Strength-training in soccer

Jesper L. Andersen, Ph.D., Head of Laboratory

Institute of Sports Medicine,
Bispebjerg hospital,
Copenhagen, Denmark

1
 Why do strength training?

Potential benefits;

“Increase maximal running speed”

“Increase acceleration”
“Increase jumping abilities”
“Increase force in kicking, tackles and headers.”
“Avoid injuries”

2
 What is strength training
Strength training

Transference

Implementation

Strength training

Transference

Implementation
3
Strength training
Definition; Training that in a efficient manner induces a measurable
increase in strength or/and hypertrophy

4
Transference
Definition; Training involving exercises that includes maximal or near-maximal
muscle-contractions (velocity-specific). Exercises that demand muscle-strength
will improve with improved muscle-strength. The exercises that focus on
transforming a significant increased in muscle-strength to increased in specific
basic movements (increased force in take-off, increased stride length, increased
jumping ability, increased eccentric strength in braking etc.)

5
Implementation
Definition; Training that involves the actual (or near actual) movements
that is performed in the game. The training has focus on implementation
of the gains from the transference training to qualities beneficial to the
game (Increase stride frequency, increased acceleration, increased
running speed, deceleration-capacity, etc.)

6
 What is strength training
Strength training

Transference

Implementation

Strength training

Transference

Implementation
7
 Correlation between muscle force and running speed

Maximal concentric force vs. 100 m time Short sprint vs. Maximal strength

Wisløff et al., Br. J. Sports Med., 2004

Bret et al, 2002 Force measured during a standardized squat movement.

Best recorded 10 m sprint
Force measured during a standardized squat movement.
Soccer players
Best recorded 100 m time
Sprinters
8
Do we get slower when doing heavy resistance exercise?

HR = Heavy resistance training (8 RM) Aagaard et al, 1994

LR = Low resistance training (24 RM)
FU = Functional resistance training (~16 RM)
9
CO = Control, no training
 Why do strength training?
.. For our muscles to become stronger

Two way to go…

Improve
performance

Increase the Increase the

size of the efficiency of the
muscle mass already existing
muscle mass

10
”Strength-training physiology”

11
 ”Explosive” muscle strength

Force(N)

RFD = ∆Force/ ∆time

Time (msec)

12
 ‘Explosive’ muscle strength: Rate of Force Development
Absolute RFD ( Nm / sec )

Post training MVC post

300
= 339 Nm
Force Moment ( Nm )

250 MVC pre

Pre training = 291 Nm
200
RFD Pre Post post>pre
150 peak 2580 3160 p<0.001

30 ms 1600 2020 p<0.05

p<0.01
100 50 ms 1800 2200
100 ms 1540 1810 p<0.01
200 ms 1140 1360 p<0.01
50
Tstart Nm/sec (n=15)

-100 0 100 200 300 400

Time (msec)

13
Aagaard, Andersen et al
 Muskel fiber typer i humane muskler

Mitochondria
Capillary
Muscle Myosin

Type I
(slow myosin)

Muscle-
Type IIA
fibre (fast myosin)

Type IIX
(very fast myosin)
Zacho og Andersen

14
 Strength-training followed by detraining.
Consequences for muscle fibre CSA

Muscle fiber cross-sectional area

Resistance training Detraining
+24%
Type I fibers
+12%
**
5900 +11% Type II fibers

*# *
#
5400 +7%

# *
# #
um2

4900 +11% *

4400

3900

3400
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
Days
15
Andersen et al., unpublished
 16
Fry et al., 2004
Hypertrophy in type I and type II fibres after resistance training

Type I

Type II

% of 1RM
17
Fry et al., 2004
Muscle fibre adaptations to Strength training

IIA
IIA Strength
IIA training IIA

I I
IIX IIA

I I

Significant hypertrophy of fast type II fibres

Minor hypertrophy of slow type I fibres
Conversion of fast type IIX fibres to fast type IIA fibres 18
When designing your strength training

What is most important:

A fast acceleration or high

maximal running speed?

