Rope Ladder Drills for Football & Soccer Training

Agility exercises can help athletes become quicker on their feet. Whether you're training for soccer, football or another sport, rope ladder drills can help you develop fast footwork. Lay out the ladder on the ground, and make sure you stretch out your muscles before you start your workout.
Sprints
Sprinting across the rope ladder can be an intense workout that helps you develop agile footwork. Run as fast as you can, ensuring each foot steps between the rungs. Try to make sure your foot doesn't get tangled up in the ladder as you run. You can also do a double-step sprint, in which both feet step between each rung. To develop agility, you can sprint through the ladder sideways, crossing one foot over the other.
Every Other Square
You can place a foot in every other square while running through the ladder. This helps you develop longer strides. You can do this drill backward, which works different muscles. Another variation on this ladder drill is to use two feet. As you run through the ladder, place both feet between every other rung. You can perform this drill backward as well.
Hops
Hopping through the rope ladder can build up leg muscles and increase footwork speed. By hopping on one foot either forward or backward, you can strengthen your legs. Make sure you practice one-footed hops with each foot. Other variations on hops include the hopscotch hops, in which you begin with your feet shoulder-width apart outside the ladder. You jump and bring your feet together in the first rung. Hop again and land on one foot in the next rung. Repeat the sequence until you are at the end of the ladder.
Turns
Turning your body is another way you can use the rope ladder. Start outside the ladder and hop into it, turning your body so you land facing in the opposite direction. Continue these 180-degree turns until you are at the end of the ladder. Repeat in the other direction. You can also try 90-degree turns. Stand on one foot and hop forward to the next rung, turning so you land facing to the side. Hop again and land facing forward. On the next hop, turn to the other side. Repeat as you continue hopping.

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Posted in: Football,Soccer

Purpose of Soccer Player's Resting

Since soccer is such a high-power, high-endurance sport, it's uncommon to think about rest and restoration as part of the training process. Instead, you probably imagine drills and scrimmages, not naps. But rest is an important part of the training process and might actually help to improve your game and endurance, especially before a big match. When you get enough rest, your body is in top form to play.
Purpose
Just as when you participate in other forms of exercise, lactic acid builds up around your muscles when you play soccer. The result is muscle aches and soreness, which can severely limit your abilities the next day. Rest helps your body heal from any minor injuries that you might have sustained as the result of a game or practice. A properly rested body reduces the likelihood of injury as a result of muscle strain.
Side Effects
When you take the time to rest from playing soccer, you rebuild microscopic tears that occur in your muscle tissue during strain. It's those tears, paired with lactic acid buildup, that cause you to feel sore after a game. While using painkilling medications or alternating heat and cold packs help to manage the pain, only during rest do your muscles rebuild stronger than before, making rest a vital and integral part of any soccer training program.
Rest Amounts
Don't mistake rest for sleep or being lazy during training. Instead, rest is used as a pointed effort to improve your endurance. Avoid long naps after a game. Instead, a 30-minute nap is all you need to recharge, according to the Soccer Training Guide. The term "rest" refers to the act of resting your body from a certain sport or activity; it isn't sleep. Instead of using your rest time to watch TV or recline on the couch, participate in certain activities that rest your muscles while keeping your skills sharp.
Active Recovery
Active rest and recovery is one of the best ways to spend your time after a game or vigorous practice. Soccer players must walk the line between overtraining and not training enough, which is why spending your rest days participating in activities such as low intensity training is important. Instead of going full-volume on the field, your rest days should include low-intensity dribbling and ball handling, jogging and stretching to help keep your muscles limber and flexible while giving them the rest they need to recover for game play.

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Posted in: Soccer

How to Get in Shape for Soccer?

Soccer is a fast-action sport that uses multiple fitness components. When you do not play soccer year-round, it is important to maintain your physical fitness so you return to the sport as strong as when you left.
Endurance
Exercise at a continuous speed and intensity to improve your overall endurance. Run, walk, cycle or swim at a level that leaves you slightly breathless. The National Strength and Conditioning Association recommend one and a half hours of endurance training twice a week.
Speed
Include sprint intervals in your cardiovascular workout. Use a three-to-one rest to work ratio. For example, run three minutes and then sprint one minute for the duration of your workout. Perform an interval workout twice a week.
Balance
Perform balance exercises such as standing on one foot with your eyes closed. Incorporate jump training into your balance and jump to land on both feet and then jump to land on one foot.
Nutrition
Besides physical exercise, proper nutrition helps you stay in shape for soccer. Continue to eat healthy meals that contain lean meats, fruits and vegetables, whole grain carbohydrates and drink water to stay hydrated.
Core Strength
All movements in soccer originate from a static position. Strengthen your core using abdominal situps, crunches, leg raises and stability ball abdominal exercises to enhance your core function and your ability to move fast from a resting stance.
Flexibility
Perform stretching exercises on a daily basis after your body is warm. One of the best times to improve your flexibility is following your cardiovascular workout. Complete a yoga workout to maintain your range of motion and strength throughout this range of motion.
Movement
Use a variety of movements during your off-season training. Run forward, backward and sideways to mimic the movements used during a soccer game. This will help maintain your balance and force during the game.
Strength
Twice a week, perform strength training exercises. Include exercises for your upper and lower body and use a gradual increase in resistance as you are able to complete eight to 12 repetitions with ease.
Plyometrics
Add plyometric training into your workout routine once a week. Plyometrics includes jumps such as the vertical jump you use to head the ball. Jump straight up, or jump up and down onto an 18-inch-high box.
Ball Skills
Continue to dribble the soccer ball and practice juggling. This can be done indoors. Teach yourself a trick, such as kicking the ball from behind your body, over your shoulder to the front of your body.

