I have been played soccer for 20 years and seven years ago I discovered the importance of strength for increasing my speed on field.

You may have heard that soccer is not a physical sport and that practicing on weight training is just a waste of time.

I can tell you directly that this is a lie. Claiming that soccer is not a physical sport is like saying that apples are better than pears (I like the taste of both 🙂

When you start to get stronger you will notice that it will be easier to win the ball in 50-50 situations.

You will get an advantage on your opponents and they will be scared to attack you. They will also know that playing against you is not going to be sunshine and roses.

This will help you gain more respect and time to handle the soccer ball. Your weight training should be focused on improving the strength of your legs.

However, you also need to involve some exercises for your upper body. If you are new to weight lifting don’t start to lift heavy weights immediately.

You may injure yourself if you don’t know what you are doing. One thing you can do to avoid injures is to ask an employee to help you out.

Sprint Training

To improve your speed you should involve some form of sprint training during your regular practice. An example is to perform 20-30 yards sprints with 20 seconds rest between.

My personal opinion is that sprint training should be performed both with and without using the ball. It is important to involve a ball because importance of running fast with ball is vital in soccer.

However, you need also be able to execute sprints without a ball (running into free space, provide passing alternatives, chasing an opponent and so on) I would recommend you to involve a ball in 50 % of your sprint training.

It is also important to avoid participating in sprint training the day before your soccer match.

Speed Endurance

My personal favorite for testing my level of endurance is a beep test. It is a 20 meter shuttle test that is paced by a prerecorded audiotape.

The voice on the tape will tell you when to start running, when you should arrive and turn at the 20m point. The beeps will be faster and faster as the test proceeds.

The test continues until you fail to keep the tempo set by the tape voice. Your score is calculated by taking number of runs x 40.

If you have poor beep test results then you know that improving your endurance is a must.

Speed Training and Flexibility

As a soccer player you will benefit greatly from having a good level of flexibility. It is a recommendation that each of your flexibility exercises need to be repeated 4 to 6 times.

You should also try to hold your stretched position at least 15 seconds and but longer than 40. To get maximum results from your flexibility exercises you should perform them before and after each practice/match.

Flexibility training will make you more resistant against injures and you will be able to execute your moves faster.

Summary

By following the tips outlined in this guide you will be able to increase your speed on the field and see sharper performance gains quickly.

Remember that you have to maintain your speed. If you stop practicing this necessary skill (and other soccer fitness parts), you’ll decrease your ability to perform well on the field.