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2 MOST COMMON SOCCER INJURIES & HOW TO PREVENT THEM

There aren’t many feelings worse for a footballer than having to sit on the sidelines.

Being injured flat out sucks.

Although there are some we just can’t avoid, there are ways we can lower our chances of picking up a knock.

See, the most common injuries that soccer players get are muscle strains.

They’re pesky and can range from grade one (a light pull) to grade three (a full-out tear).

90% of the time, they can be attributed to one of three things.

1. Weakness

2. Lack of mobility

3. A combination of both

So what do we do?

A BRIEF EXPLANATION OF PREHAB

As I mentioned before, we can actually lower our chances of picking up muscle injuries.

As much as up to 50%.

If you’re someone who wants to stay on the field, it’s a no-brainer to listen up.

It’s called prehab.

If we can strengthen those vulnerabilities before we pay the price for allowing them to be weak, we’re going to get more minutes on the field.

Prehab aims to do just that.

It focuses on fortifying muscles through their range of motion so they’re prepared for injury-inducing incidents.

The key is to focus on the part of the movement called "eccentric.”

Simply put, it’s the phase of the movement when you’re going against the muscle's primary movement.

For a squat, the eccentric would be as you’re lowering into the squat.

For a bench press, the eccentric would be as the bar drops towards your chest.

Eccentrics are helpful for a couple of reasons.

1. You’re stronger in this phase

2. It lengthens while it strengthens

To take advantage of these eccentrics, we typically do them slowly.

Anywhere from 3-5 seconds.

This allows for more tension to build.

The more tension, the more neurological control you gain, and the stronger you get.

Now that we’ve covered a bit of the basics, let’s get into what you really came here for.

MOST COMMON INJURIES

Hamstring Strains

Hamstring strains are the most common injury picked up by soccer players.

It accounts for up to 50% of all soccer injuries.

I’ve personally seen hamstring strains prey on teammates, adding up to countless matches missed.

And this is one knock that keeps coming back.

About 33% of players who strain a hamstring will pick up a second strain within a year, most of the time more severe than the first.

Even though many soccer players have less than stellar hamstring mobility, strains here are usually caused by weakness.

A great exercise for strengthening those hamstrings is the Swiss ball hamstring curl.

Cues to focus on:

• Keep the hips up by pushing through the glutes

• Slowly extend the leg to hit the eccentric hard

Ideally, you work up to doing these with a single leg or transition to Nordic curls, but this is the best place to start.

Groin Strains

In soccer especially, your adductors are extremely active.

They’re used every time you kick a ball or cut.

The main thing that leads to groin injuries.

The outside of our hip is typically much stronger than the inside and leaves the groin vulnerable when the body can’t compensate for its weakness.

This video does a wonderful job illustrating the progression of Copenhagens.

Like he mentions, they’re very difficult, and most people won’t be able to do one right off the bat.

Start small, work your way up and prevent injuries!

Share this email with someone who is always injured!

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