12 Bodyweight Strength Exercises for Soccer Players

You don't need a gym membership to get strong for soccer. Every exercise below can be done in a living room, a backyard, or the corner of a field before practice — and together they cover every movement pattern a soccer player needs. This is the exercise menu behind the Strength Training for Soccer Players guide.

Legs

1. Bodyweight squat

Feet shoulder-width, chest up, sit back and down until thighs are roughly parallel, drive through the whole foot to stand. 3 sets of 12–15.

2. Split squat

One foot forward, one back, lower the back knee toward the floor and press back up. Builds the single-leg strength squats alone can't reach. 3 sets of 8–10 per leg.

3. Reverse lunge

Step backward into a lunge instead of forward — easier on the knees than a forward lunge and closer to how players decelerate on the field. 3 sets of 10 per leg.

4. Lateral lunge

Step wide to one side, sit the hips back over the bent knee, push back to center. Trains the side-to-side strength cutting and defending require. 3 sets of 8 per leg.

5. Glute bridge

Lie on your back, knees bent, drive the hips up until the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees, squeeze at the top. 3 sets of 15.

6. Single-leg Romanian deadlift

Standing on one leg, hinge at the hips and reach the opposite hand toward the floor while the free leg extends back, then return to standing. Slow and controlled. 3 sets of 8 per leg.

Hips and hamstrings

7. Nordic curl

Kneeling with a partner (or something sturdy) anchoring your ankles, lower your torso toward the floor as slowly as control allows, catching yourself with your hands at the bottom. The single best exercise for preventing hamstring strains. Full walkthrough: Nordic Curls for Soccer. 3 sets of 4–6.

8. Copenhagen plank

A side plank with the top foot supported on a bench or chair, working the inner-thigh muscles that stabilize the groin. Full progression: The Copenhagen Plank for Soccer. 3 sets of 15–20 seconds per side.

Upper body

9. Push-up

Hands under shoulders, body in a straight line, lower chest toward the floor and press back up. Elevate the hands on a step to regress, elevate the feet to progress. 3 sets of 10–15.

10. Inverted row

Under a sturdy table or low bar, body straight, pull your chest toward the bar and lower under control. Builds the pulling strength push-ups don't. 3 sets of 8–10.

Core

11. Front plank

Forearms and toes on the ground, body in a straight line from head to heels, brace and hold. Quality over duration — 30 controlled seconds beats 90 sagging ones. 3 sets of 30–45 seconds.

12. Dead bug

Lying on your back, arms reaching up and knees bent to 90 degrees, slowly extend one arm and the opposite leg toward the floor while keeping the lower back flat, then return. 3 sets of 8 per side.

Putting it together

Pick one exercise from each section for a full-body session in under 20 minutes. For how to arrange these across a training week and progress them by age, see Strength Training for Soccer Players: The Complete Guide and Strength Training by Age. Players ready to add load can follow the 8-Week Off-Season Strength Program.