Sport specific fitness?

Kent Brockman

If I want to get fit to play soccer competitively will swimming or cycling or even skipping be of any benefit?
Or is it all down to jogging, sprinting and actually playing games?
Advice appreciated.

sneakyST

Hi Kent,
I am a referee at a competitive level, and although I do an intense pre-season jogging and sprinting, mid season I swim. I mix it by swimming with just arms, then legs and then both. I try and do some leg aerobics in the shallow end. I go when it's quiet as I must look like a madman.
I do the pool mid season as it is low impact training so I am less prone to injury.
Swimming also works leg and core muscles that running won't and it will also build upper body strength.
I know if I tried swimming pre-season it would take longer to get fit and you really need to do shuttles if you are playing the game to work on sprinting. This mixture works for me. I do prefer excercing in the pool as I dont like cycling but cycling would have the same key benefit for me and that it is less stress on your joints etc.


Sneaky

Kent Brockman

Thanks Sneaky, must check out these 'shuttles'.
Never really put much thought into how fit refs have to be too, well done!