Soccer Fitness Testing

Assessment of fitness is useful for knowing your current fitness status, implementing training designed to improve fitness, and then assess again to see if the training worked.


For our Speed and Strength program, we have chosen a set of tests that are easy to implement and appropriate for the youth athlete. We measure the athletes on the first day and last day of the program. We also find that the gaps identified in the first test tend to motivate the athletes to work hard through the program.


For speed, we use a 30 meter sprint test. From a standing start, the athlete sprints as fast as he can for 30 meters. Most sprints in a soccer game are shorter than this, but younger athletes with inconsistent starting reactions and officials without more precise timing equipment means the 30m test is easiest to reproduce to tell us maximal speed.


For core strength, we use a 60 second sit ups test. We use the method with hands behind ears and each sit up is counted when the elbow contacts the leg (as per the Canada Fitness Test in the 1970's/80's).


For agility, we use the T Agility test. This combines forward, backward and lateral movement with change of direction.

For anaerobic capacity, we use the Henman Shuttle test. It is simply performing shuttle runs between cones 20m apart for 5 consecutive one minute periods with one minute recovery in-between. This test is preferred to the "Beep Test" for this age group as younger athletes have difficulty understanding this test (and performing maximally) and harder to implement.


For older athletes, we would also look at explosive power through various jump tests and would add an additional core strength test.


For comparison, 

• here are some tests Nike is promoting on their soccer website.
• here is the US Women's National Team's  fitness testing regime.

Circuit Training for Soccer

Circuit Training (see Wikipedia definition) is a fitness training method that uniquely combines strength and stamina building. Generally, 6 to 10 exercise are combined and done as sequential stations over a predetermined time to achieve fitness goals, and between each station is a short recovery run.

Studies at Baylor University and The Cooper Institute show that circuit training is the most time efficient way to enhance cardiovascular fitness and muscle endurance.

"It's the most scientifically proven exercise system. It's time efficient and incorporates strength, flexibility and cardio in the same workout." (The Cooper Institute, Dallas, TX)

And, through the selection of exercises performed at each station, very specific muscle groups can be targeted successfully.

For training of youth athletes, 9 to 12 years old, it is a good "social" training method as they can be grouped together for the full circuit, or in smaller groups at each station. The challenge with training this age group is that they are not mature enough to continue to push themselves when they begin to fatigue or begin to experience "muscle burn", so it is important that they are cheered on by a coach and perceive this as a competitive "game". Our coaches have found that we often have to extend the duration of a specific station by a 10 second or 15 second penalty period when we spot an individual taking a break during the exercise, and the rest of the group generally has a chat with that person during the recovery run.


For our Speed and Strength program, we involve a soccer ball as much as possible in the exercises, and require the athletes to dribble a soccer ball as they travel between stations (the recovery run). The purpose of the dribbling between stations is:

• provide an opportunity for specific muscles to recover but not allow the body to rest (heart rate remains elevated). during each exercise lactic acid will form in each targeted muscle group (the young athletes will report "my ?? muscle is burning") and the recovery run between stations will help clear this before the next station.
• provide an opportunity for mental training so the athlete is concentrating on the ball when fatigued

Common errors made in designing circuits is not allowing recovery between stations OR allowing rest between stations ... both takes the aerobic component out of the training.  For a circuit to be specific to soccer, it must match the aerobic and anaerobic mix that occurs in a soccer game and each exercise must be specific to muscle groups used by soccer players.

Circuit training is a common approach taken by professional soccer teams for pre-season preparations.

Andres Iniesta training at Barcelona

Final Call for Spring Registrations

The 2012 Spring Program starts  on Sunday April 15th with a testing session to assess speed, strength and fitness (detailed program schedule here). A few spots remain, so please register online here to confim your spot. If you cannot attend the first testing date, an alternative testing date will be scheduled next week.For those with interest in a summer program, please check back in June.
 Program Brochure

More Soccer Speed Examples

Below are two videos from a Nike promotion called "Who is the fastest?" (see www.whoisthefastest.com) ... Note how these soccer athletes use arms for balance and how they lower their centre of gravity as they change direction.

Below is a video of members of the USA Women's National Team (USWNT) doing an agility test.
Please note how they shorten their steps and lower their centre of gravity as they change direction:

Below is a speed test used by Cristiano Ronaldo in a Nike commercial ...

Here is what you can learn by watching this video:
- frequency of steps
- closeness of ball to his feet at all times
- how stable his core is

Arm Action in Soccer Players

The use of the arms while running is important for playing soccer.

Arms are used to when accelerating, when balancing as movements with the ball are made, and, most importantly, when changing direction.

Observe the video below to see how Lionel Messi uses his arms as he accelerates forward, as he shifts the ball side to side, and as he changes direction. Not surprisingly, he uses his arms much better than most soccer players. PLEASE focus on his use of arms, as it is very easy to end up watching the ball when he plays. Note that some of the video is in "slow motion" for you to observe carefully as he is very fast in his motions.

Arm Action in Sprinting

The movement of the arms is an essential step towards optimal speed development.

The basic elements of "proper" arm action are as follows:

• the shoulders are square and remain relaxed while the arm is able to swing freely (like a pendulum)
• the arm is bent at 90 degrees (as coach Danaka Porter says "Keep it in an L-shape") on both upswing and downswing
• the downswing takes the hand past your waistband (my youth coach used to refer to sweeping past the top of your tracksuit pockets)
• the upswing takes your hand to just below eye level (check out the image of Carl Lewis below)

Here is a simple drill that I recommend athletes do in front of a mirror to observe their own arm action (amazing what some visual feedback can do to refine technique):



Once you have used the visual feedback to refine the arm action, you will need to spend time doing the arm action to become comfortable with it. The seated arm action is an excellent drill that an athlete can do while watching TV (commercial breaks are a good length of time to get some arm action reps done). Here is a video of this drill:




For some more advanced observations, my friend Jimson Lee has an excellent article on arm action on his blog. He likes to quote famous Canadian Track Coach Geoff Gowan , “You run with your arms on your legs”.

Basics of Running Mechanics for Sprinting Speed

The basis of achieving maximum speed require a focus on four key elements:

1. Arm Action
2. Body Posture
3. Leg Action - Ground Contact
4. Leg Action - Knee Drive
   

In the figure above, you should note how each of these elements are involved in the running motion of an athlete at full sprint.

Watching a video of current world champion and world record holder Usain Bolt should help you visualize this. When watching the videos, observe how the arms are used, how erect the body posture is, how the sprinters run on the balls of their feet, and how the knees drive forward to establish an optimal stride length.

• here is a slow motion analysis of his 100m world record performance in Berlin last year

As well, here are "frame by frame" pictures of Bolt's running style ( click here to see the photo sequence)

Here is some slow motion video showing his sprinting form:

Once you master these basics, only then can you pose like Usain does ;-)