I’ll just write out my program, any changes or improvements anyone could suggest would be appreciated.
I am 26 years old male
5’ 9 154lb
Sunday
Play indoor
Monday
weights general strength
chest, back & arms
30 sets total working at 70% max lifts
30 min run at 65% max HR
Tuesday
Starting speed
starting on the ground face down, then get up, 10 meter sprint rest 30 secs repeat
1 set = 10 reps 4 mins rest between sets
2 sets total
pick ups, build speed and go all out over 40 meters
1:30 rest between reps
6 reps = 1 set
complete 1 set total
Finnish with light plyos
weights legs shoulders & abs
Total sets at 32 70% max weight
Wednesday
No weights today
shorts sprint capacity training 2 second sprint followed by 10 second rest
1 set = 10 reps
Total 4 sets 4 min rest between sets
next I do shuttle runs
my shuttle run takes 15 secs to complete
1 set = 6 reps
I do 4 sets 1st & last set I rest 30 secs, the middle set I rest 15 secs or 1:1
Finally I do 4 longer shuttle runs 45 secs total rest 5 mins between reps
Thursday
starting speed, same as tuesday only reduce total work to one set of sprints from the ground and i set of 4 pick me ups
light plyos)very light
weights chest back and arms again reduced volume slight weight increase
light soccer practice
cardio 30 mins 70% max HR
Friday
Same training as wednesday but very reduced volume
weights, legs shoulders & abs
cardio 70% max HR
Saterday
10 recovory runs over 100 meters 70% max sprint over 100 meters then jog back to start
I have been doing this program for 2 months and have noticed my fitness has increased dramatically however I do experience days when I feel lack luster, so bacically I think the drills are working , now I need help in making the program more efficient and eliminating some of the fatigue that I experience from time to time
First off, you’re overtraining. The longer you continue this program the more you’ll feel it. Part of the overtraining is too many sets in the weight room. You’re currently doing 30. Drop it to 10 or lower.
Basic rules on program design. First, don’t do high intensity workouts back to back. Either do speed work and weights on the same day or put a day between them.
Second, your speed workouts are more endurance workouts. Reduce the number of runs and increase the rest intervals between each run. Forget the sprint capacity stuff. Just concentrate on speed during your high intensity workouts. To increase your general capacity use something like your Saturday workout on the days between your speed and weights.
By the way, when are you performing your soccer training?
Thank you for the imput, I will definitly modify my program. Just a few questions how can I increase my capacity for repeated short sprints ( matches differ from game to game, I find general conditioning improves if it is lacking, however actual fitness for making quality runs is difficult to improve apon) I find that if my fitness can surpass or equal match situations I feel sharper and more confident. As you mentioned I have been overtraining, and it is now starting to catch up with me, however until this week I have felt the sharpest and strongest I have ever felt, I have a trial with a club in 2 weeks and want to do well, what advice could you offer me about combatting the overtraing without losing fitness. I really rely on my fitness as a confidence booster, I guess thats why I tend to over do it with my training.
Your ability to repeat sprints is going to improve through two mechanisms. The first is general fitness which can be improved by tempo running or actually playing soccer. The second mechanism is an increase in maximum speed. If you develop your speed properly like I suggested, you will create what is known as a speed reserve. This simply means that as your maximum speed improves it becomes easier to perform slower runs, like the ones you would do in an actual game, which naturally means you can perform more of them. Charlie has mentioned many times that speed is a one way street in that increased speed improves endurance, but endurance does not increase speed.
As far as the next two weeks, I would recommend cutting your volume like I suggested earlier and letting your body recover from what you’ve been doing up to now. Yes, it will probably take that long to recover and rebound. Don’t worry about losing fitness, you won’t, you’ll actually improve. Fatigue masks fitness. Maintain the low intensity stuff, but let your body recover from the high intensity work you’ve been doing. Remember, less is more. What you need now is rest.
Just thought I would update this thread as to how my training is going. Basically I followed the advice you guys gave and remodified my program. I feel much sharper now and much less fatigued, I’ll give you guys a brief outline of my new improved program
Monday
Speed work 120 m total Flying 20’s & flying 30’s
Weight room work ( 9 sets total)70-85%max
Dead lift 3 x 6
Sqaut 3 x 6
Power Clean 3 x 3
Abs 500 low intensity abb exercises done in sets of 25
Tuesday
Tempo work, ( please advise me if my tempo work is suitable as I am not really sure)
1500 m total (with & without ball)
10 x 100m at 70%. At a 250 m indoortrack I rum my 100m tempo’s and then lightly jog 150 M around to the start and repeat
2 x 250 at 70% with 5 min rest
Abs same as monday
Wednesday rest day light ball work
Thursday
Speed work accels 180 m total
4 10’s
4 2o’s
2 30’s
Weight room sets Total 9 70-85% max
Bench Press 3 sets of 6
Weighted pull ups 3 sets of 6
Weighted dips 3 sets of 10
Abs same as mon/tue
Friday Tempo work 3000 m total
20 x 100 at 70%
4 x 250 at 70%
Abs same as above
Saterday
Light cardio on bike 25 min
light ball work 20 mins
Sunday Game 40 min indoor
My fitness is much better than my peers however I do hope to play at a much higher level this summer.
I am am based in Kitchener Ontario
Any hints and suggestions
would be very much welcomed
Thanks this site has really helped with my training.
Redistribute your weight training so that you’re doing some lower body and upper body work in each workout. For example, move the deadlifts to Thursday and move the dips to Monday.
Even out the tempo volume between the two workouts. One is double the other. Your weekly total is 4500m. I would suggest 2000-2200m per workout.
Because the game is scheduled for Sunday, why don’t you shift everything up one day, so that the training starts on Tuesday. That way you have a day of rest after the game before you do your sprinting and lifting. You can move the Saturday workout to Monday, which will gove you a light recovery workout between the game and the speed session. Or you could just drop the Saturday workout and take Monday off to rest.