Many football players already associate running with off-season and pre-season conditioning, but knowing how and how much to run could mean the difference between just being in shape and playing your best. By adding some sport-specific elements to the universal benefits of improved stamina and speed that running offers, football players can simultaneously improve conditioning and explosiveness.
Running for Endurance
Distance running can be a useful element of a football player's off-season training program, improving a player's endurance and training muscles to work differently than they do on the field. However, after an initial warm-up period spent jogging for 10 to 15 minutes, a player can improve his power, as well as his stamina, by running hills or sets of stadium stairs. Hall of fame wide receiver Jerry Rice centered his off-season running around runs up the mountains outside San Francisco, and while coaching the San Francisco 49ers, former linebacker Mike Singletary built a man-made hill 15 feet high and 45 feet long for his players to run. Running these longer distances and ascending challenging hills builds strength equally in the legs and the lungs.
Running for Speed
Whether at the high school, college or professional level, many football players around the country measure their fitness in training camp by using a time-tested conditioning challenge. By performing a series of eight to 10 100-yard sprints, in which the first sprint of the series is timed and the player must then run within a set time range for each successive sprint, players can put both their speed and stamina on display. Shuttle runs, in which a player runs forward then backward in 25- or 50-yard increments for a total of 300 yards, are also a useful tool for developing speed and the ability to change direction.
Running for Agility
In a real-life, game situation, a football player won't always enjoy the luxury of running from a balanced, athletic stance. On the field, players must learn to accelerate out of a three-point stance at the line of scrimmage, when backpedaling to cover an offensive player, after peeling off a block, or occasionally after getting knocked down to the ground. To simulate these conditions, a player can practice sprinting from a prone position lying on his stomach or lying on his side, or by backpedaling for a 5-yard span. Exploding into a sprinting position off the ground develops strength in the upper body and core, as well as the balance and lower-body strength necessary to sprint on the gridiron. Repeat these sprints for 20 to 25 yards for between six and 10 reps, with no more than 30 seconds rest in between reps.
Running for Power
If you find your normal running routine becoming dull or less challenging, add an extra element of resistance to shock stagnant muscles. Hall of fame running back Walter Payton ran sprints on the sandy banks of the Mississippi River near his off-season home to develop power and cutting ability, while contemporary players use tools such as bungee cords and weight slides to add difficulty to their runs. Resistance running improves acceleration as well as strength in the hips and core, making it easier for a player to run on the field while shedding and stiff-arming tacklers.
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