This is the first module of the conditioning series and outlines the fundamental philosophies that all coaches should be aware of when planning and creating their season. It includes an overview of the series, as well as the philosophies of both Mark and Nick and the framework they recommend to maximise your teams physical capacity, from grassroots to professional soccer.

In this module, we will look at the importance of ‘starting speed’ in the modern game. The ability to accelerate quickly to create or close space is fundamental to successful performance when we consider that the average sprint distance in the game is around 10-15m.

In this course, we will be exploring the key ways in which strength training can improve football performance. We will be looking at how strength is a key physical quality which underpins many of the other physical attributes we are looking to develop in players.

In this module, we will explore the importance of developing the ability to ‘stop’ efficiently. This deceleration ability is fundamental when trying to ‘press’ repeatedly high up the pitch to regain possession or to the ability to change direction effectively. Being able to stop efficiently is critical to the modern game.

With the modern game consisting of more and more high-intensity sprints, this course will identify ways to improve your player's top speed. The knowledge provided within the module will allow you to utilise the methods demonstrated to create a safe and progressive environment for your team.

In this module, we will continue to develop the capabilities of the players we have to nudge their capacity with regards to volume and intensity as we discussed in the first module 'Structure'. As you can’t “fire a cannon from a canoe” in this module we will explore how to achieve a solid volume base from which you can go on to increase intensity.