If you're a soccer player, how important is conditioning to you? Do you do extra running or strength training?

This is a pre-season work out from one of the soccer gods John Terry

Session One

1. Five-minute jog to park.

2. Stretch.

3. 5 x three-quarter pace sprints from one touchline to the other and back (30 second recovery between each sprint).

4. 2.5 minute recovery (juggle a ball on the spot to develop your skills).

5. Repeat steps 3 – 4 then jog home.

Session Two

One set of the strength circuit:

10 x normal press ups (hands apart).

10 x double leg squats (feet shoulder width apart, hands behind head).

20 x abdominal crunches (knees bent, both feet on the ground).

10 x single leg squats.

10 x raised crunches (feet raised off the ground and crossed).

10 x close arm press ups (hands placed together).

These circuits kill two birds with one stone. As well as working on your fitness, your heart and lungs, at the same time they strengthen the muscles that you specifically use for football.

Session Three

Imagine the perimeter of a football pitch divided into six sections to run around. From one corner to the half-way line is one section, then on to the next corner flag is another. The goal-line is the next section, and then up to the half-way line is the next and so on until you are back where you began. These six sections provide the framework for this next drill.

1. Five-minute jog to park.

2. Run six laps of the pitch, in the following sequence:

– Sprint one section, jog five.

– Sprint two sections, jog four.

– Sprint three sections, jog three.

– Sprint four sections, jog two.

– Sprint five sections, jog one.

– Sprint all six sections.

Unless you get it spectacularly wrong, you will always be beginning your sprints from the same point on the pitch!

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WEEK TWO

Session One

1. Five minute jog to park.

2. Stretch.

3. 5 x three-quarter pace sprints from one touchline to the other and back (20 second recovery between each sprint).

4. 2 minute recovery.

5. Repeat 3 – 4 then jog home.

Session Two

Two sets of the strength circuit (see below for details):

10 x normal press ups (hands apart).

10 x double leg squats (feet shoulder width apart, hands behind head).

20 x abdominal crunches (knees bent, both feet on the ground).

10 x single leg squats.

10 x raised crunches (feet raised off the ground and crossed).

10 x close arm press ups (hands placed together).

Session Three

1. Five-minute jog to park.

2. Stretch.

3. One lap of full-size football pitch (timed with stopwatch).

4. One lap jog for recovery (kick a ball as you go).

5. Repeat 3 – 4 four more times, on each fast lap attempting to match your first lap time.

6. Jog home.

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WEEK THREE

Session One

1. Five minute jog to park.

2. Stretch.

3. 5 x sprints across the pitch and back, with 30 seconds recovery between each sprint.

4. 2.5 minutes rest.

5. 4 x sprints across the pitch and back, with 15 seconds recovery between each sprint.

6. 2.5 minutes rest.

7. 3 x timed sprints across the pitch and back, aiming for 30 seconds or less each time. The recovery time allowed between sprints depends on the time recorded (whatever is left out of the 30 seconds). So, a 24-second sprint earns six seconds recovery, a 30-second (or more) sprint earns no recovery!

8. 2.5 minutes rest.

9. Five minute jog home.

Session Two

Three sets of the super strength circuit:

15 x wide arm press ups (hands wide apart).

15 x double leg squats (feet shoulder width apart, hands behind head).

30 x abdominal crunches (knees bent, both feet on the ground).

20 x single leg squats.

20 x raised crunches (feet raised off the ground and crossed).

20 x normal press ups (hands placed together).

Session Three

Dividing the perimeter of the pitch into six sections as in Week One, Session Three, run laps of a football pitch in the following sequence:

– Sprint one section, jog one section for recovery.

– Sprint two, jog one.

– Sprint three, jog one.

– Sprint four, jog one.

– Sprint five, jog one.

– Sprint six.

– Jog six.

Session Four

Three sets of the strength circuit:

10 x normal press ups (hands apart).

10 x double leg squats (feet shoulder width apart, hands behind head).

20 x abdominal crunches (knees bent, both feet on the ground).

10 x single leg squats.

10 x raised crunches (feet raised off the ground and crossed).

10 x close arm press ups (hands placed together).

Also, kick a ball as much as possible. Dribble through your house, out to get the mail, as you sit on the couch etc

Also don't skip on the running. I played soccer all through high school and tryouts were always used to see who has raw talent and then after the team was chose it was always 2-4 weeks of condition before games start. If you follow this training regime you'll have quite the head start on most of the other girls

Conditioning is VERY important. Running is all you do. I try to combine running with "moves" for example kicking with my outer part of my foot (That's the way I pass the ball) while at a speed I will use in a game. For strength training, I do lunges to work my thighs between running, sit-up's for a solid core, weight lifting for when I throw in the ball. That way I have a larger advantage of a longer more accurate toss. Squats help for stronger leg's and a nice kick, and the "grape-vine" is affective also.

One its energy, as many have said here.....you scored a goal....you want to go running and celebrate it.... But normally they run to go celebrate with the Fans nearby and then they congratulate each other among the energy of those fans. South America.....the players always congratulate each other , though there is one famous incident where Riquelme was about to leave Boca Jrs for Europe.....he scored a goal.....ran away from his teammates and just stood their with both hands in his ears.....He wouldn't celebrate with anyone....was just taking in the energy of the entire stadium as they chanted his name. I've seen players throw themselves into the crowd.......if there is a gate.....I've seen a few climb up the gate..... Depends on the importance of the match. Usually, You don't celebrate the goals once your blowing the other team out , your still behind in the game or the player scored against a former team he used to play with.

it is very important. even if youre a good runner you still need to condition to keep your stamina up and be able to play for longer. i play every position on the field, and i do different training for each position.