Here’s a video featuring Kim Little, a member of the Arsenal Ladies. In the previous video of the Arsenal Ladies posted, some key aspects of the workout were highlighted.  This video gives us another view of their weight training program, with this session geared more toward power...

Here’s a study that looks at the last 44 years of the World Cup final – the elite of the elite. Soccer is always evolving. The rules and basic principles of the game may not be, but the athletes are. Most are just now seeing the value that speed and power can have on the game. The...

Repeat sprint ability (RSA) is one of the most important physical capacities in soccer. Although the following research study abstract examines RSA with cycling there are applications to others RSA sports that involve running like rugby and soccer. This study used repeated sprint bouts of 6...

Here’s a video of Arsenal FC training agility using a ladder. I’ve spoken about my thoughts on ladder use for soccer athletes previously here and here.  I will occasionally use a ladder in our warmups but rarely if ever when actually trying to develop speed or agility....

Sometimes we get caught up in time spent training or the sets and reps in the weight room, but fail to look at other aspects that can compliment an athlete’s training. Sleep is often an underrated variable when it comes to performance. Poor sleep has the ability to affect an athlete’s...

As most readers of this blog know, we are big advocates for progressively overloaded strength training focusing on fundamental movements to improve athletic performance in soccer players. While the soccer world has yet to fully buy-in to the benefits like some other sports have, the evidence...

Here is a speed session from FC Bayurn. They start out with some nice linear sprints and move into some sharp change of direction. This is working on hard accelerations and some repeat sprint qualities. Distance covered each sprint looks to be 10-15m with about 20-30 seconds recovery in...

The speed, strength and endurance of elite soccer players are often addressed by traditional training methods. However, one anthropometric factor that can help improve all of these qualities may be overlooked. We know that players are getting faster, with speed being the differentiating...

Here’s a very recent video showcasing Ellen White and Steph Houghton of the Arsenal Ladies. This looks to be a nice, well-rounded program for these athletes. Although this is a sample size of one from their whole training program, there are some fantastic takeaways from this: There is a...

Here’s the fourth and final post in this series to help shed some light on the process of designing an effective training program. If you have missed the first three posts you can catch up here (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). The fourth process in the sport analysis model is to understand the...

In the last two posts of this series, I discussed how to analyze the demands of the sport and the importance of understanding the position or event in the sport. The third post in this series will touch on analysis of the qualities an athlete possesses. Analyze the qualities of the athlete:...

Here’s the second post in this series discussing Vern Gambetta’s sport analysis model and how it specifically applies to soccer. If you need to catch up, here is the first post in the series. This is the next step in his analysis model. Understand the position or event in the...