Football conditioning training: a comprehensive handbook

Technique and tactics are no longer a mystery to you, but your progress is being held back by a lack of physical fitness? Whether it's a lack of endurance training, muscle deficiencies, or recurring injuries, these are all obstacles on your path forward. But don't worry, Netsportique is here to give you all the essential tools for overall physical preparation for football, so you 'll gain robustness and this will make you a better player in your performance.

The bible of fitness training for football: Where do I begin?

When you talk about fitness training in football, you inevitably think of sweat, hard work, and almost military seriousness. However, it's important to remember that every body is different, and therefore each player can handle a different workload than their teammate. So, above all, it's crucial to listen to your body.

This is especially true in the world of amateur football, where coaches don't always have the time, resources, or skills to individualize their training. This will make all the difference: the higher the level, the more competent and qualified fitness coaches will be available to clubs.

Ultimately, it's all a matter of adaptation. Fitness training isn't just for professionals; even amateurs need to be physically well-prepared.

In both amateur and professional sports, there are some basic rules to keep in mind when talking about PPG:

• Try to individualize the program as much as possible: If you give your entire group the same workload, the weaker participants may injure themselves due to overload, and the stronger participants will not make progress because it is not enough for them.

• Think more in terms of intensity than volume: One exercise performed at 100% of your capacity is always more valuable than two exercises performed at 40%. Thinking in terms of intensity also means respecting the principle of progression, i.e., increasing the intensity as your training progresses.

• Adapt your program to the specific position: An attacking player should be explosive and agile, a midfielder should have a large stamina, meaning a good cardiovascular system, and a defender should be robust, strong, and defensively sound. These goals are achieved through working on various exercises.

• Use feedback and pay attention to body signals to adjust the training load: Avoiding injuries is crucial if you don't want your preparation to be a waste of time. You have to listen to the players' feedback and also be able to perceive your own body signals, because sometimes players either cheat, leading to a preparation deficit, or they pull the plug and risk injury.

• Recovery as an integral part of PPG: One might be tempted to start the preparation too intensely or to neglect the recovery phases, but without recovery, the risk of injury increases significantly. And quite simply: The recovery phase allows the muscles to make progress.

• Don't forget to have fun!

What role does the fitness trainer play? How do you choose the right one?

Fitness training is an essential component of a player's performance. It is therefore clear that the fitness trainer plays a vital role in a team's success. He will thus work closely with the coach to improve the players' physical condition.

He will base his work on the following:

• The basics: the basic cardio, the trunk, as you might say, that is the basic aerobic capacity, the endurance.

• But it also focuses on the players' general physical abilities such as coordination, power, strength, speed, liveliness and explosiveness - all qualities that are necessary for a complete football player!

Through his daily work and thanks to the support of the club doctors, injuries must also be avoided.

To achieve this, fitness coaches possess extensive knowledge of the human body and a football player's overall metabolism. They utilize technical equipment and advanced technological tools to measure players' exertion, assess their abilities, and track each individual's progress. This is why professional clubs can now provide personalized support to every player.

It therefore goes without saying that fitness trainers today are extremely competent and qualified individuals, even in the semi-professional sector at the regional level.

General physical preparation: What is its purpose? When should you begin?

After the summer break, during which the players had a few weeks of vacation before starting the new season, it's time to put on the shoes or rather the trainers again to get back in shape.

It's important to understand that cardiovascular health is probably the part of the body that deteriorates most rapidly with inactivity, and this is precisely the challenge of PPG: to gradually regain overall aerobic capacity (endurance capacity) that allows you to run at high intensity for as long as possible. This is also known as VMA (Maximum Aerobic Speed) and varies from person to person.

5-WEEK TRAINING PLAN (EXAMPLE)

Ideally, a general training program is divided into several phases, which proceed as follows (depending on whether you are an amateur or a professional, the phases will be of different lengths and intensities, that much is clear):

• After a month of inactivity and two weeks before the official resumption of team training, it is recommended to complete some jogging laps at a steady pace without pushing, in order to get the body used to the strain again.

• After that, PPG training begins, which involves assessing each player using a VMA test in order to form ability groups and individualize the work with each player as much as possible.

• Based on this, endurance training then begins at 70% of maximum MIV. This ensures that each player is at "their" 70%, working at their own pace and according to their own needs.

