
trained
SAQ is effective in training agility
o A short-term agility-specific SAQ protocol was found to increase agility
in young football players in just 3 weeks (Jullien et al. 2008)
o A 12-week SQ protocol increased lateral agility in young football
players (Milanović, 2013)

26
Quickness
Quickness refers to reaction speed or acceleration speed. Quickness is essential for
football: short reaction-type sprints have to be performed every 4-5 seconds
To train quickness you need the athlete to react during a drill, so avoid using pre-
planned drill and activities
o Example – Quickness drill
 Coach points in direction athlete needs to sprint
 Use colour cones – coach calls out which colour athlete needs
to sprint to
TABLE 2 – EXAMPLE SAQ EXERCISES TO INCREASE SPEED, AGILITY AND
QUICKNESS
Name Description
T drill  Sprint from A to B cone, shuffle from
C to D and sprint back to A
 Trains speed and agility
 Use coach/trainer input to train
quickness (ex – coach points to cone to
run to first)
development, gender and skill of athlete
Cross drill  Sprint from 1 to 2, backpedal to 1,
sprint from 1 to 3, backpedal to 1 etc.
quickness (ex – coach points to cone to
run to first)
development, gender and skill of athlete

27
V drill  Sprint from A to B, backpedal to A,
sprint from A to C, backpedal to A
quickness (ex – coach points to
cone to run to first)
athlete
Square drill  Sprint from 1 to 2, shuffle from 2 to
3, backpedal from 3 to 4
quickness (ex – coach points to
cone to run to first)
athlete
Ladders
athlete
 More drills using ladders can be
found online and in
textbooks/journal articles

29
EXAMPLE TRAINING SESSIONS: STRENGTH, PLYOMETRIC, SAQ
TRAINING AND HIIT TRAINING
Strength training
 Dynamic warm-up before strength training session
 Can be performed before or after football training session
o Before may be better in terms of motivation
 20-30 minute sessions, 1-3 days week
o Frequency – depending on time in the season (ex – off-season, in-season
etc.)
 8-10 bodyweight exercises performed in circuit
o See examples above
o Perform 1-3 sets, 8-15 reps per set
 Number of sets/reps – depending on athlete, the specific exercise,
time in the season etc.
 Focus on core and lower body strengthening
 Allow 48-72 hours rest between sessions – don’t perform on consecutive days
 Make adjustments based on age, development, gender and skill of athlete
o Make sure athlete has the ability to manage body mass and perform
whole body movements in a controlled and coordinated fashion.If not,
make adjustments
Plyometric training
 Dynamic warm-up before plyometric training session
 Should be performed before football training session
o Athletes need to be fresh
etc.)
 Should be performed at high intensities
 Start with around 40 contacts per session
o Example:
 Example drill has 6 contacts per set (think of single leg hops from
Figure 1 – 3 hops performed on each side)
 Perform 3 sets of drill – 18 contacts
 Perform 2 other similar drills – 54 contacts total
 Every few weeks – increase the number of contacts
o Example:
 Week 1 – 40 contacts
 Etc.
SAQ training
 Dynamic warm-up before SAQ training session
o Should be performed before football session: athletes need to be fresh.
 Should be performed at high intensities

30
etc.)
 5-8 drills, 3-5 sets per drill – 20-25 sets total
o Example:
 5 drills (see examples above)
 5 sets per drill
 25 sets total
 Work to rest ratio should be 1:3 or 1:4
o Example:
 One set of a drill takes 15 seconds to run
 Should have 45-60 seconds before performing next set
HIIT
 Most effective way of improving endurance capacity in a time-efficient manner
 Dynamic warm-up before HIIT session
o Can be performed before or after football training session
 15-30 minutes, 1-3 days week
etc.)
 Example:
o Sprint at maximal intensity for 40 seconds, walk slowly for 80 seconds
o Repeat 8 times – 8 sets
o Total time – 16 minutes
o Increase work to rest ratio over time
 Warm-up (approximately 5 minutes), HIIT (approximately 15 minutes) and cool
down (approximately 5 minutes) – approximately 25 minutes total .

