Train Like a Football Pro

NFL and College Football players train with purpose, a tough workout regimen, and adequate recovery period that helps on and off the field. Through hard hits and big-time plays, players go through the ups and downs of the season. The most important skills in football are power, speed, agility, and the mental toughness to keep going.

Some important factors when training like an NFL or College football player include nutrition, position specific workouts, general strength, conditioning, and agility workouts, and for prospective pro players, getting ready for the NFL Combine with specific drills and timed trials. All these factors play a crucial role to be the best of the best. And let’s not forget power and rest. Think of what you see when you watch a football game. Each play is short, mere seconds. Think GO, GO, REST. Football training is partly about teaching your body to perform that sequence repeatedly.

But whether you’re playing in grade school, college, or are already in the pros, the work you do in the weight room and on the practice field, makes all the difference on game day.

Football is about pulling, pushing, and squatting. Think bench press and squats. Power. Every position can benefit from exercises to improve balance, explosiveness, and pivot. Box jumps and lateral exercises and drills are great to practice repetitively. The more reps you do, the more naturally the moves will come when you need them.

As an offensive or defensive lineman, a quick first step, or jumping off the snap can make all the difference in defending your quarterback, or adding pressure for a sack, depending on what side you’re on. This is where plyometrics come in. Quick, shifty movements allow for the same kind of motion during a game.

In the backfield, linebackers, corners, and safeties need to react quickly and matchup with any threats the offense may bring. You don’t want to be a cornerback and get burned downfield. Best way to prepare for that is with conditioning, like calisthenics and speed drills.

Offensively, you want to all be able to either run through someone or beat them deep. Squat jumps can help improve battles in the trenches as a running back or halfback.

After a hard-fought game, the most important next step is recovery. Big hits can take a toll on the body and recovering for the next battle is crucial. When muscles tighten up, foam rolling may help muscles recover more quickly and loosen up tight parts of the body, as well as heat, stretching, or massage. Most important to recovery, is sleep.

Sleep and nutrition are a huge part of recovery and getting ready for the next week’s game. Consistency is key; big fluctuations in rest or diet can radically change your body and performance on the field.

Solid training and recovery can help decrease injury and help you recover from any injury sustained during a game. Strength, speed, and agility training will help you become a better player.

Bottom line:

• For strength: Lift, push, pull, squat using free weights, isometrics, resistance
• For Conditioning: Run, jump, practice drills, sprints, interval training
• For explosiveness and pivot: Box jumps, lateral exercises, on-the-whistle exercises

Any sport is best played with a fit, strong, and conditioned body. For football, a full-body workout will increase performance when you need it most.