A 2005 review of soccer physiology sets out the job: elite players run about 10 kilometers in a 90-minute game at an average intensity close to the anaerobic threshold, 80 to 90% of maximal heart rate, and inside that, the game asks for repeated explosive bursts: jumping, kicking, tackling, turning, sprinting, changing pace, and holding forceful contractions to keep balance and the ball under pressure.1 Strength training for soccer players is aimed at those bursts. In 17 international male players, maximal half-squat strength was strongly correlated with sprint times and jump height.2 That's a correlation in elite players, not proof the squat caused the speed, so the training trials below matter more.
What lifting did in trials of players
- Eight weeks of pre-season. 21 players from a top-level elite team, aged 20 to 31 and new to maximal strength training, did half squats with maximal loads, 4 sets of 4 reps, and aerobic intervals at 90 to 95% of maximal heart rate, twice a week for eight weeks beside their usual training. Their half-squat max rose from 116 to 176 kilograms (51.7%), their 10-meter sprint time dropped by 0.06 seconds, their jump rose 3.0 centimeters and their maximal oxygen uptake rose 8.6%. There was no comparison group.3
- Seven weeks, with a comparison group. Professional players added heavy strength training, some of them with jumps as well, twice a week for seven weeks to 6 to 8 soccer sessions a week; a control group only played. The lifters improved more than the controls in half-squat max and in two jump tests, but not in sprint acceleration, top sprint speed or 40-meter time, where the difference between groups wasn't significant.4
- Across 24 studies. A 2015 review of 523 players concluded that strength training improves jumps more than running actions, and acceleration over 10 meters more than top speed over 40, and that professional players need large strength gains for slight improvements in sprinting and changing direction.5
In these studies, lifting made players stronger and helped their jumps more than their sprints, and the sprint gains were smaller and less consistent. That's why the week below keeps sprints and jumps beside the lifting.
How heavy, and how often
Heavy, in two reviews: high loads, few reps and maximal effort on the way up developed strength in one,6 and the other found high-intensity resistance training seems more efficient than moderate-intensity training aimed at muscle size.5 On frequency, the 2015 review found two sessions a week enough to raise force and power in pre-season, and one a week enough to avoid losing it in season.5
Jumps have their own evidence. A 2020 meta-analysis of 17 randomized trials in adult male players found plyometric training improved jump height, 20-meter sprint speed and endurance, but not strength, sprint speed over other distances or agility, and rated the trials' quality as low.7 The jump list: plyometric exercises.
The lifts for soccer players
The squat comes from the trials above; the rest of the list is practical.
| Lift | Where it fits |
|---|---|
| Squat or half squat | The heavy lift in the eight-week trial,3 and the strength test in the seven-week one4 |
| Romanian deadlift, hip thrust | The back of the legs and the hips |
| Bulgarian split squat, lateral lunge | One leg at a time, and side to side |
| Nordic curl, Copenhagen plank | The hamstrings and the inner thighs, after the main lifts |
| Box jumps, bounds, hops | The jump work from the meta-analysis7 |
| Short sprints | Speed itself, on a fresh day |
New to the barbell? How to get stronger covers building up to sets of 4, and how to jump higher covers the jump side in more detail.
A pre-season and an in-season week
A practical layout. The two pre-season sessions and the one in-season session follow the 2015 review's frequencies,5 and the heavy squat sets follow the eight-week trial's 4 sets of 4.3
| Day | Pre-season | In season, one match on Saturday |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Lift: half squats 4 sets of 4, Romanian deadlifts, Nordic curls; jumps | Recovery or off |
| Tuesday | Team training | Lift: half squats 3 sets of 3, split squats, Copenhagen planks; jumps |
| Wednesday | Team training, or intervals | Team training |
| Thursday | Lift: half squats 4 sets of 4, hip thrusts, split squats, Copenhagen planks; short sprints | Team training |
| Friday | Team training | Light training |
| Saturday | Friendly or long session | Match |
| Sunday | Off | Off |
In season, the one lift goes early in the week, as far from the next match as possible. Cardio and lifting covers the order and timing of hard running and lifting.
Common questions
What are good workouts for soccer players at home, without weights?
Jumps and sprints need no weights, and jumps are what the plyometric meta-analysis tested.7 Add, practically, single-leg squats and lunges made harder with slow reps, Nordic curls with a partner holding your heels, and side planks. The bodyweight workout has a full no-equipment session. Heavy squats still need a gym.
What should soccer players do in the gym?
The table above: heavy squats first, the hamstring and single-leg work after, jumps beside them. Twice a week in pre-season and once in season.5
Should soccer players lift during the season?
Once a week, in the 2015 review, was enough to avoid losing what pre-season built.5 Keep it short, heavy and early in the week.
Will lifting make me slower?
Not in these studies. Squat strength went with faster sprints in elite players,2 sprint time improved in the eight-week pre-season program,3 and in the seven-week trial the lifters' sprinting didn't improve significantly more than the controls'.4 Keep sprinting in the week either way.
If you'd rather have the week planned
Lifting around team training and matches is a scheduling problem as much as a training one. Coaching here is general strength and fitness coaching, not soccer coaching: your workouts are built around the days you actually have, and a weekly call looks at the week you just had and rebuilds the next one around what's coming. How coaching works explains it, and apply is the first step. Otherwise: put one heavy squat day early in next week, and add jumps after it.
General education only, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or take medication, check with your doctor before changing how you train or eat.
Sources
- Stølen T, Chamari K, Castagna C, et al. Physiology of soccer: an update. Sports Medicine, 2005. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15974635/ (accessed October 31, 2026).
- Wisløff U, Castagna C, Helgerud J, et al. Strong correlation of maximal squat strength with sprint performance and vertical jump height in elite soccer players. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2004. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15155427/ (accessed October 30, 2026).
- Helgerud J, Rodas G, Kemi OJ, et al. Strength and endurance in elite football players. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 2011. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21563031/ (accessed October 31, 2026).
- Ronnestad BR, Kvamme NH, Sunde A, et al. Short-term effects of strength and plyometric training on sprint and jump performance in professional soccer players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2008. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18438241/ (accessed October 31, 2026).
- Silva JR, Nassis GP, Rebelo A. Strength training in soccer with a specific focus on highly trained players. Sports Medicine - Open, 2015. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26284158/ (accessed October 31, 2026).
- Hoff J, Helgerud J. Endurance and strength training for soccer players: physiological considerations. Sports Medicine, 2004. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14987126/ (accessed October 31, 2026).
- van de Hoef PA, Brauers JJ, van Smeden M, et al. The Effects of Lower-Extremity Plyometric Training on Soccer-Specific Outcomes in Adult Male Soccer Players: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31810063/ (accessed October 31, 2026).