Stretching for Soccer- The Soccer Warm Up
Modern stretching incorporates far more than what I grew up on. In the old days in a warm up you would jog around the field a few times to get warm followed by static stretching.
Then we came to the point a few years ago where static stretching was bad before training. We came to this conclusion because studies came out showing static stretching would decrease power and strength. So we stopped. We have taken yet another step. Your sports performance warm-up should include these types of stretches.
Foam Rolling, Static Stretching, Dynamic Stretching
Foam Rolling
First, what is Foam Rolling? It is like a self massage but can hurt like the dickens. Foam rolling allows you to take a 6 inch diameter cylinder shaped device and roll over your muscles with it.
During the course of competition, exercise and life your body builds up these adhesions or knots in the muscle. I’ve seen others demonstrate these knots like a knot on a rope. Before we start static stretching or warm up we want to roll out those knots and improve the overall quality of the muscle tissue. If we don’t get rid of these knots before static stretching is like pulling on two ends of a rope with a knot in the middle. Foam rolling prepares the muscles for stretching.
It’s really caught fire in the personal training world. The device has become such an important part of muscle quality that we’ve come to the point that every exercise session should start with this device.
Do you need roll before every game? I don’t think so. Should you do it before practice? I think so. But, before you recommend they roll at practice bring your personal foam roller to the field and see how it works rolling over grass. If it is not feasible then the soccer players should roll at home on their own. The reality is a foam roller will cost the player less than $15.00. This is a good investment to the overall health of the athlete. I think soccer coaches should recommend that their athletes buy a foam roller and roll every day at home.
Let’s make something clear about foam rolling. It is painful. Don’t think that you are buying this neat contraption to have the time of your life. You need to understand that the pain is part of rolling. From my experience not every muscle you roll is going to be painful. I find the thigh muscles and IT band the most painful for me. Here is an example of some Foam Rolling Exercises
1. Put your hamstrings on the roller standing.
2. Roll from the knee to the posterior hip.
3. Start on two legs and increase over time to rolling one leg for increased intensity.
1.Put your calves on the roller.
2.Roll from just above the Achilles tendon up to the knee.
3.Start on two legs and increase over time to rolling one leg for increased intensity.
1. Position yourself as seen in the image
2. Roll the adductor muscles but be careful
1. Place your lower back on the roller.
2. Keep the entire back straight on the roller. Do not arch your back.
3. Turn to one side so that the spine is not on the roller and roll up and down on the lower back.
1. On your side roll one IT band.
2. This drill can be quite painful.
3. Roll from just above the knee up to just below the hip joint.
1. Position yourself as seen in the image with one arm outstretched.
2. Thumb is up to the sky.
3. Roll up and down the lat.
1. This can be quite painful.
2. Start on two legs and increase over time to rolling one leg for increased intensity.
3. Do not arch your lower back, Roll from top of knee up to pelvic bone .
Static Stretching
Whatever you’re feeling toward static stretching it’s probably the most widely used form of stretching. We all grew up on it and passed that knowledge down to the next generation who passed it down to the next generation and so on. I’ve seen this go through phases alone. I’ve seen in my own training go from static stretching is good before exercise to static stretching is bad before exercise to now it being good again. Recently, I’ve read that it’s ok to static stretch without warming up first. The important take away, even though there are so many ebbs and flows, is to static stretch. It’s easy to do and doesn’t require a huge amount of knowledge to do.
Static stretching requires you move out to the a point of slight discomfort and hold that stretch for 10-30 seconds for 1-3 repetitions. That point of slight discomfort is different for everyone. You should never compete is stretching because it may cause someone to go beyond that point of slight discomfort and injury a muscle.
The problem with static stretching is I think it puts the muscles to sleep (not literally) because it can be relaxing and is not active. Just look at the nature of the stretch. It takes a person out to that point of slight discomfort and you just hold it while relaxing. This can’t possible fire up the muscles and prepare them for competition. This is probably why at one point it was recommended to not do it before training or games. But this does not mean you should not static stretch before competition. I think you should but it needs to be done before Dynamic Stretching to allow the muscles awake and get fired up and ready to competition. This is why we have the next step.
