Football Fitness
Jo Williams provides some advice on the level of fitness required for any aspiring professional football player.
Cardiovascular endurance plays a significant component for any young child who dreams of being a professional football player besides needing incredible footwork and skill. While it is true that some positions in football run entirely a bit more than others, every player must be in tip-top shape to play the full 90 minutes in each game.
While there are many tests to see where you stand against other footballers in your age group, we will discuss below a few ways to get the best possible cardio while maintaining enough muscle to battle your opponents' physical tackles and to make sure those soccer t-shirts fit your body nice and snug.
Basics about training your cardiovascular endurance
Every football hopeful needs to be able to judge where they are at while they are training. While I am not too fond of standardized tests across the board for something like running a certain distance under a specific time, the facts are that this is still a very effective way to measure yourself up against the competition.
The first cardio test many high school players use is the "Cooper Test." To pass this test, you must run 2 miles in 12 minutes, meaning you have a VO2 max above 60 ml/kg/min. Some coaches take this test to the extreme and cut anyone above the 12-minute mark, which is why I am not too fond of tests across the board for all positions.
While this test may not be a problem for a midfielder, you cannot tell me that a pudgy goalie who can barely fit into his soccer t-shirts and a left-winger is in similar shape regarding cardio. But passing this test at a young age sheds some light on the fact that you possess at least the essential cardio required to excel in a game like football.
How do I boost my speed and endurance?
Many athletes look for ways to boost their skills to excel in their sport, especially during the off-season. While there are many different approaches to increasing cardiovascular endurance, I explain which method is best in the next paragraph, especially for high school athletes.
While many football players turn to Cross-Country as their sport in the off-season, I encourage players to go a different route. While you will build up some endurance by running long distances daily, remember that football is a unique combination of running steadily and exploding into acceleration on a moment's notice. If you only run long distances in the off-season, you are not training everything needed to be the best!
I recommend Track and Field as the #1 choice for footballers in the off-season. Running races like the 800-metre, 400-metre, and 100-metre sprint allows you to work on every aspect of speed and endurance necessary for a footballer's conditioning.
You have the 100m sprint where it works breaking away from a defender or beating an opponent to a loose ball. Then you have the 400m and 800m races that require a fast yet steady pace that helps its runners learn to control their breathing while building up their endurance significantly.
What about increasing the endurance of advanced athletes?
I thought you would never ask! I do have an exceptional training technique that I will share with you today, but this exercise must be done under adult supervision. It is recommended only for athletes who can run the 2 miles in under 12 minutes with relative ease!
Everyone who has played football has heard of running ladders or "the Ivory Coast." You start on your end line and run to your 6-yard box, your 18-yard box, to the half field, and then to the opponent's 18-yard box, the opponent's 6-yard box, and the opponent's end line, all under a set time. You then get to rest for about a minute, then do it as often as your coach demands.
It is where things get tricky. Take a shot glass and draw a line around the outside at about ¾ of the glass. Then, fill it up to the top with water. Proceed to drink the shot glass, and keep the water HELD in your mouth as you run the ladder.
After the run, spit the water back into the shot glass, and if the water does not hit at least the ¾ mark, you have a down and back (to the opponent's end line and back) before the rest is up and you start the Ivory Coast again! This training method forces you to breathe through your nose and helps you take your endurance to the next level!
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- WILLIAMS, J. (2014) Football Fitness [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article165.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Jo Williamson was a personal trainer and Yoga instructor for nearly a decade. Now, she works as a freelance consultant, helping businesses and individuals set up health clubs and gyms.