Training during the season at the professional level takes a high level of preparation but also knowledge when
determining an appropriate plan of action.
It can vary from week to week pending on training load, fatigue, and recovery
level during that specific week, as well as, many other factors. Therefore, the process of determining the
best plan of action so that the athlete is fit and fresh come game day, as well
as, prevent injuries, is very critical.
My Typical Training Week:
Monday:
Team training – 90 minutes focused on passing
and getting touches on the ball exercises
Tuesday:
Team training – 60 minutes focused on VCT
(Voetbal Conditie Trainen) – Football Conditioning Training
So we do interval style games of high
pressure play to develop football fitness.
Wednesday:
Strength and Conditioning Training:
-
Dynamic warm up
-
2/3 Plyo or agility exercises
-
Medicine ball throws.
Pending on how the body
feels determines the type of lifting program I will do. If I feel fit and fresh I will do a heavier
session, if not, then I will do a lighter and body weight oriented session. Also, I will adjust the sets and reps as
necessary, pending on how my body feels.
If you can get the adaptation, the neuromuscular system working, and
muscles firing, that is the main objective.
In season training in the gym is more about maintenance while,
off-season is more about gains. Sometime
less can be more in this situation!
Fit:
- - Back Squat 3 X 10
- - Romanian Dead Lift 3 X 10
- - Split Squats 3 X10
- - Step down 3 X10
- - Bridge (hamstring) 3 X 5
- - One Leg Romanian Dead Lift 3X10
I will then
through in some glute exercises such as, clam shells, bridge, banded sidewalks,
etc.
Fatigued:
I will stick with body weight and pick 6
key exercise. Two hitting core and back,
two hitting upper body, and two hitting legs.
Core:
- - Pass physio ball 2 X 16
- - Russian Twists 2 X 40
Legs:
- - RFE Split Squats 2 X1 0
- - Hamstring Curls 2 X 12
Upper Body:
- - Squat to Row 3 X 10
- - Push up on rollout 3 X 10
I will then finish the session off with
some stretching exercises and juggling a size one soccer ball 400 times.
Thursday:
Team training – Tactical Training for the
match Saturday.
Friday:
Free – I sometimes do light touches on the
ball on my own, or just take a light bike ride/walk to get the legs moving.
Saturday:
Game Day
Sunday:
Day off to allow the body to rest.
A key component for me personally as an
athlete when determining how much training to do, or if I should back off a bit
during as specific week, is being aware of my own body and how it feels. For example, if my calf muscles are feeling
over worked due to a lot of changing direction in the previous game, on my
agility/lifting day I will not do any agility/plyos that really target the calf
muscles but instead focus on lighter plyo work that focuses on activation the
hip muscles in deceleration motions. Or
if my body is feeling extremely fatigued, I will skip the day in the gym and go
for a bike ride instead. It’s all about
finding the right balance so that when game day comes, you are ready to give
everything you have and feel fresh, while still being physiological prepared.
So my advice for you is to try and start
tuning in to your own body and listening to it.
Pay attention to how certain training sessions effect your body. However, this does take time to develop, it
took me 15+ years to get a real handle on my body and learn about it, and I am
still learning each and every day, as well as, each and every season. Our body adapts and adjusts constantly from
season to season, what might work one season, might be too little or too much
the next, or not the right movement patterns needed. So start trying to listen to your body and be
aware of what is going on with it, and adjust as needed.
I also want to make it clear that each
individual is physiologically different.
What I mean by this is that, what might work for me, might be too much
or too less for another individual. This
is why it is important for the coaching and backroom staff to monitor their
players in some sort of fashion. This
way they can best determine which plan of action is best for which individual,
so that everyone is feeling fit and fresh come game day. I believe sport science will be one of the
leading industries in sport in the future when it comes to athletes training
and injury prevention. But that is a
topic for another day.
Brittany Persaud will be writing articles for our website. Her expertise and experience will bring a different side of material to read... and we can't wait!
