Category Archives: Soccer

Improving Your Beep Test Score

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Beep-Test

Beep Test Summary

The beep test is a test of fitness, and is used as a measure of your aerobic capacity. It is not something that you would normally train for, as you would usually be doing the training for your specific sport and using the test to determine if you have reached your training goals.

However, the test is also commonly used as an important selection criteria for some sporting teams or jobs. Therefore many people need to train specifically for the test in order to reach a desired score.

Ideally, the test should be a true representation of your aerobic fitness. However, due to the nature of the test, there may be inaccuracies and you may not be reaching the level you have the potential to. I see that there are three main areas that can be addressed to maximize your beep test score: mental toughness, pacing strategies and physical conditioning. Depending on what level you are at, one or more of these can be used to help you achieve your potential in this test.

If you follow all of the following suggestions, you should at least reach your potential in the test, based on your current fitness level.

Do Physical Training

The beep test is a measure of your aerobic fitness. If you really want to significantly improve your score in the test, you need to do some aerobic type training. You cannot avoid it, you will have to do some hard work. There’s elsewhere more details about training for the beep test.

If you don’t want to work hard, and/or you don’t have the time to make significant changes to your fitness, here are some other methods to help maximize your beep test score.

Prepare Well

You should be physically ready to perform the test. You should have recovered with at least 24 hours since the last heavy training session,and be free from injury or illness. Make sure you hydrate well beforehand, and have a light meal 1-2 hours before the test. You should also feel comfortable, by wearing loose clothing and by having firm fitting footwear with a good grip. You should also perform a light warm-up before the test.

Be Mentally Tough

The beep test can be a mentally tough test for some, and some good improvements can often be made, without any change in your base fitness, by a more positive state of mind. Pushing through the pain barrier may help you reach a higher level.

Use Sound Technique

Using an efficient turning technique you will minimize any excess energy wasted during the turning phase. As you come in to the turn, time it so that only one foot just touches over the line, and turn sharply, not following a wide arc which will mean more distance traveled. You should drop your hips slightly as you turn, and push off strongly for the first few strides to get up to pace. When you get near the end of a level, try to be on time with the beep, and step up your pace straight away. Run efficiently to conserve energy – run with your shoulders relaxed and breath deeply and smoothly.

Use Pacing Strategies

Also without any change in aerobic fitness, you may be able to improve your score by pacing yourself so that energy is not wasted from end to end. Try and stay relaxed, quickly getting up to the required pace. Running at a consistent pace will be more efficient.

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How to Build Explosive Power

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These exercises are often done in sets-3 sets of 8

Never attempt any exercise without first consulting a physician to determine if the exercises or program you are attempting are right for you. In addition, contact weight lifting professionals to determine if you are executing lifts correctly as it can be highly dangerous not to.

Here are a few ways for athletes or would be athletes to gain explosive power while training.

Ravers
This one is simple. Put a barbell across your shoulders as if you were going to execute a standard squat. The difference is that you will have one foot forward and the other back. Bend your knees slightly and then quickly switch foot positions with a small jump. Do this back and forth rather forcefully.

Uphill sprints
Remember this back in high school (for all of you former high school wrestlers and football players)? Uphill sprints. Simple and it works to build explosive strength.

Put on a weight vest and it works even better, or worse, depending on your outlook.

Load Release Jumps
Get a sturdy bench or something similar that can hold your weight because you will be jumping on it. It’s probably appropriate to once again start with no weight until you are used to the exercise. However, when you have dumbbell weight, here’s what you do.

Hold the weight in front of you and quickly drop into a squat (the weight will be between your legs). Just prior to jumping up onto the bench, release the weight. Some use a weight vest while performing this exercise.

Dumbell Jerk
Start with a shoulder width stance and point the toes straight ahead. While doing this, hold dumbbells in each hand up to your shoulders with your elbows pointing straight ahead. One end of each dumbbell will actually rest on each shoulder.

From there, one should drop straight down a few inches and then explosively jump and extend up. Then-and speed is of the essence, here-one should drop straight down into a lunge position with one leg forward and the other back. The weight should be caught with one’s arms fully extended in the bottom position. Stand up with the arms extended until you are upright and be careful not to take elongated steps (these should be small). The arms should be fully extended and behind the ears in the catch position.

Standing Triple Jump
With a shoulder width stance, start with a horizontal jump. Then, landing on one leg, explode up again, this time landing on the other leg. After exploding into a jump once more, practitioners will land on both legs softly and repeat.

Depth Jumps
Depth jumps involve stepping off boxes-heights can vary- and upon landing on the floor with both legs at the same time, practitioners must explode into the air. The use of arm swings adds power to this exercise.

Barbell Quarter Jump Squats

Barbell Jump squats involve performing a quarter squat. Then the practitioner explodes up during the concentric phase of the lift to the point that his/ her hips and knees propel them into the air. In other words, they jump. Upon landing the lifter should stop downward motion as soon as possible and then jump back into the air.

At first, lifters should probably use no weight at all until they get used to the movement. During this stage, they may utilize an arm swing. Then low weight may be added.

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How To Train For Soccer

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Soccer-Training-Speed

Training the energy systems

(Aerobic system)
The aerobic energy system is the one you use when you engage in moderately intense exercise for over two minutes. It is responsible for what is commonly known as “stamina,” or how long you are able to sustain an activity.

For soccer, this is especially critical, as you frequently run back and forth across the field without any rest periods. To train this energy system efficiently, include two or three longer steady-state cardio sessions in your workout.

You will get the best results from running — either outdoors or on the treadmill. Maintain a moderate pace for 30 to 45 minutes.

(Anaerobic system)
The anaerobic system allows you to perform all the stop-and-go movements involved in soccer. Over the course of a game, you often need to run at an “all out” speed, then quickly recover so you can do it again.

To accomplish this, add one or two interval training sessions to your workout. Run as fast as you can for 30 to 60 seconds, followed by a period of light activity for one to two minutes. Repeat this process six to eight times.

By training this way, you will also increase your body’s ability to handle lactic acid, therefore reducing your chances of fatigue.

(Training for agility)

Agility training can be accomplished through a series of exercises that involve attaching a rope to a weight sled. Perform 8 to 12 reps of each exercise, for a total of two working sets.

(Bilateral drills)

For these exercises, tie a rope to each leg.

Bear Crawl: Get down on your hands and knees and pull the sled along the ground.

Forward Walk: A simple forward walk, focusing on snapping each leg through the movement.

High Knee: Similar to the forward walk, but raise your knee as you walk forward.

Lateral Slide: Walk laterally using a slow and controlled step.

(Unilateral drills)
For these exercises, tie a rope only to one leg at a time.

Forward Walk: Same as the bilateral exercise, but with only one leg.

Lateral Push Slide: Attach the sled to the lead leg, which you will then push over the other in a lateral direction.

X-Over: The same motion as the lateral push slide, but with the rope attached to the trail leg, which you cross over the lead leg.

Lateral Pull Slide: Attach the rope to the trail leg and take a large side step with the lead leg. Then, bring the trail leg to the lead leg without crossing over (use a wide step).

Backward Walk: Focusing on one leg at a time, perform a backward walk, staying low to the ground.

(Training for strength)

The final aspect you need to be concerned with is that of leg and core strength. Do traditional strength-training exercises to develop a strong and powerful lower body.

Complete four sets of six reps for each of the following exercises. Focus on pushing as much weight as you can and move the weight through the range of motion as fast as possible. This will help to develop not only leg strength, but also power.

Barbell Squat: Stand and rest a barbell on the back of your shoulders. Slowly squat down, keeping your knees in line with your toes.

Stiff-Legged Deadlift: Place a barbell on the floor. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp either end of the barbell, keeping legs straight (but not locked or hyper-extended). Slowly rise to a standing position and lower once again.

Lunges: Hold a dumbbell in each hand and take a long step forward. Slowly lunge down, and then rise back up as fast as you can.

Hanging Knee Raise: Grasp an overhead bar and lift yourself off the ground. Then, raise your legs up to at least 90 using your abdominal muscles.

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