7 Best Exercises for Football Strength and Speed
Feb 27, 2023 by Speediance
The science behind strength and conditioning for football players.
American football is a physically demanding sport that requires a combination of strength, speed, and endurance to perform at the highest level. Whether a beginner or a seasoned professional athlete, incorporating the right exercises into your training regimen can help you build the strength and speed you need to excel on the field.
In this article, we'll outline seven of the best exercises for football strength and speed, including various weightlifting, bodyweight, and plyometric exercises that can help you improve your overall athleticism and take your game to the next level.
Strength Training
“To be a dominant football player, you must first build a dominant physique.” This rule is widely accepted in the football community. A strong and muscular physique will not only help you build football strength but also have a positive impact on your explosive power. Here are some compound movements you can incorporate into your routine, as they mimic the movement in the field and help you improve your athletic performance.
Bench Press
Football requires upper body strength for tasks such as tackling, blocking and pushing opponents. The bench press can help increase upper body strength—develop strength in the chest, triceps, and shoulders, allowing football players to perform these tasks with more force and effectiveness.
Players with strong muscles, tendons, and ligaments are less likely to be injured. By performing bench presses, players can improve the strength and stability of their bodies, reducing the risk of injury on the field.
How to do:
- Lock the pulley to the platform end with the barbell attached.
- Grip the bar with your hands, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your elbows close to your sides and your wrist upright.
- Drop your shoulders and brace your core.
- Take a deep breath while lowering the barbell to your chest in a controlled manner.
- Exhale and press the bar back up to the starting position.
- Make sure to keep your back flat on the bench and don't overarch your lower back.
Romanian Deadlift
Football players rely heavily on their legs and hips to generate power, speed, and agility. Deadlifts work the muscles in these areas, including the quads, hamstrings, and glutes, making them stronger and better able to handle the demands of the sport.
Strength training can increase the ability of fast-twitch muscle fiber recruitment, which is the ability of the nervous system to activate and use fast-twitch muscle fibers, to improve explosive power. Deadlifts can help players generate more power, explosiveness, and speed during the movements, making them more effective at breaking tackles, jumping for catches, or making quick cuts in the field.
How to do:
- Lock the pulley to the platform end with the barbell attached.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes pointing forward.
- Bend down and grab the barbell with your palms facing down, using a grip just outside your legs.
- Keep your back straight and lift the bar off the ground by pushing with your legs and glutes.
- Stand up straight, pause for a moment at the top, and squeeze your glutes.
- Then lower the bar back to the ground by bending at the hips and knees.
Barbell Back Squat
Weight training, like squats, is a demanding exercise that can help players enhance endurance by challenging their muscles and cardiovascular system. This can support football players to perform at a high level for longer periods of time, especially in the fourth quarter when fatigue can set in.
How to do:
- Lock the pulley to the platform end with the barbell attached.
- Stand on the platform with your feet hip-width apart; toes pointed slightly outwards.
- Rest the barbell on your traps, just below the base of your neck.
- Your hands should be gripping the barbell, slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Take a deep breath, then bend your knees and hips to lower your body into a squat. Keep your back straight, your chest up, and your head facing forward as you descend.
- Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Exhaling, push through your heels to straighten your legs, and stand back up.
Standing Chest Press
The core muscles, including the abs, lower back, and hips, are heavily engaged during the standing chest press. Stronger core muscles can help players maintain better balance and stability, which is essential for making quick cuts and making players less likely to be tackled or knocked off balance.
how to do:
- Anchor the pulley to the chest level with smart handles attached.
- Stagger your stance and your front knee slightly bent.
- Drop your shoulders. Hold a pair of handles on both hands.
- Keep your back straight and your abs tight to maintain stability throughout the exercise.
- Press the handles straight out at your shoulder level until your arms are fully extended.
- Squeeze your pec. Pause a second or two at the top, then slowly return to the starting position.
You can also incorporate Olympic lifts into your routine, such as the clean and jerk and the snatch, which are incredibly effective for building strength and power. These lifts require you to lift a heavy weight from the ground to an overhead position, which engages multiple muscle groups and improves explosiveness. Using Progressive Overload in your strength training exercises can help break your weight plateau fast.
Speed, Explosiveness, Agility Training
Plyometric jumps can be performed using boxes, cones, or even without any equipment. Start with basic plyometric exercises, such as box jumps and squat jumps, and gradually progress to more advanced exercises, like tuck jumps and single-leg plyometric hops. Here’s how it helps you:
- Increased Explosive Power: Plyometric jumps help develop explosive power in the legs, which is crucial for a football player's ability to jump high, tackle, and run fast.
- Improved Speed: Plyometric exercises train the central nervous system to fire quickly, helping to improve a player's reaction time and overall speed.
- Enhanced Agility: Plyometric jumps help improve a player's ability to change direction quickly and effectively, making them more agile on the field.
- Improved Balance and Coordination: Plyometric exercises help improve a player's balance and coordination, which is important for performing complex movements on the field.
- Reduced Risk of Injury: Plyometric exercises can also help strengthen the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, making them more resilient to the demands of the sport.
Ladder Drills: Ladder drills are a great speed training to improve quickness and footwork. These drills involve running and jumping through an agility ladder, performing specific footwork patterns to improve coordination and speed.
Short Sprints: Sprints are a great way to improve speed and endurance. Incorporate short sprints into your routine, starting with 10-yard sprints and gradually increasing the distance. Sprints can be performed on a track or even on a football field.
Building strength as a football player requires a combination of compound exercises, Olympic lifts, progressive overload, upper body training, and plyometrics. Incorporating these techniques into your workout routine will help you reach your strength goals and improve your sports performance on the field.
However, it’s also important to practice playing the actual sport, either through scrimmage games or drills, to enhance your skills and coordination. With consistent practice and dedication, you’ll soon be on your way to becoming a dominant force on the football field.
Speediance football-Specific Strength Programs
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Full-Body Strength for Football Players
Strength, explosive power, and agility are all crucial factors that football players will need. Join us in this workout to strengthen your overall muscle strength and make you a dominant force on the football field.