For footballers, balancing strength, speed, and power is crucial to excelling on the pitch. The force-velocity curve helps break down the different training types that target these qualities by showing the relationship between force (strength) and velocity (speed).
Each section of the curve requires different training approaches, and effective integration of these approaches throughout the season ensures progress without hindering match performance.
Understanding the Force-Velocity Curve
The force-velocity curve shows how the heavier the load (force), the slower the movement (velocity). Footballers need to train across the entire curve to maximise their athletic potential, from high-force, slow movements (maximal strength) to low-force, high-speed movements (speed and power).
However, simply training these components isn't enough. Periodisation—the careful planning of when to train each component—is essential to ensure strength and conditioning work doesn’t negatively affect football performance, especially during the season.
Periodisation and In-Season Training
Footballers can train maximal strength alongside speed and power during the season, but the volume of strength work needs to be reduced to accommodate the physical demands of matches. A well-balanced, periodised programme maintains strength without adding excessive fatigue.
Breaking Down the Force-Velocity Curve: 1RM Percentages
To understand how to train along the force-velocity curve, here’s a basic breakdown of the curve in terms of one-rep max percentages (1RM):
1. Maximal Strength (90-100% 1RM)
Training Type: Heavy weight, low reps (e.g., 1-5 reps).
Example Exercises: Deadlifts, barbell squats, maximal holds in fatiguing positions.
Purpose: Build maximal strength for holding off opponents, tackling, and maintaining balance under pressure.
Pitch Example: A centre-back shielding the ball from a forward.
Maximal Strength Doesn’t Always Mean Heavy Weights
Maximal strength work doesn’t always require lifting heavy weights. It can also involve maximal holds in fatiguing positions, like isometric planks or split squat holds. These types of exercises train the muscles to exert maximum force while reducing stress on the joints, making them a valuable option for in-season training.
Why it matters: Developing maximal strength helps footballers hold their ground, resist challenges, and win physical duels.
Example Exercise: Maximal isometric split squat holds or wall sits, focusing on maintaining tension without the need for heavy lifting.
The Importance of Speed Intent
Even when performing movements with heavier loads, the intention should still be to move the load as quickly as possible. While the movement may be slower due to the weight, the focus on speed helps develop power as well as strength. This means even strength-focused movements contribute to explosive performance on the pitch.
2. Strength-Speed (80-90% 1RM) & Peak Power (30-80% 1RM)
Training Type: Moderate to heavy loads, moderate speed (e.g., 3-6 reps).
Example Exercises: Power cleans, weighted jumps, explosive deadlifts.
Purpose: Build explosive power, critical for sprints, jumps, and bursts of acceleration.
Pitch Example: A winger rapidly accelerating past a defender.
3. Speed-Strength (30-60% 1RM)
Training Type: Lighter loads, moved quickly (e.g., 6-10 reps).
Example Exercises: Medicine ball throws, woodchops, band resisted jumps.
Purpose: Improve speed and agility for quick changes in direction and acceleration.
Pitch Example: A midfielder making quick cuts to evade opponents and change direction with the ball.
4. Max Velocity & Speed (0-30% 1RM)
Training Type: Bodyweight or minimal load, moved with maximal speed (e.g., sprints, plyos).
Example Exercises: Sprint drills, bounding, high-speed plyometrics.
Purpose: Optimise application and absorption of force into the ground during sprints.
Pitch Example: A forward making a curved run and then sprinting to get onto a through ball.
Hypertrophy Training: Bigger Muscle, Stronger Muscle
Hypertrophy (muscle growth) generally falls into the 60-80% 1RM range, with moderate weights and higher reps (8-12) for multiple sets. Targeted hypertrophy training is often prioritised in the off-season due to the likelihood of experiencing muscle soreness which may interfer with match readiness.
This doesn't mean that hypertrophy training should be overlooked, it's just that for a footballer there is limited opportunity during he season to fully focus on it. A bigger muscle can be conditioned into a stronger muscle, which can then support increased power output over time, hypertrophy training therefore makes up an important piece of the puzzle in becoming an Elite Football Athlete.
A common misconception is that increased muscle mass will slow players down, and it can, if not periodised and implemented correctly. However, when hypertrophy training is properly combined with power and speed training, it can unlock the performance benefits of increased physical size, strength, power and speed without reducing quickness, agility or bringing about a feeling of heaviness. The effects will in fact be quite the opposit.
