Strength and conditioning (S&C) should be a fundamental component of every serious footballer's training schedule, but the question of how often they should train depends less on the number of sessions and more on how those sessions are structured. The content, intensity, and placement of sessions within a training week are far more important than simply ticking off a certain number of workouts.
Footballers need to understand that intensity doesn’t just refer to the weights, sets, and reps performed. Neuromuscular intensity—the complexity and coordination demands of an exercise—also plays a significant role.
1. Training Intensity: More Than Just Weights and Reps
When we think of training intensity, it’s easy to focus on how heavy the weights are or how many sets and reps are performed. But intensity can also refer to the neuromuscular demands of an exercise. Complex movements, such as plyometrics, multi-directional drills, or coordination-heavy exercises, place significant demands on the nervous system. These exercises can be just as, if not more, taxing than traditional strength workouts, even without heavy weights.
For example, a plyometric session designed to improve explosive power might seem like a lower-load workout compared to a session involving lifting medum-heavy weights, but the neuromuscular intensity can be very high due to the coordination, speed, and power required. This intensity level must be factored into the overall training load for the week to ensure proper recovery and progress. Sometimes, the most taxing session is a neuromuscularly complex one.
2. The Importance of Deload Weeks
Another key component to managing training frequency is incorporating deload weeks. These are planned, lower-intensity weeks where the overall training load is reduced to allow the body to recover and adapt. Deload weeks are especially important for reducing injury risk and preventing burnout.
During a deload week, players might still engage in S&C, but the volume and intensity are reduced. This helps maintain progress without overwhelming the body. Deloading also provides an opportunity to fine-tune technique, improve mobility, and focus on active recovery.
Skipping these lighter weeks can lead to plateaus and overtraining, where the player is constantly fatigued, increasing the likelihood of injury and limiting overall gains.
3. Why a Periodised Plan Beats Random Training Sessions
A common mistake players make is engaging in random S&C sessions instead of following a structured plan. Even if these sessions are with a qualified coach, the timing and placement of exercises throughout the week are crucial to achieving the desired outcomes. For instance, doing a high-intensity strength session on the wrong day of the week or after a demanding match can be detrimental to recovery and lead to training interference.
When different components of fitness—such as strength, speed, power, and endurance—are not efficiently combined and balanced throughout the week, it can result in competing adaptations, where one area of fitness negatively affects another. This is why training that is not periodised and tailored to a player’s schedule can lead to minimal results or even regression.
For example, training with a coach on a random day may seem beneficial, but if that session isn't aligned with the rest of the player's training, it can hinder the progress they’ve already made in other areas. A properly periodised plan takes into account the specific goals, match schedule, and recovery needs of the player, ensuring that each training component supports the other rather than causing conflict.
4. Professional Guidance: The Key to Effective Training
Working with a coach who understands how to combine different components of fitness into a periodised plan is essential for success. This goes beyond just planning sessions—it's about understanding how each component (strength, speed, agility, etc.) complements or competes with others. When the placement of certain exercises is carefully managed within the week, footballers can achieve better outcomes while minimising the risk of injury or overtraining.
This kind of precise planning ensures that each session has the maximum impact, and no training effort is wasted. Without a plan, footballers risk putting in hours of work without seeing the results they deserve, or worse, suffering from chronic fatigue or injury due to poor training management.
5. Training to Failure Isn’t Necessary
Another common misconception is that training to failure is required for strength and power gains. In reality, training to failure often increases the risk of injury and slows recovery. Pushing to the point of exhaustion may seem like hard work, but it can actually stall progress over time.
Instead, footballers should use the RPE scale (Rate of Perceived Exertion) to gauge the intensity of their sessions. For strength and power improvements, an RPE of 7-8 is sufficient to trigger the adaptations needed without risking injury or overtraining. Working at this intensity allows players to recover faster, meaning they can train more consistently across the week without running into fatigue issues.
Tracking RPE throughout training helps footballers stay within optimal intensity ranges, ensuring each session contributes to long-term progress without unnecessary wear and tear.
6. The Long-Term Advantage: Building Up to More Frequent Sessions
One reason why professional footballers can handle more frequent, high-intensity sessions is that they’ve spent years developing their training capacity. Players who have been in a pro system from a young age have gradually built up the ability to recover faster and handle more training volume, thanks to a structured, periodised approach over many years.
For players new to S&C, it’s important to remember that this kind of conditioning takes time. Trying to mimic the training schedule of elite players without the same foundation will likely result in overtraining or injury. The key is to build up slowly, increasing intensity and frequency over time, and allowing the body to adapt naturally to the demands of football and S&C.
This long-term, structured approach is often what separates players who have been in a pro club from a young age from those who join later. Early movers have already developed the resilience and recovery capacity needed to thrive in a high-performance environment.
Conclusion: The Right Approach to S&C Frequency
There is no magic number for how often footballers should engage in S&C training. Instead, the focus should be on intensity, load management, and how different components of fitness are integrated throughout the week. Players can train frequently, even daily, provided that training loads are properly balanced, and neuromuscular intensity is considered.
By following a planned, periodised programme—rather than doing random sessions—footballers can see significant gains in strength, power, and performance while minimising the risk of injury. Professional guidance is crucial to ensure that each session fits into a broader plan, complementing other components of fitness and keeping the player fresh, strong, and ready for peak performance.
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References:
American College of Sports Medicine. (2009). Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(3), 687-708.
Haff, G. G., & Triplett, N. T. (2016). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (4th ed.). Human Kinetics.
Zatsiorsky, V. M., & Kraemer, W. J. (2006). Science and Practice of Strength Training (2nd ed.). Human Kinetics.
Issurin, V. B. (2010). New Horizons for the Methodology and Physiology of Training Periodization. Sports Medicine, 40(3), 189-206.
Fleck, S. J., & Kraemer, W. J. (2014). Designing Resistance Training Programs (4th ed.). Human Kinetics.
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