WEEKS 1-6 THE OFFSEASON PROGRAM BECOME ELITE Matt Sheldon 2018 OFFSEASON The offseason for professional soccer in the United States CONTENTS starts at the end of October and goes through January. * 3 GOALS * 4 ABOUT BECOME ELITE * 5 ABOUT ME * 6 MAN IN THE ARENA * 7 OVERVIEW * 8 PROGRAM WEEKS 1-6 Preseason for most clubs in the US starts early February with the first league games starting end of March or early April. 2 The Offseason Program GOA LS 1. Technical Progression: The main goal of this offseason is to continue to develop my fundamental technical skills such as first touch, passing, dribbling, ball control, shooting, and crossing. All training sessions will be focused around technical development first and foremost. 2. Injury Prevention: The second goal of this offseason is to prevent injuries for the upcoming preseason/season. The focus will be on functional soccer specific exercises in the gym that aim to erase any muscular imbalances as well as a ton of mobility work to reduce muscles from becoming overly tight. 3. Functional Strength and Athleticism: The third overall focus and secondary focus in the gym is to improve strength and athleticism. This was the primary focus of the first offseason series, but this year it’ll be more maintenance and injury prevention work. 4. Tactical Progression: The fourth goal is to improve tactical awareness by studying EPL or La Liga full-backs playing on the top teams in the world. The goal is to study 2 games per week. 5. Fitness: Fitness will primarly be achieved through training with the ball during the first couple months of offseason, but in the last 4-5 weeks of offseason I will focus on improving soccer specific stamina to prepare for an upcoming preseason. The Offseason Program 3 B ECOM E E LI TE ABOUT THE COMPANY THE AIM OF BECOME ELITE IS TO SHOW ASPIRING PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYERS WHAT LIFE IS TRULY LIKE AS A PRO AS WELL AS HELP PLAYERS ON THEIR JOURNEY TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS YOUTUBE INSTAGRAM WEBSITE BECOME ELITE @BECOME_ELITE WWW.BECOME-ELITE.COM I use YouTube as my main form of social Instagram is more to show shorter train- My website is primarily there to sell media to show longer day in the life type ing drill videos, inspirational quotes that I training programs as well as give out free vlogs, training drill tutorials, or discuss find, and other random interesting posts samples of training programs. There is topics with research and science. across the professional soccer world. some limited merchandise as well. 4 The Offseason Program MATT SHELDON I was born in Seattle, WA, but moved to Portland, OR at age five and remained there through high school. I played soccer for most of life, but struggled at the youth level to really gain any recognition. I felt I was constantly undervalued and underrated, but continued to train and work hard to prove myself to my coaches. At age 17, everything started clicking for me and I joined one of the top teams in the state where I quickly became the captain, leading goal scorer, and MVP. It was during that year that I was recruited to play soccer at Oregon State, Gonzaga, and UC Davis. I ended up attending UC Davis for four years where I had a very successful collegiate career notching 15 goals and 7 assists as well as various all conference selections. In the summer leading up to my senior year I was selected to play for the SJ Earthquakes U23 team. After my senior year I dropped out of college in hopes to go pro, but I was undrafted in the 2015 MLS Superdraft. I went on to spend time on trials in Iceland, Canada, and Sacramento, but was unable to sign a pro contract. I was offered to train with