Soccer team is transitioning from off-season to preseason training. How should the team's resistance training frequency be altered?

Soccer team is transitioning from off-season to preseason training. How should the team's resistance training frequency be altered?

• A. increase frequency to improve muscular endurance
• B. do not change frequency and add plyometrics
• C. decrease frequency to allow increased sport skill practice
• D. design a split routine with 3 days on and one day off

Answer: (C)

In preseason, the priority is balancing strength maintenance with more soccer-specific practice and conditioning. Decreasing resistance-training frequency helps achieve that by cutting overall fatigue and freeing time for on-pitch skills, drills, and tactical work. With fewer lifting sessions, players can still preserve strength through 2–3 well-planned workouts per week while dedicating more days to technical development, speed work, and game-like conditioning. Pushing for more resistance-training frequency would raise fatigue and potentially blunt performance during practice and scrimmages. Keeping the same frequency but adding more plyometrics increases total workload without reducing other demands, which can overwhelm athletes during this transition. A split routine with three days on and one day off is also quite demanding when soccer practice and recovery are factored in. Reducing resistance-training frequency best supports the shift toward skill-focused preparation and overall team readiness.

In preseason, the priority is balancing strength maintenance with more soccer-specific practice and conditioning. Decreasing resistance-training frequency helps achieve that by cutting overall fatigue and freeing time for on-pitch skills, drills, and tactical work. With fewer lifting sessions, players can still preserve strength through 2–3 well-planned workouts per week while dedicating more days to technical development, speed work, and game-like conditioning. Pushing for more resistance-training frequency would raise fatigue and potentially blunt performance during practice and scrimmages. Keeping the same frequency but adding more plyometrics increases total workload without reducing other demands, which can overwhelm athletes during this transition. A split routine with three days on and one day off is also quite demanding when soccer practice and recovery are factored in. Reducing resistance-training frequency best supports the shift toward skill-focused preparation and overall team readiness.