In-Season Strength and

Power Training
Considerations for
Professional Soccer
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Teams Competing Within

National Level
Competitions
Chris Wing, MSc
South Fremantle Football Club, Fremantle, Australia

ABSTRACT
STRENGTH AND POWER HAVE
BEEN WIDELY REPORTED AS
ESSENTIAL QUALITIES TO SUC-
CESSFUL SOCCER PERFOR-
MANCE. HOWEVER, IMPROVING
THESE QUALITIES WITHIN THE IN-
SEASON PERIOD SEEMS TO PRO-
VIDE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES.
THESE INCLUDE A CHAOTIC FIX-
TURE SCHEDULE, INCREASED
LEVELS OF FATIGUE, AND ISSUES
SURROUNDING CONCURRENT
TRAINING. A VARIETY OF METH-
ODS MAY BE USED BY STRENGTH
AND CONDITIONING (S&C)
COACHES TO OVERCOME THESE.
THIS MAY INCLUDE ADOPTING A
NONLINEAR PERIODIZATION PLAN
AND THE CAREFUL MANIPULATION
OF THE VARIABLES WITHIN IT. AT
ALL TIMES, THE S&C COACH
Address correspondence to Chris Wing,
Wingy86@hotmail.com.
SHOULD BE FLEXIBLE AND ABLE
TO EASILY ADJUST PROGRAM-
MING TO THE CHANGING COM-
PETITIVE SCHEDULE.
INTRODUCTION
trength and power are often re-
S ported to underpin several parame-
ters of athletic performance
(20,34,36,59), alongside reducing the inci-
dence of injury (27,56). This specifically
includes an athlete’s ability to perform
explosive actions such as accelerating,
sprinting (34,36,59), and jumping (59).
Furthermore, resistance training has been
shown to improve both lactate threshold
and repeat-sprint ability (20). These are
important considerations within a soccer
population, as players are required to per-
form several high-speed actions per game
(3,45). In fact, Andrzejewski et al. (3)
report that players travel a mean sprint
distance ($24 km h21) of 237 6 123 m
per game, with players reaching a maxi-
mal running speed of 31.9 6 2.0 km$h21.
Soccer players are also required to make
approximately 58-sprint efforts per game
(13) while also performing multiple
changes of direction (8) and several
jumping actions (50). It has been re-
ported that these sprint efforts are essen-
tial to match play with straight line
sprinting said to be the highest contrib-
uting action to scoring a goal (23).
Not only does strength and power
underpin a player’s ability to perform
these actions, but it has also been
linked to higher levels of success
(4,44,60). It has been reported that
players in teams finishing higher within
the league table displayed both greater
back squat strength (60) and increased
jump height (4). Furthermore, Rampi-
nini et al. (44) report that professional
players show superior repeat-sprint
ability and faster 40-m shuttle times
than their amateur counterparts.
KEY WORDS:
competitive phase; in-season; periodiza-
tion; power; soccer; strength

