Shooting
Control
Dribbling
Defending
Drills
Fitness
Passing
Positions
Freestyle
Hill Runs
-
ForzaMilan
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 897
- Joined: 22 May 2007, 01:25
I have a hill at a nearby park, and I was wondering if anyone knew any good excercises for hills. It's not a long hill but it's really steep. I'm looking to increase speed and explosiveness.
-
Soccer4Life
- Guide Goddess
- Posts: 2068
- Joined: 30 Jun 2006, 22:00
- Location: USA
Sprinting up a hill will provide strength, power, and fitness training. Striding down is overspeed training and will make you faster. Finishing off a long distance run with some hill sprints/strides is a good idea.
If you have a hill, you have a great place to train. Do a lot of stretching out beforehand and some light plyometrics.
If it's a dirt hill, it's great because you can do this a few times a week. 1-2 times a week if it's asphalt. For below, the hills I've run on were always about 30-40 degrees from the horizontal.
Okay, we did this every Friday for NCAA track. We started at the bottom and went all out up to the top. Focus on your form and stride. Place a marker near the top to make it as long as a soccer field and make it your goal to go all out until you pass the line. That means you don't decelerate until you've passed it. Then you jog down to the bottom and when you reach it, you go again.
I did one day of this for each of the last two weeks. The first week I was not very confident about it and I did 5 before being done. The second week I made it my goal to do 8 and I made it to 8. During track we did 12 and were up to 16 without stopping and the distance was 50% more. You would of course not run further than you would have to on a soccer field and eventually, you should be able to do about 12 to 16. When you're at that level, you will notice a change when you play soccer
Just visualize making a breakaway run with defenders trying to pull you down, but you are just powering your way through like Kaka. Then when you jog back down, don't walk but treat it like a game situation where you jog lightly and are ready to receive the ball at any second. They're tough, but hill sprints do a really good job for explosiveness. They work wonders for your confidence if you can get yourself to the point where you are bent over breathing heavily, but instead you tough it out and jog to finish it. Cuz in a game, you can't bend over and breathe, or you'll get to sit on the bench.
If it's a dirt hill, it's great because you can do this a few times a week. 1-2 times a week if it's asphalt. For below, the hills I've run on were always about 30-40 degrees from the horizontal.
Okay, we did this every Friday for NCAA track. We started at the bottom and went all out up to the top. Focus on your form and stride. Place a marker near the top to make it as long as a soccer field and make it your goal to go all out until you pass the line. That means you don't decelerate until you've passed it. Then you jog down to the bottom and when you reach it, you go again.
I did one day of this for each of the last two weeks. The first week I was not very confident about it and I did 5 before being done. The second week I made it my goal to do 8 and I made it to 8. During track we did 12 and were up to 16 without stopping and the distance was 50% more. You would of course not run further than you would have to on a soccer field and eventually, you should be able to do about 12 to 16. When you're at that level, you will notice a change when you play soccer
Just visualize making a breakaway run with defenders trying to pull you down, but you are just powering your way through like Kaka. Then when you jog back down, don't walk but treat it like a game situation where you jog lightly and are ready to receive the ball at any second. They're tough, but hill sprints do a really good job for explosiveness. They work wonders for your confidence if you can get yourself to the point where you are bent over breathing heavily, but instead you tough it out and jog to finish it. Cuz in a game, you can't bend over and breathe, or you'll get to sit on the bench.
Excellent post, XstaticX. I agree with everything you have said. I have also been doing hill runs for the past two to three weeks and have noticed a huge difference in my explosiveness when I get back on the pitch.
Excellent way to build power in your legs.
Although I have to admit it takes alot out of you mentally because it is very difficult at first. Once you notice the difference it makes though, it makes it easier the next time you go out to accomplish the goal you set out for yourself.
Excellent way to build power in your legs.
Although I have to admit it takes alot out of you mentally because it is very difficult at first. Once you notice the difference it makes though, it makes it easier the next time you go out to accomplish the goal you set out for yourself.
-
Had2bHarry
- Veteran Member
- Posts: 935
- Joined: 16 Dec 2007, 06:45
Ajc said in his guide for improving feet speed, that dribbling up a hill is supposed to improve your touch and quickness.
I agree, running up a hill is hard, but I guess if you do it consistently every now and then it will improve anaerobic endurance.
I agree, running up a hill is hard, but I guess if you do it consistently every now and then it will improve anaerobic endurance.
Sig by me
J, you are spot on regarding the mental aspect of this kind of training. The trick is to find ways to make yourself hungry for this kind of training. You can't help getting pumped up when you know that you are running a hill faster than some of your opponents do on a flat surface. That is when you know your opponents will be in disbelief when they try to mark you. I use a lot of visualization to finish strong without getting mentally discouraged. The last three weeks, I've been Didier Drogba . . . seriously.J wrote:Excellent post, XstaticX. I agree with everything you have said. I have also been doing hill runs for the past two to three weeks and have noticed a huge difference in my explosiveness when I get back on the pitch.
Excellent way to build power in your legs.
Although I have to admit it takes alot out of you mentally because it is very difficult at first. Once you notice the difference it makes though, it makes it easier the next time you go out to accomplish the goal you set out for yourself.