In short: The Winter Arc is the time between the first and second half of the season. If you use the winter months specifically for fitness, strength and technique, you start the second half of the season fitter. What matters is a clear plan, enough recovery and a diet that supports your training.
What is the Winter Arc in football?
The Winter Arc describes the training and preparation phase during the cold winter months. There are fewer matches during this time, so players and coaches can work specifically on fitness, technique and game understanding. It is the ideal window to work on your individual weaknesses, for example in individual training.
Preparing for the second half of the season: the four focus areas
- Fitness and endurance: base endurance in December, then intervals and football-specific running. This is how you maintain your level for the full match.
- Strength: strength is the basis for sprints, jumps and duels. Legs, core and upper body are now the focus.
- Technique: ball control, dribbling and finishing can be improved in a targeted way without the pressure of a match schedule.
- Recovery and nutrition: more training needs more recovery. Sleep and food decide whether you improve or just get tired.
Football training in winter: what to watch out for
- Warm up longer and more thoroughly in the cold.
- Wear several layers and change into dry clothes quickly after training.
- Drink enough even in the cold – you often feel less thirsty in winter.
- Schedule rest days so your body can process the load.
Nutrition during the Winter Arc
Food first: the basis is regular meals with enough carbohydrates around training and protein spread over the day. The UEFA expert group recommends 1.6–2.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight. More on this in our article Nutrition for footballers.
In winter, your skin gets little sun in Switzerland, so vitamin D levels are often lower. A blood test shows whether you should supplement.
Supplements as an addition
- Creatine360: creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 3 g of creatine. Useful if you are working on strength and explosiveness over the winter.
- Recover360: the recovery drink after hard sessions, with carbohydrates, amino acids and minerals.
- Pregame360: the booster before training. Contains caffeine, recommended from age 16.
FAQ: the Winter Arc
What does Winter Arc mean?
The term comes from social media and stands for a phase in which you deliberately improve during the winter. In football, it is the time between the first and second half of the season.
When does preparation for the second half of the season start?
In Swiss amateur football, the second half of the season usually starts in March, and team preparation in January or February. You can start your personal Winter Arc as soon as the winter break begins.
What do footballers eat in winter?
Basically the same as usual: enough carbohydrates around training, protein spread over the day, plenty of vegetables and fruit. In winter, pay particular attention to drinking enough and to a good vitamin D status.
Conclusion
The Winter Arc is your chance to start the second half of the season with a head start. A clear training plan, enough recovery and good nutrition are the basis – supplements are an addition.
Everything you need for the Winter Arc is in the 360Football Performance System™ – Winter Arc: Pregame360, Recover360, Creatine360, two shakers and the nutrition guide.
