Abdominal Muscles: Soccer And Core Muscle Strength

The game of soccer is very much a game of balance.  Being bale to elude defenders, jump over tackles and just control your own body can be at times a very difficult challenge.  By creating a strong center of gravity and building your stomach muscles, you instantly increase your sense of balance and control over movement.  Creating a strong core or mid section, will also benefit your soccer shooting technique.  I work out my abs about 3-4 times a week.  It has become a routine for me.  Here are a couple of abs drills that I use on my daily work outs to help me maintain a solid mid section:

• Bent Knee Crunches-lie flat on your back put your legs up perpendicular to the ground and bend your knees.  With your hands lightly supporting your neck slowly move your head and shoulders up towards the sky.  You want to maintain good form and keep your head facing they sky and not bent into your knees.
  
• Straight Leg Crunches- set up the exact same way, as the bent knee crunches except this time don’t bend your knees.  Your feet should be high in the air. Lightly support your neck with your hands and raise your head and shoulders to the sky.
• Scoops- Sit on the top of a staircase or somewhere where your feet can dangle just a bit.  Rest your hands just behind your but and lean back, raising your knees to your chest.  From this position slowly move your legs, straightening your knees, downward and in a scooping type motion.  As your feet are fully extended and scooping, pull your knees back towards your chest and repeat the scooping rotation.  This takes a little getting used to but it is very effective.  Older more experienced athletes might want to put a light 2-5 pound weights on their feet to increase the difficulty.
• Throw downs- I think we all have seen these at one point or another.  Grab a partner for this and lay flat down on your back.  Extend your arms as far above your head as possible and grab onto the ankles of your standing partner.  Raise your legs to a 90-degree angle, perfectly straight in the air.  Have your partner try and throw your legs to the ground.  You need to use your stomach muscles and keep your legs just inches off the ground and then raise them back up to your partner to repeat the process all over again.  Repeat this at least 10- 30 times depending on your age and strength levels.

Just and article that I found on BCSOCCCER.NET regarding the importance of abdominal muscle and the modern soccer player.  Although it is last in this article it really reiterates what I was talking about in my post. You can read this or check out the real article at bcsoccer.net. Thanks for logging in and checking out ya boy atlskillz one more time. Love, peace and respect.

“Common sense tells us you should train the body the way it’s used in a game.  The majority of movements in soccer demand control of the abdominal muscles while they are lengthening in a multitude of directions.  How then does lying on the ground doing straight ahead sit-ups prepare us for these demands?  It doesn’t.  In fact it often sets us up for injuries either by creating tight muscles and muscle imbalances or by inadequately preparing the torso for the demands of soccer.

The core is now recognized as much more than just a solid foundation from which the arms and legs move.  It is an integrative centre that produces and controls forces and coordinates movement of the upper and lower body.  This is how it should be trained.  If you watch a player effortlessly strike a ball and it takes off like a rocket it is presumed the strength of his leg has produced this.  In fact he has created this power from the core and pelvic region.

There are many trainers and physiotherapists that can help you design a core program specific to your individual needs.  It is crucial that you are instructed and perform these exercises correctly. If not these exercises will be ineffective at best or leave you on the sidelines on the injured reserve, at worst.”