19
Sprint running in a soccer game 28 players from the Italien Serie A.
They conducted 36±2 sprint (>21 km/h) during a match

Average distance of the sprints were 18 ±1 m, with a peak distance of 38 ±4 m

The average speed of the sprints were 23±0.1 km/h,

with a peak average speed of 26 km/t ±0.2 km/h

… but more interestingly the peak velocity reached in the

sprints was 31.9 ±0.8 km/h
Comparison, in a test….
Usain Bolt passes 30 m in ~39,5 km/h.
Fast soccer-player passes 30 m in ~35,5 km/h.
Avarage soccer-player passes 30 m in ~34,0 km/h.

Therefore, the players will very seldom reach their maximal

running velocity in match situations……
Bangsbo et al, 2006 20
Thus….

”Fast acceleration may be a

more important issue than a
high maximal running speed”

21
 Strength training
How much can we improve?
A couple of things to consider………

22
 What can we
achieve by
doing strength
training?

Adjust your expatiations to

reality!

23
Fleck & Kraemer, side xx
 “Transfer” or “Carryover”
8 weeks of training,
1 RM increase in squat = 20.9%,
Increase in 40 m sprint time = 2.3%
Carryover = 11%

6 months of training,
Increase in 1 RM leg-press 1 RM = 31.9%,
Increase in 36.7 m sprint time = 6.36%
Carryover = 19.9%

24
Planning of strength training for soccer players

How it looks in real life

25
 01 -
01-
200
6

01 -
02-
200
6

01 -
03-
200
6

In total 68 games
01 -
04-
200
6

01 -
05-
200
6

01 -
06-
200
6
Additional 0-12 games for the national team

01 -
07-
200
6
Date

01 -
08-
200
6
Matches in 2006

01 -
09-
200
6

01 -
10-
200
6

01 -
11-
200
6

01 -
12-
26

200
6
Training in a week during the match season

2 matches in a week
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wedensday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Pre-game,
Pre-game, Restitution, Tactical, foot-work,
Restitution, foot-work, (Strength-tr.), aerobic or light
Match Strength-tr. light aerobic Match (no training) anaerobic aerobic Match
75-90 min 60-75 min 60-90 min. 90-120 min 60-75 min

1 matches in a week
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wedensday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Day off Pre-game,
(Tactical, Tactical, Tactical, Tactical, foot-work,
Restitution, aerob or aerobic or aerobic or aerobic or light
Match Strength-tr. anaerobic) anaerobic anaerobic anaerobic aerobic Match
75-90 min 90-120 min 90-120 min 90-120 min 60-75 min
Afternoon
Strength-tr.,
sprint-drill,
jumping
90-120 min

27
 Training starts

First game

January 01-01-05 08-01-05 15-01-05 22-01-05 29-01-05

Team resistance
training sessions
February

in upstart for a
professional
soccer team
01-02-05 08-02-05 15-02-05 22-02-05
March

01-03-05 08-03-05 15-03-05 22-03-05 29-03-05 28

Andersen, unpublished
Preparation and spring tournament

29
Andersen, unpublished
Autumn tournament

30
Andersen, unpublished
 Preparation and spring tournament

KG

31
Andersen, unpublished
 Variables when planning strength training

Intensity High intensity = Heavy weights/few reps.

Low intensity = Low weights/many reps.

Training volume Summation of weights lifted (e.g. tons per week)

Exercises Choice of exercises, order of exercises etc. Va

ria
Sets & Reps. Fixed number (e.g. 3x12), Pyramid, ”decreasing number
of reps”, Supersets, ”weight-lifting” tio
Breaks
n!
Short (5-30 sec. = muscle fatigue), Medium/long (1-2 min. = maximal
strength), Long =RFD training

Contraction velocity Fast/slow, accelerating..

Type of contraction Concentric, eccentric, isometric

Micro- Macro-cycles (per iodization) Time between training sessions. 32

Week, months or year cycles
Summery

-Accept that strength training and endurance

training have to go hand-in-hand.
-Strength training can be conducted throughout
the season if planned correctly.
-Post match days (restitution days) can easily
be used for maintenance of muscle strength.
-The relatively long season makes it important
to focus on maintenance of muscle strength
rather than working towards a specific form
top (as known form other sports).

