Soccer Off-Season Program
The Soccer Off-Season Program is a structured, phase-based training system on the Exercise Innovation web app that develops speed, strength, stability, and power across four progressive phases.
Reviewed by Dave Boyer, ATC, CSCS Updated
The Soccer Off-Season Program Built for Complete Athletic Development
A structured, phase-based training system designed to develop every dimension of your game — speed, strength, stability, and power — so you arrive at pre-season as a more complete, more durable athlete.
Designed by Dave Boyer, ATC, CSCS · 36 Years Developing Athletes · Available on the Exercise Innovation Web App
Become a Measurably Better Athlete
The Off-Season Is Your Biggest Competitive Advantage. Most Players Waste It.
When the final whistle blows on your season, you have a choice. You can rest, drift, and show up to pre-season scrambling to get back to where you were — or you can use those weeks to become a measurably better athlete.
The off-season is the one window where there are no game pressures, no weekly match cycles, no tactical demands competing for your training time. It’s the period where real, lasting athletic development happens. Where speed improves. Where strength is built from the ground up. Where the stability and movement quality that keeps players healthy all season long gets trained deliberately.
The problem is that most soccer players — at every level — don’t have a system. They train randomly, follow generic programs not built for soccer, or simply do nothing and hope fitness returns quickly when pre-season begins.
Exercise Innovation’s Soccer Off-Season Program changes that. This is a structured, expert-designed training system — organized into four progressive phases — that develops the complete athlete. Not just a fitter version of who you were. A faster, stronger, more stable, and more durable soccer player.
Program Overview
4 Phases. One Complete Athlete.
We provide the frameworks, logs, and expert guidance needed to navigate the youth sports journey together.
The Exercise Innovation Soccer Off-Season Program is a systematically structured training system divided into progressive phases. Each phase builds directly on the last — progressing in complexity, intensity, and sport-specificity — so that your body is continuously adapting and improving from the first session to the last.
The program develops two core training pillars simultaneously: Speed Development and Strength Development. Both pillars run in parallel through all four phases, ensuring that no dimension of your athleticism is left behind.
| Program at a Glance: | |
|---|---|
| Phases | 4 Progressive Phases |
| Training Pillars | Speed Development + Strength Development |
| Who It’s For | Youth, High School, College, Club & Adult Soccer Players |
| Where to Access | Exercise Innovation Web App |
| Designed By | Dave Boyer, ATC, CSCS — 36 Years of Athletic Performance Experience |
| Status | Active |
Who It’s For
Built for Soccer Players at Every Level
Whether you’re a youth athlete taking your first steps toward serious athletic development, a high school player competing for a starting spot, a college athlete who needs to outperform your competition, or an adult club player who wants to stay healthy and perform at your best year after year — this program was built for you.
The four-phase structure meets athletes where they are and progressively builds from there. The result is a program that works across skill levels, not because it takes shortcuts, but because it follows the real principles of athletic development — principles that apply whether you’re 15 or 35.
Who it’s for
- You want to become a faster, stronger, and more stable soccer player
- You’ve trained in the off-season before but never followed a structured, phase-based system
- You want a program designed by an expert who understands the physical demands of soccer — not just general fitness
- You’re serious about arriving at pre-season ahead of the competition, not behind it
- You want access to a professional-level training program through the Exercise Innovation web app — on your schedule, from anywhere
The 4 Phases
A System That Builds on Itself — Phase by Phase
Four phases. Two programs inside each phase. Approximately 168 exercises focused on controlling the three factors of human development — ground force reaction (GFR), momentum control, and external resistance — with intrinsic core activation as the foundation of every phase.
Phase 1
Strength Endurance & Speed Mechanics
Strength Endurance
- Develops muscular endurance in preparation for cardiovascular adaptation
- Improves nutrient and blood flow capacity to working muscles
- Enhances the tensile strength of connective tissue, such as tendons
- Prepares the body for additional external loads used in later stages
- Improves ground force reaction through stability using the intrinsic muscles of the CORE
Speed Mechanics Development
- Introduction phase for improving the mechanics of acceleration
- Develops stride length with connection to core activation during lower-extremity movements
- Initiates ground force reaction exercises with external load and control
Focus: Build the foundation of endurance, tissue resilience, and clean acceleration mechanics.
Phase 2
Single Leg Strength & Foot Speed
Single Leg Strength
- Recognizes that we are always in a single-leg stance during propulsion
- Strengthens single-leg stances and the activation component of human performance
- Progresses from muscular endurance into muscle strength — without the pressure to overload external resistance
Foot Speed Development
- Focused on foot speed, but built on stability as a crucial element
- Uses your stability to unlock foot speed for improved performance
Focus: Single-leg control and stability-driven quickness.
