How do the players with a cannon for a leg do it?
Paying attention to one of the most forgotten muscles in strength training for soccer players.
I’m talking about the adductor.
If you’re wondering where it is, it’s on the inside of your thigh.
Here’s the thing.
Most players and parents believe that a powerful shot comes from the quadriceps.
That’s why they do machine leg extensions until their quads can’t take one more pump.
I’ve seen this mistake for years and… well… it kind of makes sense.
Let me explain.
When we see a professional player, we usually see him from the front, and the quads look huge.
In fact, that muscle is in charge of extending the knee, so people assume that strengthening that extension will make the shot more powerful.
Like I said, it makes sense.
Even more when someone as famous as Ronaldo does this after scoring a goal:
The only problem is… no one seems to have actually looked at the biomechanics of a soccer shot.
Take a look at the knee.
It’s already extended.
The lever – the movement that’s going to create the power of the shot – now comes from the hip (glutes) and from the external rotation of the foot. Which means that inward movement comes from the adductor.
And why am I giving you this biomechanics class applied to shooting in soccer?
Because even though the pre-sale is over, my Strength Training Program for Soccer
Players is still available.
More expensive than two days ago.
And it will never again be as cheap as it is right now.
I don’t know if your son cares about shooting harder or not. That’s none of my business.
But maybe some of the extras that are still included will already make it worth it.
Extras I could sell separately and it would still be a good deal.
And honestly, I probably will.
Later.
For now: a program to shoot with more power.
¡Vamos!
Oh, by the way, looking only at the front of the leg to see if someone is strong is rookie stuff.
Most injuries happen in the posterior muscles (hamstrings) or in, surprise, the adductors.
That’s why any good program worth the name has to target those imbalances.