No, I don’t think you ever need to drop extensive tempo- you can reduce it if you need to.
Sorry, but I see no reason for intensive tempo in soccer at all. Intensive tempo will interfere with speed and the interferance will start towards the end of the prep period when you have the least chance of getting over it before the season starts.
There is no interference with speed in my model because there is no speed training during the period I use the more intensive Tempo.
The low day remains within the boundaries of extensive Tempo even if it is intensified over time.
Looking at the numbers I use, my Intensive Tempo session is maximum at 75% of best time over the 100m.
I considered Int. Tempo over 70% but I see for USATF is over 80%, which figure is correct?
So the intensive tempo replaces the speed later? Does extensive tempo remain or is it all int T?
The more intensive Tempo is replaced by speed.
Extensive Tempo remains up to the end of prep., the difference is the percentage of ET below, at and slightly above anaerobic treshold, which varies over the preparation, and the volume, which gets lower.
I am going to speak of 5 athletes, 3 males, 2 females who play at the collegiate level in the states.
The males had 3 months to prepare with me, the females had 6 weeks.
Let me explain the males first:
1 GK, 2 Defenders
The males have a pre-season test battery that is needed before practice. The battery is:
a) 2 mile run
Rest
b) 40-yd electronic on track
rest
c) push ups: max
rest
d) sit ups: max
Each test has a point total given. For the 2 mile, 50 points is given for a 12 minute finish. Every 5 seconds is another point
The 40 is 4.8 electronic is 50 points. Each tenth is a point +/-
Each push up and sit up is 1 point. They need 200 points to practice.
Obviously I needed to get them game fit. But the 2 mile test has importance as well. The 40 would be taken care of with speed work. Every 2 weeks they did a 2 mile time trial to check their progress. They also had their matches which was a game fitness test for them.
Their workouts were strucutred this way:
3 days high; 2-3 days low. (3 if no game)
High: med ball throws, sled sprints (see GPP video template, although they didn’t follow exactly), and then a modifed S-L program I have used successfuly in football and soccer players. We only did box jumps up (2-3x/wk) and some multidirectional plyos (1x/wk). These are more like hops then jumps. Weights would always be included. Weights was essentially squats. 1 defender had back issues doing reverse/hypers so he never did them. The others did them 1-2x wk. We did step ups, and lunges, and some hammy/hip exercises. Upper body was push ups and pull ups.
Low days was tempo. They started week 1 with a big circuit. This allowed me to judge their fitness level. Each week I ramped up the volume until week 5 when they hit 12k/wk.
Tempo #1: double big circuit
Tempo #2: (100+200+300++)x6-7
=========================
For the females, one (forward) started in mid june. Her test is the Danish test (20 sec sprint, 10 sec rest around the 18 yd box; goal: 12 laps in 16 minutes). The other female (midfield) started a week later. Her test was the Cooper 12 minute run.
The first tempo days I saw she (forward) was tired but could handle a high amount of tempo without too much fatigue, so she started at 12K/wk. with 6 weeks, I didn’t feel there would be enough time to get in the volume for her game fitness( 2 games in 3 days). She was able to handle it, but the first 10 days or so, her speed work lagged. Midway through the 2nd week, she started coming around. I figure it was from the heavy tempo volume being introduced.
The midfield was just as fit and was able to handle the distances as well. Had they been drastically different, I would have modified it based on their abilities.
High days were sled sprints, med ball throws, box jumps, jump landing exercises, weights (squats, cleans, lunges, step ups).
One day a week we run this hill. One side is short were we followed the GPP distances (I found the hill work is easier to do with the recommendations then the sled??). The other side of the hill is a 0.4 mile run. This took about 2 minutes 30 sec to run. I counted this as accel/strength endurance day. This is where I strayed a bit from CF’s view. I know as an athlete I did the same runs once a week and felt it helped in the years I did them compared to the years I didn’t.
Tempo workouts looked like this:
#1: dbl big circuit
#2: 100+200+300 described up above
#3: sometimes #1, or some other to equal about 4000m (hence the 4x10x100 workout) Her last tempo workout was 100+200+300+400+500+600++
100+200+300+400+500+600
This was quite challenging, but she managed to get through it.
