This exercise was submitted by the Soccer F.I.T. Academy…
Many of our younger soccer players lack upper back strength…well actually they lack upper body strength altogether. But when you work with a population of 10-18 year old’s we sometimes get resistance from parents when we introduce strength training with weights (weight training). Most researchers, physicians and physiotherapists are now in agreement that, in the right environment, strength training is beneficial for younger athletes. But trying to get an uncoordinated 12 year old to perform a bent over row, or some variation of I’s, Y’s and T’s for upper back strength is sometimes a waste of time. Here’s why:
First, younger players sometimes lack the postural control to really get into the right position, and second, if they do get into the right position their lower back will fatigue before their upper back. This causes us to have to lighten the weight, reduce the reps or scrap the exercise altogether if we are in a group setting.
Using the TRX Suspension Training System has helped this portion of our program tremendously. We can get the players into a good position that encourages good posture without the stress on the low back, and we do it all with their own body weight. It’s funny, we have players doing an exercise where they are lifting a very high percentage of their body weight (as in pull ups) and parents think this is great. But if you put a 10 pound dumbbell in their hands, which is actually a very low percentage of their body weight, and ask them to lift it the parent screams, “No! I don’t want my daughter lifting weights!” This always baffles me!
Anyway, the TRX Table Top Row allows us to do several things:
- Increase the intensity of the strength training for the upper and middle back
- Do it in a body weight setting
- Encourage great postural control and core strength
- Decrease the stress on the low back
Here is a video clip of this exercise:
If this is too difficult for the player a simple modification of the exercise is to have them back up to a 45 degree angle and do more of a horizontal row (shown below). As they get better we actually put the torso more vertical and simulate more of a pull up type motion.
Remember that this is just an exercise for strengthening the upper back without having to add dumbbells, barbells, etc. that can sometimes put younger players in poor potions if they lack the core strength to maintain good posture. We will talk about what effect upper back strength has on agility and what type of situations it applies to during the course of the game in later posts.
Click on the TRAIN LIKE THE PROS banner at the top of the page to learn more about the TRX…