Advanced Weight Training for Soccer

Advanced Weight Training for Soccer

© CoachingAmericanSoccer.com®

A traditional weight-lifting program, tailored for college-level soccer players, focuses on building strength, power, and injury resilience, while complementing soccer-specific skills like speed, agility, and endurance.

The program below assumes access to a full gym and is structured with four sessions split between the upper and lower body and utilizes a mix of compound lifts, accessory work, and functional training.  There is also a recovery session.

Note that weight training is best performed under the direction of a professional instructor implementing a program specific to an individual.  For this reason, the heaviness of weights is not identified.  Under any circumstance, players should never lift alone and should use spotters with free weights.

Players should not engage in power lifting and must be extremely careful to not over-train the hamstrings (the three posterior thigh muscles of each leg).

Research each exercise on-line.  (References with each exercise are # sets times x # repetitions per set.)

Lower Body Strength

  1. Back Squats – 4 sets x 5 reps @ 80–85% 1RM
  • How: Barbell across upper traps. Feet shoulder-width apart. Sit back and down, keeping chest up and knees tracking over toes. Drive through heels to stand.
  • Tip: Do not let the knees cave inward.
  1. Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs) – 3 x 8
  • How: Hold barbell or dumbbells in front. Hinge at hips (not knees), keeping back flat. Lower weights down legs, then return to standing.
  • Tip: Do not stress the hamstrings.
  1. Walking Lunges (DB/BB) – 3 x 10 each leg
  • How: Step forward into a lunge, lowering back knee close to the ground. Push off and bring rear foot forward to the next lunge.
  • Tip: Keep torso upright and step far enough to avoid knee going past toes.
  1. Glute-Ham Raise / Nordic Curl – 3 x 6-10
  • How: Anchor feet (or use GHR machine), slowly lower the torso forward using hamstrings, then return upright.
  • Tip: Use hands if needed.  Do not stress the hamstrings.
  1. Calf Raises – 3 x 15
  • How: Stand with toes on a platform, heels hanging off. Raise heels as high as possible, then lower slowly.
  • Tip: Use both seated and standing versions for full development.  Add hand-held weights.
  1. Hanging Leg Raises – 3 x 12
  • How: Hang from pull-up bar, raise legs straight up (or knees bent for easier version).
  • Tip: Control the movement, do not swing.

Upper Body Strength

  1. Bench Press (Flat or Incline) – 4 x 5
  • How: Lie on bench, feet flat. Lower bar to chest, then press up to lockout.
  • Tip: Use a spotter.
  1. Pull-Ups – 3 x 810
  • How: Grip bar shoulder-width. Pull chin over bar, then lower under control.
  • Tip: Add weight once able to do 10+ bodyweight reps.
  1. Barbell/Dumbbell Rows – 3 x 8
  • How: Bend at hips, back flat. Pull weight to waist, squeeze shoulder blades.
  • Tip: Do not jerk the weight, use controlled movement.
  1. Overhead Press – 3 x 6–8
  • How: Barbell or dumbbells at shoulder height. Press overhead until arms are straight, then lower.
  • Tip: Keep core tight and avoid leaning backward.
  1. Face Pulls – 3 x 15
  • How: Using a rope on a cable machine, pull toward face with elbows high.
  • Tip: Great for posture and shoulder health; do not skip it.
  1. Cable Woodchoppers – 3 x 12 per side
  • How: Set pulley at high position. Pull handle diagonally across body to opposite hip.
  • Tip: Keep core tight, rotate through torso, not just arms.