the Sacramento Republic for the entire 2015 season as a practice player. Following that season I left for Germany where I traveled around the country for 3 months trialing with various teams. Ultimately, I signed a contract for SG Kinzenbach in the 6th tier of German soccer. Following that season, I left Germany for an opportunity with the Orange County Blues in California and after a couple weeks I signed my first fully professional contract in the 3rd tier of US professional soccer. I started the remainder of the season as a right back for the Blues. After the 2016 season, I was offered a contract in the second tier of US professional soccer for Saint Louis FC. I started 12 games and had 1 assist, but towards the end of the season I tore my left adductor and lower abdominal muscle. It required two surgeries and months of rehab and I had to miss out on the start of the 2018 USL season. I ended up signing a contract to play down in the Central League of New Zealand where I played for Waterside Karori while I rehabbed and got back into form. After completion of the season there, I flew to Tulsa, Oklahoma where I trained with the Tulsa Roughnecks again in the USL (US 2nd tier) for the remainder of the 2018 season. This brings us to this offseason. Currently I am training and preparing for any opportunities that come up in 2019. The Offseason Program 5 NMa“IT IS NOT THE CRITIC WHO COUNTS; NOT THE MAN WHO POINTS OUT HOW THE STRONG MAN STUMBLES, OR WHERE THE DOER OF DEEDS COULD HAVE DONE THEM BETTER. THE CREDIT BELONGS TO THE MAN WHO IS ACTUALLY IN THE ARENA, WHOSE FACE IS MARRED BY DUST AND SWEAT AND BLOOD; WHO STRIVES VALIANTLY; WHO ERRS, WHO COMES SHORT AGAIN AND AGAIN, BECAUSE THERE IS NO EFFORT WITHOUT ERROR AND SHORTCOMING; BUT WHO DOES ACTUALLY STRIVE TO DO THE DEEDS; WHO KNOWS GREAT ENTHUSIASMS, THE GREAT DEVOTIONS; WHO SPENDS HIMSELF IN A WORTHY CAUSE; WHO AT THE BEST KNOWS IN THE END THE TRIUMPH OF HIGH ACHIEVEMENT, AND WHO AT THE WORST, IF HE FAILS, AT LEAST FAILS WHILE DARING GREATLY, SO THAT HIS PLACE SHALL NEVER BE WITH THOSE COLD AND TIMID SOULS WHO NEITHER KNOW VICTORY NOR DEFEAT”. THEODORE ROOSEVELT 6 The Offseason Program TRAINING OVERVIEW 01 02 03 ON-BALL TRAINING GYM WORK FITNESS PLAN Majority of the training is going to be Last Offseason series I focused on a I am going to tailor my gym routine done by myself. It’s always tougher to strength specific gym routine and I had and on ball training to hit all of my fit- train by yourself as you are limited on tremendous results, but the heavier ness maintenance requirements during what you can do. Whenever I have the weights were taxing on my body and lead October, November, and December. I chance to train with other high level to some tendinitis issues. This year, my believe that during the offseason your players, I will, but for the most part I’ll main goal is to focus on injury prevention time should be spent improving technical be focusing on drills that can be done and functional movements that strength- skills and developing athletically in the individually and work on improving my en my body for actions I’ll perform on the gym, then during the last 4-5 weeks of fundamental skillwork. field. offseason the focus should shift to ramp- The training will also vary depending on I’ll still incorporate compound lifts and the circumstances of that day. For ex- weights into my routine, but it’ll be more ample, I might not have access to a goal dynamic movements with slightly lighter When the fitness does start to pick-up or I might only have one ball with me weights and I’ll really focus on imple- during the end of December/Early Janu- during that training session, etc. menting rehab exercises that I’ve