Exercise Science

  Day 14 started after I went to my last advisory. I switched up the routine and played soccer first for an hour and a half. I went out at 1:30 and finished at 3. I worked on cutting inside and shooting far posts basically the whole time after a warm up.  Next I went to the gym at 3:00 and did some stretching and muscle activation on the turf strip before doing my upper body workout below: warmup single arm circles 30s e side phelps flaps push ups  superman swimmers  plank bench 6-8 reps x 4 sets incline Db bench 10-12 repsx3 sets shoulder press 4 sets x 6-8 reps seated rows 3 sets x 10-12 reps neutral grip pull-ups  abs/core stability I finished with core doing four sets of four different exercises that center around trunk stability. I finished with my 30 minute yoga and headed to dinner at 5:30. In all I was in the gym for 2 and a half hours. Time Total: 4 hours

  Week 2 things were a lot smoother because I learned how to make my routine flow during week one. I stuck with lifting in the morning, playing soccer in the afternoon, and stretching out and mobilizing my body. I was a lot more focused on the recovery aspect of things this week for a lot of reasons. Obviously I was waking up sore the majority of last week and I wanted to learn how to fix it. I also just wanted to build good habits and figure out what my body needs and how it recovers. I was eating well and stretching, but I realized that I am missing an aspect of recovery. I wasn’t sleeping long enough. I also found that taking a 30 minute nap after lunch really benefited my afternoon sessions. I saw in a video about sleep coaching and professional players often nap midday after lunch because it is the body’s natural shutdown period. In Spain, they have siesta which is exactly this. You do a little body reset and it sets you up better than tackling the next thing right after. I took m

  Day 13 started at 9:45 when I got to the gym to stretch out. I was feeling slightly sore because I ran a pickup scrimmage last night and didn't stretch very well. I rolled out for about 15 minutes and biked for 5 before I did my timed mile. I was feeling good after I stretched and warmed up so I decided to do it today on the treadmill. The treadmill isn’t ideal for timed runs but I varied between 10.5-9 miles per hour and got a much improved time of 5:46. As opposed to 6.02 that I got at the beginning I was happy with my time. After this I did some more stretching and got into my leg workout below: Back squats 3x6-8 265lbs Box jumps 3x4-6 36 in Weighted jumps 3x8 20 lbs DB’s Assisted jumps 3x8  - split squats E/legs 6 reps superset RDL’s 6 reps Splits squats 6 reps E/leg superset Split jumps 6 reps E/leg This routine is continuing to serve me well and I also included arms (biceps and triceps) at the end again. I left the gym at 12:30, which was 2 and a half hours in total.  I got

  Day 12 was slightly different than I had planned. I went and played last night with some guys on the team doing 2 vs 2’s with a keeper and other shooting drills. I stayed out until 8:30 and got there at 6:30 so I was out there for 2 hours. This brought my total time for yesterday up to 5 hours and 15 minutes adding the 2 hour 30 gym session, and the 45 minute stretch. I woke up very sore this morning and made today a recovery day. I went into the gym at 11 and did some biking and then foam rolling until 11:30. Then went back and performed the plyometric workout below: seated vertical jump 3x5 depth jump 3x5 -24 inches  reactive toe taps 3x3 step push offs 3x5 I biked for 30 minutes and stretched for about 15 minutes bringing my total time in the gym to an hour and a half adding the time earlier.  Time Total: 1 hour 30 minutes

  Day 11 started at 10:00 in the gym where I’d do some quick warmups then get into a prolonged upper day because I spent some extra time doing extra workouts. I performed the routine below: Bench 4x8 185 LBS Incline DB bench 3x6 70’s Standing shoulder press 3x6 105 lbs Lateral raises 3x8 30’s Neutral grip pull ups 3x10 Machine rows 3x12 100 LBS Cable pullovers 3x12 42.5 LBS Rope Face pulls 3x12 30 LBS I did this longer upper day because I wanted to do some of my older workouts and I think I will continue to do this every other upper body workout. It is a lot of volume but it is worth it. I rolled out and got out of the gym at 12:30.  Time at gym: 2 hours 30 minutes Next I went to lunch and rested my body and mind until 2:30 and went to the gym for some stretching following this video Pro Footballer's Full Deep Stretch and Yoga Routine | 30 Minute Yoga for Soccer Players I left the gym at 3:15 after rolling out after. I spent 45 minutes there. I am going to go out to the field afte