1. You can do this in a chair or a simlar stretch standing. This is a great hamstring stretch.
2. Keep your back straight as you lean forward for your toe.
3. Repeat on opposite leg.
Pull one knee to your chest and hold. Keep your back flat on the ground.
1. Place heels together.
2. Knees should placed as shown in image while feet are moved closer to body. For a more intense stretch push down on knees.
3. Keep your back straight.
1. The leg being stretched should be crossed on top of the other leg.
2. Pull the non working leg until a stretchis felt in the leg on top.
3. Keep the low back flat.
1. Move the non stretching leg 1-2 feet out front.
2. Move the pelvis downand forward until you feel it in front of back thigh.
4. Keep the low back flat
1. Do this sitting or standing
2. Pull the arm being stretched toward the body. Pull on the elbow. You should feel it behind the shoulder.
3. While stretching, keep the forearm perpendicular to the floor.
1. Place your hands on the wall or any object sturdy enough like a tree.
2. The heel of the back leg should stay on the ground while you move your body forward.
1. Align your body as seen in the picture. You must keep the back straight to reduce back injury.
2. Bend forward towards the toes without arching the back.
1. Standing pull one foot up with your hand.
3. You should feel it on the front of your thigh.
Place your straight arm on a solid object. Doorway or tree (if outside) should work fine.
You will feel the stretch in your chest.
With a bent arm put it behind your head. Grab the elbow with the opposite arm and pull across and behind your head. You should feel it in your tricep.
Dynamic Warm up
One study showed a decrease in injuries by 30% through utilizing the proper warm up. (3) In my opinion dynamic stretching is a very critical part of the warm up process. It wakes up the muscles. It warms up the body and prepares it for competition. Dynamic stretching is the final phase in your warm up before practice or competition, not including any sport specific skill work done.
Dynamic Stretching actively takes the muscles through a range of motion. In the process of doing this it actively stretches the muscles. Dynamic warm up can help develop balance as well. You need to do a dynamic warm up before exercise, training, practice, or games. The problem I find with this method of stretching is it requires a bit of knowledge at first to know what to do. For example, how do you actively stretching your hamstrings or quads? I will answer that below.
Dynamic warm up also has the value of helping to increase performance. One study looked at young soccer players and found “a dynamic warm-up produces a superior sprint and jump performance compared to a warm-up consisting of static stretching.” 1 Another study showed a decrease in Illinois Agility test time in soccer players following dynamic stretching vs. static stretching. (2) Here is an example of some
1. Starting with small circles work your way up to big circles.
2. Move your arms in a circular motion.
3. Repeat moving your arms forward and backward.
Walk forward a step, pull the foot up and stretch, then put that foot down ,take another step and pull the opposite foot up. Repeat for target # of reps. At the same time go up on your opposite foot.
1. Do this drill walking
2. Lift a leg but grabbing the foot and knee and pull towards the sky until you feel a stretch.
3. At the same time go up on your opposite foot.
1. Keep your arms behind your head.
2. The first hurdle is about twelve to eighteen inches high. On the “go” signal, you will perform a forward step over the bar with the left foot, push off with the right foot, and land in an athletic stance 1 foot on the opposite side of the bar.
3. Immediately upon landing squat down into a crouched position and step to the right or left under another bar that is 36” or taller. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite foot.
1. Hold onto a secure object and in a smooth motion swing your leg left and right across the front of the body
2. Swing the legs through a full range of motion but keep the upper body stable.
4. Repeat on both legs
1. Same instructions as the exercise above except swing your leg forward and back
Summary
To prepare the body for competition or training use a thorough and multifaceted approach to warm up. Start with foam rolling, then go to static stretching, and finally dynamic stretching.
References
-
RA, N. (2009). The acute effect of different warm-up protocols on anaerobic performance in elite youth soccer players. J Strength Cond Res. , 2614-2620.
- Acute effect of different stretching methods on Illinois agility test in soccer players. Amiri-Khorasani M, Sahebozamani M, Tabrizi KG, Yusof AB. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Oct;24(10):2698-704
- Effective injury prevention in soccer. Kirkendall DT, Dvorak J. Phys Sportsmed. 2010 Apr;38(1):147-57.
