Football players require strength, power, speed and agility to be proficient in their sport, but also need flexibility and muscular control to avoid injury. Many players focus much on the game and not enough on exercises that will both enhance their game and prevent injury. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, in the off-season you should focus more on high-volume strength training. As you get closer to the season, add agility and anaerobic power exercises. During your season you are at peak performance and should focus on sport-specific exercises and low-volume power training for maintenance.
Strength Training
General weight training helps strengthen the muscles of your body and prepares your muscles for the high-intensity training that begins as football season approaches. If you are a beginner or deconditioned, start with two to three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions. Do at least eight to 10 total body exercises at least twice a week, such as bench press, shoulder press, squats, lunges, lat pull downs and seated rows. As your strength improves, progress to three times per week or split your workouts into upper and lower body.
Power Lifting
After you develop strength and proper technique from a general weight lifting program, start power lifting. These lifts include cleans, snatches, jerks, deadlifts, bench presses and squats. Power lifting enhances power, speed and strength. Do more sets with fewer repetitions; for example, four or five sets of three to six repetitions each. Do not start with a heavy weight because you could hurt yourself. Start light and progress until you find a weight adequate enough to fatigue your muscles in three to six repetitions.
Agility
Use equipment like cones and agility ladders to build speed and coordination. Sport Fitness Advisor recommends practicing agility drills right after the warmup because they are exercises meant to enhance your physical awareness on the field but not leave you fatigued, so you can still do your higher-intensity exercises afterward. Focus on exercises that emphasize forward, lateral, single leg and jumping movements to help develop the muscles of your ankles, calves and knees.
Anaerobic Exercise
Football is not an endurance sport, it is a short-duration, high-power sport, so training for long-distance endurance can actually decrease your power output. Avoid runs in excess of three miles. Instead, focus on short and quick sprints ranging from 10 yards to 100 yards to prepare your body for scenarios you will encounter during a football game. Sprints are a great way to finish your overall workout.
Stretching
At the end of every workout, dedicate 10 minutes to static stretching. Focus on your hamstrings, calf and quadriceps muscles. When tight, these muscles can lead to imbalances that cause knee, ankle and lower back problems. Do passive stretching, in which you sit on the ground to stretch the muscle, or perform self-myofascial release, SMF, with a foam roller. SMF is essentially a deep-tissue massage that works to roll out knots and tight spots in muscles, preventing injury.
References
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association: Baechel, Thomas R. and Earle, Roger W. 2008.
- Sport Fitness Advisor: Ladder Agility Drills
- BodyBuilding.com: The Football Player of Today -- A Grid Iron Machine
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