31
TRAINING MODEL: A FULL-YEAR TRAINING PLAN FOR A YOUTH
FOOTBALL TEAM
o Typical football season has 3 major periods. In the Finnish football season
 Off-season – September and October
 Pre-season – November to February
 In-season – March to August
Frequency, intensity, type, time and volume of training are based on the period
of the season you are in – specific goals you are trying to achieve
OFF-SEASON
 Main aim: recover after long, intense season
o Low volume/intensity of training
o Allow young athletes to play other sport/activities
 Maintenance of physical capabilities and technical skills
o 1 session a week – strength, plyometric and SAQ training
o 1-2 football sessions per week. Feature some continuous running and
interval running within the football sessions to maintain endurance (ex
– sprinting around cones with ball etc.)
 Don’t push athletes too hard – or else they will burn out before the next off-
season
o Be aware of what athletes are doing outside of football training
o Other sports
o Sports at school
OFF-
SEASON
TRAINING TYPES
Football Resistance
(Strength –
Bodyweight)
Power
Training
(Plyometric)
SAQ Endurance
(HIIT)
Frequency 2 x week 1 x week 1 x week 1 x week 1 x week
Volume 60 min 20 min 20 min 20 min 20 min
Intensity Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate
TOTAL = 3.3 hours - 2-3 sessions
PRE-SEASON
Preparation of athletes for the upcoming season: in 2 sessions:
1) General preparation and 2) Specific preparation
1) General preparation (November and December)
o Features high volume, high intensity training
o Highest amount of training in year performed here
o Build physical base for the season – “building up fitness”

32
o 2 strength and SAQ sessions per week, building strength and
speed/agility
o 3 plyometric sessions per week, emphasis on building power
o 2 HIIT sessions per week building endurance capacity
o Start building up sport-specific skills
o 2 or more football sessions per week
PRE
SEASON 1
TRAINING TYPES
Football Resistance
(Strength –
Bodyweight)
Power
Training
(Plyometric)
SAQ Endurance
(HIIT)
Volume 60 min per
session
30 min per
session
30 min per
session
30 min per
session
30 min per
session
Intensity Moderate High High Moderate High
TOTAL = 6.5 hours/week - 4-5 sessions
2) Specific preparation (January and February)
o High intensity training, with reduced volume
o Approaching in-season – training needs to be specific to competition
o Reduced volume so that athletes are fresh for competition
o Lots of high intensity training featuring speed, agility, quickness
 Fine tuning – increase “sharpness”
 Specific to competition
 3 SAQ sessions per week
o Lots of football-specific training
 Fine tuning
 Specific to competition
 3 football training sessions per week
o Maintain strength, endurance and power
 Built up during general preparation phases – now maintain, or
gradually increase, if possible
PRE
SEASON 2
TRAINING TYPES
Football Resistance
(Strength –
Bodyweight)
Power
Training
(Plyometric)
SAQ Endurance
(HIIT)
Volume 60 min per
session
20 min per
session
20 min per
session
30 min per
session
20 min per
session
Intensity High Moderate Moderate High Moderate
TOTAL = 5.8 hours/week - 4 sessions

