American Football is a contact sport where collisions are commonplace. Athletes need to prepare with proper conditioning, and can greatly benefit from steady conditioning practices over the course of a long season.
Building strength and conditioning allows a player to have greater control over his or her own body. Explosive power is required for a variety of abilities such as throwing the ball, pivoting, and making sudden changes in direction. Core strength is another area that athletes can work on to improve endurance and durability.
Here are some useful conditioning techniques:
- Sprint-stride for speed: This is a different take on the traditional 100-yard sprint. Instead of going all out on the sprints, athletes can perform interval sets. Basically, they sprint 20 yards and jog the other 20 – right till the end of the field. It helps them cover more ground in less time, and this can also lead to better speed production.
This drill is also an excellent way to improve your ability to change speeds quickly during the game. - Rotational twists: Rotational twists are one of the best exercises you can do to improve your mobility in football. Here, you need to hold a large medicine ball in front of you and move sideways, on either side. Repeat for 30 counts on each side. You can increase weights if needed.
This form of exercise is an excellent way to improve your torso strength.
- Windshield wipers: Improving your core strength will help you become less prone to injury.
For this exercise, hold a bar like you were doing a push-up, then lift your legs upwards in a straight motion. Move your legs around like wipers, and tighten your core for the best results.
Follow these exercises and you’ll be able to perform better on the field in no time!