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 It seems that strength and power are Table 1
vital to both soccer performance and Example of a typical 1-month soccer schedule
team success. High levels of strength
and power can be developed through
an appropriately planned preseason pro-
gram (55). However, during the in-
season phase, where congested fixture
schedules often exist, increasing or even
maintaining these levels can become
a complex task. This can be a result of
greater levels of fatigue derived from
match play (2,5), reduced availability of
training time (24), the interference effect
of concurrent training (11), and the need walk through, set pieces, etc.) may be because of the interference effect of
to continually peak athletes for compe- performed alongside potential travel to concurrent training (10,11,28,39),
tition (55). This article explains the issues the away venue. The postmatch recov- which is further explored in later sec-
surrounding programming during the ery process may be initiated immedi- tions of this article. Figure 1 outlines
competitive phase, explores possible ately and continued into the following how each of these factors (practice,
periodization solutions, and offers prac- day. This may include strategies such travel, recovery) may affect the
tical recommendations for professional as nutrition, cold water immersion, schedule.
teams competing at a national level. It contrast bathing, stretching, and active
recovery methods (both land and FATIGUE
is important to note that the recommen-
water based) (17,40). Return travel During the competitive phase, gym-
dations within this article do not account
from away games is dependent on based programming can be heavily influ-
for teams and athletes who are exposed
kick-off time, with midday/afternoon enced by fatigue accumulated from
to schedules involving international
kick-offs allowing for travel on the match play. This is due to the intensity,
travel and therefore, are most relevant
same day. However, return travel from duration, and distances covered through
to those who compete within domestic
evening kick-offs may be best per- various forms of locomotion by the ath-
competitions only. For example, within
formed on the following day, as this letes (45). These physiological demands
the United Kingdom, this may include
allows for improved sleep duration can be influenced by the style of play
teams competing within levels 3 to 5 of
and sleep quality and thus enhances adopted by the team (45). Several
the national pyramid system.
the recovery process (40). These are markers of fatigue have been studied in
important considerations within the relation to soccer and include measures
FACTORS THAT IMPACT of performance, muscle soreness, and
PROGRAMMING schedule, as they reduce the amount
of time that can be afforded to practice. enzyme levels (2,5). The decline within
SCHEDULE The final factor that should be consid- these metrics over a short period (up to
It is well known that soccer schedules ered concerning the schedule is that of 72 hours) postmatch is summarized in
are often chaotic in nature and con- on-field practice. Although the focus of Table 2.
stantly changing. This is due to several this article is on strength- and power- It is important to consider these factors
factors which may include television based training, it is important to have when planning training programs and
rights and progression through knock- an understanding of not only when this weekly training loads. Furthermore,
out tournaments. They also range vastly may take place, but also the volume/ Thorpe and Sunderland (51) explain
between teams, with matches some- intensity of on-field practice. This is that significant increases in the levels
times being played multiple times per
week (18). The increase in match de-
mands reduces the amount of time avail-
able to train and thus further complicates
the organization of training. An example
of a 1-month soccer schedule is depicted
in Table 1.
The time period 24-hours prematch
and postmatch, highlighted in Table 1,
should be set aside for final tactical
preparation, potential travel, and
recovery. In the prematch period, Figure 1. Overview of potential travel, recovery, and match scheduling alongside
light tactical training (formation practice intensity.

