10 Warm Ups For Adults
Warming up for football
A recent survey indicated that hamstring strain rates were negatively linked to the amount of static stretching Premiership footballer's performed. Basically, the more 'bend down and touch your toes and hold' type of stretching they did the more they were likely to strain their hamstrings in practice and matches. This may come as a surprise, but it should not when you consider the physical requirements of football. Players have to make repeated dynamic movements, such as sprints, jumps and turns. Research from Finland discovered that in the course of a season players could make 3900 jumps and 7000 turns, for example. These movements require dynamic muscular contractions; contractions that have little relevance to those involved in held stretches. Most top clubs now employ dynamic warm-ups, which place a much greater emphasis on active and football relevant dynamic mobility.
Professor Angel Spassov is a conditioning expert, originally from Bulgaria who is now based in the States. He is a football specialist and has worked with six World Cup squads. The professor has put together a specific football warm-up. You should use and adapt it to your purposes, if you want to avoid crying off with injuries that could be avoided.
Spassov's warm-up involves both passive and active elements. For the passive part, he advises players to loosen their muscles 30-60 minutes before the game/training session, by rubbing their ankles, knees, all the leg muscles, lower back, neck and shoulders with a heating ointment, preferably one that is odourless and not too hot on the skin. The active warm-up that follows is divided into two parts:
1. General
This begins with 6-8 minutes of jogging, followed by neck, shoulder, lower back and abdominal stretches. There should be 2-3 different routines, with 10-12 repetitions of each. Next, legs (hamstrings, hip flexors, abductors, adductors, quads and calf muscles) are targeted with passive (held) and dynamic stretches (2-3 standard routines with 10-12 reps with performance speed increased every set for the dynamic stretches, such as leg swings). Next varying-intensity sprints are performed in different directions. At the end of this part of the warm-up, players' pulse rates should have reached 160-170 beats per minute.
2. Specific
This begins with various kicks of the ball with both legs and various technical moves with the ball, such as dribbling and stopping the ball. These should progress to medium intensity and be performed with another player, then to high intensity with players combining into groups to practice all the technical skills at the highest possible intensity and speed.
Spassov's suggested warm-up makes great sense and should control players' progression to match readiness. With the early parts of the warm-up performed individually, players should be able to focus on their own movements and progression and not be tempted to perform too dynamic movements before their muscles are fully prepared.
Football speed
All players require speed. Everything else being equal the faster you are the better player you will be. However, football speed is different to the speed required of a sprinter.
Football speed is reactive and often unpredictable
The first step (linear or rotational) could make all the difference to getting past an opponent or close enough to make a winning tackle.
A skill will often have to be performed from the basis of speed, tackles, headers, passes, shots and so on
Although elite players play on pitches that could support a game of bowls many of us will not be so lucky. Muddy, undulating surfaces will impair speed generation.
A sprint may be needed when you are 'blowing hard' (see developing football endurance later)
Your training must reflect the above considerations. Use these practices to improve your football speed:
Turn and sprint drill
Players stand on the half way line, to a command they turn and sprint 10m. Repeat 6 times taking 30 seconds' recovery between efforts whilst varying the turn direction
Run at three quarter pace for to a ball placed 20m away. Dribble it and swerve around a cone and pass after a further 15m. Repeat 6 times with 40 seconds' recovery between each effort
'Speed dribble' over 30m (from standing: simply dribble as fast as you can in a straight line). Repeat 6 times with 1 minute recovery between each effort
Floor ladder drills You may have seen players performing various drills through floor ladders on TV.
These exercises are designed to improve, speed, agility and reactive ability. They will positively affect your neuromuscular system if used over time, so that you will be able to get your legs moving that bit quicker. There are hundred of permutations that can be used with one or more ladders. Here are some examples:
One foot in each rung (use a low knee lift and concentrate on foot speed, driving your arms backwards and forwards)
Step sideways through the ladder. Keep low and light on the ground
Run backwards through the ladder one rung at a time - use your calf muscles and ankles to generate your speed and do not forget to co-ordinate your arms with your legs
As (I) above but on exiting the floor ladder take control of a ball dribble 10m round a cone and speed dribble back to the start
The Warm Up
Regarding soccer conditioning, there is a saying in famous in the world of coaching soccer that “players should Warm-up to play, they should not play to warm-up.” The coach needs to train the team to build the movements gradually to game speed.
