Soccer Program

An off-season and in-season template for soccer athletes. Builds aerobic base, repeated sprint ability, strength, and injury resistance — then maintains them through a long season.

Overview

Soccer is the most demanding running sport among team sports. A player covers 10-13 km per game, with 30-40 sprints and dozens of high-intensity accelerations. The engine is the primary limiter.

Phases:

• Off-season (12-16 weeks): Build aerobic base + strength
• Pre-season (4-6 weeks): Sharpen RSA and speed
• In-season (season length): Maintain strength, prevent injury
• Post-season (2-4 weeks): Rest

Who It Is For

• High school, college, or adult soccer players
• All positions (adapts by position emphasis)
• Both male and female athletes (with ACL prevention emphasis for females)

Not for:

• Beginners (build a strength base first)
• Athletes with active hamstring, ankle, or knee injuries

Position-Specific Emphasis

Position	Emphasis
Goalkeeper	Reaction, explosive jumps, lateral movement
Center back	Aerial power, strength, moderate sprint
Fullback	Sprint distance, repeated sprints
Defensive mid	Endurance, positioning
Central mid	Highest total distance — aerobic priority
Attacking mid	Acceleration, COD
Winger	Max sprint speed, repeated sprints
Striker	Acceleration, power, aerial

Off-Season (Weeks 1-12)

Goal: build aerobic base + strength.

Weekly structure: 4 lifts + 3 conditioning days

Day	Session
Mon	Lower body + speed
Tue	Conditioning + core
Wed	Rest / mobility
Thu	Lower body + power
Fri	Conditioning + COD
Sat	Small-sided games or long run
Sun	Rest

Monday — Lower + Speed:

• Back squat: 4x5 @ 80%
• Romanian deadlift: 3x8 @ 70%
• Bulgarian split squat: 3x8 each leg
• 10m sprints: 8x, full recovery
• Nordic curl: 3x5

Tuesday — Conditioning + Core:

• Steady-state run: 40-60 min Zone 2
• Plank: 3x45 sec
• Dead bug: 3x10 each side
• Copenhagen plank: 3x20 sec each side
• Lateral band walks: 3x15 each direction

Thursday — Lower + Power:

• Front squat: 4x5 @ 75%
• Single-leg RDL: 3x8 each leg
• Box jumps: 4x5
• Broad jumps: 3x5
• Calf raise: 3x12

Friday — Conditioning + COD:

• Repeated sprint intervals: 8x30 sec hard / 60 sec easy
• 5-10-5 shuttle: 6 sets
• Pro-agility shuttle: 6 sets
• Lateral shuttle: 6 sets

Saturday — Long Conditioning:

• Long run: 45-60 min Zone 2
• OR small-sided games (3v3, 4v4)

Pre-Season (Weeks 13-16)

Goal: sharpen speed and RSA, maintain strength.

• Reduce main lift volume to 3 sets
• Keep intensity (RPE 8)
• Increase RSA and COD work
• Sport-specific conditioning: small-sided games
• FIFA 11+ before every session
• Deload 2 weeks before season

In-Season

Goal: maintain strength, prevent injury.

Weekly structure: 2 lifts + practices/games

Day	Session
Mon	Full body (low volume)
Tue	Practice / game
Wed	Recovery + mobility
Thu	Full body (low volume)
Fri	Game
Sat	Game
Sun	Rest

Monday — Full Body A:

• Back squat: 2x3 @ 85%
• Romanian deadlift: 2x5
• Pull-up: 2x5
• Nordic curl: 2x5
• Copenhagen plank: 2x20 sec

Thursday — Full Body B:

• Front squat: 2x3 @ 85%
• Bench press: 2x3 @ 85%
• Single-leg RDL: 2x8 each leg
• Lateral band walks: 2x15
• Plank: 2x45 sec

Rules:

• 45 min max per session
• No soreness-inducing work
• No max sprints in-season — practice provides that
• Nordic curls every week
• Single-leg balance every week
• FIFA 11+ before every session
• Sleep 8-9 hours

Injury Prevention (Every Session)

Soccer has a high injury rate. This is non-negotiable.

• FIFA 11+ warm-up: 20 min before every session
• Nordic curls: 2-3x per week (hamstring)
• Single-leg balance: 3x per week (ankle)
• Copenhagen planks: 2-3x per week (groin/hip)
• Lateral band walks: 2-3x per week (hip stability)
• Landing mechanics: 1-2x per week (ACL)
• Hip flexor mobility: daily
• Ankle mobility: daily

Progression Rules

Off-season:

• Add 5-10 lbs per week to main lifts
• Add 5% per week to conditioning volume
• Increase RSA work every 2-3 weeks
• Deload every 6-8 weeks

Pre-season:

• Maintain main lift loads
• Increase sprint and COD specificity
• Deload 2 weeks before season

In-season:

• Hold the weights steady. No PRs.
• Deload every 4-6 weeks (cut volume 40%, keep intensity)

Testing

Test at start and end of off-season, and mid-season:

Test	Metric
Yo-Yo IR1	Level
10m sprint	Time
30m sprint	Time
5-10-5 shuttle	Time
Pro-agility shuttle	Time
Back squat	3RM
Deadlift	3RM
Nordic curl	Reps
Vertical jump	Height

Common Pitfalls

• Training too hard in-season. Preserve energy for the pitch.
• No conditioning in the off-season. Soccer is a running sport. Train the engine.
• Skipping single-leg work. COD and injuries demand it.
• No Nordic curls. Hamstring injuries are the #1 soft tissue injury in soccer.
• No FIFA 11+. It’s evidence-based and free. Use it.
• Maxing out in-season. Never do this.

When to Switch

• After off-season: transition to pre-season
• After pre-season: transition to in-season
• After in-season: 2-4 weeks of rest, then off-season

Journal

Uses the Training Log — Soccer template. Track lifts, conditioning, sprint times, RSA, and injury prevention work.

Related Resources

• Soccer Training (concept)
• Sport-Specific Training (concept)
• Sport-Specific Program README
• Conditioning Methods (concept)
• Speed (concept)