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Soccer Training – High Intensity Vs Low Intensity Training

Posted: 26 Mar 2011 01:15 AM PDT

This article is guest blogged by Jonas Forsberg of YouthSoccerSpeed.com

When it comes to the way we plan and setup our soccer practices, there is one important rule to follow:

Never perform 2 High Intensity Soccer Training days in a row

No matter what age or level you are coaching, adding in 2 high intensity days in a row will in the long term only lead to the players getting sore and possibly even injured.

There is an exception to this rule, and that is when you coach older players at a higher level (age 16 and older) during pre-season. Through a shorter period during the pre-season you might be able to go a little harder a few days in a row, much like the European clubs who only have a few weeks to prepare for the season.

But cycling (alternating) between high intensity and low intensity training days really is effective. I believe that you should be able to go hard at least once a week, even during soccer season. If there’s a game every 6-7 days, then you might even be able to add in 2 high intensity workouts during the week, but make sure to keep these workouts during the middle of the week, as far away from the games as possible.

A Sample High Intensity Training Session for Soccer

A high intensity workout can be a training session where you work a lot through small sided games, for instance:

- Warm Up (10 min)
- Speed Training (10 min)
- 2 v 2 Tournament (40 min)
- 6 v 6 w/ 2 min work (20 min)
- Agility/Conditioning Drill (5 min)
- Cool-down (5 min)

2 v 2 and 6 v 6 together with an agility drill that focuses on the conditioning aspect really is a high intensity workout session. Performing this session several days in row will probably lead to the opposite effect of what you are looking to accomplish.

Similar sessions as the one above can (and should) be performed 1-2 times/week, throughout the whole year.

A Sample Low Intensity Training Session for Soccer

A low intensity training session may look like this:

- Warm Up (10 min)
- Landing Technique and Coordination (10 min)
- Technical drills (20 min)
- Finishing drills (25 min)
- Cool-down (10 min)

Technical drills may include dribbling at a pretty low tempo, but it may also include different passing/receiving drills at a low tempo. Other great examples of low intensity drills are soccer-tennis or soccer-golf, which the players very often enjoy.

Finishing drills could be anything from dribbling the ball and then try to score, it could be a one-touch finish, finishing from crossing, etc. Just make sure the distance the players are running before they finish is relatively short, so the drill doesn’t turn into a conditioning oriented drill. Low intensity but with high focus and concentration is the key here.

If you coach older players then adding in some set pieces during low intensity training sessions is a really good idea if you want to work on the tactical components of the game.

Low intensity training sessions should be placed into the schedule the day after a game, or as the last training session before a game (1 day before the game). High intensity training sessions are best to add in during the middle of the week, as far away from a game as possible.

Sample Training Weeks

3 sessions/week

A sample week for those who practice 3 times/week may look like this:

Sample #1 (Mo-Wed-Fri, game on Sunday/Saturday)

Sunday: Game
Monday: Low Intensity Training Session
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: High Intensity Training Session
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Low Intensity Training Session
Saturday: Game

Sample #2 (Mon-Tue-Thur, game Saturday/Saturday)

Saturday: Game
Sunday: Rest
Monday: High Intensity Training Session
Tuesday: Low Intensity Training Session
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: High Intensity Training Session
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Game

Conclusion

This article is a good template to follow when it comes to planning your soccer sessions. If you work with younger players (up to 14-15 years old), then your training should be built around technical skills and a lot small sided games. Adding in a lot of conditioning drills at the end of a practice is not needed at this age.

If you work with older athletes (16 +), then this article really is THE template for you to follow.

Always make sure to ask your players for feedback on the training intensity, and how they feel in their bodies. If they are complaining and feel soreness/pain in, for instance, their groins and hamstrings, then take a step back and lower the intensity for a while.

Planning and setting up the training schedule is always tricky, and moderate is often best, but as long as the players feel fresh then adding in high intensity training sessions really shouldn’t be a problem, not even during the competition period.

Remember to always alternate between high and low intensity training sessions!

Jonas Forsberg is the creator of The Soccer Speed Blog and The Youth Soccer Speed program. Youth Soccer Speed comes with a conditioning guide called Energy System Development, which is a complete guide to getting your players fit through soccer training. Visit YouthSoccerSpeed.com for more information!