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Finally, it's getting back to the football fields!
Perfect preparation is now important to get started with your team. Together with Heiko Geber (co-coach of VfB Stuttgart's U21 team), Tim Riedel and Maurice Mülder (both athletics coaches at Bayer 04 Leverkusen), we'll make you fit for the comeback 2021! Are you ready?

Basic Endurance

Basic endurance training delivers what its name promises: it forms the basis for your performance by preparing your cardiovascular system and musculoskeletal system for the stress of a football match. This allows you to maintain your performance over a long period of time, regenerate more quickly and avoid overuse injuries.
 

 

Stabilisation

Leg axis stability training is a valuable addition to trunk stabilisation, which is usually trained with planks, push-ups and more. Good leg axis stability improves movement economy and prevents injuries by optimising the central nervous system's control of the muscles. Or simply put: your brain learns to control your feet better.
 
 

Coordination

As a footballer, you are (unfortunately) only on the ball for one minute per game on average. How you move during the remaining 89 minutes is therefore of decisive importance for your performance. With the running school, as implemented in the Bayer 04 Leverkusen training centre, you train your coordination skills.
 
 

Passing

Clean passing, two-footedness and good first contact with the ball are fundamental skills for every football player. During the ninety minutes, the most important thing is to apply these skills on the move to give your team's combination play a high tempo.
 
 

Sports-specific endurance

Here you get exactly the power you need in the decisive situations on the football pitch. Sport-specific endurance training prepares your energy systems for the numerous high-intensity actions. This way, you can call up your maximum performance for longer and stay that decisive step faster as the match progresses.
 
 

Dribbling

Strong dribbling skills make the difference for your team. At VfB Stuttgart's training centre, Heiko Gerber uses various exercises with his U21s to train the necessary ball control. Be creative: In one-on-one situations, spontaneity is also required to find solutions.
 
 

Speed

You can't train speed? You thought wrong. Genetic predispositions play an important role, but with the right training you can make significant progress. Before speed training, you should warm up well so that you can reach your maximum speed in sprints. Running school and coordination training are ideal for this.
 

Trainer & Team

Complete your schedule

We have created an exemplary training plan based on a preparation programme with two team training sessions per week and a few friendly matches. Use it as inspiration for your own training plan!
 
 

Plan your preparation

You can get the most out of your preparation if you set the right impulse at the right time. We discussed the most important questions about planning your preparation with Tim Riedel.

How do I get fit for the upcoming season?
In general, you should find a good mix of athletic and playful elements. At the beginning, focus on basic endurance, and as time goes on, the loads will become more and more intense.
How should basic endurance be trained?
You should simulate the load in the match at the beginning with running shoes. Then run with two or three minutes rest between each block. That is the basic field in football. You don't run at the same speed for 45 minutes, but also have relaxed phases.
Should I build up endurance slowly, or can I run intervals already in the first week?
It is actually good to train different energy supply systems in alternation. This means: If you train twice a week and train with the team in a more sport-specific way, then you do an additional unit of basics. The next week you might do more basics with the team and then add a sport-specific session with more intense intervals.
Let's say a team trains twice a week and players prepare with two more private sessions with friends. Is overtraining a problem?
No, you can't really go wrong with four sessions a week. You just have to see if there's a match at the weekend. If the third training session is on Friday evening and the match is on Saturday, I wouldn't train for ninety minutes, but maybe sixty. But that's up to the coach anyway, and at the end of the day, our goal is not to be in top shape for friendly matches, but to be fit for the competitive matches at the end of the preparation.
Should stabilisation training also be used in amateur football?
Yes! The better you are in this area, the better you are on the pitch. Stabilisation exercises are indispensable.
To what extent does it make sense to include speed training?
This ability depends to a large extent on genetic predispositions. You should also train it separately. Just sprints so that the body adapts to the speed. The body will prepare itself for the load and be able to withstand it. Then there are fewer injuries and the movement sequences are optimised for maximum speed.
One last topic: injury prevention. Fitness is crucial. What else?
Healthy food and sleep. A negative example that I unfortunately also know from friends: 'We're playing tomorrow, but I'm going to the village fair today and have a drink'. Hm. That's counterproductive, of course. Sleep is very important. Especially for amateurs who work long and perhaps physically during the day and still train in the evening. And lastly: prepare yourself well for the physical stress, warm up. If you are well rested, have eaten well and warm up properly, you already have a good basis.
How can the optimal athletic conditions be created in the days before the first competitive match?
The preparation must have been good, of course, and the last week should be trained in the same way as it happens in the weeks after. The intensity should be the same now as during the season.

Write us a message!

Do you have questions about your training programme? Write us a message via the contact form. We'll forward it to Heiko, Tim or Maurice and get back to you with the answer! Of course, we are also happy to receive feedback on our content.
 

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