In truth, worrying about getting "too big" from hypetrophy training is something that most footballers do not need to agonise over. Due to the:
Natural slimming effect of playing football
Limited time available during the year to focus on it
Requirement to consume additional calories to support muscle growth
...a player is unlikely to reach a point where increased muscle mass is negatively impacting their speed, and if they do, it's likely because they are implementing it in the wrong way.
In relation to nutrition, many youth footballers especially are actually drastically undereating without even realising it. The combination of playing and training for multiple teams, having a high metabolism and often a decreased appetite after training and matches makes consuming the required number of calories consistently each day to support muscle growth already a significant challenge.
You may have noticed the "natural slimming effect" I mentioned above being played out in professional footballers, who return from pre-season season with visible increases in muscle size, which then fade as the season progresses. However this doesn't mean that their hypertrophy training efforts have been wasted, the important aspect is that they can use this increased muscle size as a base for continuing to develop their strength and power during the season, whilst shifting focus to instead maintaining the muscle mass gains they made in the previous off-season through optimal nutrition and their ongoing in-season periodised strength training along the force-velocity curve.
Hypertrophy from Power-Based Training
While hypertrophy is one of the key focuses during the off-season, footballers can also experience hypertrophy adaptations from their in-season more power-based training. With repeated efforts and consistent training, explosive exercises like plyometrics can lead to hypertrophy adaptations in the muscles, tendons, and ligaments over time. This is arguably preferable as the adaptions are more specific to the explosive movements a player wants to excel in out on the pitch, however it will taker longer for these hypertrophy adaptations to occur, so it makes sense to combine to two types of training across the season for maximum impact.
Why Relative Strength Trumps Size & Strength Alone
For footballers, relative strength—the ability to generate force relative to body weight—is crucial. It's not just about how strong you are in absolute terms, but how efficiently you can use that strength in relation to your body weight.
High Relative Strength vs. High Absolute Strength
A player with high relative strength can apply a large amount of force relative to their body weight, which is critical for movements like sprinting, jumping, and accelerating. In contrast, a player with high absolute strength but lower relative strength (due to excess body mass) might be stronger overall, but they may not be as quick or efficient in translating that strength into fast, powerful actions.
Speed and Agility: A player with high relative strength can accelerate more quickly and change direction faster. They are not carrying excess muscle mass or body fat, which can slow down movements that require speed and agility.
Efficiency: Relative strength allows a player to use their strength more efficiently, as they are moving their own body weight more effectively. A player who has high absolute strength but lacks relative strength might struggle with the agility and quickness required in football.
Balance and Stability: Football demands quick reactions and maintaining balance under pressure. A leaner player with higher relative strength is often better able to stay stable and agile in challenging situations, like when shielding the ball or sprinting past opponents.
Why Relative Strength is Better for Football
In football, being able to move with speed and efficiency is key, and this is where relative strength is a decisive advantage. A bulkier player with high strength but low relative strength may be slower off the mark and unable to accelerate quickly or maintain agility in tight spaces. A player with high relative strength, on the other hand, is lighter, faster, and can generate more power from every step, making them more effective in fast-paced game scenarios.
This is why players who focus on relative strength often outperform those who prioritise size and absolute strength alone, and highlights the importance of touching on each aspect of the force-velocity curve. This ensures that a player maintains and furthers their explosiveness whilst simulataneously developing their strength.
Long-Term Consistency is Key
Footballers need to train across the entire force-velocity curve to build a well-rounded athletic profile. This means balancing maximal strength, speed, power, and technical work, all while keeping load manageable to avoid overtraining, especially in-season.
While gains can be made in a matter of weeks, the key to success is viewing strength and conditioning as a long-term investment. Footballers who train consistently over the long term, focusing on a variety of force-velocity curve points, will maximise their performance on the pitch and build a more resilient, powerful athletic base which will ultimately enable them to compete at a higher level against the most athletic and technically gifted players.
If you would like a training plan which tailors the entire force-velocity curve training process to your son or daughter's level and schedule, click the image below (designed for serious youth players aged 9-18.)
References:
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Suchomel, T. J., Nimphius, S., & Stone, M. H. (2016). "The importance of muscular strength in athletic performance." Sports Medicine, 46(10), 1419-1449.
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