Football Off-Season Strength
Build speed, prevent injury, and own the pitch.
Designed by 4D High Performance Coaches & Coaches
An 8-week off-season strength program built specifically for footballers. Get faster, stronger, and more resilient, and enter the season with the physical capacity to stay on the pitch and perform for the full 90 minutes.
PDF guide + Excel training log. Delivered to your inbox at checkout.
8-week off-season program
Don't just maintain fitness. Build capacity.
Football asks a lot of your body. Repeated sprints, sharp changes of direction, jumping, landing, and kicking, week after week. Most players spend the off-season trying to hold on to fitness. The players who stay on the pitch use it to build the strength, power, and resilience the game demands.
Our team has worked with football clubs and high-level individual players. This program brings that same approach to your off-season, with two progressive blocks that develop the qualities that matter most on the pitch while giving your body time to adapt alongside your field training.
Enter the season faster, more powerful, more resilient, and better prepared to perform. And stay on the pitch.
The goal of the programEverything you need to train with purpose.
Two blocks. One season-ready player.
Training volume and intensity gradually increase across the program, helping you build capacity without unnecessary overload.
Lay the foundation. Build strength, improve landing and movement quality, address strength imbalances, and strengthen the hamstrings, groin, calves, and hip flexors.
Build on the foundation with heavier loading, more explosive jumping and bounding, and reactive work to convert that strength into speed for the season ahead.
Built for the demands of the game.
Develop the lower-body strength and power to win the first step, beat opponents to the ball, and reach top speed sooner.
Improve your ability to brake, cut, and re-accelerate efficiently, with better control through the knee and ankle.
Build hip flexor, adductor, and rotational strength for more powerful and repeatable passing, crossing, and shooting.
Targeted Nordic, long-lever, and adductor work to strengthen the areas most commonly injured in football.
Develop the capacity to sprint, jump, and change direction repeatedly, late into a match, without a drop-off in performance.
Single-leg landing, deceleration, and balance work to build knee and ankle stability and help reduce the risk of ACL injury.
1 day on, 1 day off.
Three sessions per week with at least one day of rest between each. Days off can include mobility, field training, or off-feet cardio.
Still playing or training with a team? Schedule sessions around matches and your hardest field sessions, and avoid heavy lower-body work and jumping the day before a game.
Footballers who want to be faster, stronger, and harder to break.
- Players looking to add structured strength and power training alongside their football
- Players wanting to improve acceleration, speed, agility, and kicking power
- Players wanting to reduce their risk of common football injuries, including hamstring strains, groin pain, and ankle and knee injuries
- Players wanting to start the season stronger, faster, and better prepared for 90 minutes
- Players at any level with access to a standard commercial gym
A look inside Session 1.
Block 1, Week 1. Exercises with the same letter are completed as a superset. Every exercise links to a technique video in the program.
| Seq | Exercise | Sets | Reps | Tempo | Rest | Alternate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WU | 7 Way Hip | 2 | 5ea | - | 30s | - |
| WU | Adductor Drop Outs | 2 | 10ea | - | 30s | - |
| WU | Calf Raise Pulse | 2 | 30 | - | 30s | - |
| A1 | Trap Bar Deadlift | 3-4 | 12 | 213 | 2-3 min | Barbell Deadlift |
| A2 | Broad Jump | 3-4 | 3 | - | 1-2 min | Box Jump |
| A3 | Dead Bug Press | 3-4 | 12ea | - | 1-2 min | 1/2 Body DB Press |
| B1 | SL Squat Off Box | 3-4 | 10ea | 214 | 1-2 min | Bottom Up Split Squat |
| B2 | Forward Step Decel | 3-4 | 3ea | - | 30-90s | Box Landing |
| B3 | Eccentric Pull Ups | 3-4 | 5 | 003 | 30-90s | Assisted Pull Ups |
| C1 | Short Lever Adductor Holds | 3 | 3 x (20s) | - | 30-90s | Side Lying Adductor Holds |
| C2 | Double Leg Calf Raise | 3 | 15 | 123 | 30-90s | Barbell Calf Raise |
Tempo is shown in seconds: lift, hold, lower. "ea" means each side. Reps, tempo, and load progress week by week across each block.
Strength builds the body. ESD builds the engine.
Add our Off-Season ESD program to develop the aerobic and repeat-sprint fitness that sits alongside your strength work, so you arrive at pre-season with both the power and the engine to use it.
Questions, answered.
Something else on your mind? Email reception@4dhp.com and our team will help.
You receive the full program guide as a PDF and the 8-week program as an Excel spreadsheet, delivered by email straight after checkout. The spreadsheet includes every session with sets, reps, tempo, rest, technique video links, alternate exercises, and space to log your weights. The guide covers warm-ups, three optional mobility sessions, recovery, hydration, and nutrition.
The program uses standard commercial gym equipment: dumbbells, kettlebells, a barbell, resistance bands, plyo boxes, and gym machines. A gym is ideal, and two alternate exercises are provided for every movement if specific gear is unavailable.
Sessions are programmed to sit alongside your field training and matches, and volume increases gradually to avoid overload. Where possible, avoid a session the day before a game. If you feel fatigued, adjust your session timing and reach out to us.
Yes. The program is built for all players. Block 1 focuses on technique, landing quality, and building a foundation at a 7 / 10 effort before Block 2 increases intensity. You choose your loads based on the RPE and reps in reserve targets, so it scales to your current strength.
Complete it on a different day, keeping at least one day between sessions. Consistency over time matters more than strict adherence to specific days. Contact us if you need guidance on adjusting your week.
Yes. Alternate exercises are provided for when equipment isn't available or a movement doesn't suit your current ability. Reach out for further advice on modifications.
Track your weights, reps, and RPE in the program spreadsheet every session. Review your progress regularly and adjust intensity based on the data.
Stop the exercise. Review your form and consider reducing the load or range of motion. If pain persists, see a health professional or contact us. Our physiotherapists, chiropractors, and exercise physiologists are available at our Sydney CBD and Norwest clinics, and program members receive 10% off allied health services.
Because this is a digital product delivered instantly, we're unable to offer refunds once the files have been sent. If anything is wrong with your files or you can't access them, email reception@4dhp.com and we'll sort it out.
This program is a general guide only and does not replace individual assessment from a qualified health professional. If you have a current injury, persistent pain, or a medical condition, consult your GP, physiotherapist, or exercise physiologist before starting. Nutrition guidance is general in nature and does not replace advice from a qualified dietitian.
The season is won before it starts.
Eight weeks. Three sessions a week. Faster, stronger, and more resilient when it counts.