• Gradually, you'll progress to increasingly intermittent training with progressive changes in pace, including acceleration and recovery phases. This phase is absolutely crucial because, in the long run, you won't see any further progress if you always run at the same pace. Since football is a sport where you constantly change speed, you need to get your body used to sudden changes in intensity, and this is precisely where you'll truly improve your endurance in realistic situations!

• If you can then translate these exercises into exercises with the ball, that's perfect, because that's most comparable to the reality of a game.

• Please note that this improvement in endurance can also be achieved through regular strength training, so that the muscles can better withstand the stresses and injuries are prevented.

• Strength training using your own body weight (abdominal muscle training, push-ups, sit-ups, lunges, etc.).

• Use of additional loads (weights, dumbbells, parallel bars, weights, etc.).

This is a typical general physical preparation; no preparation is perfect, but it's a model ofabout 5 weeks that's easy to follow, regardless of your training level. With this kind of preparation, you'll reach your full potential after about six weeks when you return to competition.

Completing a PPG program: What are the advantages?

The advantage of a PPG program is that it follows a predetermined schedule perfectly tailored to the needs of the body and muscles. This allows the muscles to reach their full potential and, most importantly, prevents injuries. And it's quite simply the best way to succeed on the field, because physical fitness is inextricably linked to technique. With CBP, you will undoubtedly become much more efficient!

If you jump straight back into high-intensity running and changes of pace after a period of inactivity, you can be sure that your muscles will suffer and injuries will occur. That's why it's so important to first assess your own fitness level to know how much room for improvement you have. This way, you can listen to your body, accurately evaluate your abilities, and avoid disappointment.

How can you successfully prepare for a football match?

Prefer specific and targeted exercises

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, it is important that each player can perform appropriately according to their position in the competition. While a football player generally needs to possess a wide range of physical abilities, certain skills are certainly better suited to specific positions than others.

• Goalkeeper: The most important quality for a goalkeeper is reflexes, reaction time in general! For a goalkeeper, even though a minimum of stamina is required, the aspect of endurance is far less important than muscle tone, which will give the goalkeeper explosiveness and reaction speed. Very soon, the goalkeeper will focus his preparation on goalkeeper-specific training, which will be carried out in parallel with carefully executed muscle strengthening.

• Defenders: Alongside goalkeepers, defenders are the most heavily used players throughout the season. They are rarely substituted and play in almost every match. Therefore, a defender's priority is to remain strong and possess the power to overwhelm opposing attackers. This is achieved through rigorous muscle strengthening, combined with coordination and explosiveness training to enable quick turns. They must also dominate their opponents in the air by controlling the ball with their heads, using explosiveness to facilitate controlled, controlled movements.

Full-backs need to have high aerobic capacity to switch back and forth between defense and attack, and be very explosive! Small coordination drills should be a priority!

• Midfielders: Midfielders constantly link defense and attack. Their main task is winning back possession; they are true hunters of the opponent and therefore cover a great deal of ground (approximately 12 km per game at the professional level ). This means they must possess enormous stamina, otherwise they will quickly become overwhelmed in the heart of the game. Furthermore, they must remain calm and collected to provide their strikers with accurate passes! Intermittent physical training, both with and without the ball, is a priority for them.

• Strikers: There are different styles of attacking players. Wingers need to be fast and run relentlessly at high intensity to trouble the opposing defense. They should therefore favor very high-intensity drills, repeating efforts with and without the ball, to maintain their agility in crucial moments in front of goal, because the priority remains to give their team an advantage.

There may also be strikers who are taller and stronger and have to withstand the pressure of two defenders. They therefore need to be robust and solid to be a real anchor for their team, relieving pressure by holding onto the ball and controlling the game effectively.

Follow a progressive program.

It's important to gradually increase the intensity throughout the entire physical preparation. You first need to get your body used to the exertion before accelerating to higher speeds. The body, as wonderful as it may be, needs warm-up exercises, repeated exertion to reach peak performance, and then, of course, recovery!

Adhering to a progressive training program also serves as injury prevention. The sensors we have throughout our body and in our muscles are activated more quickly and send out signals long before an injury occurs, warning the body.

When you train gradually, your brain and body are simply better coordinated. Remember that the brain controls the body, and there's no point in going too fast and risking injury!

