STRENGTH TRAINING TERMINOLOGY

Before progressing into the strength training goals for soccer, and designing a resistance training plan
specific for the sport, there are some fundamental terms and concepts that must be understood.

Muscular strength: Refers to the capacity of the muscles to exert force against a resistance.

Repetitions: In strength training, a repetition refers to moving a weight (or doing an action) from the
starting point, through a full range of motion and back to the initial starting point.

Set: A collection of repetitions performed in sequence until the player stops to rest.

Load: The amount of weight assigned for a particular exercise. For example, if a player squats 100kg,
then the load is 100kg.

Rest period: Is the recovery time taken between sets of a specific exercise

One repetition maximum (1RM): This is the highest load a person can lift for one repetition only (in a
particular exercise)

Volume: Refers to the total amount of weigh lifted in a training session and is dependent on the total
amount of sets and repetitions performed as well as the load.

Hypertrophy: Increase in muscle mass. This would be a goal of smaller strikers who tend to get ‘out-
muscled’ by their defensive counterparts.

Concentric, Eccentric and Isometric Muscle actions: The muscles in our body are capable of
performing three types of actions (sometimes referred to as contractions): concentric muscle actions,
eccentric muscle actions and isometric muscle actions.

Concentric muscle actions refer to when a muscle shortens in length whereas eccentric muscle actions
refer to when a muscle increases in length. For example, when kicking a soccer ball, the quadriceps
muscles contract concentrically to extend the knee, whereas the hamstring muscles act in an eccentric
manner to slow the lower leg. As a another example, during the push-up, as you lower yourself to the
floor, the muscles in the chest lengthen or act eccentrically; whereas when you push yourself back up to
the starting position these same chest muscles contract concentrically or shorten in length.

Isometric muscle actions occur when the muscles are working but there is no change in length. For
example, when you squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and you hold that position for 5
or 10 seconds without moving; your core and leg muscles are contracting isometrically to keep you in that
stable position.