Training With Intent in Football: The Key to Better Performance
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When was the last time you saw a player go through the motions in the gym?
Box jumps without effort. Trap bar lifts without urgency. Med ball throws like they’re tossing a pillow.
The sets and reps are there. The programming looks fine on paper.
But the intent? That’s what’s missing.
And in football, where physical development windows are tight and training time is limited, intent isn’t just a “nice to have” — it’s a multiplier.
What Do We Mean By ‘Intent’?
Intent can be defined as the athlete’s effort, focus, and explosiveness during an exercise, especially when training for strength, speed or power.
It’s the difference between doing a rep and owning it. Between “just enough” and “maximum”.
When we train strength and power, we’re not just trying to move weights — we’re trying to move them fast and aggressively.
That’s where the neuromuscular adaptations come from. And that’s what transfers to the pitch.
One of the major issues with players conducting gym sessions is distractions.
They are too busy worrying about what music is playing rather than focusing 100% on the effort they are giving.
This results in sessions lacking intensity or urgency to drive the required adaptations.
Especially in youth or academy football, developing the ability to train with intent is as important as the training itself.
How Do We Train With More Intent?
Here are 5 practical strategies I’ve seen work in real football environments:
1. Coach the Why
Players are more likely to commit when they know:
Why it matters
How it links to their game
What they’re trying to improve
Explain that it’s not just squatting — it’s developing power to break out of a press.
Not just jumping — but building explosiveness to win second balls.
2. Use External Feedback
Wearable technology (e.g. Output Sports) can be a powerful tool to promote intent within training for players.
It’s amazing what happens when a player sees their number drop — intent shoots up immediately.
Ensure you give clear verbal feedback, such as:
“That was quicker”
“Match that height”
“Let’s beat your last effort”
3. Set Clear Performance Standards
“Move it fast” is vague.
“Push the bar at 0.8 m/s” or “Hit 30cm on your jump” is clear — and trackable.
Wearable tech lets you set data-driven thresholds for:
Bar speed
Jump height
Power output
Contact time
RSI
Players now have a target to chase, and you have a way to objectively track progress — session to session, week to week.
4. Track Short Sets for Max Output
Long sets dilute intent — and blur the data.
With wearable technology, you can identify peak vs. average performance, ensuring:
Low rep sets (2–4 reps)
Maximal effort on each rep
No wasted volume
Use real-time feedback from wearables to flag when intent drops — and when it’s time to move on.
5. Create Competitive Environments With Live Data
Tech turns a training session into a competition — instantly.
Ben Rosenblatt (former lead physical performance coach England Men’s national team) talks about different versions of competition to drive intensity:
Whilst individual competition vs yourself can be useful, using team-based and also individuals within teams to ramp up intent helps to increase intent.
Live leaderboards can also help to visual data and drive competition between players.
Bottom Line
You can have the best programme on paper. But without intent, it’s just movement.
You create athletes who don’t just lift — they train to compete.
So next time you're coaching strength, speed or power, ask yourself: Are your players training with intent — or just showing up?
That's all for today.
See you next Friday.
James 🫡
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