I also worked with a u16 team for 10 days (the 11 months group) They did their AM workouts with me, and had PM practice, mostly skill and small sided games. They had a hard time doing a big circuit. We got up to 3000 one workout and from there we backed down. The two weeks was a prep for a showcase in Florida. The kids who ran were significantly more fit than those who didn’t run.
The team didn’t do many hi days. In 10 days, we did 3 “high” days. They were almost recovery days as I saw the tempo + pracitce was draining them. The high days were easy tag games, med ball trunk throws (wall drills), push ups, body weight leg work and abs.
Next week a few 16 yr old females start their fitness work with me. They don’t have the fitness level of the other girls mentioned above. We will be around 2000m/workout 2-3x wk for a while. Once the weather breaks and gets cold, I have to re-assess what they will do. I’m thinking treadmill work I picked up from CF, but not sure, since I dont have treadmill at my facility yet.
My philosophy is improve accel/top speed to create speed reserve which can in itself increase game fitness since things will become easier. The tempo will improve fitness and recovery for games. I agree with CF about no need for intensive AT work.
Rarely does a player sprint 100% speed to reach that zone more than a few times a game, if that.
For the 2 mile, 50 points is given for a 12 minute finish.
3218m in 12 minutes is good for a soccer player, can they do it?
100+200+300+400+500+600
This is the ladder I use at the beginning of the preparation, too. Playing with intensities/speed relative to AT.
intensive AT work
AT work is not intensive by definition…
Probably you meant intensive tempo over 80% (which is way above AT).
we got up to 3000 one workout and from there we backed down.
I am glad to read this, as it is also the maximum preparation volume I have planned for the U16 teams I write the programs for, this year.
One did (GK), one didn’t improve his time trials, probably from too much volume to see improvement. He felt game fit though and realized to stupidity of a 2 mile run for fitness.
I’m about to embark on some Tempo to help my soccer game (my fitness leaves a lot to be desired, I am fast but run out of gas).
I need a quick answer to the tempo volume; is 3-4km 3xweek
30-40 100m 75% runs, AND 30-40 100m walks back,
or is it
15-20 runs and 15-20 runs back (3-4km total)?
IOW, is the walking back distance included or excluded in the “volume”?
Apologies for the ignorant question.
TIA
John
You can mix up the running distances, and keep the walk back to 50m btw runs and 100m btw sets or 30-45sec btw runs and 90-120sec btw sets. The walk back distance in not included in the total vol count.
John
“Duxx”, who used to frequent here alot, has a fascinating compilation called “Physical Preparation for Soccer”. Perhaps he can tell us where it is available for download - it’s free.
I found that his work took a lot of the CFTS stuff with tempo, and laid it out nicely to follow.
In fact, I’ve tried some of the variations in there with my squads, and I like them…
Good luck!
TYVM Devils,
I googled and found
http://www.powerdevelopmentinc.com/?id=24
but I do not think this is the one. I’m still looking.
John
You’re right - it’s not the one, but the author is the same!
Also, as I re-read this thread, did you check out James Smith’s post with links to energy demands for soccer? You might find it interesting…
Regards
Great read - I’ve uploaded it again (Mladen, if you don’t want me to - let me know and I’ll kill the link).
http://rapidshare.com/files/140556381/_Jovanovic__Mladen_Physical_Preparation_for_Soccer.pdf.html
that is a fantastic read.
John
I was reading this thread and I’d like to share some views on physical preparation in soccer, having played it for quite a long time (euphemism) and having been exposed to a lot of pseudo-different approaches.
I find a lot of wishful statements, but training has to organized not only around the physiology of the soccer player, but also around the psychology of the athlete. A training plan could be perfect, but it has be wholly embraced by the athlete, and it does not matter how much he is paid. That’s the reality.
Random points:
- It is very difficult to understand which activities are high (CNS stress) or low in soccer. Simulated games at reduced number of players can be high, low or medium and it also depends on position, motivation (sitting on the bench can be quite motivating), animosity and a range of factors very difficult to control.
- Injuries in soccer are often a “responsibility” of the athlete and not the result of wrong physical preparation (speaking in general terms). There is a clear tendency: the athletes injured are the athletes more often injured. Poor strength is reason number one. Self-fulfilling prophecy is reason number two.
