6. Strength
STRENGTH
What Is It?
The ability of the muscular system to overcome, withstand, and exert force on an external force.
How can you train it?
How you train Strength will depend on the “type of Force” you want to improve.
In this section we present 4 Strength Performance Factors to train.
When training strength exercises with weight or resistance, it is very important to consider when they are performed in the season.
The season has two different phases (Pre-Season and Regular Season).
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- ⚽️Pre-Season: The objective of Pre-Seasons is the return to sports practice and achievement of peak physical fitness that was lost in the last transitional period (summer holidays, FIFA breaks…). Due to the lack of official matches, in these periods physical trainers work with higher intensity in terms of Force.
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- ⚽️Regular Season: The objective of the Regular Season is to complete each Competition Unit (official matches) in the best possible condition. Therefore, the progression of loads and recovery process during each Microcycle (week of competition) must be respected. The days with the most physical load and effort should be days -4 and -3.
We propose 4 Performance Factors to train and help improve Preventive/Compensatory Force:
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Performance Factors
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BIPODAL SQUAT
This exercise is a squat with weight.
The movement consists of:
Standing straight up with your feet hip-width apart, lowering your hips from the standing position, bending your knees almost to a 90-degree angle, and then standing back up. When you return to the starting position avoid completely extending your knees and keep them a little bent. This will prevent your knees from taking on too much tension.
How to train it during PRE-SEASON?
💪🏻Intensity: The intensity of the exercise is determined by the weight you use. The weights you choose during Pre-Season must give you the following feeling:
When you reach the tenth repetition of your set, you should feel like you can do another 2-3 repetitions (but do not execute the extra 2-3 reps to prevent muscle failure).
🔁Number of reps: 6-8.
🏋🏼♀️Number of sets: 3-4.
⏱Resting period between sets: 1 minute and 15 seconds – 1 minute and 30 seconds.
🚀Execution speed: Go up fast and on the way down make sure the movement is fully controlled.
How to train it while in SEASON?
💪🏻Intensity: The intensity of the exercise is determined by the weight you use. The weight you choose during pre-season must give you the following feeling:
When you reach the tenth repetition of your set, you should feel like you can do another 4-5 repetitions (but do not execute the extra 2-3 reps to prevent muscle failure).
🔁Number of reps: 8-10.
🏋🏼♀️Number of sets: 3.
⏱Resting period between sets: 1 minute and 15 seconds – 1 minute and 30 seconds.
🚀Execution speed: Go up fast and on the way down make sure the movement is fully controlled.
ELASTIC ENERGY
The proposed exercise is a weighted squat with a jump.
The movement consists of:
Standing the same way as you would for a squat, lowering your hips, and on the way up performing a vertical impulse as explosively as possible, applying maximum amounts of power and force.
Keep in mind that the force applied for the jump must be vertical and not forward. If you jump forward, you will not use your maximum power. After the jump, a correct landing is very important. Make sure the vertical jump to the landing is one smooth movement. Do not make it two movements.
How to train it in PRE-SEASON?
💪🏻Intensity: The intensity of the exercise is determined by the weight you use. The weight you choose during pre-season must give you the following feeling:
When you reach the tenth repetition of your set, you must feel like you can do another 3-4 repetitions (but do no execute the extra reps to prevent muscle failure)
🔁Number of reps: 6-8.
🏋🏼♀️Number of sets: 3-4.
⏱Resting period between sets: 1 minute and 15 seconds – 1 minute and 30 seconds.
🚀Execution speed: Go up fast and on the way down make sure the movement is fully controlled.
How to train it in SEASON?
💪🏻Intensity: The intensity of the exercise is categorized by the weight you use. The weight you choose during the season must give you the following feeling:
When you reach the tenth repetition of your set, you should feel like you can do another 4-5 repetitions (but do not execute the extra 2-3 reps to prevent muscle failure).
🔁Number of reps: 4-6.
🏋🏼♀️Number of sets: 3.
⏱Resting period between sets: 1 minute and 15 seconds – 1 minute and 30 seconds.
🚀Execution speed: Go up fast and on the way down make sure the movement is fully controlled.
MYOSTATIC REFLECTION
The proposed exercise is like an overloaded squat followed by a jump, but without lowering your hips.
The movement consists of:
Standing straight up with your feet hip-width apart, jumping as high and powerful as possible without lowering your hips, and then performing a vertical jump as explosively as possible. Keep in mind that the force applied for the vertical jump must be vertical and not forward. If you jump forward, you will not use your maximum power. It is very important during your landing that you bend slightly and stay in contact with the ground as long as possible. This allows you to apply maximum power and strength to the next jump so you can go as high as possible.
How to train it during PRE-SEASON?
💪🏻Intensity: The intensity of the exercise is determined by the weight you use. The weight you choose during the season must give you the following feeling:
For this exercise, once you feel the height of your jumps decreasing you must stop. This prevents fatigue from building up in your muscles, which would prevent you from applying maximum strength and jumping power.
🔁Number of reps: 8-10.
🏋🏼♀️Number of sets: 3-4.
⏱Resting period between sets: 1 minute and 15 seconds – 1 minute and 30 seconds.