Work on your strengths and weaknesses.

It's human nature to rest on our laurels. Giving up our comfort zone is difficult for all of us. It's certainly nice to do something we enjoy and that brings us success! We love to win and see ourselves achieve success, so it's great to work on our strengths! But what will make the difference at a high level are the small details. Therefore, it's important to work on our weaknesses as well.

At a high level, you will very rarely see players with diametrically unbalanced skills. It's no use being very enduring if you are systematically outmatched in duels by your opponent due to a lack of physicality, or vice versa.

It's important to be versatile in all skills to compete at a high level. And, above all, to maintain this level of performance over a longer period. The best example of this is Cristiano Ronaldo, who, thanks to his physical preparation and daily work, is in peak physical condition at 36.

Exercises with or without a ball?

This is THE major point of contention between the proponents of the two schools of thought today. Around 20 years ago, almost all coaches worldwide, when discussing PPG (Performance Power Training), swore by off-the-ball running, by long sessions of jogging, running, sprinting, and muscle building, which lowered the overall quality of football players because the focus was on selecting players who were primarily physical, neglecting technical skills.

Today, with the rise of young coaches and football theorists who have intensively studied the game and physical preparation, there is a growing return to training physical fitness through ball work. This is also the case with all Portuguese coaches, who are particularly committed to physical work with the ball.

As mentioned earlier, it all comes down to the intensity you bring to the exercise, so physical work with the ball is perfectly compatible. This is all the more natural since you exert yourself when in contact with the ball during a match. This also has the advantage that the players have fun, and fun should generally be paramount in sports. Players are much more likely to exert themselves naturally because when you're running with the ball, you're focusing more on the ball and less on the physical effort you're making – a double benefit!

This article is not about favoring one approach over the other, as both have their merits and both have proven effective. Let's simply say that they can complement each other very well.

Preparation before or after the season?

PPG is of course performed before the season, as it's absolutely essential for season preparation, but it's not an end in itself! It's important to maintain a consistent routine throughout the season by occasionally performing refresher sessions to keep the body in a positive state.

But of course, the unseen work after the season (even during off-seasons) is of paramount importance. Hydration, without which muscles cannot maintain their performance level, a healthy and balanced diet, sleep, and recovery are all elements that must be considered at the end of the season in preparation for the next. The more a player pays attention to these elements, the more consistently they can develop at a high level! Learn more about pre-season physical preparation in football.

What equipment should I choose for physical preparation?

At Netsportique you will find a wide selection of products at the best price on the market!

We have a wide selection of stakes and cones that you can use to demarcate your various training runs or MHV tests, especially if you have a running track around your playing field.

In addition, there is a wide selection of materials for coordination exercises on the playing field or for ball exercises such as:

• Plots and cones
• Rhythm ladders: combinable, octagonal, foldable.
• Hurdles: Foam, soft, adjustable
• slalom poles
• Tires

To train your lower limbs with resistance exercises, we have products that are perfect for you, such as:

• Speed parachute
• Speed or resistance harness
• Speed/resistance sled

To achieve a strong, robust body and muscle tone that gives you speed and explosiveness, choose our muscle-strengthening products:

• Ab wheel
• Medicine ball
• Bars, discs, kettlebell
• Muscle-building techniques
• Slings for muscle building or multitasking
• Balance plate
• Suspension strap
• Gym Door

And finally, the essential products for any good physical preparation, such as stopwatches and whistles, as well as paramedical equipment for recovery, such as:

• Reusable heat/cold pack
• Warming massage gel
• Massage cream
• Oil before the competition
• vaseline

PPG: A must for on-field performance

General physical preparation in football is a central element in a player's pursuit of progress, as it is an essential component of good performance. The higher the level, the more the physical condition must harmonize with the technique to create a good player! Regardless of your level, you should adhere to the fundamentals of physical preparation to develop a body that is perfectly in sync with the ball. Everything is easier when your physique is in good shape.

Now that you no longer have any secrets about fitness training, all you have to do is take action. To help you build the body you dream of and perform at your best in your games, Netsportique has developed a range of high-quality training equipment at affordable prices. Many sports clubs have chosen our equipment for their facilities and have seen a significant improvement in their players' performance. Contact us if you have any questions.

Discover our other guides on how to get accepted into a training center or how to improve your penalty kick performance.