Concordia University: Two-Day Core Training Program for Soccer Athlete

This report outlines a two-day core training program specifically designed for soccer athletes. The program is structured to improve core stabilization, strength, and power, essential components for optimal soccer performance. The program is divided into two days, each focusing on different aspects of core training. Day 1 includes stabilization, strength, and power exercises like cable squats, push-ups, crunches, side bends, soccer throws, and medicine ball slams. Day 2 shifts to include exercises like squat jumps, planks, back extensions, trunk rotations, overhead crunches, and rotation chest passes. The report emphasizes the importance of progressive, systematic training with gradual increases in intensity and tempo to enhance muscle function, reduce injury risk, and improve overall athletic performance. The program incorporates a variety of exercises targeting different muscle groups and movement patterns, with detailed tables outlining the exercises, sets, repetitions, tempo, and rest intervals. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance strength, stability, power, and flexibility, leading to improved agility and reduced risk of injury. References to supporting research are also included to support the effectiveness of core training for soccer players.

Running head: TWO DAY CORE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR A SOCCER ATHLETE
TWO DAY CORE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR A SOCCER ATHLETE
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1TWO DAY CORE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR A SOCCER ATHLETE
Introduction
An exercise training program incorporating core exercises assists in improved
functioning, flexibility and strength of the muscles located across regions like the hips, pelvis,
abdomen and lower back, which in turn contributes to improved stability and coordination across
muscles and limbs (Sever & Zorba, 2018). The following paper will briefly discuss the key
components required for implementing core training program for soccer players.
Discussion
Overall Rationale
An optimum core training program is progressive, systematic and encourages the
manipulation and movement of the entire area of muscle action in terms of production of force,
ability to control and speed during execution within a complete range of motion, using gradual
increments in intensity and tempo. This assists in enhancing strength, power, stability in posture
and improved synchronization between upper and lower limb muscles resulting in reduced risk
of injury and agile performance. These are essential pre-requisites of optimum soccer
performance (Prieske et al., 2016). These have been followed in the form of a gradual change in
intensity, level of difficulty and tempo in both days of the core training program (Tables 1 and
2).
Table 1: Day 1 of Core Stabilization, Strength and Endurance Training Program
Stabilization
Training
Type
Repeats Number of
Sets
Level of
Tempo
Intensity Interval
for Rest
Selected
Exercise
Core 30 5 Slow N/A 30 seconds Cable
Squats
Core 30 5 Slow N/A 30 to 90
seconds
Push ups

2TWO DAY CORE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR A SOCCER ATHLETE
Strength
Training
Type
Repeats Number of
Sets
Level of
Tempo
Intensity Interval
for Rest
Selected
Exercise
Core 50 5 Moderate N/A 30 seconds Crunches
Core 50 on each
side
5 Moderate N/A 30 seconds Side Bends
Power
Training
Type
Repeats Number of
Sets
Level of
Tempo
Intensity Interval
for Rest
Selected
Exercise
Core 50 3 Moderate N/A 30 seconds Soccer
Throw
Core 50 5 Moderate N/A 30 seconds Medicine
ball slam
Table 1: Day 1 of Core Stabilization, Strength and Endurance Training Program
Stabilization
Training
Type
Repeats Number of
Sets
Level of
Tempo
Intensity Interval
for Rest
Selected
Exercise
Core 30 5 Fast N/A 30 to 90
seconds
Squat
Jumps
Core 1 (hold for
30 to 60
seconds)
5 Slow N/A 30 seconds Planks
Strength
Training
Type
Repeats Number of
Sets
Level of
Tempo
Intensity Interval
for Rest
Selected
Exercise
Core 10 5 Moderate N/A 0 to 30
seconds
Back
Extensions
Core 50 on each
side
5 Fast N/A 30 to 90
seconds
Trunk
Rotations
Endurance
Training
Type
Repeats Number of
Sets
Level of
Tempo
Intensity Interval
for Rest
Selected
Exercise
Core 30 5 Fast N/A 30 seconds Overhead
Crunch
Throw
Core 30 on each
side
5 Fast N/A 30 to 90
seconds
Rotation
Chest Pass

3TWO DAY CORE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR A SOCCER ATHLETE
Components
Core Stabilization
These include the first stage of training where exercises instill minimal spinal movement
for the improvement of strength and stability. Thus, exercises requiring maintenance of rigid
body back postures like squats and pushups have been added (Afyon, Mulazimoglu & Boyaci,
2017) (Tables 1 and 2).
Core Strength
These exercises are intended to exert spinal movement across a wide range of motion for
the purpose of facilitating complete isometric, concentric and eccentric muscular actions for
improvement of muscle strength and flexibility. Thus, exercises utilizing joint movements of the
flexion, lateral flexion and rotational type such as trunk rotations and back extensions have been
integrated (Takai et al., 2017) (Tables 1 and 2).
Core Power
These exercises are intended to limit resistance and maximize the speed and production
of force to enhance an athlete’s ability to dynamically regulate one’s speed and muscle force.
Thus, force inducing exercises involving a medicine or soccer ball have been added (Mahmoud,
2018) (Tables 1 and 2).
Conclusion
This paper thus provides a progressive and comprehensive core exercise program for
soccer athletes to incorporate for the purpose of enhancing strength, stability, power and
flexibility.

4TWO DAY CORE TRAINING PROGRAM FOR A SOCCER ATHLETE
References
Afyon, Y. A., Mulazimoglu, O., & Boyaci, A. (2017). The effects of core trainings on speed and
agility skills of soccer players. International Journal of Sports Science, 7(6), 239-244.
doi: 10.5923/j.sports.20170706.06.
Mahmoud, M. H. (2018). Effect of core training exercises on some physical and technical skill
abilities in young soccer players. International Journal of Sports Science and
Arts, 7(007), 33-44. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.21608/eijssa.2017.72878.
Prieske, O., Muehlbauer, T., Borde, R. A., Gube, M., Bruhn, S., Behm, D. G., & Granacher, U.
(2016). Neuromuscular and athletic performance following core strength training in elite
youth soccer: Role of instability. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in
sports, 26(1), 48-56. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12403.
Sever, O., & Zorba, E. (2018). Comparison of effect of static and dynamic core exercises on
speed and agility performance in soccer players. Isokinetics and Exercise Science, 26(1),
29-36. doi: 10.3233/IES-171120.
Takai, Y., Nakatani, M., Akamine, T., Shiokawa, K., Komori, D., & Kanehisa, H. (2017). Effect
of core training on trunk flexor musculature in male soccer players. Sports Medicine
International Open, 1(04), E147-E154. doi: 10.1055/s-0043-115377.