How to Follow a Football Conditioning Program

Many of us have fond memories of attending high school and college football games, cheering for the home team. Not as many of us know how hard football players train to improve their moves on the field. Athletes follow a rigorous sports conditioning program that combines weight training, sprinting, footwork and agility drills. The end result is a stronger, healthier player.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Free weights

Work Your Body With a Football Sports Conditioning Program

1. Perform general strength building exercises, such as sit-ups or crunches and push-ups, as part of your warm-up routine. These exercises are important for athletes in all sports, helping to ensure that they are loosened up and ready to play. Muscles that are tight are more prone to sports injuries than those that are warmed up properly.
2. Increase your arm strength by doing the crab walk. Sit on the floor with your hands on the floor behind you and push yourself up so that your bottom is no longer touching the floor. Propel yourself forward and backward, with only your hands and feet as sources of support.
3. Walk like a duck to improve your balance. Squat close to the floor with your knees bent. Walk using only the balls of your feet for balance, keeping your bottom near the floor as you move.
4. Run through a conditioning program of sprints two to three days a week. Sprint sets of intervals during the first two 2 days. Reserve the third day for plyometrics, such as jumping, throwing and agility drills.
5. Follow your workout program with weightlifting. USA Football's Health and Safety Center website provides sample weight-training schedules for football players to follow (see Resources below). The Web site also contains many articles on conditioning for football.

Tips & Warnings

• Abdominal muscles can be worked every day as part of a football weight conditioning program. Alternate days for the other muscle groups, including legs, shoulders, back, hips and neck. Allow two to three days to rest from strength training before a game.
• Work your way up to more distance with your sprinting intervals. Take your time and don't overdo it by straining yourself in the initial practices.
• Football players need to be able to bring speed to the field, as well as footwork and throwing skills.
• Never ignore pain during or after exercise. While a fair amount of soreness may be typical, pain can indicate a serious injury. See your doctor right away if you experience moderate to severe pain during or after a workout.

Who Can Help: