pre-season base phase 1
introduction
These sessions are guides and as coaches you can either use them as outlined, or adapt them to follow your own requirements.
This initial phase 1 of the conditioning program is to develop the players’ base fitness and the emphasis is therefore on aerobic fitness. These sessions should be used in the early stages of pre-season training. Some players may need to continue this type of session for later in pre-season, and sometimes during the season.
These decisions will be based upon the results of their fitness tests, and the positions they play.
More strenuous sessions such as interval work, beach and hill sessions etc. will take place in later phases. Speed and agility sessions, including emphasis on technique will take place nearer the start of the season.
For now, we want to get the players used to a proper warm up with good stretching and improve their aerobic fitness levels. To do this all sessions should provide approximately 15 to 20 minutes of continuous exercise. Not all at one pace but with changes in effort and pace from fairly hard running to slow jog.
Unfortunately these aerobic sessions are probably the most boring part of training but they have to be done. All players should join in unless ill or injured and it may be interesting to note which players cope with this type of training more than others. I would expect midfield players to be better suited to this type of core fitness work, whereas some of the strikers and goalkeepers will struggle.
However, these sessions do also act as part of the team spirit and bonding of a team so although not so applicable to goalkeepers, they should be encouraged to take part, unless they are taking part in specialized goalkeeper training.
examples
All sessions should begin with:
Follow all conditioning sessions with some light jogging before they begin soccer specific sessions. Make sure you finish all sessions with slow jog and stretching.
P1A
Pyramid Run
Run for period, jog 30 seconds recovery
eg. Run for 1 min, jog 30 seconds, run for 2 mins, jog for 30 seconds etc.
No break - continuous running.
P1B
Paarlauf
Divide players into groups of 2. Player A runs half a pitch and “handover” (touches) player B. Player B then runs the half of the pitch, while player A jogs across the pitch in time to “handover” with player B.
P1C
Fartlek
Continuous running with a mixture of paces. I suggest blowing whistle to start effort phase, next blow of whistle is jog phase.
Split the runs into sections of 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 seconds runs with same time jog recovery.
Run around pitch so players know where to. Use the recovery jog phase to get all players together again.
For example:
Another example is that each player gets a turn at setting the pace and length of effort phase. This means that a player can run very hard for 10 seconds, or run fairly hard for 2 mins if they like. The other players have to keep up with him.
P1D
Intervals
Split pitch length into 3 sections – middle section about 20 meters.
Players run hard for first section, ease off middle section and then run hard 3rd section.
Jog across 30 meters and repeat.
P1E
Indian File
Players run in a single file, coach blows whistle and last player has to run hard to get to front.
If pace appears too slow, then blow whistle more frequently then if pace appears fast.