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Jaap Stam was laughing after being asked whether Zlatan Ibrahimovich broke Jaap Stam’s bench press record at AC Milan. Stam answered by saying that Imbrahimovich did not break his record. Stam benching 300, while Ibrahimovich pressed 298. You don’t have to bench like Stam to become a professional soccer player, but strength can help you. This article is about basic strength for ages 8-13 years old. Not a specific sprint or jumping technique. For the importance of jumping see here. For increasing speed, find information here. This article describes how you can start with strength training for youth soccer, age 8-13. Find out how just 1 training per week can improve your child’s physique. Strength training can increase your strength and what strength can do for you on the soccer pitch.
Why Strength For Soccer For Young Soccer Players
Aside from learning the basics of ball technique, kicking, and tactical skills. Strength can be very important. Strength training can be important for the following reasons
- Injury Prevention; Soccer players use some muscles more than other muscles. This can cause an overuse of certain muscles and other underdeveloped other muscles. Strength training can strengthen undeveloped muscles.
- Increase of Jumps and Speed; Strength training can increase fiber contraction and neurological adaptation. By training your muscles you can improve the recruitment of muscle fibers.
- Mental Health; Strength training can increase your mental wellbeing and increase confidence levels.
- Overall Strength; Soccer is a contact sport. You are allowed to use your shoulder to push somebody to the side and protect or get the ball. Overall strength can increase your chances of becoming a professional soccer player
You Can Start Young
Starting strength training when you are young can have some advantages. Before the pubertal hormones start kicking in strength training results in
- Increased strength
- Improved neurological adaptation
- Better bone density
- Increased confidence
One of the benefits of starting strength training at an early age is the improvements seen in strength. This increase is achieved without muscle growth. Better recruitment of muscle fiber, not an increase in muscle mass. Training in this stage should focus on muscle improvement, not muscle growth.
What Did The Studies Find
Many studies with young children were performed in the 1990s and early 2000s. Many of these studies achieved incredible results. A short summary includes;
- After 8 weeks, training twice a week, an experimental group noticed a 74% increase in strength and a decrease in fat percentage
- A study found that many repetitions had a better response than fewer repetitions.
- 6- 8-year-olds were submitted to a strength training program and found an improved long jump
- Resistance training found improved strength and flexibility. Compared to a control group.
- in 2014, a study with young soccer players aged 8-9 found that compared to a control group significant improvements were found in the countermovement jump, endurance test and flexibility.
- Overall reviews found that even the very young children can engage in strength training. However, the technique of the exercise should be central and supervision should be ensured
Before Puberty Training Can Be Critical
When children play, they use a host of pulling and pushing muscles, squats, and jumps. Imagine a child climbing a tree. The child is using back, legs chest and arm muscles. This kind of training is optimal for the development of muscles, coordination, and balance. To achieve strength training in youth soccer, we can mimic these exercises.
Faigenbaum is seen as one of the experts in the area of strength training and children. Faigenbaum wrote this about strength training and young children;
Avery Faigenbaum
How To Train For Strength For 8 To 13 Years Old
Strength training in this age group should avoid weight training. The focus at this age is the education of technique. Learning the proper technique will benefit for a lifetime. The exercise targets the major muscle groups and is executed in a full range of motion. A short summary of strength training for 8 – 13 years olds can be based around the following parameters.
- 1- 3 times a week, once a week can be enough to see strength increase.
- A session should be at least 20-30 minutes.
- Every exercise should focus on many repetitions. In the beginning, every exercise can be performed 15-20 times. The focus should be on muscle endurance, proper execution and a full range of motion. Not building muscle.
- Try to do the exercises between 1 and 3 times (1-3 sets).
Which Exercises For Strength Training In Youth Soccer
To help your child started, these 4 exercises can be done almost anywhere and anytime. The exercises in the video let you see the progression from easy to difficult. Do the exercises 15 repetitions, 3 sets.
- One-Legged Squat
- Push up into abs workout
- Dips
- Pull-ups
See the video below. The video describes the progression from easy to hard.
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