This is the perfect way to raise the core temperature and engage the nervous system. The following is some of the factors that the coach must keep in mind while they are running the warm up session.
Warm Up Tips 1
In this group, the coaches can try the following during the warm up session.
Have the players Jog for 5 minutes.
Have them their Leg swings-forward, cross body, 10 each.
Give emphasis on active stretching over 20 yards.
Warm Up Tips 2
When it comes to active stretching over 20 yards, it must be done along with the following warm-up methods.
Have the players skip forward, backwards.
Side skip with arm swing is also effective.
You can also train the players for cross step.
Have the players skip across foot-big hip movement with quick steps.
Train them regarding the High knee carioca. They must do these warm ups as if going to sprint.
Backward run is also a tried and tested method. Make sure that in this activity, the heels must kick up to butt. That is the perfect way for backward running warm ups.
Warm Up Tips 3
These warp-up methods should also be used along with the above techniques in order to gain results that are more favorable.
You can start this round of warm up session by having the players s kip with loops or swings.
Now, have them Cross over skip.
Quick hip swings is another great method to use at this stage.
You can also have the players doing long shuffles with turn in the middle.
Train them about forward and backward leg swings. This is a great way of warm up for the soccer players.
High leg forward and backwards are equally effective.
When it comes to soccer conditioning, the above warm up methods can work wonders
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Passing Through A Circle
Passing through a circle is an effective warm up drill and gives your players good warm up before you start a training session or before they are getting ready for a match.
In this exercise, have five of your players stand in a circle with twenty-yard diameter. Now, have another five of your players stand behind each of these players. Now the front-standing players have to pass the ball to each other in a random way while standing at the same place. No doubt, this is an effective technique, but since this exercise requires lots of movement, your communication skill will be at test here.
You need to use your communication skill and vision in order to instruct the players for this exercise. You will have to use your imagination in order to make this exercise more innovative by adding variations to the same. For example, you may want to put a defender in the middle of the circle.
Acquire Explosive Acceleration And Fast Sprinting Speed
The following exercise can be highly effective for your players to help them acquire explosive acceleration and fast sprinting speed. You must have your players do these soccer exercises as fast as possible.
Leg Circuit Exercises
• Two-footed squat thrusts can be a good exercise for the youth soccer players. In this exercise, you should have your players aim for a twelve-inch jump.
• Have your players walk lunge forward and then rapidly repeat the process by changing the lead leg.
• Alternate leg squat thrusts is another great exercise for the young soccer players. In this exercise, the coach should have the players count reps on their one leg only.
Upper Body exercise
• Normal press-ups are also quite effective, but you must make sure that your players are aim to keep a straight line through their back.
• You can also have your players try the wide-arm press-ups. In this exercise, have your players take elbows out to their sides.
• Close-hand press-ups are also worth giving a try. Make sure that while doping this exercise, your players are aim to keep their thumbs touching each other.
Apart from the above football exercises, you should also include abdominal exercises. They are very important in keeping your players fit and strong.
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A Matchday Warm Up Without the Ball
Organisation
Players line up on the edge of the area and run to the half way line and back doing the following exercises.
Each exercise is the equivalent of one run from the edge of the area to the half way line or from the half way line to the penalty area.
Exercises
Slow jog. Lots of shaking.
High knees two lots of ten. Sipping.
Two runs
Three steps to the right and three steps to the left.
Springing.
High skips swing your arms alternately.
Two runs
Stretches
Half pace runS
kipping and swinging arms in a windmill
Three quarter pace run
Small steps. Two lots of ten.
Three quarter pace run
Stretches
High knees. Two lots of ten.
Heel flicks. Ten to the left and then ten to the right.
High knees for five steps then three quarter pace sprint to the end.
