Your Strength and Conditioning Shouldn’t Look Like Your Sport

There’s a common belief among many non-league and amateur players that just playing football is enough to get fitter, faster, and stronger. 

But here’s the truth — if you only train by playing your sport, you’re leaving huge performance gains on the table.

We’ve all been there: running what feels like a pointless 5km, or grinding through squats with no clear idea how they actually help us on the pitch. All we want is to get to the fun part — the ball work.

But when you strip it back, football performance depends on strength, power, speed, and endurance. 

These aren’t built just through passing, dribbling, or shooting drills. Sure, those improve skill — but when you face a player who’s physically stronger and faster because they’ve been training smart in the gym, you’ll feel the difference the moment you collide.

Build the Athlete First

To get the most from your training, you need to build the athlete before the footballer. That starts in pre-season — both on the grass and in the weights room.

By focusing on the fundamentals — squats, trap bar deadlifts, pull-ups, press-ups — you’ll develop strength, resilience, and reduce your risk of injury. Add plyometrics and sprint work to improve speed, and yes, some distance running to build endurance.

When the season starts, the players who’ve put in the work in the gym are the ones who last longer, move faster, and dominate the pitch.

Remember

No one has ever been told they’re too strong, too fit, or too fast to play football.

Want to Take Your Game Further?

If you feel you can improve your game with real Strength & Conditioning — and want to get fitter, faster, and stronger — feel free to email me.


I’d be more than happy to help: joe@jtstrengthandfitness.co.uk