The importance of football fitness training
Are you looking to take your football game to the next level? If so, incorporating a well-rounded football fitness training program into your routine can help you improve your speed, endurance, and power on the field. From cardiovascular training to strength exercises to plyometric drills, there are a variety of exercises and techniques you can use to develop the fitness and power you need to succeed as a football player.
In this post we will cover:
In this blog post, we’ll provide an overview of the most effective cardiovascular football fitness training methods, along with tips for getting the most out of your cardio training and achieving your goals. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just getting started, these tips can help you take your game to the next level. This is what we do at ATHLETE.CO.
Cardio training for football fitness
To keep up with the demands of a fast-paced game like football, it’s essential to develop strong cardiovascular fitness. Cardiovascular training helps improve your body’s ability to supply oxygen to your muscles, allowing you to maintain a high level of activity for longer periods of time.
effective cardio exercises for football fitness training
Running is a particularly effective way to improve your cardiovascular football fitness, as it is a sport-specific exercise that can help to improve your speed, endurance and power on the field. By incorporating different types of running drills into your training program, such as interval training, hill sprints, and tempo runs, you can simulate scenarios in the game and improve your fitness and importantly your impact on the pitch.
10 Best Cardio Workouts for Football Fitness:
- Distance Running: Long distance running is a classic endurance exercise that can help you build stamina and cardiovascular fitness. Consider going for a steady-paced run for 30 minutes or more to improve your aerobic capacity.
- Interval Sprints: Interval sprints involve alternating periods of high-intensity running with periods of rest or low-intensity activity. This type of training can help improve your speed and endurance. Consider running at your maximum speed for 30 seconds to a minute, followed by 30 seconds to a minute of rest or low-intensity activity, and then repeating the cycle for several rounds.
- Hill Repeats: Hill repeats involve running up a steep hill or incline, then walking or jogging back down to the starting point and repeating the cycle several times. This type of training can help improve your leg strength and power, as well as your cardiovascular fitness.
- Fartlek Training: Fartlek is a Swedish term for “speed play.” It involves alternating periods of fast running with periods of slower running or jogging. This type of training can help improve your speed, endurance, and cardiovascular fitness, plus it gives you different ‘gears’ to use when needed.
- Tempo Runs: Tempo runs involve running at a steady pace that is slightly faster than your normal pace for an extended period of time. This type of training can help improve your lactate threshold, which is the point at which your body begins to produce more lactic acid than it can clear, leading to fatigue. We will explore lactate threshold training in more detail in another post.
- Pyramid Intervals: Pyramid intervals involve gradually increasing and then decreasing the intensity of your running. For example, you might start with a one-minute sprint, followed by a 30-second rest, then a two-minute sprint, followed by a one-minute rest, and so on, until you reach your maximum intensity, and then gradually decrease the intensity back down to your starting point.
- Stair Running: Running up and down stairs can be an effective cardiovascular exercise that also helps improve leg strength and power similar to hill repeats. Consider finding a set of stairs, then running up and down them for several rounds.
- Cross-Country Running: Cross-country running involves running on varied terrain, such as trails or fields, and can help improve your endurance and balance. Consider finding a local park or nature reserve with varied terrain to incorporate cross-country running into your training program.
- Beach Running: Running on sand can be an effective cardiovascular exercise that also helps improve leg strength and power. Consider finding a local beach with a long stretch of sand to incorporate beach running into your training program. If you’ve run on sand before you will know how taxing it is.
- Treadmill Running: While running outdoors is typically preferred, treadmill running can be a convenient option for indoor workouts and allows you to carefully manage pace, time, rest periods and more. Consider using the treadmill for interval sprints, tempo runs, or hill repeats with the incline set high to improve your cardiovascular fitness.
How Strength Training Helps Football Fitness
Cardiovascular training helps improve a player’s body’s ability to supply oxygen to their muscles, allowing them to maintain a high level of activity for longer periods. However strength is the skill that will allow players to express their full cardiovascular potential as a players physical strength plays a significant role in how well they perform all movements, including running.
Game Strength – Football Strength Training
Our ‘Game Strength‘ program is a fully comprehensive physical development program designed to improve athletic performance in football. Our premiership football coach Harry Ross (West Ham, Crystal Palace, Burnley) has designed it by extracting the physical themes from football, breaking them down into the underpinning physical mechanisms and deciphering the most effective methods to develop them. It’s your closest opportunity to train like an elite footballer. And if you want to improve your cardiovascular fitness then Game Strength will ensure you do.
For a free trial of ‘Game Strength’ follow the links below.
Graham Barber, Founder @ ATHLETE.CO
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