  Day 10 started at 10:00 in the gym where I rolled out, stretched out, and hopped on the bike for 10 minutes to warm up before doing my leg workout: Back squats 3x6-8 225lbs Box jumps 3x4-6 36 in Weighted jumps 3x8 20 lbs DB’s Assisted jumps 3x8  - split squats E/legs 6 reps superset RDL’s 6 reps Splits squats 6 reps E/leg superset Split jumps 6 reps E/leg Today I felt good and performed the workout the best I have so far. I went up 3 inches for box jumps which I was pumped about. I also did some biceps and triceps because I have not done arms in about a week and a half. I left the gym at 12:00. Time in gym: 2 hours After lunch I headed out to the field at 2:00 and did some dribbling work after some warmup and muscle activation. I did three drills that consisted of 90 degree cuts and 45 degree cuts on the run and with the ball. I did two laps of shuttle runs after and I finished at 3:15. Time at field: 1 hour 15 minutes I got back into the gym for my cooldown stretch. I did 10 light m

  Day 9 started at 10:30 in the gym where I got a good 15 minute light bike then about a 10 minute dynamic warmup before getting into the plyometric routine below: pogo jumps 2 x 20 squat pulse 2 x 10 rotational broad jump 3 x 2 EL SL broad to bound 3 x 2 EL depth jumps 4 x 2 loaded jumps 4 x 3 I was focusing on performing quality reps and really taking my time to get these right because I haven’t done some of them before. I got out of the gym at 12:15 which resulted in an hour and 45 minutes in the gym.  I got some lunch and rest and headed out for a run on my usual course  (two laps around campus/rail trail) at 1:45. I went out to Carr field at 2:15 to perform some close control ball work that I got from these two videos. How to UNLOCK your dribbling and touch potential Improve ball mastery | 5 drills for ultimate control I left the field at 3:15 so I was out for 1 hour and 30 minutes.  Lastly I got into the gym at 4:30 and did some low intensity biking, abs because I forgot to do t

  Day 8 was originally scheduled (last night's plans) to start with a mile run for my progress time. However, I woke up very sore and fatigued which is something I was scared of since I took a day off on Sunday. I started in the gym at 11:00 A.M and performed the upper body workout I have been doing: warmup single arm circles 30s e side phelps flaps push ups  superman swimmers  plank Working sets bench 6-8 reps x 4 sets incline Db bench 10-12 reps 3 sets shoulder press 4 sets x 6-8 reps seated rows 3 sets x 10-12 reps neutral grip pull-ups  abs/core stability I did some additional stretching and finished around 12:40. I am working on doing more core workouts after my lifts because it is an area I have noticed needs some improvement.  Time in gym: 1 hour 40 minutes I then went out to the field after lunch and a little bit of rest at 2:15 P.M I did some personalized winger drills after some ball mastery work. I was going to do some shuttle runs but my legs were just feeling very heav

  Day 7 started at 9:45 with about a 20 minute stretch/muscle activation warmup. I did 10 minutes on the bike before I got into the leg workout below: Back squats 3x6-8 225lbs Box jumps 3x6 33in Weighted jumps 3x8 20 lbs DB’s Assisted jumps 3x8  - split squats E/legs 6 reps superset RDL’s 6 reps Splits squats 6 reps E/leg superset Split jumps 6 reps E/leg I was able to get through the workout at 5 pounds heavier on most lifts. I went up in weight because I did 8 reps on most of my lifts for last week, and so I upped the weight five pounds and did sets of 6. This is the system I usually do when I lift. I stretched out and got out of the gym to lunch at around 12:15 Total Time in Gym: 2 hours 30 minutes Next I took about 30 minutes to rest after lunch to get my mind and body back on the same page and got out to the field at 1:45. I did a longer warm up as I did in the morning because I had my rest day yesterday and I wanted to ensure my body was ready for the field session. I did three

