Physical preparation for football: full preseason program
A professional footballer travels between 10 and 13 kilometers per game, performs more than 1,000 changes in activity (sprints, braking, twists, jumps), and maintains a high intensity for 90 minutes. If you reach the preseason without a physical basis, the first few weeks are going to be hell — and chances of injury multiply.
The preseason is the period where the base that sustains the whole season is built. If you do it right, you will perform better, resist more, and hurt yourself less. If you do it wrong (or not), you will pay the price from week 6 of competition.
This article presents you with a 6 week preseason program divided into 3 phases, based on the principles used by professional physical preparers. It is designed for players who want to reach the first training with their team in the best possible conditions.
- The 3 phases of the preseason
- Phase 1: Aerobic base and overall strength (weeks 1-2)
- Phase 2: Specific conditioning (weeks 3-4)
- Phase 3: Competitive tuning (weeks 5-6)
- Type weekly structure
- Core and Injury Prevention
- Common preseason errors
- How to measure your progress
The 3 phases of the preseason
Aerobic resistance, general strength, correction of muscular imbalances, readaptation to effort. Moderate intensity, progressive volume. The goal is to prepare the body for what comes without breaking it.
Specific resistance (intervals), speed, power, tactical-technical work under fatigue. The intensity is increased and specific movements of football are introduced. First friendly against lower level teams.
Maximum speed, explosiveness, speed resistance, complex tactical work, test of stopped ball moves. Volume is reduced and specificity is increased. Friendly against teams of similar or higher level.
Phase 1: Aerobic base and overall strength (weeks 1-2)
Objective
Build the cardiorespiratory base that allows you to sustain the effort for 90 minutes. Develop general strength to protect joints and prevent injuries. Re-accustom the body to training after rest.
Aerobic work
Continuous career: 25-40 minutes at steady pace (65-75 % of your maximum heart rate).Start with 25 minutes at week 1 and gradually climb. The goal is not to run fast — it is to build aerobic capacity.
Soft Fartlek: Alternance of rhythms for 30 minutes. For example: 3 minutes of smooth jogging + 1 minute of fast jogging + 1 minute of walking. Repeat 6 times. This introduces variation without reaching high intensity.
General force
| Financial year | Series × Repeats | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Seats (body weight or bar) | 3 × 12 | Quadriceps, buttocks, chore |
| Romanian deadweight | 3 × 10 | Ischiotibials, buttocks, low back |
| Stuck (stuck) walking | 3 × 10 per leg | Quadriceps, buttocks, balance |
| Arms flexions | 3 × 15 | Chest, shoulders, triceps |
| Remo with dumbbell | 3 × 10 per side | Back, biceps, stabilization |
Phase 2: Specific conditioning (weeks 3-4)
Objective
Transfer the aerobic base to specific football efforts. Introduce high-intensity intermittent work, speed, and power. Increase technical-tactic demand under fatigue.
Interval work
Long intervals: 4-6 repeats 3-4 minutes to 80-85% of your maximum FC, with 2-3 minutes active recovery (soft trot). They simulate the sustained intensity of a game.
Short intervals: 8-10 repeats of 30 seconds at high intensity + 30 seconds of rest. Repeat 2-3 blocks with 3 minutes of pause between blocks. Develop the ability to repeat efforts — exactly what football requires.
Speed and agility
Linear Sprints: 6-8 repetitions of 20-30 meters with full recovery (walk back).The speed is trained rested — it is not useful to make sprints when you are already exhausted.
Changes in direction: Exercises with cones (zigzag, T-test, 5-10-5) that replicate the actual movements of the party: acceleration, braking, twist, receleration.
Specific force
Transition from general force to explosive force: jump squats, jump-stucks, drawer jumps, low impact pliometry. The number of repetitions is reduced and the speed of execution is increased.
Phase 3: Competitive tuning (weeks 5-6)
Objective
Reach the first game of the season in a position to compete 90 minutes. Tune the maximum speed, explosiveness, speed resistance, and technical-tactic coordination at maximum intensity.