13
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 Strength and Power In-season
Metric/source
Sprint speed
DOMS/perceived soreness
Creatine kinase (CK)
Hamstring and quadriceps torque
Countermovement jump (CMJ)
DOMS 5 delayed onset muscle soreness.
of creatine kinase (84%) and myoglo-
bin concentrations (238%) immedi-
ately postmatch were significantly
correlated with the number of sprints
performed (r 5 0.88 and r 5 0.27,
respectively). This is an important fac-
tor, as those whose performance relies
heavily on a high number of sprint ac-
tions are likely to require longer to fully
recover in comparison with those per-
forming a lower volume (51).
It also seems difficult to diminish
fatigue during the season, with several
parameters being seen to be reduced
postseason (26,32). Kraemer et al.
(32) state that significant reductions
in speed and vertical jump height could
be seen at week 9 of the season, with
reductions in knee extensor strength
still evident 1-week after an 11-week
season. Furthermore, Handziski et al.
(26) also found a 30% reduction in
the testosterone/cortisol ratio at the
end of a competitive phase. This
increase in cortisol, alongside the
reduction in testosterone, indicates an
increased catabolic state which may
reduce the athletes’ ability to yield pos-
itive adaptations from strength and
power training (26,52).
CONCURRENT TRAINING
Concurrent training, the simultaneous
performance of strength and power
training alongside aerobic condition-
ing, is synonymous within soccer
performance (22). It has been well
14 VOLUME 40 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2018
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Table 2
Markers of fatigue postsoccer match
Response postmatch
Ascensão et al. (5)
Decreased performance up to 72 h
Increased up to 72 h
Increased throughout 72 h
Decreased up to 72 h
Not tested
established that concurrent training
can have an interference effect on
strength training outcomes
(10,11,28,39). This interference effect
has been consistently reported within
the literature to reduce the impact of
strength and power training outcomes
(10,11,28,39). The contributing factors
to this interference effect have been
previously well presented by Blagrove
(11). Arguably, most critical of these to
the soccer in-season phase is that of
both acute and chronic fatigue, the
mechanisms of which have been pre-
viously explained (2,5). The impact of
acute fatigue has been researched by
Leveritt and Abernethy (33), who
explain that significant intermittent
exercise, immediately before strength
training, can impair an athlete’s ability
to successfully complete training of this
nature. This is further explained by
Sporer and Wenger (49) who state that
previous aerobic exercise can affect
strength training performance for up
to 8 hours. This evidence would sug-
gest that if strength workouts cannot
be completed at desired intensities,
then the effectiveness of the program
would also be diminished (11,49).
INJURY OCCURRENCE
A successful strength and conditioning
(S&C) program must implement strat-
egies to reduce the incidence of athlete
injury and should be centered around
the most common injuries of the sport.
The UEFA injury study reports that on
Andersson et al. (2)
Decreased performance up to 5 h
Increased up to 69 h
Increased up to 69 h
Knee extension reduced up to 27 h
Knee flexion reduced up to 51 h
Still reduced at 69 h
average, each player suffers 2 injuries
per season, with 87% affecting the
lower limb (21). Injuries at the thigh
(23%), knee (18%), hip/groin (14%),
ankle (14%), and lower leg/Achilles
tendon (11%) were most commonly
reported (21). Strains were the most
common injury at the thigh (17%), with
hamstrings constituting 12% and quad-
riceps 5% of these type of injury (21).
Dellal et al. (18) reported that during
periods of fixture congestion, a signifi-
cant increase in match-related injuries
was observed. If a greater incidence of
injury is present, it can increase the
workload on the noninjured members
of the squad. This is especially impor-
tant during periods of high competi-
tion where squad rotation is seen to
be essential to maintain a low injury
rate and improve player recovery
(19). An appropriate injury prevention
(IP) plan is outlined in Table 6 in a later
section of this article.
DESIGNING THE IN-SEASON
STRENGTH AND POWER
PROGRAM
Strength training commonly takes the
form of heavy resistance training,
which, as described previously, has
been shown to develop several aspects
of athletic performance (20,34,36,59).
Power training is multifaceted in nature
and can take the form of both ballistic
type exercises (jumps and throws) and
Olympic-style weightlifting (or deriva-
tives of ) (16). Included within this is
 plyometric, or jump training, with the
aim to enhance properties of the
stretch-shortening cycle, which has
been shown to increase several aspects
of performance (54). Because of the
factors already outlined, several varia-
bles must be carefully considered when
developing any program of this nature;
which includes sets, reps, load, fre-
quency, and periodization strategy.
However, during the in-season phase,
where training time is reduced and
fatigue levels are increased, these
become increasingly more important.
The elements discussed in the follow-
ing sections should be considered.
MAINTAIN OR INCREASE
As previously mentioned, reductions
in strength and power performance
can be seen during the in-season phase
(32). This may be in part attributed to
an increased catabolic state and reduc-
tions in muscle mass (although re-
ported at a nonsignificant level) (26).
The interference effect of concurrent
training may also play a significant role,
as the effects of acute and chronic
fatigue may negate strength training
outcomes (10,11,28,39). This has led
some reports to state that the aim of
in-season training should be to main-
tain strength and power levels (52,55).
However, other researchers have re-
ported improvements in both strength
(7,29,30) and sprint times (38) during
the same training phase. In fact, Baker
(7) reports that in a group of profes-
sional rugby league and rugby union
athletes several parameters of perfor-
mance increased. These include back
squat, hang power clean (league), chin
ups (union), and bench press (both co-
des) (7). However, it must be noted
that rugby is often played on a 1 game
per week schedule, unlike soccer which
often requires athletes to perform mul-
tiple times per week (6,18). Papadakis
et al. (41) also found that power per-
formance (as measured through coun-
termovement jump testing) can be
improved during the in-season phase
among soccer players as long as careful
manipulation of the training variables is
used. With these findings in mind, it
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may be possible to improve the
strength and power characteristics of
soccer athletes during the competitive
period.
FREQUENCY
The frequency of gym-based training is
often dictated by the competitive
schedule. Previous research has sug-
gested that performing resistance
training multiple times per week can
yield superior results (29,35). However,
Rønnestad et al. (47) explain that
strength and 40-m sprint speed can
be maintained with only 1 training ses-
sion per week, with decreases shown if
training drops to 1 session every other
week. Alves et al. (1) also found no
significant differences in the improve-
ments in 5- and 15-m sprint times,
alongside increases in squat jump per-
formance, when comparing training
performed on 1 versus 2 sessions per
week among soccer athletes. With this
evidence in mind, it is reasonable to
assume that 1 gym-based session per
week is sufficient for performance im-
provements, with greater benefits from
additional sessions should schedul-
ing allow.
VOLUME AND INTENSITY
The load required to achieve maximal
strength enhancement has been re-
ported as above 80% of 1 repetition
maximum (RM) (29). This is supported
by Rønnestad et al. (47) who recom-
mend training with a load equal to
4RM. The prescribing of loads should
be treated with a degree of caution
during the in-season phase. This is
because lifting to failure may produce
greater levels of fatigue (12,58), which
may be potentially detrimental to an
athlete’s ability to recover for match
day. Alongside this, Petersen et al.
(42) describe how greater results can
be obtained when not training to fail-
ure versus training to failure. High-
volume loads (e.g., a large number of
sets and repetitions) should also be
avoided, as training of this nature is
likely to cause greater fatigue than pre-
scribing high-intensity loads (i.e., closer
to 1RM and therefore less repetitions
and sets) (9).
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Because of the multifaceted nature of
power training, a variety of loads
should be used to train the entirety of
the force-velocity curve (16). These
may range from 0 to 50% of 1RM for
ballistic exercises and 50–90% of 1RM
for weightlifting style exercises, de-
pending on the training focus (16).
Plyometric volume is dictated by both
the intensity and complexity of the
individual exercises prescribed
(15,54). For example, performing uni-
lateral as opposed to bilateral jumps
and depth as opposed to box jumps,
raises the intensity of the session and
therefore, the subsequent level of
fatigue experienced (15,54). It is recom-
mended that the quality of the athletes’
movements (i.e., jump height and/or
velocity) should be used as a tool to
appropriately program plyometric
loads, with the aim to produce the
highest outputs without excessive
fatigue (54).
ECCENTRIC LOADS
As previously described during soccer
match play, athletes are often required
to perform several changes of direction
(8) and landings from vertical jumps
(50), both of which require eccentric
muscular contractions (when a muscle
is lengthened when generating force)
(46). However, eccentric actions can
result in acute reductions in both iso-
metric and dynamic strength (14) as
well as greater levels of fatigue and
muscle damage (43). Therefore, it
may be prudent to reduce the amount
of eccentric muscular contractions dur-
ing strength and power training
through both the manipulation of sets
and repetitions and by careful exercise
selection and modification (Table 3).
However, it must be remembered that
eccentric strength qualities seem to be
necessary for performance (8,50), as
well as being important within an IP
setting (56) and therefore, should not
be expelled from in-season training
altogether. Moreover, the S&C coach
should look to effectively periodize the
eccentric “gym based” load of their ath-
letes, with the competitive schedule
in mind.
15
 Strength and Power In-season