picked ary, the focus will be on soccer-specific up from the last year of recovering from stamina training involving HIIT cardio and my two surgeries. short sprints with changes of direction. It’s for this reason, that I’m going to plan out my training the morning of the session or right before I start the training I’ll also throw in more plyometrics and session. I will then record what I did and mobility work. I want to make it a priority update this program after each workout. to dynamically stretch before every ses- The main areas of focus I want to im- ing up the cardio to prepare for the start of a new preseason. sion and statically afterwards. prove are first touch, longer range passing, and crossing. The Offseason Program 7 F U L L GY M R OUTI NE WEEK 1 DAY 1 (LEGS + PUSH) Exercise Sets Reps Rest Weight RPE Bike 1 5 min 10s N/A N/A Activation Routine 1 10 min 10s N/A N/A Run 1 10 min 60s N/A N/A Trap Bar Deadlifts* 5 8 15s Bulgarian Split Squats* 5 12 90s RDLs** 4 8 10s Step-Ups** 4 8 60s DB Bench Press 5 7 90s Explosive Landmine Press 5 7 90s Calf Raises 4 12 45s Hanging Leg Raise* 4 15 10s Hanging Side Crunch* 4 15 60s Foam Roll 1 10 min N/A N/A N/A Stretch 1 10 min N/A N/A N/A * or ** = Superset Exercises 8 The Offseason Program F U L L GY M R OUTI NE WEEK 1 DAY 2 (PREHAB) Exercise Sets Reps Rest Weight RPE Bike 1 20 min 10s N/A N/A Monster Walks* 3 10 20s N/A N/A Resistant Band Kicks* 3 10 20s Groin Side Shuffle* 3 20s 15s Swiss Ball Copenhagens** 3 20s 15s Planks on TRX Band/Swiss Ball** 3 60s 60s Side Lunges on Swiss Ball* 2 15 10s Side Plank Leg Raise/Twists * 2 60s 60s Decline Eccentric Single Leg Squats 3 20 20s Adductor Machine* 2 15 20s Abductor Machine* 2 15 20s Bosu Ball Stabilizations 2 10 30s Ankle Rehab 2 10 20s Foam Roll 1 10 min N/A N/A N/A Stretch 1vv 20 min N/A N/A N/A The Offseason Program 9 F U L L GY M R OUTI NE WEEK 1 DAY 3 (PLYO) Exercise Sets Reps Rest Weight RPE Jog 1 5 min 10s N/A N/A Activation Routine 1 10 min 10s N/A N/A Yoga 1 60 min 60s N/A N/A Foam roll 1 15 90s N/A N/A * or ** = Superset Exercises 10 The Offseason Program F U L L GY M R OUTI NE WEEK 1 DAY 4 (LEGS + PULL) Exercise Sets Reps Rest Weight RPE Bike 1 10 min 10s N/A N/A Activation Routine 1 10 min 10s N/A N/A Run 1 10 min 30s N/A N/A Box Squats* 4 8 15s Walking Lunges* 4 8 90s DB Side Slider Lunge** 3 10 15s Single Leg RDLs** 3 10 90s Calf Raises 4 12 45s Pull-Ups 4 MAX 60s Row Variation 4 10 60s Back Extensions 3 20 60s Decline Ab Sit-Up* 3 15 10s Decline Ab Twists* 3 20 60s Foam Roll 1 10 min N/A N/A N/A Stretch 1 10 min N/A N/A N/A * or ** = Superset Exercises The Offseason Program 11 F U L L GY M R OUTI NE WEEK 1-6 DAY 5 (PREHAB) Exercise Sets Reps Rest Weight RPE Bike 1 20 min 10s N/A N/A Monster Walks* 3 10 20s N/A N/A Resistant Band Kicks* 3 10 20s Groin Side Shuffle* 3 20s 15s Swiss Ball Copenhagens** 3 20s 15s Planks on TRX Band/Swiss Ball** 3 60s 60s Side Lunges on Swiss Ball* 2 15 10s Side Plank Leg Raise/Twists * 2 60s 60s Decline Eccentric Single Leg Squats 3 20 20s Adductor Machine* 2 15 20s Abductor Machine* 2 15 20s Bosu Ball Stabilizations 2 10 30s Ankle Rehab 2 10 20s Foam Roll 1 10 min N/A N/A N/A Stretch 1vv 20 min N/A N/A N/A * or ** = Superset Exercises 12 The Offseason Program F U L L GY M R OUTI NE WEEK 1-6 DAY 6 (PLYO) Exercise Sets Reps Rest Weight RPE Jog 1 5 min 10s N/A N/A Activation Routine 1 10 min 10s N/A N/A Sprint Intervals 1 5 min 60s N/A N/A Sled Push* 5 1 90s Sled Pull* 5 1 90s Med Ball Slams 4 8 90s Med Ball Twist Throws 3 8 90s Med Ball Squat Throws 4 8 90s Skater Jumps 4 5 90s Foam Roll 1 10 min N/A N/A N/A Stretch 1 15 min N/A N/A N/A * or ** = Superset Exercises The Offseason Program 13 BECOME ELITE Matt Sheldon
