Resisted Speed Band Soccer Workouts | Kbands Pass And Go
Several different factors influence an athletes’ ability to jump high, sprint, and quickly change direction. The strength of the hip flexors, and other muscles which control the movement of the thighs and trunk, are an important factor in an athletes’ ability to perform athletic movements (jumping, sprinting) in a quick, controlled manner. Resisted speed bands, like the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands, are a great training tool that uses targeted resistance to effectively increase the overall strength and speed of the legs.
Resisted speed bands can be used to increase the intensity of the soccer workouts athletes already perform and are familiar with. Using Resisted speed bands to turn a sports specific movement into a resistance exercise is a great way to target specific muscles which athletes will use in competition. Athletes can also use different levels of resistance speed bands to increase the intensity of the workout. Greater resistance will increase the intensity of the workout while lighter bands, with more tempo, will add a different variation which will also provide great results.
Setting Up The Resisted Speed Band Soccer Workout
To perform the Kbands Pass And Go resisted speed band workout athletes will need a set of Kbands Leg Resistance Bands, 5 Speed and Agility Cones, 2 soccer balls, and a coach or partner to assist with the soccer resistance exercise. Soccer players will place the Speed and Agility Cones 2-3 feet apart in a line running parallel to a wall. The line of Speed and Agility Cones should be placed 5-7 yards away from a wall. Athletes can perform the Resisted Speed Band workout in an outdoor setting as well, lining the drill up in front of a wall ensures the resisted speed band workout does not stall due to a soccer ball rolling to far away from the coach or assisting partner. Athletes will line up facing the wall with one of the soccer balls placed at each end of the Speed and Agility Cone set up, while coaches line up 3-4 yards behind the Speed and Agility Cone set on the opposite side from the athlete performing the resisted speed band workout.
Getting Faster With Resisted Speed Band Soccer Workouts
After the Speed and Agility Cones, coaches, and athletes are in place, soccer players performing the Kbands Pass And Go resisted speed band workout will attach the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands just above their knees. The soccer resistance exercise begins with the player kicking the first soccer ball to their coach and then performing a lateral high knee all the way to the opposite end of the Speed and Agility Cone line, stepping two feet between each of the Speed and Agility Cones. Athletes will kick the soccer ball at the other end to the coach or athlete in front of them and then perform a lateral high knee back to the start of the resisted speed band workout.
As athletes “touch pass” the soccer ball to their coach or partner, the coach or partner must quickly return the soccer ball to its starting position slightly in front and to the outside of the Speed and Agility Cone set up. Athletes can also perform the Kbands Pass And Go resisted speed band workout with a partner who mimics the lateral high knees down their own set of Speed and Agility Cones. If both athletes start on different ends of the Speed and Agility Cones, and face each other, they will be passing the soccer balls back and forth to each other.
Athletes should perform the Kbands Pass And Go resisted speed band workout for 3-5 sets of 30-40 seconds. Athletes should have 60-90 seconds of rest between sets of the soccer resistance exercise. After athletes have completed their resisted speed band workout sets they will remove the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands and perform 1-2 unresisted sets of the soccer workout.
Move Laterally With Proper Form During Resisted Speed Band Soccer Workouts
To effectively use the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands to strengthen the hip flexors, athletes will need to use a high knee drive and good form as they work against the resisted speed bands. As athletes move down the Speed and Agility Cone set up they will want to drive their knees as high as they can on each step, while utilizing a quick and powerful arm drive. As athletes move through the resisted speed band workout they will want to keep their hips and shoulders square to the wall in front of them and avoid letting the head hang to look down at their feet or legs. Part of athletic training is mimicking game like situations. An athlete will be slow and not be attentive to their surroundings if they must constantly look down to see how their lower body is moving. For this reason athletes should always work to keep their eyes looking straight ahead and use a coach to monitor form and body movements. As they move through the soccer resistance exercise athletes should be working off the balls of their feet and avoid letting the heels hit the ground.
Athletes can also take two different approaches when deciding which foot to kick with during the resisted speed band workout. Athletes can either use the same foot to kick both soccer balls or athletes may alternate which foot they kick with on each side. No matter which approach is taken athletes should practice kicking both soccer balls with both feet during the Kbands Pass And Go resisted speed band workout.
After the soccer resistance exercise is completed athletes can move into other speed band workouts involving speed and agility, strength, or sports specific training. Soccer players performing resisted speed band training in a circuit style setting should utilize multiple soccer workouts from the Soccer Training Section. Use core strengthening exercises and speed exercises together to give one part of the body a rest while strengthening another group of muscles.