We all know running’s part of the game, but it’s not the only way to stay game-ready. Here’s how to balance load, reduce injury risk, and build lasting fitness. Drop your favorite cross-training method below, or tag a teammate who needs to hear this! https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yL0PQL0YuJMto2BhGG4r46-U9lkDcEZBmA2wuxLXaUA/edit?usp=sharing

Fall is coming to a close and for those of us not in playoff play, the season has also come to a close. One of the biggest concepts that is misconstrued among this sport is how much time to take off after the season ends. Let’s talk about it! Below I’ve attached an approximate outline for long term physiological development for a soccer player with ideal frequency ranges for certain types of training (cardio, strength training, sports specific, etc) to put you in the best position to perform during the season. And, more importantly, to continue to develop you as a player into the following season; which includes minimizing injuries that put you out of training for extended periods of time. Let’s assume we all finish by mid-November (I know professional leagues don’t fall on this continuum but all you have to do is slide the months to line up with when season/off-season falls and it’s scalable to all). You’ve earned a couple of weeks off. You just spent 10-12 weeks training 6x per week, likely under-fueled. You don’t need to be in peak shape in 2 weeks again; take a load off. You’ll have 30+ weeks to get after it after that. I’d start back in with cardiovascular cross-training (bike, elliptical, swim) and some strength training. Do things that don’t look soccer-like. If you’ve been lifting in season, start to ramp it up. If you haven’t, this is your opportunity to build a runway and start low and slow to put yourself in the best possible position later on. Keep running out of the question until December. You can maintain your cardiovascular fitness through other means. You were just tagging anywhere from 3-8 miles a day, 6 days a week. You can give your body a break from running, and it won’t forget how. I’d recommend reintroducing running back into your regimen via a return to run/sprint protocol (We have some of these are available to VIP users) at the beginning of the year. This projected layout allows you to train all necessary performance variables across the year and potentiate each subsequent phase to improve performance year over year while taking into account risk of injury, overtraining, and necessary adaptations.