33
IN-SEASON
o Competitions/games weekly
o Need to reduce the volume of training
o Need to be fresh for games
o However – keep intensity up – “stay sharp”
o Lots of football training – fine tuning
o Competition specific training
o 3 or more football sessions a week
o Incorporate SAQ training into sessions to “stay sharp”
o Incorporate HIIT into sessions to maintain endurance level
o Maintain physical abilities
o One session of strength, plyometric and SAQ training a week
IN-
SEASON
TRAINING TYPES
Football Resistance
(Strength –
Bodyweight)
Power
Training
(Plyometric)
SAQ Endurance
(HIIT)
Volume 40-60 min
per session
20 min per
session
20 min per
session
20 min per
session
20 min per
session
Intensity High Moderate Moderate High Moderate
TOTAL = 4.3 hours/week – 4 sessions + game
 NOTE – Between the end of the general preparation phase and the
beginning of the specific preparation phase, and between the end of the
specific preparation and the in-season, you need to have a transition
period
o Transition period – Recovery period of 1-3 weeks where volume
and intensity of training are reduced
o Need rest to allow adaptations from training you did to occur
o Especially important going into the in-season – need to make sure
athletes are fresh for competition
EXAMPLE TRAINING WEEKS DURING OFF-SEASON, PRE-SEASON AND
IN-SEASON
Off-season
 Monday: 60 minute session (20 min SAQ, 20 min strength, 20 min plyometric)
 Tuesday: Rest
 Wednesday: 80 minute session (60 min football, 20 min HIIT)
 Thursday: Rest
 Friday: Rest
 Saturday: 60 minute session (football)
 Sunday: Rest

34
o TOTAL = 200 MINUTES
Pre-season 1
 Monday: 120 minute session (60 minute football, 30 min plyometric, 30 min
strength)
 Tuesday: Rest
 Wednesday: 60 minute session (30 min SAQ, 30 min plyometric)
 Thursday: Rest
 Friday: 120 minute (60 min football, 30 min HIIT, 30 min plyometric)
 Saturday: 90 minute (30 min SAQ, 30 min strength, 30 min HIIT)
 Sunday: Rest
Pre-season 2
 Monday: 110 minute session (60 min football, 30 min SAQ, 20 min plyometric)
 Tuesday: Rest
 Wednesday: 90 minute session (60 min football, 30 min SAQ)
 Thursday: Rest
 Friday: 90 minute session (60 min football, 30 min SAQ)
 Saturday: 60 minute session (20 min SAQ, 20 min HIIT, 20 min strength)
 Sunday: Rest
In-season
 Monday: 120 minute session (60 min football, 20 min SAQ, 20 min plyometric,
20 min strength)
 Tuesday: 80 minute session (60 min football, 20 min HIIT)
 Wednesday: Rest
 Thursday: 60 minutes (40 min football, 20 min SAQ)
 Friday: Rest
 Saturday: Game (90 min)
 Sunday: Rest
o TOTAL = 260 MINUTES TRAINING, WITH GAME = 350
__________________________________________________________

35
CONCLUSION
o The aim of this report was to provide evidence-based knowledge concerning
strength and conditioning – with specific information regarding:
o Principles of strength and conditioning
o Development of young athletes
o Different training types
o Example training sessions
o Full training plan
o Take home messages
o Strength and conditioning training is extremely important for football
players
 Will improve football performance
 As important as football-specific training
o Strength and conditioning needs be implemented in specific way
 More is not always better
 Need to be individualized for athletes
 Needs to be specific to goals
 Need different training types – not just football training
o Any questions regarding this report can be sent to:
 alistair.j.inglis@gmail.com
 shane.j.mcdermott@student.jyu.fi