Table 3
Exercise modification/selection to reduce eccentric component

Exercise Modification/alternative
Lunge Split squat
Deadlift Allow athlete to drop bar at the top of the lift
Weightlifting Perform derivatives without the “catch” phase
Box jump Ensure athlete steps down from box (i.e., does not jump down)
Depth jump Perform alternative exercise, such as hurdle hops
Single-leg squat to box Perform the eccentric phase bilaterally (i.e., concentric lift only)
Single-leg calf raise on step At top of calf raise, place both feet on step and lower back to neutral bilaterally

PERIODIZATION STRATEGIES
Traditional or linear periodization strat-
egies, which are centered around gradual
weekly increases in intensity alongside
a week of restitution (often in a 3:1 con-
figuration) (25,52), have been shown to
produce superior results to nonlinear
programs (30). However, implementing
a strategy of this nature may prove diffi-
cult within an in-season soccer setting
because of the multiple and often chang-
ing fixture schedule (55). Therefore,
adopting a nonlinear approach, which
provides session by session fluctuations
in both intensity and training focus, may
provide the most beneficial solution
(12,25,52,55). This periodization strategy
alternates training focus on a session for
sessions basis (i.e., strength and power)
for a set number of cycles, allowing for
more than 1 training goal to be achieved
(25,52). This strategy has been previously
recommend for the in-season phase of
soccer players, as it also allows for ses-
sions to be easily modified in response to
a changing fixture schedule (12,25,55).
The success of nonlinear programs has
been highlighted by Monteiro et al. (37)
who reported 1RM improvements in
both bench press and leg press after
a 12-week nonlinear training program.
cycles are then repeated using the same
percentage of 1RM, thus effectively
creating a large deload at the start of
each cycle (6). At the end of two 6-
week cycles, Baker (6) recommends
providing players with a week of active
rest, followed by a week of light tran-
sitional training before embarking on
the next wave of training. This allows
for the dissipation of fatigue and for
adaptation to occur and is an element
of training that should be largely con-
sidered within a soccer population dur-
ing periods of fixture congestion.
CONTRAST TRAINING
Because of the increase in both com-
petition and technical training, the
Table 4
Primary lower-body strength session using contrast loading
Strength session (S1)
Exercise
A1. Back squat
A2. Box jump
B1. RFESS
B2. Single-leg hurdle hop
in-season phase can place considerable
time restraints on strength and power
training sessions (24,55). To optimize
training time, the contrast training
method should be considered. This in-
volves performing a loaded strength
exercise immediately followed by an
unloaded explosive or plyometric exer-
cise, for example, a set of back squats
followed by a set of box jumps,
(38,48,57). This method of training
has been reported to enhance several
parameters of athletic performance,
including squat jump (12%), isometric
leg extension force (7.7%), and 80% of
1RM squat load performance (10%)
(57), alongside improvements in sprint
times (38). Furthermore, Spineti et al.
Sets 3 reps Load (% 1RM)
434 85%
434 BW
3 3 5 (e/l) 50%
3 3 5 (e/l) BW

