Characterization of strength training in professional and semi-professional soccer players in Spanish leagues

Abstract

The fundamental objective of this study has been to characterize the methods of strength training in professional and semiprofessional soccer players in the Spanish leagues and to determine which variables can influence their selection. For this non-experimental, cross-sectional study, 35 physical trainers from professional and semi-professional teams from the Spanish leagues participated: 3 from the first division, 3 from the second division, 11 from the first federation, 14 from the second federation, and 4 from the third federation. To obtain information about their practices and evaluations of strength training, a specific questionnaire was designed, validated by nine expert judges. The most relevant findings indicate that neither the level of experience as a physical trainer, the category of the team in which they trained, nor level as soccer players, were variables that were capable of causing differences in the importance of the use of one or another average employee o training method. The drags were considered the most effective training method, however, plyometric is the most used training method, with significant differences with the rest of the training methods. Basically six great means or methods of strength training in the semi-professional and professional soccer player were identified: squats, drags, slopes, weightlifting, plyometric and contrasts.