During week one I was working on putting my routine into motion and figuring out how to tackle each day one day at a time. Every morning I’d wake up for the first three days I was working on how the timing was going to work and how to plan my workouts in a way that I was getting the most out of every session. I usually start with an hour and a half and sometimes two hours in the gym. I am lifting for usually an hour to an hour and a half and stretching from 15-30 minutes depending on how my body is feeling. I am focusing on what is tight and sore which is usually my hamstrings, calves and abductors. All around I am focusing on having a strong start to the day and getting ready to hit the field after lunch. I have been going to the field for around an hour and a half in the afternoon from 2:00-3:30. Then I finish off the day with some plyometrics and mobility/recovery so my body is ready to go again the next day. I do conditioning 3 days a week. Usually in the morning or after my ball w

  Day 6 started at 9:00 A.M with a long stretch. However it wasn’t the yoga routine because I am only doing that every other day. After I stretched and did some band activation I got into the plyometric workout below: plyometrics workout seated vertical jump 3x5 depth jump 3x5 -24 inches  reactive toe taps 3x3 step push offs 3x5 After this I did my injury prevention workout right after shown below: Backward walks 5 minutes band activation  tibialis raise 3x 20 ankle dorsiflexion 3x10 each leg deep squat no weight 3x12 deep lunge 3x10 good mornings 3x10 pull ups 3x6-8 bosu push-ups 3x12 hamstring ball curls 3x12 alternating dead bug glute bridge 3x12 I left the gym at 11:00 A.M and this concluded day 6 as I had to leave shortly after to go off campus because I am home for the weekend. Although today was short I am happy I got these workouts in because they are super beneficial for what I am working on. Injury prevention is tedious but necessary when you are doing this much volume.  Tota

  Day 5 started at 10:00 A.M when I got to the gym. Since my legs were really feeling it from yesterday’s leg day and run I took some extra time to stretch and warm up even though I was hitting all upper body lifts in the gym today. I followed the same upper body workout as I did on Tuesday: warmup single arm circles 30s e side phelps flaps push ups  superman swimmers  plank bench 6-8 reps x 4 sets incline Db bench 10-12 reps 3 sets shoulder press 4 sets x 6-8 reps seated rows 3 sets x 10-12 reps neutral grip pull-ups  abs/core stability Total time in gym: 10-12  I went out to the field at 2 to get some ball work in. I followed a ball mastery circuit from my independent program that has work on and off the ball. I was feeling fatigued but I was able to get the circuit done. With warmups and all, I was out there until 3:30. I went back to my room and showered and went to the gym for some stretching/ yoga for 30 minutes following this video. Pro Footballer's Full Deep Stretch and Yog

  Waking up on day 4 I felt well rested and minimal soreness in my body which was my goal yesterday. I did feel tight and went to the gym at 10:00 A.M to do some inclined backwards walking on the treadmill and a long stretch. I’ve found that inclined backwards walking on the treadmill gets my legs loose and ready to work. I ran around 2 miles at a 50% pace because I didn’t want to tire myself out before I start my main sessions. I headed in and did some more backwards walking before my gym session. I followed the leg workout below: Back squats 3x6-8 225lbs Box jumps 3x6 33in Weighted jumps 3x8 20 lbs DB’s Assisted jumps 3x8 split squats E/legs 6 reps superset RDL’s 6 reps Splits squats 6 reps E/leg superset Split jumps 6 reps E/leg I stretched out and left the gym for lunch around 12:30 Total Time in Gym: 2 hours 30 mins After lunch I got about a 30 minute rest and got out to the field at around 2 P.M. I did a dribbling circuit that I did in my independent program after a warm up and b

  Entering day three of my training, my legs were certainly feeling it. Today was what I like to call an active rest day in the gym. I got into the gym at 10:30 and performed an injury prevention workout that is listed below: Backward walks 5 minutes band activation  tibialis raise 3x 20 ankle dorsiflexion 3x10 each leg deep squat no weight 3x12 deep lunge 3x10 good mornings 3x10 pull ups 3x6-8 bosu push-ups 3x12 hamstring ball curls 3x12 alternating dead bug glute bridge 3x12 This workout helped with flexibility and stability which are two key factors in running and soccer. Then I followed a 30 minute yoga video to really get a good stretch in and loosen up before my field session. Link to the video: Pro Footballer's Full Deep Stretch and Yoga Routine | 30 Minute Yoga for Soccer Players Total time in gym: 10:30-12:30 I got some lunch then headed back to my room for about 30 mins of rest. It is important to rest for a little bit between each session so I enter the next session with