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Posted in: Soccer

4 Effective Stretching Exercises for Better Soccer Performance

A strong core is essential to your soccer performance, since much of your time on the field is spent running and attacking the ball. Strong, flexible abdominal and back muscles are essential to a good performance on the field, and it can even help reduce your chances of injury. An imbalance in the strength or flexibility between your back and your abs can result in poor performance, since these core areas are where all of your body movement begins.
Lying Supine Ab Stretch
Lie down on your back with your legs extended and your toes pointing toward the ceiling. Stretch both of your arms up and over your head and rest them on the ground with your palms facing the ceiling. Arch your lower back until you feel a stretch in your abdomen. Hold this position for about 10 seconds and then relax. Try to make your body a little bit longer and repeat this stretch.
Prone Lying Ab Stretch
Lie down on your stomach with your feet about shoulder-width distance apart and your arms positioned directly under your shoulders in a position similar to that of a pushup. Straighten both arms to slowly lift your upper body off the ground while keeping your hips in contact with the ground. Continue lifting your upper body until you feel a stretch in your abdomen. Hold this stretch for about 10 seconds and relax. You can make this stretch a little more difficult by bending your head back as if you were trying to look at the ceiling while your arms are extended.
Hanging Ab Stretch
This deceptively simple exercise also helps stretch your lower back while stretching your abs and the rest of your core. Find a pullup bar or other stable and sturdy horizontal bar and allow your body to hang from the bar. Try to make your body as long as you can while hanging in this position. Hold this stretch for about 15 seconds and then relax. You will get a little better stretch in your abs if you tilt your head back and look at the ceiling while performing this stretch.
Spinal Twist
Sit down on the floor with both legs straight. Bend your right knee and reach over with your left hand, and grasp the outside of your right thigh. You should place your other hand on the floor for balance and stability. Pull on your thigh with your left hand until you feel a stretch in your abdomen and lower back. Hold this position for about 20 seconds and relax. Repeat for an equal number of repetitions on each side.

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Posted in: Exercise and Fitness,Get Fit,Soccer,Stretching Exercises

4 Health Benefits of Soccer

Soccer is one of the better forms of exercise. It's a game of near non-stop movement. You run slowly, you sprint, and you use your entire body to run, jump, kick and head the ball. It's also a sport for all ages and abilities. Kids as young as 4 years old have fun playing soccer, and all you need in terms of equipment is a soccer ball and a place to kick it around.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise, such as running up and down a soccer field, strengthens your cardiovascular system. Regular aerobic exercise reduces the risk of developing many serious health conditions, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some types of cancer. By stimulating the immune system, aerobic activity makes you less susceptible to viral illnesses such as colds and flu. As MayoClinic.com states, "Regardless of age, weight or athletic ability, aerobic activity is good for you."
Weight
Soccer helps keep your weight under control, which is important for adults and kids -- one out of every six kids in America is not just overweight but obese. Soccer players run as much as four to five miles in a game and burn more calories than with most forms of exercise because of the non-stop nature of the game. If you combine the amount of exercise from soccer with a healthy diet, you are likely to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
Strength, Balance and Flexibility
As Syracuse.com notes, "There are also few other sports that engage so many muscles...soccer forces the player to master the coordination needed to have control of the ball with all parts of the body." Kicking the ball powerfully requires balance, leg strength and core strength. In addition to increasing muscle, soccer strengthens your bones.
Considerations
In addition to its other benefits, soccer gives your brain a workout. The fast-paced game requires players to be alert and think on their feet. Coach Tony Epifani, a former U.S. Junior Nationals team member, says, "I think your brain is constantly doing five or six things, always trying to anticipate what's going to happen next."

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Posted in: Soccer