Quick steps for five yards then three quarter pace run.
Stretches
Another Match Warm-Up Without the Ball
Organisation
Set up cones level with the side of the area, and ten yards inside as shown. It will appear that you have two 10 x 10 yard boxes on the edge of the area. Players run the length of the penalty area doing the following exercises.
Exercises
Slow jog.
Sideways skipping. Three steps to the right then three steps to the left
High knees out to in. Raise your knee outwards and bring it inwards. Alternate sides.
Side to side skips. Facing forward, three steps to the right and then three steps to the left. Swing your arms.
Sideways skipping. Three steps to the right then three steps to the left
Stretches
Slow jog
Quick feet to the cone (10 yards), then three quarter pace to the end. 2 times
Side shuffles to the cone, three quarter pace run to the end.
Stretch
Backwards running with short steps to the cone, then half pace run to the end.
Quick feet to the cone, then three quarter pace run to the end.
Slow jog to the cone, then full sprint to the end.
Sideways running to the cone then sprint to the end
Sideways running (face the other way), then sprint to the cone.
Stretch
Ball warm up
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Making the Correct Decisions
Organisation
Players line up in two lines, run up to the end, move to the side and run back. Approximately 20-40 yards away.
Exercises
Slow jog up and back
Sideways skipping change side on the way back
Slow jog up,backwards running back. On toes push off.
Skip forwards and get in 6 headers there and 6 back
Skip 3 steps from side to side there and back
Heel flicks. 3 lots of 10 there and back
Half pace run get your knees into it
High knees. 3 lots of 10 there and back
Backwards running there, 3 steps side to side back
Shake legs up and half pace back. Stretch
Jog up and back
Jog and make correct decisions. 1 = Touch floor with left hand. 1 = with right hand. 3 = jump up and header 4 = change direction.
Same as above but add change places with man from opposite group. = 5
Run up and decision back
Three-quarter pace and back
Faster run with decisions and back.
Three-quarter pace and back
Sprint with decision there, slow jog back.
Three-quarter pace and back. Stretches
The Day After a Match
Using a park or football pitch. Get in two lines and run as pairs.
Light Jog for 1 minute
Walk for 1 minute.
Light Jog for 1 minute.
Walk for 1 minute.
Light Jog for 1 minute.
Walk for 1 minute
Quality Stretches
Hamstrings. Lay on your back your partner pushes your leg back.
Flexibility. Sitting up touch toes. Your partner pushes your shoulders lightly down. Keep feet together.
Hamstrings. Sit opposite each other legs apart feet touching. Touch hands in the middle.
Calf stretch. On sides or standing.
Back stretch. Get back-back, interlock arms and pull your partner over your back.
Lower back stretch. On back arms stretched out. Put your right leg over your left leg as far as it will go.
Flexibility. Touch toes.
Calf stretch. Doggy Calfs. On all fours open legs.
Light Jog
Run backwards
Side Skipping
Heel Flicks.
Side of Heel flicks.
Swing arms.
Faster Jog
Own Stretches.
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Warm Up
Muscle stiffness is thought to be directly related to muscle injury and therefore the warm up should be aimed at reducing muscle stiffness.
Warming up should at least consist of the following:
5 to 10 minutes jogging - to increase body temperature
10 to 15 minutes dynamic stretching exercises - reduce muscle stiffness
10 to 15 minutes general and event specific drills - preparation for the session or competition. e.g. for a runner
Lower leg drills
Leg drills
Technique drills
4 to 8 easy run outs over 30 to 60 metres - focus on correct running technique (Tall, Relaxed, Smooth and Drive)
Dynamic stretches are more appropriate to the warm up as they help reduce muscle stiffness. Static exercises do not reduce muscle stiffness.
What are the benefits of a warm up?
