Kettlebell Training For the Soccer Athlete!

To many times I have heard about the amount of endurance required to play the game of soccer. I admit that being from the southeastern part of the U.S. I never saw as much of the sport growing up. This has certainly changed since my earlier high school days. Anyway, I do recognize that there is a huge requirement for cardiovascular conditioning in order to compete in the sport effectively. However, the one trait that I have noticed as being overlooked across the soccer community is the strength variable. Now I’m not saying every soccer player ignores the importance of strength training, but I do think that there is still an old mindset out there concerning the fear of “bulking” up which may compromise a player’s performance.

The key to not “bulking up” and to develop a high level of athletic performance involves the effective design of a strength program. Kettlebells are a tremendous tool that I utilize with all of my athletes to develop every area of athletic performance ranging from speed, power, endurance, flexibility, and resiliency without the barrier of big muscles to get in the way. With the proper implementation of this ancient strength and conditioning device the soccer player can gain the superior strength and, at the same time, drastically enhance his or her cardiovascular fitness! The secret of the kettlebell lies in it’s design.

The bell is basically a cannonball with a metal handle attached to it. When holding it you will quickly find that it is constantly pulling away from your body or center of gravity. This “pulling away” causes your body to counter-react to the resistance thereby making you stronger without you even realizing it! The strength variable is an important variable that the soccer player cannot afford to overlook. The beauty with this device is that you are getting a 5 to 1 deal by enhancing all variables across the spectrum of athletic performance ranging from strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, and resiliency!

If you are a soccer player and you want to improve your game then stop wasting time! The kettlebell is the ultimate option for you to step up your game.