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Strength and Conditioning For Soccer II A Specific Metabolic Approach.
Strength and Conditioning For Soccer II A Specific Metabolic Approach.
Strength and
Conditioning for Soccer II:
A Specific Metabolic Approach
Juan Carlos Santana, MEd, CSCS, *D
Optimum Performance Systems, Inc.
Boca Raton, Florida Juan Carlos Santana
Column Editor
THE CONCEPT OF SPECIFIC played in possession of the ball; Take a video of a typical game
metabolic conditioning (SMC) is 98% of the time is spent trying to your athletes play and actually
centered on the established theo- get in position to touch the ball. dissect it to get the information
ry of training specificity. Specifici- There are about 1,0001,200 provided above. All it takes is a
ty of training dictates that the bouts of action per game, occur- video of your game, a VCR, a
adaptation to a training stimulus ring every 56 seconds. These in- watch, paper and pencil, and lots
occurs in direct response to that clude rapid and frequent changes of time! At this point, you can
training stimulusyou get what of pace and direction in addition to focus on the specifics of each po-
you train for. Since we are at the execution of game skills. Believe it sition/player if you like. To cut
beginning of the soccer season, or not, 17% of the game is spent some time you dont have to ana-
this article will address how speci- standing, with another 40% walk- lyze the whole game; you can do
ficity of training affects the SMC ing! Jogging and low-speed run- stats on a quarter of the game and
for the sport of soccer. ning take up 35% of the game, then multiply appropriate num-
In order to design a soccer while 8% is spent executing high- bers by 4. With this data at hand,
SMC program, it is necessary to intensity running. Sprinting all now we can begin to address some
look at some of the general de- out is less than 1% of the game, metabolic demands. Lets take a
mands of this very fast moving occurs every 90 seconds, and cov- look at the SMC design approach.
sport. Although well-published lit- ers less than 15 m in length. A To create a training base for
tle league, high school, and college total of about 10,00012,000 me- soccer, the best method of training
statistics are not readily available, ters (6.257.5 miles) are covered is a simple interval program as
one can use the professional data per game. Goalkeeper data are part of a comprehensive condi-
as a model for soccer SMC at any slightly different. Goalkeepers tioning program. However, I give
level. Remember, these statistics cover about 1/3 of the distance of this program a twist by combining
are just what the name implies, other players (i.e., ~4,000 m). They simple skills as part of the sprint-
general averages! They will differ spend about 10% of the playing ing protocol. This accomplishes
across various league levels, posi- time in possession of the ball, several things. First, it conditions
tions, and playing styles. Howev- stand for about 13 minutes per soccer players in a specific meta-
er, these figures make the point of game and sprint between 1 and 12 bolic manner. Second, it improves
the intermittent nature of soccer, m at a time (1). their movement skills by teaching
a game that is often trained for as If this data seems to deviate them to run and turn more effi-
if it were a cross-country running too far from your level of play and ciently. Third, it prevents injuries
event. the athletes you work with, there from the perspective of the en-
Less than 2% of soccer is is another route you can take. hanced coordination of muscles