Speed resistance work
Repeated Sprints: 6-10 repetitions of 15-20 meters with 20-30 seconds of recovery. The goal is to maintain the maximum speed in the last repeats — this simulates the sprints of the last 15 minutes of a game.
Reduced games (rounds and matches of 4vs4 / 5vs5): The most effective way to train the specific resistance of football. Short Sprints in multiple directions, decisions under pressure, active recovery between plays.
Volume reduction
At week 6, reduce the total volume of training by 20-30 % but maintain the intensity. This period of "tapering" (progressive reduction) allows the body to recover and get fresh at the start of the competition. It is counterintuitive — it seems you should train more, not less — but science is clear: tapering improves performance.
Type weekly structure (phase 2, as an example)
| Day | Meeting |
|---|---|
| Monday | Long intervals (4 × 4 min) + Core (20 min) + Mobility |
| Tuesday | Explosive force (gym, 45 min) + individual technique (30 min) |
| Wednesday | Speed and agility (sprints + steering changes) + Reduced game (4vs4) |
| Thursday | Active rest (bathing, soft bike, yoga, elongation) |
| Friday | Short intervals (3 blocks × 8 rep) + Core + Injury prevention |
| Saturday | Friendly Party or Group Tactical Training |
| Sunday | Full rest |
Core and Injury Prevention
Core work is not an optional addition — it is the basis of the entire footballer’s movement chain. A weak core affects your shooting, your dueling balance, your rotational stability, and your injury resistance.
Essential exercises: front and side plates (static and dynamic), gluteal bridges, rotations with elastic band, dead bugs, bird dogs, and pallof press. Dedicate 15-20 minutes at the end of each session, 4-5 days per week.
For injury prevention, the FIFA 11+ program (developed by the FIFA Medical Research Center) is the standard of reference. It includes heating, strength, balance and agility exercises that significantly reduce the risk of knee and ankle injuries. You can find it free of charge on the FIFA site.
Common preseason errors
- Start with everything from day one. Gradual progression exists for one reason: your body needs to be readjusted to effort after rest. Starting at 100% on Day 1 is the recipe for a muscle injury.
- Just run. The continuous race is a part of the preparation — not the whole preparation. You need strength, speed, agility, core, and flexibility. Players who only run come to the season with aerobic base but with no power or ability to repeat sprints.
- Ignore recovery. Rest is not laziness — it is part of training. Sleep 8+ hours, hydrate, feed well, and respect rest days. The body adapts during recovery, not during effort.
- Don't work hard. Many footballers avoid the gym for fear of "getting heavy." The evidence is clear: strength training improves speed, firing power, resistance to injuries, and does not generate muscle mass of a bodybuilder if programmed correctly.
- Start preseason 1 week earlier. 6 weeks is the optimal time. If you have less, adjust the program — but don't try to compress 6 weeks in 2. It's better to reach 80% than to get injured.
How to measure your progress
Three simple tests that you can do alone, at the beginning and at the end of the preseason:
Cooper's test (12 minutes): It runs as far as possible in 12 minutes. A well-prepared player should cover more than 2,800 meters. Elite professionals exceed 3,200 meters.
30 metre Sprint: From the moment you're unemployed, measure your time in 30 meters. Less than 4.5 seconds is good; less than 4.0 is professional elite level.
Agility T test: Sprint front 10m, lateral displacement 5m to each side, sprint back 10m. Less than 10 seconds is good level; less than 9 is professional level.
If you improve the three tests between the start and end of the preseason, your program worked.
Related articles
- Prevention of Football Injuries: The Exercises Every Player Should Do
- Physical tests in football: what they measure, how to prepare and reference values
- Post-party recovery: evidence-based protocols
- Nutrition for footballers: food guide
- How to be a professional footballer: the complete route
This guide was prepared based on the principles of sports journalism, the FIFA 11+ injury prevention program, preseason programs published by BCoach, Zone14, SimpliFaster, Sportlane, and best practices of professional physical preparers. Always adapt exercises and loads to your current level. If you have previous injuries or doubts, consult with a professional before starting.
If you're building your football career, create your profile in CV Football — to arrive in the best physical conditions and to have professional visibility are the two sides of the same coin.