Lower Body Power

  1. Power Cleans / Hang Cleans – 4 x 3
  • How: Explosively pull bar from floor or hang position to shoulders, catching in a front rack.
  • Tip: Focus on speed, not max load. Get coaching to learn proper form.
  1. Front Squats – 4 x 5
  • How: Barbell rests on front delts. Squat down, keeping torso upright.  Never drop below 90-degree knee bend.
  • Tip: Elbows up keep the bar from rolling forward.
  1. Box Jumps – 3 x 5
  • How: Jump explosively onto a box, landing softly with knees bent.
  • Tip: Do not tuck knees to jump higher; jump through hips.  (See Plyometrics.)
  1. Bulgarian Split Squats – 3 x 8 per leg
  • How: Rear foot elevated on bench, front foot forward. Lower into a single-leg squat.
  • Tip: Balance is key; start with bodyweight.
  1. Hamstring Curls – 3 x 12
  • How: Use a machine or stability ball. Curl heels toward glutes, then slowly extend.
  • Tip: Focus on the eccentric (lowering) phase.
  1. Russian Twists – 3 x 20
  • How: Sit with heels off floor, rotate torso side to side with a medicine ball.
  • Tip: Keep spine neutral, do not hunch.

Upper Body Hypertrophy and Conditioning

  1. Incline Dumbbell Press – 3 x 10
  • How: Press dumbbells up at a 30-45° incline.
  • Tip: Great for upper chest; do not arch the back.
  1. Chin-Ups – 3 x max (up to 10)
  • How: Similar to pull-ups but palms face the body.
  • Tip: Works more biceps and lower lats.
  1. Lat Pulldowns / Inverted Rows – 3 x 12
  • How: Pull bar or body toward chest, squeeze back at the top.
  • Tip: Focus on pulling with elbows, not hands.
  1. Lateral Raises and Rear Delt Flys (Superset) – 3 x 15
  • How: Raise arms to side (lateral) or backward (“flys”) with light dumbbells.
  • Tip: Use slow tempo and light weight to isolate muscles.
  1. Barbell or Dumbbell Curls and Triceps Extensions (Superset) – 3 x 12
  • How: Perform curls (biceps) and overhead extensions or pushdowns (triceps).
  • Tip: Superset these to save time and increase pump.
  1. Battle Ropes or Sled Push – 4 x 20 sec
  • How: Explosive intervals – alternate arms with ropes or push sled for 20 seconds.
  • Tip: Focus on effort, not duration.
  1. Core Circuit (Plank and Side Plank and Toe Touches) – 3 rounds
  • How: Combine front plank, side plank, and toe touches in sequence.
  • Tip: Minimal rest, keep tight form.

Recovery and Core

  1. Foam Rolling and Dynamic Stretching
  • Use a cylindrical foam roller to apply pressure to muscles and fascia, helping to relieve tightness, break up knots, increase blood flow, improve flexibility, and reduce soreness,
  • (See Dynamic Movement)
  1. Resistance Band Hip Mobility Drills 
  • Resistance band hip mobility exercises use tension to improve range of motion, targeting hip flexion, extension, and rotation through movements like Banded Hip Flexion, Monster Walks, Banded Clamshells, and Banded Kneeling Lunges, often involving a band looped around ankles or thighs to provide resistance for stretching and strengthening deep hip muscles, crucial for better movement patterns.
  1. Plank Variations – 3 x 1 min
  • How: Maintain a straight line from head to heels, supporting body on elbows or hands.
  • Tip: Keep core braced, do not let hips sag.
  1. Dead Bugs / Bird Dogs
  • How: Opposite limbs extend while stabilizing the spine.
  • Tip: Focus on slow, controlled movement to build core stability.
  1. Optional Light Cycling, Swimming, or Yoga

 Soccer Coaching Tips:

  • Warm-ups: Always include dynamic mobility work, skipping, and light plyometrics.
  • Cool-downs: Stretching, foam rolling, or static holds.
  • In-Season Adjustments: Cut volume, maintain intensity (reduce sets, keep weight moderate).
  • Sprint and Agility: Add on-field sprint/agility work 1 – 2 times/week.
  • Medicine Ball for Throw-ins: Use a ball with a diameter similar to that of a soccer ball.  The weight of the medicine ball should be graduated from 4 to 10 pounds over time and should generally not exceed 12 pounds.

© John C. Harves