36
REFERENCES
Bloomfield J., Polman R. & O’Donoghue P. (2007). Physical demands of different positions
in FA premier league soccer. Journal of Sports Science Medicine 6(1), 63-70.
Balyi, I. Way, R. Higgs, C. Norris, S. & Cardinal, C. (2014). Canadian sport for life: Long-
term athlete development (2nd ed). Canadian: Canadian Sport Institute.
Fox E. L. & Matthews D. K. (toim.). (1981). The physiological basis of physical education and
athletics (3rd edition). Philadelphia: Saunders.
Helgerud J, Engen L, Wisloff U, Hoff J. (2001). Aerobic endurance training improves soccer
performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 33, 1925–1931.
Jullien H., Bisch C., Largouet N. & Manouvrier C. (2008). Does a short period of lower limb
strength training improve performance in field-based tests of running and agility in young
professional soccer players? Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 22(2), 404-411.
Junge A. and Dvorak J. (2004). Soccer injuries: A review on incidence and prevention. Sports
Med 34, 929–938.
Komi P. V. (2000). Stretch-shorting cycle: A powerful model to study normal and fatigued
muscle. Journal of Biomechanics 33, 1197-1206.
Kraemer W. J. & Hakkinen K. (toim.). (2002). Strength training for sport (1st painos). Great
Britain: Alan Press.
McArdle W. D., Katch F. I. & Katch V. L. (toim.). (2007). Exercise physiology: Energy,
nutrition and human performance (6th painos). Baltimore, USA: Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins.
Michailidis Y., Fatouros I. G., Primpa E., Michailidis C., Avloniti A., Chatzinikolaou A., . . .
Kambas A. (2013). Plyometrics' trainability in preadolescent soccer athletes. Journal of
Strength and Conditioning Research 27(1), 38-49.
Milanović Z., Sporiš G., Trajković N., James N. & Šamija K. (2013). Effects of a 12 week
SAQ training programme on agility with and without the ball among young soccer players.
Journal of Sports Science and Medicine 12(1), 97-103.
Mohr M., Krustrup P. & Bangsbo J. (2003). Match performance of high standard soccer players
with special reference to development of fatigue. Journal of Sports Sciences 21(7), 519-528.
Simic L., Sarabon N., Markovic G. (2013). Does pre-exercise static stretching inhibit muscular
performance? A meta-analytical review. Scand J Med Sci Sports 23(2), 131-148.
Turner A. and Stewart P. (2014). Strength and Conditioning for Soccer Players. Strength and
Conditioning Journal 36(4), 1-13.

37
Appendix
EFFECTS OF PLYOMETRIC AND SAQ TRAINING ON SPRINT, AGILITY,
JUMPING, PASSING AND SHOOTING PERFORMANCE IN YOUNG
FOOTBALL PLAYERS (McDERMOTT ET AL. 2015)
 In 2015, McDermott et al. conducted a research study in conjunction with Kometaat
F.C and the Department of Biology of Physical Activity at the University of Jyväskylä
o Kometaat B Juniors were the subjects in the study
Purpose
 Perform an 8-week intervention program in order to provide a recommendation on a
suitable training program for youth football players for improving sprint performance,
agility with and without the ball and jumping parameters
Methods
 Subjects
o 30 young football players aged 14-16 playing for Kometaat F.C
 Groups
o 3 groups
 Plyometric group (performed plyometric training)
 SAQ group (performed SAQ training)
 Control group (performed traditional football training – small-sided
games)
 Study design
o 8 weeks of training performed 2 times a week for 30 minutes
o Pre-tests before start of intervention and post-tests after intervention
 Measurements
o Performed before and after training
 Isometric leg press (measure of strength)
 Countermovement jump (CMJ) (measure of power)
 Multiple bound test (MB5) (measure of power)
 Speed and agility tests
 Shooting velocity tests
 Passing accuracy tests
Results
 The SAQ group significantly improved their strength levels in the isometric leg press
from pre to post.
 The Plyometric Group were the only group to significantly improve their performance
in the MB5 from pre to post
 The control group significantly improved their performance in the CMJ and isometric
leg press, however they were the only group to get significantly slower in the 30m
Sprint post measurements.

38
Conclusion
o In boys aged 14-16 years it is important to perform plyometric training and SAQ
training to maintain/improve sprint speed.
o Both plyometric training and SAQ training may help to prevent over-training because
the control reached considerable higher heart rate maximum in their sessions.

Training Manual

Recomendados

Recomendados

Más contenido relacionado

La actualidad más candente

La actualidad más candente (20)

Similar a Training Manual

Similar a Training Manual (20)

Training Manual