I would like to start off by saying I have great respect for Mike Boyle and Ben Bruno. I largely agree with their thought processes around many topics. This especially includes the risks outweighing the rewards of bilateral back squatting and shifting the focus to single-leg training for athletes. With that said, I state my case for why burpees should not be considered dumb and may even have a place in the training process.
Can bands replace weight training? I wouldn’t look at it that way, both have their place and are effective tools. Weight training is a great way to improve strength and power, but bands offer an alternative way to train movements with speeds closer to what we encounter on the pitch. With weights, you can measure exactly how much load is being used, while bands are a bit harder to quantify. Weights are generally loading against gravity, while bands can be used to load horizontally. In a sport like soccer, this is huge since we must stop and go frequently and the direction of force is horizontal.
Soccer gives me a high and releases tension like nothing else in life. My problems and worries from my outside life seem to vanish when I'm on the pitch. I can be my true self and also test myself to see if I really have what it takes. In life, I often feel like the underdog and it's no different on the pitch. I enjoy this aspect though because I can come into the game with something to prove. How I train, eat, sleep, go out with friends - everything in my life is centered around performing my best on the field.
The rapid stops and starts involved in soccer place a high demand on our soft tissues and many players experience tight and stiff muscles (recall that the sensation of stiffness beyond what it should be could also be related to nutrition). This tightening of the fascial system due to trauma is a protective mechanism that can arise from either micro-trauma over time or acute injuries such as a contusion or strain. Remember, if the fascial components lose their pliability they become restricted and are a source of tension for the rest of the body. This becomes evident at the cellular level as well as mechanically within the collagen in which the ground substance solidifies. When the collagen develops cross-links that are fibrous and dense, the elastin loses its resiliency which causes disruption in the extracellular matrix leading to inflammation and pain. The tight areas of fascia are often referred to as trigger points, knots, adhesions, and scar tissue. There aren't actually knots in the muscle, but mal-alignment of tissue due to trauma and injury, poor motor patterns, and psychological stress. These restrictions in tissue cause inefficient movement patterns, screw with joint function, and contractile tissues to work much harder to attain the ranges of motion needed in soccer.
Deadlifts are the movement I call the "ACL reduction powerhouse." They are so great for not just the hamstrings and glutes, but the entirety of the trunk, and ensuring it has the stability, as well strength to handle high amounts load so the lower extremity joints are also stable (knee and ankles). I am also a huge fan of Single Leg RDLs, Pistol Squats, and Lunge variations for single-leg strength as well as trunk stability.
