Football players need to be in peak physical condition. And that means their workouts are all about improving everything from strength to agility while simultaneously focusing on skill development. Below, fitness trainer Eugene Pallisco covers the training programs that turn these athletes into the forces of nature they become on game day.
Developing the Ideal Exercise Plan
Even between professional football stars, no two exercise plans are the same. A solid exercise regimen is ultimately tailored to the individual. Therefore, even as you read about these training regimens as a means of enhancing or developing your own, it’s equally essential you adjust the finer details to fit your goals and limits as you progress.
It’s also worth noting that nutrition and recovery plans take a similar approach. There may be an overarching theme of building and strengthening muscles, but adaptations are necessary for each person’s body type.
The Warm Up
Warming up is a crucial part of every workout, and for a football player, their warm-up is specific to the muscles they’ll be targeting. Most football training warm-ups include dynamic exercises (like skips and side steps) and plyometric exercises (box jumps or squat jumps).
The Exercise
While any athlete always welcomes agility and endurance, strength training is much more beneficial to football players than it might be for others. Muscle mass doesn’t make you as slow as you’d think, and no player can execute a play without enough power. Nevertheless, the overall focus for these exercise plans should be on performance, which will incorporate strength, speed, agility, and skill in equal measure to ensure they strike a balance.
Specific Exercises for a Footballer Training Regimen
Some of the best exercises that you’ll commonly see on a professional athlete’s training program are as follows:
- Barbell back squats
- Lateral barbell lunges
- Dumbbell calf raises
- Barbell Bulgarian split squats
In addition, any exercise that works out the whole body (like planking) is beneficial, as it will address each athlete’s unique needs in a straightforward workout. These exercises are also easy to do without equipment and still show results when done consistently.
How Professionals Prepare for Gameday
Aside from their grueling regimens, football players know how important it is to take their healthy habits just as seriously when off the field. Getting quality sleep is one of the most notable preparations for any athlete. Sleep is the body’s natural recovery process, which is necessary during training and before a game.
Football pros will also focus more on stretching and flexibility training before games. They want their muscles to be loose and responsive, ready to be put through anything without risk of injury. Hydration also plays a significant role, so all athletes rely on constant hydration to ensure their performance doesn’t dip at any point during the game.
Finally, football stars will use active recovery methods to help ease muscle aches and pains while encouraging movement. Active recovery can be anything from walking, cycling, or anything else that stimulates blood flow to keep muscles in tip-top shape.
About Eugene Pallisco
Fitness expert and licensed trainer Eugene Pallisco works in Dallas, Texas. He is dedicated to assisting people in discovering joy and freedom in the movement of their bodies, whether through high-intensity or long-distance cardio, weightlifting, or sports training. Ultimately, Pallisco believes everyone can change their body into a robust and healthy physique with the right mindset, patience, and effort.