Performance may be improved, as an appropriate warm up will result in an:
Increased speed of contraction and relaxation of warmed muscles
Dynamic exercises reduce muscle stiffness
Greater economy of movement because of lowered viscous resistance within warmed muscles
Facilitated oxygen utilization by warmed muscles because hemoglobin releases oxygen more readily at higher muscle temperatures
Facilitated nerve transmission and muscle metabolism at higher temperatures; a specific warm up can facilitate motor unit recruitment required in subsequent all out activity
Increased blood flow through active tissues as local vascular beds dilate, increasing metabolism and muscle temperatures
Allows the heart rate get to a workable rate for beginning exercise
Mentally focused on the training or competition
Warming up for football
A recent survey indicated that hamstring strain rates were negatively linked to the amount of static stretching Premiership footballer's performed. Basically, the more 'bend down and touch your toes and hold' type of stretching they did the more they were likely to strain their hamstrings in practice and matches. This may come as a surprise, but it should not when you consider the physical requirements of football. Players have to make repeated dynamic movements, such as sprints, jumps and turns. Research from Finland discovered that in the course of a season players could make 3900 jumps and 7000 turns, for example. These movements require dynamic muscular contractions; contractions that have little relevance to those involved in held stretches. Most top clubs now employ dynamic warm-ups, which place a much greater emphasis on active and football relevant dynamic mobility.
Professor Angel Spassov is a conditioning expert, originally from Bulgaria who is now based in the States. He is a football specialist and has worked with six World Cup squads. The professor has put together a specific football warm-up. You should use and adapt it to your purposes, if you want to avoid crying off with injuries that could be avoided.
Spassov's warm-up involves both passive and active elements. For the passive part, he advises players to loosen their muscles 30-60 minutes before the game/training session, by rubbing their ankles, knees, all the leg muscles, lower back, neck and shoulders with a heating ointment, preferably one that is odourless and not too hot on the skin. The active warm-up that follows is divided into two parts:
1. General
This begins with 6-8 minutes of jogging, followed by neck, shoulder, lower back and abdominal stretches. There should be 2-3 different routines, with 10-12 repetitions of each. Next, legs (hamstrings, hip flexors, abductors, adductors, quads and calf muscles) are targeted with passive (held) and dynamic stretches (2-3 standard routines with 10-12 reps with performance speed increased every set for the dynamic stretches, such as leg swings). Next varying-intensity sprints are performed in different directions. At the end of this part of the warm-up, players' pulse rates should have reached 160-170 beats per minute.
2. Specific
This begins with various kicks of the ball with both legs and various technical moves with the ball, such as dribbling and stopping the ball. These should progress to medium intensity and be performed with another player, then to high intensity with players combining into groups to practice all the technical skills at the highest possible intensity and speed.
Spassov's suggested warm-up makes great sense and should control players' progression to match readiness. With the early parts of the warm-up performed individually, players should be able to focus on their own movements and progression and not be tempted to perform too dynamic movements before their muscles are fully prepared.
Football speed
All players require speed. Everything else being equal the faster you are the better player you will be. However, football speed is different to the speed required of a sprinter.
· Football speed is reactive and often unpredictable
· The first step (linear or rotational) could make all the difference to getting past an opponent or close enough to make a winning tackle.
· A skill will often have to be performed from the basis of speed, tackles, headers, passes, shots and so on
· Although elite players play on pitches that could support a game of bowls many of us will not be so lucky. Muddy, undulating surfaces will impair speed generation.
· A sprint may be needed when you are 'blowing hard' (see developing football endurance later)
Your training must reflect the above considerations. Use these practices to improve your football speed:
· Turn and sprint drill
· Players stand on the half way line, to a command they turn and sprint 10m. Repeat 6 times taking 30 seconds' recovery between efforts whilst varying the turn direction
· Run at three quarter pace for to a ball placed 20m away. Dribble it and swerve around a cone and pass after a further 15m. Repeat 6 times with 40 seconds' recovery between each effort
· 'Speed dribble' over 30m (from standing: simply dribble as fast as you can in a straight line). Repeat 6 times with 1 minute recovery between each effort
· Floor ladder drills You may have seen players performing various drills through floor ladders on TV.
