Football may seem like a sport that requires a great deal of aerobic conditioning, particularly when you see a running back or wide receiver sprinting down field for a 70-yard touchdown, but a majority of the conditioning you need for the game is in short bursts. According to the authors Michael J. Arthur and Bryan L. Bailey in their book "Complete Conditioning for Football," most plays in football require you to exert your maximum sprinting ability for five seconds or less. Therefore, your training needs to reflect these demands.
Base Preparation
In the early months of the off-season, such as January, February and March, you need to build up your base level of conditioning in preparation for preseason training. During the base preparation months, your running may be as long as a mile or two per training session. When running is coupled with a total body weight training program, you will build valuable muscle mass and cardiovascular conditioning that will be your foundation for working out during the preseason.
Sprints
Sports training specialist Phil Davies notes on Sports Fitness Advisor that many football coaches go about their training improperly by having their athletes run distances of 100 meters or more. True football speed is actually dependent on accelerating quickly over a short distance. Perform sprints over a distance of 5 to 40 yards, with two to six sets per sprinting exercise. Arthur and Bailey recommend that you use interval training with sprinting exercises, meaning that you allow 10 seconds of rest for every second of sprinting in the set.
Technique Sprints
Part of football conditioning must focus on making your muscles operate as efficiently as possible. Use short sprints over 10 yards or less while focusing on your technique. High knee pumps and high knee carioca drills, which have you cross your trail leg over your front leg, help to encourage fast-twitch muscle fiber growth and response. Select four of these exercises and perform three sets of each as part of your warm-up routine, three times per week.
Resistance Drills
If your football program has the equipment, adding resistance drills near the end of your training can greatly increase your speed and running efficiency. NFL running backs like Chris Johnson use resistance waist bands while training 10-yard sprinting exercises in three set bursts. Though it is a short distance, the pull of the resistance band forces you to use the best technique possible to run the full 10 yards. You may use either technique exercises or straight sprinting over the distance, depending on how difficult the resistance setting is.
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