Busting The Fitness Myths For The Young And Aspiring Football Players Of The Nation!

It is a happy sight to visualise many young guys and girls indulging in football play, as it continues to become a household game today. Every other youngster is seen playing or talking about the game, thanks to the events like FIFA and other national and international soccer tournaments.

Even the schools and colleges are focusing on the game and making it an important part of the sports curriculum for young and energetic students.

Many players of national and international acclaim are born like this only, after trying and mastering the game hands-on in the schools and colleges or in gullies of their locales, just like cricket.

Yet, it is imperative to know and understand the technical terms and the bodily fitness required for the game and whether or not you are doing it right.

With so much info on the internet, TV and magazines, one is ought to be surrounded by few myths and the most common happen to be the myths about strength and conditioning for youth football fitness training.

This is a must to understand and bust, before you are ever going to be successful at improving your strength, power, speed and fitness on the field.

Myth 1: Football is an endurance or “cardio” game so you need to go for a 20 to 30 minute jog for football fitness.

Truth: Football is out and out a power and speed game. Going out out for a 20 to 30 minute jog is “old school, outdated” football fitness training and will only teach you to be slow, weak and put you at risk for overuse injuries. Short burst interval training is the current and the most effective fitness training solution.

You need to find a football fitness program that includes interval training to maximize your short and long term conditioning needs.

 

Myth 2: Sit ups and crunches will tone my stomach and build my “core”.

Truth: Abdominal exercises such as crunches, sit-ups, and abdomen machines are actually the LEAST effective method of building the core. They do more harm than good. Sit ups cause increase pressure on the “jelly” discs in the back. Over time this may lead to back problems. Opt for weight training (the right kinds) in the presence of a certified coach, to obtain a strong core building.

 

Myth 3: Weight training or lifting weights will cause growth plate damage. Lifting weights will “stunt” growth.

Truth: Growth plate injuries are the result of unsupervised weight training. Football Athletes who perform strength training or resistance training exercises with proper form, technique and progression, develop stronger joints, improve stability, increase strength, power, speed, confidence and are more dominating on the soccer field.

 

Myth 4: Children shouldn’t weight train until they are 14 or 15.

Truth: Absolutely false. Most people think of body building when they think of weight training. A young boy or girl of the age of 8 may start a properly designed football resistance training program with significant benefits. Make sure you are doing it with the perfect stance with the help of a qualified trainer.

 

Myth 5: I will become “bulky” and “lose my flexibility and ability to move” on the football field.

Truth: This is absolutely false. A properly designed program for both young football girls and  boys improve body composition (body image), overall health and athletic performance on the field. An effective youth strength and power program must have the following components built into it:

1) Exercises To Prevent Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears. i.e. Single Leg Squat

2) Exercises That Closely Resemble The Actions On The Football Field. i.e. Lunges

3) Total Body Exercises For Base Strength. i.e. Squats

4) Exercises That Build Power. i.e. A Progressive Plyometric (Jump) Program

5) Conditioning That Includes Intervals And Sprints

6) Exercises That Include Stop – Start And Change Of Direction.

7) Sound Nutritional Guidelines.i.e. Pre And Post Training And Game Meals.

It is vital that you look for these components in any strength and conditioning program for yourself, be it in your college or your personal training, if you aspire to be an awesome player with the perfect levels of physical fitness.

Go get it footballer!