| |
|
| |
Weight Loss for Soccer Players
By Taylor Tollison |
| |
|
| |
functionalsoccertraining@gmail.com
www.elitesoccerconditioning.com |
| |
|
| |
It is important to approach this
topic with an open mind. Most soccer athletes are lean but how you
approach that small percentage of overweight players can have a big
impact on their development. Before you stop reading because you
feel this doesn’t apply, ask yourself this question, would I
recommend that overweight soccer players exercise 20+ minutes
continuously to lose the weight? If that is your recommendation
please keep reading. You very well could be affecting that soccer
player in a couple of ways: 1. increased likelihood of injury 2.
decreased performance.
Misconceptions about weight loss and soccer training throughout the
years tend to exacerbate the situation. Traditional weight loss
programs tell us that to lose weight you must get on the exercise
bike, run or do the elliptical machine for 20+ minutes a day at
least 3 times a week.
Through further analysis I hope that you will see why it is not
recommended to lose weight via long drawn out sessions. |
| |
|
| |
Performance could decrease |
| |
|
| |
In the world of athletics few things
matter more than running fast, cutting quickly and jumping high.
Every day we hear of athletes that have 40 inch vertical leaps or
can run the 40 yard dash in 4.3 sec. These are world class numbers
that require both good genetics and the proper exercise regimen.
Athletes that have such great numbers could literally have excelled
at almost any speed sport with the proper practice growing up.
How can running 20 minutes continuously day after day affect the
overweight soccer player’s athleticism? Numerous studies and
countless hours of experience by many have shown that continuous
steady state exercise negatively affects power. Power provides the
boosters to run fast and jump high which are driven by fast twitch
fibers. Simply put, the more fast twitch fibers you have, the faster
you will run.
By doing long drawn out runs you start to not only train your slow
twitch fibers but also convert the properties of fast twitch fibers
to slow. This makes you a slower athlete. |
| |
|
| |
Increased likely hood of injury |
| |
|
| |
The body is exposed to up to seven
times its body weight on every step while running. Exposing the body
to repeated poundings when it is not able can eventually cause
overuse injuries.
This is especially important to overweight athletes. Exposing a 180
pound athlete who is only adapted to handle 150 pounds to repeated
trauma causes a huge weight bearing deficit for each step taken. If
each step during a run causes seven times the bodies weight in
pounding, that is 210 pounds more, in this example, than the body is
used to on each step. That is the equivalent of almost one grown
person riding on that athletes back during a 20 minute run. Over
time how do you think this athlete will fair? |
| |
|
| |
How to arrange a proper weight
loss program for overweight soccer players |
| |
|
| |
This is based on a player being
untrained and with no injuries. You should start the initial stages
on a bike or elliptical machine to decrease weight bearing.
Continuous exercise in the initial stages is only for the body to
adapt to the harder exercise to come. If the athlete progresses well
enough and decreases a significant amount of weight, have them start
running in the later stages of this plan. Start this athlete at the
intro level then move them to novice and so on. This is only an
example. I recommend you consult with a trainer in your area and a
doctor before moving forward. |
| |
|
| |
Intro level |
| |
|
| |
Start out with longer steady runs to
get the body adjusted to exercise. Keep the pace easy. |
| |
|
| |
| Week 1: |
15 minutes continuous. |
| Week 2: |
20 minutes continuous. |
| Week 3: |
20 minutes continuous but pick up the pace a
little so the athlete is now exercising at a higher
intensity. |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
Novice |
| |
|
| |
Here is where you are going to
really pick up the pace. The athlete in this stage should be
breathing hard. |
| |
|
| |
| Week 4: |
3 minutes for 2 reps. |
| Week 5: |
3 minutes for 3 reps. |
| Week 6: |
4 minutes for 3 reps. |
| Week 7: |
4 minutes for 4 reps. |
|
| |
|
| |
The athlete should rest the same
amount of time between reps as the exercise lasts. If the rep lasts
3 minutes then rest 3 minutes till you do the next 3 minute rep. |
| |
|
| |
Intermediate |
| |
|
| |
This level is very hard, close to
maximum, but not quite. |
| |
|
| |
| Week 8: |
30 seconds 3 times. Do this for 2 sets. That
is a total of 6 reps. |
| Week 9: |
You will you will rest the athlete by
cutting a few reps. 30 seconds 4 times. |
| Week 10: |
45 seconds 3 times for 2 sets. |
|
| |
|
| |
The athlete should rest two times
the duration of the exercise and 3 minutes between sets. If the
exercise lasts 30 seconds rest 1:00 min. |
| |
|
| |
Advanced |
| |
|
| |
This level is done at 100%
intensity. You will rest 5 times the duration of the exercise
between reps and about 3 minutes between sets. |
| |
|
| |
| Week 11: |
15 seconds, 2 sets of 5 reps. |
| Week 12: |
15 seconds, 2 sets of 6 reps. |
|
| |
|
| |
Creating the best athletes as
possible is important to the success of your soccer team. But
implementing the correct exercise program for those athletes that
need to drop some weight is key to their success. It does no good to
get an athlete to lose weight by doing long continuous runs if they
are injured all the time. Remember one of the primary goals of
strength and conditioning is injury prevention. |
| |
|
