How to Get in Shape Fast for Soccer?

Soccer is an intense and demanding sport. To be a good soccer player, you need to be in top physical condition. While practicing with a team and engaging in competitive play can raise your level of fitness, it’s also important to do some extra conditioning on the side. By building up your stamina, improving your agility, and fine-tuning your footwork, you’ll be able to perform better during games and even stay fit during the off-season.

To get in shape fast for soccer, you need to work on gaining strength, explosive power, and cardiovascular fitness. Creating an accelerated soccer workout plan can help get you there.

Step 1

Building Power and Stamina For Soccer Players

Run to improve your cardiovascular conditioning. Go at a moderate pace until you start to get tired, then take a short rest break before resuming your run. You can also structure your run in intervals, running for 3-4 minutes, walking or resting for 2-3 minutes, then running for another 3-4 minutes, and so on. By running frequently and increasing your distance over time, you’ll develop the endurance you need to keep you in the game.

Running laps on a track can help you keep up with your time and distance. Schools, churches, and recreation centers sometimes open their tracks for community use. These tips can help you can compete with the fastest players in the world. 

Sprint to build speed. Sprints are essential for being a successful soccer player, as they require high levels of power and control. Measure out a set distance it’s best to start with a distance between 30-50 meters and get into a starting position. When you’re ready, explode forward and run to the endpoint as fast as you can.

Since sprints are extremely tiring, they should be scheduled at the beginning of the workout right after your warmup.

As your fitness improves, you can work up to greater distances like the 100 or 200-meter sprint. Longer sprints bridge the gap between intensity and endurance.

Do strength training 3-4 days a week. While speed and agility are key attributes in soccer, it’s also important to be strong. Be sure to incorporate regular muscular exercise into your routine. You can employ calisthenics like pushups, pull-ups, air squats, and lunges, or lift weights if you have access to a gym. Try to do some form of resistance exercise every other day.

Bodyweight exercises can be performed almost anywhere, which means you won’t need to rely on any specialized equipment.

When lifting weights, keep the intensity high and the number of repetitions low to build strength.

Emphasize your core muscles. You use the muscles of your core to run, stop, change direction, and shoot, so pay special attention to them. Sit-ups, crunches, leg lifts, V-ups, and bicycles are all excellent exercises for strengthening the core. Try to do half an hour of core training at least twice a week. This can come near the end of practice or serve as a separate workout.

Squeeze your stomach tight throughout the movement to get the most out of each exercise.

Work on your core and your returns at the same time by heading a ball tossed by a friend at the top of each sit-up.

Step 2

Performing Essential Conditioning Soccer Drills

Run suicides. Suicides combine explosive power with dexterity. Set down markers at regular distances going down the field or track. Sprint from your starting point to the first marker, then immediately turn around and return to the start. From there, sprint to the second marker, then back to the start, then to the third marker, and so on. Switch up the distances that you set your markers at to build quick twitch muscles and slow twitch muscles.

Do high knees. Stand with one foot on the ground and bring your other knee up to waist level. In one smooth motion, lower your raised foot to the ground and quickly lift the opposite knee. High knees teach you to pick your feet up higher when you run, making your steps more springy and preventing you from getting tripped up.