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I’m a Junior in high school and club season is about to start in a couple months.

I’m the captain and starting center back for my team, but I feel as though I’m starting to level off with the competition. I’ve always been really lanky (about 6’5″ 155 pounds) and now the competition is getting older I need to get better, fitter, and stronger.

Do you have any suggestions so that I won’t let my team down? I’m probably going to play sweeper for my high school team.

What should I do so that I stay on top?

I’ve been thinking about squats. Right now I only do about 250lbs. I’m also pretty slow: about a 13 second 100m dash, 15 min 2 mile run, and I only bench press about 110lbs.

First off, at 6’5″ and 155 pounds, you are, indeed, very light for your height.

Improve Your Strength

To get stronger, you should do squats, box jumps, and other exercises that will improve your leg strength. I would particularly focus on the “big muscles” like your quads and glutes.

It also sounds like you should do dead lifts as well. These will help you work those “big” leg muscles as well as your back muscles. In addition, it will help you build your core strength that will produce those “you can’t move me” moments when opponents try to bump you off a ball.

When doing dead lifts, remember to bend at the knees and keep your back straight.

Improve Your Speed

As I’ve mentioned in, 5 Keys to Improved Speed, having more “driving force” can help you run faster. It may very well be that you are so light that you do not produce the force you need to “drive” you forward quickly when you run. In your case, putting on weight might actually increase your speed.

It is important to remember, however, that you want this to be “good”, lean weight, and not fat. Add more calories to your diet, but try to make sure these calories come from foods high in protein and low in fat. Protein shakes are great if you are comfortable taking them and can afford them. Otherwise think about eating a lot of lean meats like turkey and chicken.

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