33
 Concurrent training

Soccer require skills related to muscle strength, but

also demand high anaerobic and aerobic capacity…

Thus, the physical training for soccer players must

involve a combination og both strength and endurance
qualities…
34
 Concurrent training
Net increase Muscle
Strength in protein
training synthesis hypertrophy

Net increase
Strength Endurance Muscle
training + training in protein
synthesis hypertrophy

Net increase
Endurance Strength Muscle
training + training in protein
synthesis hypertrophy

35
Andersen, 2011
With caution, the following can be said… :

End your training session/days with the type of training that

has the highest priority

If your goal is to optimize muscle strength and muscle

hypertrophy; Endurance first, strength last

If your goal is increased endurance –through increased muscle

strength, but combined with no or very limited increase in body
weight; Strength first, endurance last.

Rule of thumb; “Last impressions last…”

36
37
Strength training
Practical approach

38
 Strength training
During the year………
Transference
Implementation

January February March April

5% 10%
20%
15%
30%

20% 40%

50%

70% 30%
80%
30%
May June July August

20%
30% 30%

40% 40%

50% 50%

20% 60%

20% 20%
20%
September October November December
10%

30%
40% 40% 38%

48%
50% 30%

60%

20% 39
20% 14%
 m
Pl
a

15,0
16,0
17,0
18,0
19,0
20,0
21,0

ye
Pl r 1
ay
e
Pl r 4
ay
Pl er 7
ay
e
Pl r 10
ay
e
P l r 13
ay
e
P l r 16
ay
e
P l r 19
ay
e
P l r 22
ay
e
P l r 25
ay
e
P l r 28
ay
e
player are at 20 m?

Pl r 31
ay
e
P l r 34
ay
e
P l r 37
ay
Where are the others when the fastest

er
Pl 4
ay 0
er
43
40
Variation in number of type 1 fibres in normal healthy subjects

Type 1 fibres in m. vastus lateralis

21 normale unge utrænede mænd Type 1 fibre
80
70
60
Percentage

50
40
30
20
10
0
E K A F O U J H B C D M I P G R S T Q N L

Subjects

41
 Neural adaptations to strength training
Increased neural drive to muscle fibres (increase in EMG)
Gmore nerveimpulses from brain / spinal cord (Moritani & DeVries 1979, Narici et al. 1989, Aagaard et al. 2000)

More synchronized patterns of motoneuron firing

.... motoneurons are activated more synchroniously (Milner-Brown et al. 1975)

Enhanced neural drive at onset of muscle contraction

.... more nerveimpulses, elevated impulse frequency, initial 0-200 msec of contraction

Increased rate of EMG rise (RER) (Schmidtbleicher & Buehrle 1987, Aagaard et al. 1999)

Reduced neural inhibition in eccentric contraction

.... more nerveimpulses from the brain / spinal cord (Aagaard et al. 2000)

Increased motoneurone firing frequency (Kamen et al 1998, Van Cutsem et al. 1998)

More synchronized activation of synergist muscles (Moritani 1993)

Motoneuron firing: increased incidence of discharge ‘doublets’

(Van Cutsem et al. 1998)

Enhanced motoneurone excitability(H-reflex, V-wave) 42

.... neurons more sensitive to a given synaptic input (Sale et al 1983, Aagaard et al. 1997, 1998)
m. vastus lateralis

m. soleus

m. triceps brachii

43
Antal type1 fibre
 Contraction velocity in different muscles

Sol = soleus
VL = vastus lateralis
TB = triceps brachii

MHC II

44
Harridge, 1996
 Differences between people
vastus lateralis

deltiod

Fast fibres = 45
Slow fibres =
 Classical
description

”Missing”
description”

Same
description
… different
training

46
Toigo & Boutellier, 2006
 Autumn tournament

KG

47
Andersen, unpublished
48