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Tips on Training for Soccer

If you want to be a great soccer player, no matter what your age or training level, there are three things you should focus on and these – 1) developing speed 2) training so that you are always at your optimum physical development and 3) doing exercises that do not involve using the ball while you are on the field at practice.

First of all, working on your speed is crucial but not just for moving forward and dashing for the ball. You should also practice moving fast laterally. You should also focus on reflexive movements such as being able to very quickly change direction when you are running. This includes an ability to move backwards and in quick counter-clockwise and clockwise circles. Remember that in a fast-paced soccer game that you must be able to keep up your speed for an entire ninety minutes.

Secondly, it is crucial to maintain your optimum physical development. Keep in shape by participating in physical performance oriented sports like circuit training, rowing, track and field and swimming. This is all part of being holistic about your training and developing the “total athlete” rather than a sub-optimal athlete. Many players have overdeveloped skills in one area and underdeveloped ones in another that can actually reflect in the physique and strength of the player. It is important to work out with some circuit training and do some traditional long-distance running to build your stamina. Short-cuts such as working out with bungee cords and other gimmicks do not suffice. Full circuit training that includes running and weight-lifting, along with some long-jumping and high-jumping is ideal. All track and field exercises are wonderful for a soccer player’s physical development.

It is also not a good idea to think that every soccer practice must be about the ball. Although the ball is important to prepare with it is equally important to realize that never practicing without a ball in your hand must not become a habit. Many players are also reluctant to practice without a ball because it is much more fun to pummel a ball around than it is to do pull-ups or just run around the track to keep fit.

The reason you need to vary your workout routine and shake it up with various activities is because it is the strongest, well-rounded athlete that has developed many different muscles that will ultimately become the winning soccer player.

Tips on Training for Baseball

The baseball season is long and demanding and it is important to keep yourself in tip-top shape so you can play your best each and every game. In order to maximizes your performance it is crucial to –

Work out at least two if not three times per week. This makes it easy to maintain your strength and muscle bulk and offsets any fatigue while you are actually playing.

Keep your workouts short. Sometimes it is easier to fit a shorter half-hour workout into your life than it is a longer one. It is okay to just work out for a half an hour every day rather than a full hour. Another reason this is recommended is so that you still have a great deal of energy left over for playing practice games.

Perform full-body workouts. Make your shorter workouts worth it by engaging both your upper and lower body in the same session. This also helps you recover faster from your exercise because just one area of your body won’t be sore.

Do exercises that are familiar to you during in-season training. During the season it is best to stick with familiar routines. This helps minimize body soreness as your body already knows the familiar movements.

Use submaximal weights. The best way to not strain yourself and cause fatigue on the field is to use submaximal weights when working out. This prevents strain and promotes quick muscular recovery after a workout.

Address muscular imbalances with mobility and flexibility exercises. The problem with playing baseball is that it is not a sport that uses the parts of the body in a symmetrical way. This is because the very nature of the sport entails that you use only side of the body all of the time. When you pitch a ball or swing the bat the focus is very one-sided. To remedy this it is important to stay flexible by doing foam rolling, stretching and dynamic movements to make sure you are loose and not straining the most used side of your body.

Finally remember to listen to your body and do your best to keep it invigorated and healthy. If you hurt yourself while trying to train then you are no good on the baseball diamond. If your body is telling you that you are to weak to work out one day then it is best to take this message seriously and take a break from the weight room.

Tips on Training for Football

To be a great player on the field for the football season it is important that you train until you achieve total fitness. Football requires that you have speed, strength and endurance for a sustained amount of time. However, keeping these three training “balls” in balance can be challenging. You need to pace for yourself, yet be persistent about your goals. Training for football is also rigorous enough that it can burn you out if you are not careful to pace yourself.

Here are three or the most essential fitness training tips to help you get ready for the football season.

Train for speed as often as you can. It does not matter what position that you play, you must be fast to play the game of football. It is a good idea to us plyometrics to develop the kind of torque that you need to have a lot of power when you are on the field. Practicing shuttle sprints, that require you to start running from a variety of different kneeling positions, are the best way to train your body to increase its speed. As effective as plyometric exercises are it is important to only do them once a week so that your muscles can recover.

Build muscle endurance. Building muscle endurance is about ensuring that you can play until the very end of the game. You will participate to the each of every play in the game. This is called “playing through the whistle.”

One way that you can build your muscles is to incorporate different movements as you do your running exercises such as lifting your knees high. This helps shake your routine up and train your muscles to stay active and recover faster.

Engage in Strength Training. The strongest football players are those who are in peak physical strength. Not every position is the same, so only those ones get a workout during practice games. Be sure to choose workouts that exercise both your upper and lower body. Be sure to bulk up using weights so you have as much heft as possible when you are on the field.

By working all three of these things – your speed, endurance and strength, you can keep up with your teammates and become a formidable enemy to players on other teams. The thing is to be consistent and develop yourself into a total athlete as well as you can.