By : Aidan Byrne
Over the last few years, plyometric training has gotten a lot of attention in the soccer world. Most coaches at this point have either heard about it or seen other athletes doing plyometrics, and they have copied what they have seen or heard. However, most coaches do not understand the concept of plyometric exercises and why or when players should perform them.
What is plyometric training?
Plyometric training is widely believed to be one of the most effective ways to improve explosive power. Power is a combination of both speed and strength. Simply put, plyometrics involves maximal muscle contraction at the highest velocity. When a muscle is stretched, its elastic component is lengthened. When the muscle recovers this stored elastic energy, the resultant concentric contraction is enhanced. The faster the velocity of the stretch applied, the more ability the muscle has to develop force.
As humans, our muscles are made up of two different types of fibers: fast-twitch and slow-twitch. Plyometric training focuses on building up the velocity of the fast-twitch fibers, so it stands to reason to get the best possible results, plyometric training should be performed after a period of strength training that focuses more on the slow-twitch fibers that help generate maximal force.
Why should soccer players use plyometric exercises?
On the soccer field, we always try to give our players an edge over opponents. Three components of soccer that can be improved through plyometric training are speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ). If you were to tell coaches they could improve their teams' performance by easily adding some simple exercises at the appropriate time, what coach would not want to know those secret exercises?
Plyometric exercises also best mimic our movement patterns on the soccer field. Players jump, bound, and hop during plyometric exercises, just like they do in practice or during a game. This helps prevent injuries through muscle memory. If a player's body knows and remembers the movement, he or she will decrease their risk of injury during play.
Types of exercises
For the purposes of this article, I will break the exercises into low, medium, and high intensity.
Low Intensity:
Squat jump
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lock your hands behind your head, squat down, and then launch yourself vertically up into the air. Land as softly as you can on your toes, and then instantly repeat a specific number of times.
Split squat jump
Start in a lunge stance. Keep your hands down by your sides while balancing on your back toe and your front foot. Launch upwards and land back down in the starting position. (Watch your balance on this one.) Instantaneously repeat this action a specific number of times. Switch legs and repeat.
Moderate Intensity:
Tuck jump
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart in an athletic stance. Squat down and vertically explode, bringing your knees up to your chest. Land as softly as possible and relaunch yourself as soon as you touch the ground a specific number of times.
Zigzag hop
Stand with your feet together on one side of an athletic line (either sideline or endline). Explosively push off using both feet and land on the other side of the line, moving both laterally and slightly forward. Once down, explode upward again and back to the other side of the line. Make a zigzag pattern up the line. Remember to limit ground contact.
High Intensity:
Single leg tuck jump
Same as the tuck jump above except performed on one leg. The athlete must be well-prepared for these exercises as they require a lot of strength.
Depth jump
This exercise is done by stepping off a box, landing on the balls of your feet, and as with all the rest of the exercises, exploding vertically as soon as you touch the ground.
This exercise can be performed from different heights. It is best to start on a smaller box and gradually build up to a higher box.
These are just a few examples of plyometric exercises. Some can be quite easy to perform; others can be very difficult and require boxes or other pieces of equipment. When starting off a plyometric program, begin with low-intensity exercises and gradually build up to more aggressive exercises to prevent injury. Always exercise caution during plyometric training.
When should plyometric exercises be done?
Plyometric training can be done year-round, so long as the coach and player monitor the intensity and frequency of the exercises. The following is an example of a year-round training schedule:
The off-season
During the off-season, soccer players are looking to recover from a tough season. They want to physically and mentally repair themselves, and they should focus on aerobic conditioning and increasing strength. Therefore, plyometric training should take a backseat to other training during this time. Normally, athletes should do plyometric exercises once a week at a low intensity.
Preseason
When you are trying to get your players primed for the coming season, increase the time allocated to plyometrics. Decrease the time in the weight room and focus more on soccer-specific activities, including plyometrics. You should conduct plyometric sessions two to three times a week at a high intensity, never on successive days.
In season
When the season is underway, players should be playing games a couple of days a week and they should be peaking physically. Plyometrics are still an important part of training. They should still be performed two to three times a week, but at a moderate intensity. You can alter the intensity simply by changing the difficulty of the exercise or the number of repetitions.
Reminders
When implementing a plyometric program into your training regimen, keep the following tips in mind:
· Since all players will not be able to perform at the same level, one program does not fit all. Throwing everyone into the same program is a sure way to cause injuries. Assess each player individually, based upon his or her level of strength. Remember to create power, you need strength.
· Athletes should always warm up before beginning plyometric training.
· These exercises need to be performed in a safe environment.
· This type of training should be done on a forgiving surface (e.g., not concrete).
· Players should perform plyometrics at the beginning of training when they are fresh.
· Given the risk of injury, there is a debate whether children under the age of 14 should partake in this type of training. Remember to always err on the side of caution.
CONCLUSION
Plyometric training can be a very useful tool in developing the speed and quickness of your soccer players. It trains athletes to move in a sport-specific manner and helps prevent injuries. However, use caution when adding this type of training to any program. It is always better to have quality training than quantity training, so carefully choose the intensity and frequency at which you perform. It can mean the difference between failure and success.
This article was written by Aidan Byrne. Aidan is a College soccer coach and a former professional soccer player as well as a collegiate All American. While coaching soccer, he places great emphasis on the strength and conditioning aspect of the game. He owns and runs a strength and conditioning business where he imparts his knowledge to young athletes and helps to improve their performance on the field. Check out his website at http://aidanbyrne.com Watch out for regular updates about soccer and soccer training.