These exercises are designed to improve, speed, agility and reactive ability. They will positively affect your neuromuscular system if used over time, so that you will be able to get your legs moving that bit quicker. There are hundred of permutations that can be used with one or more ladders. Here are some examples:
1. One foot in each rung (use a low knee lift and concentrate on foot speed, driving your arms backwards and forwards)
2. Step sideways through the ladder. Keep low and light on the ground
3. Run backwards through the ladder one rung at a time - use your calf muscles and ankles to generate your speed and do not forget to co-ordinate your arms with your legs
4. As (I) above but on exiting the floor ladder take control of a ball dribble 10m round a cone and speed dribble back to the start
Improve your first step
Incline your trunk forwards and piston your legs back behind you whilst pumping your arms backwards and forwards as fast as you can. Look at Christiano Ronaldo, the Manchester United and Portugal player, and how he modifies this sprinting skill when dribbling. Practice!
Developing power for football
Footballers are athletes in every sense of the word. All will resistance train. Their training plans will involve body weight, weights and plyometric (jumping) exercises. Weight training will provide foundation strength for more specific football condition, such as speed, to be built on.
Key weight training exercises for football include
Squats, lunges, leg extensions and leg curls (with the latter, concentrate on the lowering phase of the movement to reduce potential hamstring strain). Lift a medium to heavy weight (70-80% of 1RM) using 6-10 reps over 2-4 sets. Everything else being equal a larger muscle will be more powerful and enduring.
Can weight training make you a net buster?
Research has indicated that improving kicking power directly through weight training or other means is unlikely to produce positive results when it comes to greater kicking power. You will get greater returns by working on your technique. However, greater muscle power can significantly improve other aspects of play, such as your leap and sprinting and injury resilience.
Body weight exercises
The dreaded 'burpie' (squat thrust with jump at the end) still has a place in football conditioning, as do other body weight moves, such as press-ups and sit-ups. Put them into a circuit that lasts (with recoveries) 20 minutes and also contains ball skills and you are onto a winner.
Incorporating 'keepy uppy' and short distance passes between players in a circuit will condition specific power and skill endurance - the ability to perform a precision skill under conditions of fatigue is crucial for football players.
The core
Pay particular attention to core strengthening exercises, such as crunches and 'chinnies' (alternate knee to elbow sit-ups), hyper (back) extensions and the plank. A strong and dynamic core is required to maintain player solidity on the ball and reduce injury.
Football specific core strength exercise - sit-up with header
Sit on the floor with knees bent to a 90 degree angle as per normal sit-up. You will need a partner who should carefully toss a football toward you as you reach the top of your sit-up. At this point you head the ball back to him. You then control the descent of your body as it return back to the floor. Complete 10 over 4 sets swapping positions with your partner.
Football specific circuit
Perform at a '20 seconds on 30 seconds' off basis - Press-ups, squat jumps, crunch, keepy-upy, simulated headers (alternating left, double, and right foot leaps from a static or one stride approach), the plank, wall passes over 5m alternating left to right foot strikes, burpies, chinnies, single leg squats, sit-ups with header (see above), 10m sprints (back and forwards), floor ladder drill
Developing football endurance
Forget the 10-mile runs; football is an anaerobic (stop/start) activity. You will be much better off performing various pace running repetitions over distances from 10m to 100m with short recoveries. Some workout examples:
· 20 minutes of jogging, sprinting, walking and half speed and three quarter paced runs. Coach (or fittest player taking part) determines the distance to be run and the recovery by calling out, for example, '20m sprint, walk, 40m three quarter pace run, jog back' and so on. This drill should be contained within one half of the pitch.
· Pass and sprint drill - Two players stand 10m apart. They perform 20 alternate left to right leg passes and then turn in opposite directions to sprint 10m round a cone and back to the start position to perform another set of passes. Take 30 seconds' recovery and repeat 5 times.
· Players perform 20 press-ups and 20 squats on one goal line, jog to centre circle to collect ball, sprint dribble toward the other goal and then shoot from just outside the penalty area (keeper optional). Repeat 5 times with jog back recovery between efforts.
Use these practices and drills in your pre-season training and maintain your fitness with them in-season and you will be challenging for the title (whatever your level) come next spring.
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