Baker (6,7) also describes a “wave like” C1. Lateral lunge 3 3 6 (e/l) 15%
periodization paradigm that has been C2. Skater hop 3 3 6 (e/l) BW
shown to be successful within a rugby
population during the in-season phase. D1. Nordic curl a
335 BW
This strategy involves the wave-like a
Targeted hamstring injury prevention, load expressed as % 1RM back squat.
prescription of training intensity in
6-week cycles, with a reduction in BW 5 body weight; e/l 5 each leg; RFESS 5 rear foot elevated split squat; RM 5 repetition
maximum.
intensity at week 4 (6). These 6-week

16 VOLUME 40 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2018

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 (48) reported improvements within % Table 5
RSSAdec (% of fatigue during repeat- Primary lower-body power session
sprint test), countermovement jump,
and 1RM squat, after a contrast train- Power session (P1)
ing intervention. The authors com-
Exercise Sets 3 reps Load
pared this with a traditional training
program which only saw improve- A1. Midthigh pull 533 80% 1RM
ments in 1RM squat (48).
B1. CMJ to broad jump 533 BW
EXAMPLE SESSIONS C1. Single-leg box push off 3 3 5 (e/l) BW
Tables 4–6 outline example training
D1. Medicine ball overhead throw a
335 10–15% of BW
sessions for strength training using
contrast loading (S1), power (P1), E1. DB bench press 335 80% 1RM
and IP. E2. Bench pull 335 80% 1RM
The primary strength session, depicted a
Ensure that athlete drives into triple extension during throw.
in Table 4, is centered around 4 cate-
gories of exercises: bilateral strength, BW 5 body weight; CMJ 5 countermovement jump; DB 5 dumbbell; e/l 5 each leg; RM 5
unilateral strength, frontal plane repetition maximum.
strength, and eccentric hamstring
training. Each exercise, except for the
D1 category, is paired with a power/ in soccer, as explained previously (21). ORGANIZATION OF TRAINING AT A
plyometric exercise of a similar nature The IP should be programmed to sup- MESOCYLCE AND MICROCYLCE
and is performed using contrast load- plement the IP benefits that can LEVEL
ing, for example, 4 back squats, fol- already be gained from the strength The development of training sessions is
lowed immediately by 4 box jumps, and power sessions. The IP also incor- commonly seen to be the simplest part
before a rest period and subsequent porates torso training exercises. Each of in-season soccer training. However,
sets. An eccentric hamstring exercise exercise is paired and should be per- the organization of these sessions, and
should figure prominently within formed in a “superset” manner to the manipulation of the variables within
strength sessions because of its pro- optimize time. These sessions may them around a busy match schedule, is
posed positive effect on hamstring be adapted based on individual often far more challenging. Tables 7 and
IP (56). needs which are often derived from 8 outline how the sessions, indicated
The power session, depicted in Table 5, movement screening, injury status, above, may be fitted into 4-week meso-
is centered around 4 categories of exer- injury history, and physiotherapy cycles that involve 1 or 2 matches per
cise: loaded explosive, unloaded bilat- assessment. week, respectively.
eral explosive, unloaded unilateral
explosive, and a throwing exercise
which encourages triple extension of
Table 6
the ankle, knee, and hip joints. The
Example injury prevention (IP) program
aim of this session is to focus on speed
of movement and the enhancement of IP
the athlete’s rate of force development.
Exercise Sets 3 reps
Because of the nature of the sport, the
importance of upper-body resistance A1. Foam rolling/mobility drills 10 min
training is significantly less than that
B1. Bosu ball single-leg balance with ball throw 3 3 30 s each leg
of the lower body. Despite less empha-
sis being placed on training of this type, B2. Mini band walk 3 3 15 m
some upper-body resistance training is
C1. Side-lying adduction with top leg supported on bench 3 3 10
still recommended within soccer
performance programs (55). Two exer- C2. Single-leg bridge 3 3 10
cises, 1 push and 1 pull, are included in
D1. Side plank with abduction 3 3 10
the P1 session and should be per-
formed in a “superset” manner to opti- D2. Dead bug 3 3 15
mize time.
E1. Quadruped 3 3 15
Table 6 depicts a generic IP plan cen-
E2. Palloff press 3 3 30 s
tered around the main causes of injury