Phase 3
General Strength & Acceleration
General Strength Development
- The ability to generate force appropriately with the proper biomechanics for efficient movement
- Activates CORE stability during the movement pattern
- Adds a mental component connecting the body and the mind for improved strength
- Performed with both feet planted on the ground to reinforce the athletic base where most athleticism is generated
Acceleration Development
- The ability to gain speed in the shortest time possible
- Builds absolute speed for enhanced linear speed
- Focuses on GFR (ground force reaction) with appropriate posture and stability to use speed most efficiently
Focus: True strength through the athletic base and explosive linear acceleration.
Phase 4
Power Strength & Change of Direction
Power Strength Development
- Advances through maximum strength development, built on the foundation of the previous phases
- Uses the heaviest external resistance for the total number of reps within that set
- Sets are usually eight reps for integration of the neuromuscular system
- Continues whole-body neuromuscular control to enhance stability in the athletic position
- Includes exercises tied to the movement patterns of your sport for improved functional strength
Change of Direction Development
- A culmination phase that functionally integrates strength, speed, stability, and balance
- An infinite number of exercises to improve agility associated with your sport
- Promotes the ability to implement all previous phases into the skills of your sport and enhance your physical attributes
Focus: Peak power and sport-specific agility — every phase brought together.
Neuromuscular training paired with trunk activation of the intrinsic muscles is the foundation of this program — a progression built on respect for every athlete and the road they’re on.
This program is designed as sports performance and recovery support. Athletes should always follow guidance from their doctor, physical therapist, athletic trainer, or qualified care provider.
The App Experience
Access Your Program Anytime — Through the Exercise Innovation Web App
The Soccer Off-Season Program will be available through the Exercise Innovation web app — the central hub for all Exercise Innovation training programs. No downloads required. No gym memberships tied to it. Just your program, your schedule, and your progress — accessible from any device, anywhere.
The app brings professional-level athletic programming to players at every level who don’t have access to a private performance coach in their backyard — but deserve that quality of training.
What the app gives you:
Full access to the Soccer Off-Season Program across all four phases
Clear, structured session-by-session guidance so you always know exactly what to do
Access to all Exercise Innovation programs in one place
The ability to train on your schedule — at your gym, at home, or wherever you have space
A professional training system at a fraction of the cost of in-person coaching
Not sure yet? Book a free information session
MichelleMother of a Soccer Player My daughter is a traveling soccer player who tore her ACL. To get her back to playing I scoured the internet for someone to help me. Fortunately, my friend turned me towards Exercise Innovation and Dave Boyer, an ATC, CSCS and Mental Performance coach right in my backyard. Since working with Coach Dave my daughter is more confident and shows increased athleticism post ACL injury. Coach Dave applies the principles of general strength into his program with progression into additional exercise for improved function through stability and balance. He works on her mental ability throughout the session while doing what he refers to as functional exercise to improve my daughter’s speed and agility. Coach Dave is knowledgeable and even explained to me the results of our performance testing which was performed at our Physical Therapy Clinic which has no relationship to Exercise Innovation. I believe that this program my daughter is involved in has been beneficial in her recovery both physically and mentally. I would recommend it to any athlete who is suffering from an ACL injury and wants to get back to 100%. I even have my other daughter involved as a precaution to reduce an ACL injury.
MarisaGoalkeeper When I tore my ACL, it was a very challenging time. It leaves you furious, and sometimes hopeless. I was in desperate need for a good performance coach to help me return to my playing shape throughout that tough year of rehabbing. I was then referred to Coach Dave and was willing to try him out with a friend of mine, who also tore her ACL at the same time as me. Turns out, Coach Dave was one of the best strength and conditioning coaches I have ever dealt with. Not only are these workouts challenging and pushes you to work hard, but Dave has a true understanding of the body and the stressors we as athletes put on our bodies. One of the most important aspects, is that he also educates me on proper movement and form I need in order to enhance my stability and balance, by what he referred to as functional strength. I now see my body differently from a physical characteristic. The importance of proper technique and form goes unnoticed by most coaches, however extremely emphasized with Dave which takes this training to a much higher level than the rest. Coach Dave is also a mental performance coach, which I found very beneficial during my progression into sports-related exercise. He was always willing to help me mentally progress my ability in the gym which has transferred over into my skills on the field playing soccer. Getting my starting spot back on my team can be accredited to Dave, as I am much physically stronger after completing his program than I was before my injury ever occurred, and I understand my body and how to maintain stability now on an entirely different level. I strongly would recommend any athlete looking to recover from an ACL injury to seek him out, or any athletes who can benefit from a mental performance coach to overcome any mental setback that may be limiting their abilities!
Keith SlenkCertified Athletic Trainer The versatility of the balance board is what really adds value to our clinic. I use it every day for a variety of diagnosis including those involving upper extremity, lower extremity, and back to aide in strength, stability and coordination. It’s unique design helps place my patients in a functional position applicable to everyday life.