🚀Execution Speed: Be explosive on the way up and control the movement on the way down.
How to train it while in SEASON?
💪🏻Intensity: The intensity of the exercise is determined by the weight you use. The weight you choose during the season must give you the following feeling:
That your last repetition is as high as your first. Once you feel the height of your jumps decreasing you must stop. This prevents fatigue from building up in your muscles, which would prevent you from applying maximum strength and jumping power.
🔁Number of reps: 6-8.
🏋🏼♀️Number of sets: 3.
⏱Resting period between sets: 1 minute and 15 seconds – 1 minute and 30 seconds.
🚀Execution Speed: Be explosive on the way up and control the movement on the way down.
MUSCLE BRACES
Strength work with muscle braces is very important and will greatly increase your strength. However, you cannot perform this exercise for too many repetitions in a row.
The muscle has two movements: when it contracts and stretches.
When you work on muscle braces, the muscle ONLY stretches.
If you only perform exercises where the muscle stretches, you will create strength disparities between the two movements (contraction and stretching) and your body will become unbalanced. That´s why we do not advise performing this exercise frequently. Muscle brace workouts focus on developing your hamstrings and quadriceps.
Using muscle braces you will work: HAMSTRINGS AND QUADRICEPS.
Tip: When focusing the workout on hamstrings, you can increase the intensity by placing the brace below your knees.
Tip: If you want the exercise to be less intense when training quadriceps, you can put the brace above the knee.
NEVER PUT THE SUSPENDER ON YOUR KNEE JOINT!
How to train it during PRE-SEASON?
💪🏻Intensity: The intensity of the exercise is determined by the weight you use. Therefore, the weights should choose when doing this exercise in Pre-Season should give you the following feeling:
That you could only repeat the one more time until you reach muscle failure.
🔁Number of reps: 6-8.
🏋🏼♀️Number of sets: 3-4.
⏱Resting period between sets: 1 minute and 15 seconds – 2 minutes.
🚀Execution speed: Go up explosively and on the way down control the movement.
How to train it while in SEASON?
💪🏻Intensity: The intensity of the exercise is determined by the weight you use. During the season, this exercise should give you the following feeling:
That you could only do 3-4 more reps. Once you reach this sensation, you must stop and rest.
🔁 Number of reps: 4-6.
🏋🏼♀️Number of sets: 3.
⏱Resting period between sets: 1 minute and 15 seconds – 1 minute and 30 seconds.
🚀Execution speed: Be explosive on the way up and go down in 3-4 seconds.
When do you have to train it?
All your performance training must be scheduled around MATCH DAY. It is very important to keep in mind when scheduling “Force Training”. It has to be done out on -4 and -3 of the week.
The three proposed exercises above have different recommended intensities depending on which part of the season they are performed in.
That is why we differentiate between:
- PRE-SEASON:
➡️ 1st Week of Pre-Season: :
Only perform Bilateral Squat (from day 3 of training).
You can do it every 2-3 days while making sure to take fatigue and workload into account.
DO NOT PERFORM DAYS -2, -1 OR GAME DAY.
➡️ After the 2nd Week of Pre-season:
You can perform Elastic Energy & Myostatic Reflection.
These force workouts and require proper rest time for your muscles to adapt and strengthen. Therefore, strength workouts are not necessarily needed every day. Perform them as follows:
When you use two consecutive days to do these types of workouts the next two days (48 hrs) you need to break from doing these types of workouts and focus on something else.
➡️For example:
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- On Monday you work Elastic Energy
- On Tuesday you work Myostatic Reflection
- Wednesday there is no work of Force
- Thursday there is no work of Force
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- REGULAR SEASON:
During Regular Season, it is not advisable to perform more than two different workouts of the three proposed performance factors.
On your -4 day, perform the proposed workout or workouts. If you want to perform two exercises in the same week, do both on the same day.
For example:
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- If you have a match on Sunday and training on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
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- You want to train Myostatic Reflex and Elastic Strength on Wednesday.
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- If you have a match on Saturday and training on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
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- You want to train Myotatic Reflex and Elastic Strength on Tuesday.
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Why do you train it?
Bipodal squat
We propose the weighted squat because it is one of the most widely-applicable multidirectional exercises in football.
Elastic Energy
We propose the weighted squat with a jump because it combines the widely-applicable squat with the fundamental motion of jumping. Because footballers frequently jump, training for this action is very important.
Myostatic Reflex
We propose the squat with overload jump WITHOUT FLEXING YOUR KNEES because it is a widely-applicable movement that also helps prevent injury. As mentioned before, the goal of physical preparation is to train what happens on the field, but with resistance so it requires more effort than in a match. For example, sprints with a weighted sled, vertical jumps with resistance bands, etc.
Myotatic reflex work simulates the quick reactions you make in a game while performing each movement. For example, when an opponent knocks you off-balance when dribbling, you have to balance yourself again very quickly.
Muscle Straps
When the muscle is stretched, it increases its strength. This is because the muscle is stretched while bearing extra weight, so it can contract further and generate more force.
These exercises help you prepare you for competition and injury prevention because such stretches and contractions occur when you run, or exert any kind of force.
Common Errors
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