17
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 Strength and Power In-season
Table 7
Example of training organization for a 4-week mesocycle with 1 match per
week
During a 1-match per week sched-
ule, the primary strength-based ses-
sion should be performed on
a Tuesday; this allows maximum
recovery time from both prematch
(96 hours) and postmatch (72
hours). The power-based session
can be performed on a Thursday, al-
lowing 48-hour recovery prematch
and poststrength training. It is likely
that the power session will create far
smaller levels of fatigue for the ath-
lete because of significantly reduced
external load, reduced volume and,
because of the athletes requiring to
move fast, significantly less time
under tension (6,9). This is supported
by Howatson et al. (31), who state
that reductions in maximal force pro-
duction were only evident up to 24-
hour poststrength training, but were
not present postpower training ses-
sions. Therefore, affording athletes
48-hour recovery postpower training
seems to be sufficient recovery time
Table 8
Example of training organization for a 4-week mesocycle with 2 matches
every other week
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to allow for optimal match perfor-
mance (31).
During the competitive schedule de-
picted within Table 8, the primary
strength session is only performed
every other week. This is because dur-
ing periods of 2 matches per week, suf-
ficient recovery time is not available to
allow for full recovery from strength
training (31). This leads to the organi-
zation of training to not following a true
nonlinear format, as often 2 power ses-
sions are performed in sequence,
instead of alternating between strength
and power. During periods of 2
matches per week, power-based train-
ing should be directed by individual
athlete fatigue and wellness monitoring
(53). The IP is also performed on
a Thursday, pretechnical training,
during periods of 2 matches per week.
It is important to note that in both of
these scenarios, no resistance-based
exercise is performed on the day before
a match.
ORGANIZATION OF DAILY
TRAINING
The daily structure of training should
also be carefully planned to minimize
the effects of aerobic training on sub-
sequent strength training (12,22,33,49).
Blagrove (12) suggests that strength
and power training should be pro-
grammed on days where the least
amount of aerobic or technical/tactical
training takes place. Furthermore, it is
recommended that athletes are af-
forded the largest amount of recovery
time between aerobic and strength
training bouts (12,22,49). Although
the literature suggests that this recov-
ery time should be greater than 6 hours
(12,49), this is likely to be impractical
within a professional soccer setting.
However, it seems beneficial to orga-
nize training in such a manner that
allows for the largest amount of rest
time between training variables
(12,22,33,49). Therefore, it may be pru-
dent to provide athletes with a combi-
nation of down time, team/individual
meetings and a lunch period following
morning, aerobic-based training,
before subsequently performing
strength- and power-based exercise in
the afternoon (22).
ORGANIZATION OF TRAINING
MACROCYCLE OVERVIEW
Oftentimes, the mesocycle may not
evolve according to plan, and in real-
ity, there are often periods of a season
where strength training (S1) may not
be possible for a number of weeks.
When the athlete is able to resume
the S1 sessions, it is important to pro-
vide them with a 1–2-week period of
transitional training where the exer-
cises are performed using smaller per-
centages of 1RM (6). It has been
proposed that a successful method of
improving athletic performance within
soccer players is to switch training ob-
jectives for each facet of fitness
between loading, maintaining, and un-
loading (12,41). This is best achieved
using the competitive schedule as
a guide, allowing the focus to naturally
switch because of the demands of the
competition. For example, during high-
match involvement, less S1 sessions are
 Table 9
An example of training across a 15-week period, indicating how variables may be manipulated in relation to the
competitive schedule
Weeks