- Pure speed training is quite difficult to implement in soccer team settings, especially in-season. As far as I know, pure sprinting sections are rarely if ever set even at A series (Italy). While strength, power and speed (highly interrelated) are the most important traits in a soccer player (a team dropping its performance towards the end of the game is not lack of fitness almost all the time!!!), it has the be found the best approach to train them. First, lack of sprinting technical skills. Then, half-hearted efforts. Then, insufficient rest between repetitions. Another thing. As running with the ball is very different than running without, do we have to consider some sprinting with the ball?
- 12k /wk of pure (countinuos running) tempo training is difficult to implement in-season. I’d suggest half of it of pure tempo training and half in various exercises with the ball.
- The schedule of training for pro teams is (if match on Sunday): M – rest, T-one training session, W- two training sessions,T-friendly match,F-one, S-very light training, S-match.
- Weights. Other problem. Weight training is quite difficult to accept for soccer player. Squats are rarely done (major complaints: muscles getting too big, knee problems, slowness etc. and I’m not kidding!). This is the truth and we need to work considering reality. I’ll give a drink to anyone having a soccer team squatting 3 times a week consistently.
- Players give their best when they have fun. Yes, a triviality.
- I do not participate anymore in off-season trainings, in which you run 300m or more 10-15 times in a session with scarce recovery and huge production of LA. Waste of time. Usually the preferred method to get in shape.
I’ve got other points, but I think for now is enough.
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I don’t think it is that difficult to differentiate the intensity of the various training elements in soccer. Implementing them in an already structured enviroment with little room for change, then yes. Could you elaborate on a specific instance where you can not tell the difference?
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I think the cause of injuries in general is the same across the board in all team sports. Could you elaborate on what you mean by the players “responsibility”?
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- This is the reality of the situation. It is near impossible to convince someone (Head Coach) of how, when, why what needs to be implemented when the people in power don’t have the knowledge to actively critique the physical preparation situation. Doing so is a risk; they don’t know the outcome, and these players are worth so much that everyone is afraid to do ANYTHING. I have some firsthand and second hand horror stories from professional clubs, mainly on the repulsive (this is an understatement) attitude of many of the players (not all).
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The first thing I’d say the job involves is don’t F’ them up, and go from there. However, I think the potential is at the academy level, where I am hearing success, as the current pros (many, not all) are a lost cause. Or a lower level and work up. In this instance I have heard how this developed at one club, but it took quite a long time.
1:One of the issues I ran across was the breakdown of running velocities and the interpretation of high speeds.
For example, one differentiation was measuring total time spent above 20kph. What does that mean?
If the accel to that speed is over a very short dist, it requires maximal acceleration but beyond 40m the average may be intermediate speed. You need an average burst distance and you need to know their starting velocity to qualify intensity. How fast were they going when they started the burst?
Examples for top sprinters (no R/T):
0-30 avr 29.67kph
0-40 avr 31.85kph
0-50 avr 33.58kph
0-60 avr 34.95kph
From any motion at all these speeds would be much higher.
I agree with point 3 but there are many authors of this situation.
In-fighting and positioning by coaches and medical personnel are a big issues.
Yes, the situation can be incredible as most clubs have a Head of Medicine, who maybe titled Performance Director or whatever, and this person doesn’t have a direct performance background but rather indirect via rehab, medical issues etc, and there are indeed major clashes.
I know of a club in England where the former Head S&C coach is suing the club due to unfair dismissal due to a new Head of Medicine arriving on the scene and causing anarchy. Several of the fitness staff have since left deeming the job unworkable. This is not to say this was the right or wrong move; the team are doing much better than previously…but like you said the in-fighting can be quite serious.
Good points!
- I think it is quite difficult. First, for different players the same element can be high or low intensity, and it may depend on a range of factors, first all the effort put into the practice. Soccer is first a game of skills. By the way, a soccer match is high or low CNS-wise? I wouldn’t say it’s high intensity, but we need to take into account the emotional part (CNS stress here also).
- Apart from traumatic injuries, pretty unavoidable, you can see that the athlete injured now has a higher probability of having being injured in the last years. In Italy, say at serie A level, we have examples of players having 2/3 muscle injuries a year for ten years, despite changing teams, physical preparation, access to top-notch recovery means etc. Most injuries are athlete-related and not preparation-related, broadly speaking.
3-6) I agree. In fact, biggest gains (power, speed and strength) are to be made in the off-season, particularly because in the in-season (9-10 months) you waste so much time doing the same things…