Getting in shape for soccer

[patbrookhouserIII]

Ok, it's just around the corner. For years, I've wanted to make my High School soccer team, and the tryouts are in just a couple months. I am not in the best shape, but have improved significantly in the past year. I have recently started rowing 30 minutes daily, and am REALLY watching what I eat. I am 14 years, 5'11.5" and am currently about 218.5 pounds. Ideally, by the time soccer season comes, I would like to be about 200 pounds (that's about as much as an English pro, John Terry, who is the same hight as me.) Does anyone have any advice that could help me achieve my goals?

[RowtheRockies]

Only advice is work that 30 minutes up to 10K and then beyond. Don't worry right now about rowing fast. Your goal is to lose weight, the more meters the better and watching what you eat wouldn't be a bad ida either. Good Luck!
Rich

[Ray79]

John Terry is 6ft 1 and 180lbs (or 12 stone 12lbs if you prefer), but that is beside the point.

RowtheRockies is dead right. Distance is your friend when looking to lose weight. Aerobic work at moderate heartrates are best - get a good sweat going. And look to do no less than 45mins to 1 hour on the erg per session. As the intensity will not be massively high recovery from these from day to day should not be a problem

Plus it will build a good aerobic base that you can turn to your advantage for the distances covered on the football field (might be an idea to do some running also as the cadence required is completely different to that of the erg)

Best of luck

[TomR]

If you want to lose weight, fix the diet. No junk food, sodas, phony juice drinks with high-fructose corn syrup. Avoid processed foods as much as possible. If it's real food, eat it. If it comes in a colorful package, forget it.

In addition to the rows, do some running, as Ray suggests: sprints (not full speed) 2 or 3 times a week. Also agility drills--since you're in Omaha, you can use beefsteaks instead of cones as markers. Add in some bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, burpees.

Start easy, build up gradually.

[nkoffler]

The erg is a nice supplement for getting in soccer shape but running needs to be you primary tool. I was on my high school (Frosh-Soph) soccer team and we (varsity, JV, Frosh-Soph) trained as a group. We did a mix of longish (5-6 mile) runs, hills, and intervals. We also did a ton of leg lifts, sit-ups and other things that one would have called "core" work if we used that word other than in reference to an apple or the center of the earth in those days. Our hill was about a 3/4 mile run away and the hill itself was maybe 200-300 yards. The intervals would have us running as a group on the track. We'd do the straights at 3/4 speed (full speed being a sprint) and the turns at a light jog. We'd do 3 miles that way. Alternatively, we'd have a partner and sprint a 220 and then cut across the middle to begin again. Our coach's philosophy was that the game was about sprints and recovery on the run.

That stuff in addition to the nutrition advice will help a lot. Don't forget you skills either. You can do long runs or intervals on a field while dribbling a ball.

Good luck,

Neil

[RR1 Kirk]

...and just to confuse the issue.

As has been said if one of your goals is to lose some pounds then you will have to eat properly. You might as well learn this while you are young.

If losing weight is not one of your goals you still should learn to eat properly. Remember that it's hard to cut calories and still have the enegy for high intensity workouts.

I would go about using the erg differently though. I'd be doing intervals 4 minutes on 4 minutes off x 4, and adding another set as you get fitter. You will develop aerobic fitness as an extra benefit from this work out.

Soccer isn't just jogging around the pitch, it's sprinting then jogging. You know that once the practices start your coach will have you sprinting your a** off, so you might as well get used to it now.

Cheers,

[125shifter]

Distance is your friend when looking to lose weight. Aerobic work at moderate heartrates are best - get a good sweat going. And look to do no less than 45mins to 1 hour on the erg per session.

LSD (long slow distance) is the key to dropping weight - just not too slow. I've been on the rower since early this month and that in combination w/ eating MUCH better/lighter and running on the mill, I've dropped 13-15lbs in 5 weeks. I've got another ~17 to go, but I'll be ripped up @ that point and kicking sand in people's faces @ the beach this year.

Diet is huge. Steading training & diet modification are double huge. Frankly, I'm finding that contributing to my rowing team meters has me rowing more and I'll almost always finish a rowing session w/ a run. In the end, the C2E is paying off big.