Exercise/% 1RM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Back squat
75–90% 16 16 8 4 0 16 0 16 0 0 0 12 16 8 4
90%. 0 0 6 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 9
Box jump
BW 16 16 16 16 0 16 0 16 0 0 0 12 16 16 16
RFESS
40–60%a 15 15 10 5 0 15 0 15 0 0 0 10 15 10 5
60%.a 0 0 3 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6
Single-leg hurdle hop
BW 15 15 15 15 0 15 0 15 0 0 0 10 15 15 15
Lateral lunge
10–20%a 18 18 12 6 0 18 0 18 0 0 0 12 18 12 6
a
20%. 0 0 4 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 8
Skater hop
BW 18 18 18 18 0 18 0 18 0 0 0 12 18 18 18
Nordic curl
BW 15 15 18 24 0 15 0 15 0 0 0 10 15 18 24
Midthigh pull
70–80% 15 15 15 15 12 9 6 3 15 15 15 0 15 15 15
80%. 0 0 0 0 3 6 9 12 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CMJ to broad jump
BW 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 0 15 15 15
Box push off
BW 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 0 15 15 15
Overhead throw
10–15%b 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 0 15 15 15
DB bench press
75–90% 15 15 15 15 10 5 0 0 15 15 15 0 15 15 15
90%. 0 0 0 0 3 6 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bench pull
75–90% 15 15 15 15 10 5 0 0 15 15 15 0 15 15 15
90%. 0 0 0 0 3 6 9 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

(continued)

19
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 Strength and Power In-season

Table 9
(continued )
Total repetitions per week 284 284 277 274 101 276 93 272 105 105 105 122 284 277 274
Strength focus Load Maintenance Unload Load
Power focus Maintenance Load Maintenance UL Maintenance
Total matches in week 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
This has been devised using the same exercises across the entire 15-week period. The S&C coach may wish to periodically change these exercises;
however, it is recommended that exercises should be picked from the same groups that were outlined within the “Example Sessions” section
previously. This ensures that 1 movement pattern is not excessively overloaded. For example, the RFESS may be replaced with the split squat.

All unilateral exercises are repetitions per side/leg and this is reflected within the total reps (e.g., 18 skater hops is recorded as 36 repetitions
within the total weekly repetitions column).
a
Expressed as % of back squat 1RM.
b
% of body weight.

BW 5 body weight; CMJ 5 countermovement jump; DB 5 dumbbell; RM 5 repetition maximum; RFESS 5 rear foot elevated split squat; UL 5
unload.

performed allowing for a natural un-
loading or maintenance only phase. A
snap shot of how this may be achieved,
for the S1 and P1 sessions only, across
a 15-week period, is highlighted in
Table 9.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
It is clear that the S&C coach has
several variables to consider during
the in-season phase. These have been
explored throughout this article and
are summarized within Table 10. The
ever-changing schedule requires
flexibility within programming;
therefore, the S&C coach should ini-
tiate programs from the outset that
easily allow for this. Finally, the
S&C coach should be cognizant
to the fact that a true “textbook”
periodization strategy is unlikely to
exist within elite level soccer and
oftentimes, a strategy of “best fit”
must be used. A nonlinear-based
approach seems to best allow for this
(12,25,55).
Conflicts of Interest and Source of Funding:
The author reports no conflicts of interest
and no source of funding.

Table 10
Overview of in-season strength and power training recommendations
Variable Recommendation

Frequency At least 1 resistance training session per week.

Intensity Approximately 80% of 1RM for primary lifts.
Volume Avoid high-volume sessions and instead program high-intensity low-volume workloads.
Periodization Use an undulating/nonlinear program due to its flexible nature which allows the plan to be adjusted for
strategy changes in scheduling.
Organization Power training may be performed closer to match day than strength training due to the fact that it creates
smaller levels of fatigue.
Daily organization Allow for the largest amount of recovery time between technical/tactical and strength/power training
sessions. Perform strength/power training on days with the lowest technical/tactical demands.
Eccentric load Aim to reduce eccentric load when possible, but do not eradicate from training altogether.
Training focus Should switch between loading, maintaining, and unloading for each element of fitness. This should be
dictated by the schedule.
Lifting to failure Avoid training to failure.
Monitoring Allow individual “readiness to train” monitoring to modify and shape training sessions where appropriate.
RM 5 repetition maximum.

20 VOLUME 40 | NUMBER 3 | JUNE 2018

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Chris Wing is an
accredited
strength and
conditioning
coach currently
working within
state level sport in
Perth, Western
Australia..
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