Total Soccer Conditioning Vol. 1

iii) Doing technical or tactical exercises at a station in a circuit training routine

Circuit training involves performing several exercises, normally in close succession, one after another.
The exercises are set up as stations and each exercise is performed for one set before moving to the next.
One cycle of the circuit refers to when all stations have been performed once. Circuit training is most
often used for developing strength endurance and therefore the rest periods between stations are short (30
to 45 seconds). However, by incorporating varying recovery times, this method can be tailored for
developing other forms of strength. Circuit training is a very suitable strength training method for soccer
as the entire team can train at once.

When choosing ball-oriented exercises to include as stations in a circuit, you want to include exercises
that are easy to transition into. As such, they should be straight forward exercises that do not require long
explanations or demonstrations, and the set-up should be relatively simple. Sample exercises include 3 v
1, individual dribbling, and triangle passing.

The following is a whole-body circuit that can be used once or twice a week, depending on preference
and phase of the season:

Whole-body Strength Training Circuit with Technical Drills

Set-up and Directions: This circuit requires half of a regulation-sized field to set up the various stations.
Divide your players into groups of four and ensure that all players understand what needs to be done at
each station. Have each group work continuously for 1 minute and then walk to the next station (which
should take no longer than 30 to 45 seconds). As soon as each group is at the next station, have them
work continuously for another minute. Continue this cycle until each group has done each station twice.
There are a total of 8 stations, which are:

1) Lunges

2) Triangle passing (Pass and follow your pass around a triangle of 10 yards in length each side)

3) Squats

4) 3 v 1 keep away (3 attackers try to keep possession from 1 defender in a 10 by 10 yard area)

5) Planks

6) Toe taps

7) Push-ups

8) Individual dribbling (each player dribbles at speed inside a 10 by 10 yard playing area)