Training question - strength & aerobic?

I've always been quite wary of pushing the strength and aerobic training too high when designing my training schedules. The reason for this is that when I have previously increased the levels, I have ended up with quite a lot of training injuries, typically involving muscle injuries after sprints or after weights training.

Can anyone tell me if there is a generally 'safe' level that will suit most players and also ensure that they are able to develop physically at a normal kind of rate or level?

My previous experiences have made me extremely cautious and what I tend to do currently is to use the 'general'/default settings as a guide for the strength and aerobic categories. I tend to operate with both strength and aerobic at the same level as the general default schedule, which I think is about 12 on the slider (a couple of notches into the 'medium' setting).

Injuries of the type I described above, which occur in training, have been few and far between and so I am happy with this. What concerns me is that I am not pushing my players hard enough physically. Could I potentially do them long-term harm by not training them enough in the strength and aerobic areas or are my current settings probably about right?

I've got to be honest and say that I find the training in its current format a bit boring and I don't have the time, energy or interest to carry out tests to see what the best settings are. I just want to design some half decent schedules really and to make sure I get a good balance in terms of the physical side of things so that I don't suffer too many training injuries or have problems with my players and their development.

Training has never been an area of expertise for me so I would appreciate any advice and feedback regarding this. Thanks.

There's a psychological barrier in my mind about pushing them into high. I often have them at the top of medium. I push goalkeepers to high aerobic training.

I don't suffer many injuries in training. However, I don't know for sure if it is the optimum.

Thanks for the answer SCIAG. I take it this is mostly when managing bigger clubs (i.e. top flight?)

I should really have made this post in the tactics and training forum as I feel it would have been better there and I probably would have got more replies too!

Perhaps a mod would be kind enough to move it if they drop by. Thanks. Edit - started a new thread in the T&T forum myself so don't worry about moving this one.

Its age dependant. Once players are over 30 you can start to reduce it quite alot and focus on technical skills. This can quite often lead to alot of skill increase. The older a player is, the less need for physical training. I usually have older players in the lower half of medium on both.

Its age dependant. Once players are over 30 you can start to reduce it quite alot and focus on technical skills. This can quite often lead to alot of skill increase. The older a player is, the less need for physical training. I usually have older players in the lower half of medium on both.

Interesting. I would have thought that there is even an argument for the other way around. Young players develop physically as they grow anyway and so maybe the focus should be on technicals to create a well rounded player. Older players should have maxed out there technicals and mental attributes, so need to work harder at their fitness training to keep themselves going for longer.

Yes it makes sense that when their attributes start to drop you should train more, but try it and see what happens. Think of it this way, hes trained all his life , hes not going to make any stamina or speed or strength gains at this stage of his career.

Strength and Aerobic training has been the one I've found the most difficult to get right over the years. Like you I've seen injuries in training that I've associated with having this bit set too high, but setting it too low seems to stop my players rally developing physically.

Currently I just stick to the high end of medium for most people, with slighlty higher aerobic for wingers as I want their pace and acceleration to increase where possible.

One thing I do have is a pre-season schedule that has pretty high strength and aerobic training, with evrything else pretty low. I'll then put all players on this schedule in pre-season. I swear this decreases my injuries through the season and improves player development. But this is most likely entirely in my head

Yes it makes sense that when their attributes start to drop you should train more, but try it and see what happens. Think of it this way, hes trained all his life , hes not going to make any stamina or speed or strength gains at this stage of his career.

I would see it as 'the player is older and losing stamina/speed or whatever so maybe putting the training higher makes him less likely to lose as much stamina/speed or whatever. I would've thought that if you reduce that training his physicals would drop quicker than if he was normally training on aerobic/strength.

And I do the same as chopper in pre-season. More intense physicals while lower technical training

Thanks for the answer SCIAG. I take it this is mostly when managing bigger clubs (i.e. top flight?)

I haven't managed outside of the top two divisions of major European leagues on FM recently, so yes. I do tend to do the same with lesser sides though.

I would see it as 'the player is older and losing stamina/speed or whatever so maybe putting the training higher makes him less likely to lose as much stamina/speed or whatever. I would've thought that if you reduce that training his physicals would drop quicker than if he was normally training on aerobic/strength.

And I do the same as chopper in pre-season. More intense physicals while lower technical training

Yeah but if "his legs have gone" as they say, all the training in the world isnt going to bring them back. Push too hard and it will lead to injurys.