Football Strength and Conditioning Training, Plus Workout

Football strength and conditioning workouts include training outside of the actual sport or position. Football players should participate in weight training or strength training programs. This also includes speed, agility, and conditioning programs on and off the field. 

The intensity of strength and conditioning workouts varies throughout the year. During the season, players put a high emphasis on football team training. Off-season training is the best time to improve speed, agility, strength, and endurance. Let’s assess the various components a personal trainer or strength and conditioning coach will use to build a football strength and conditioning workout.

Sport-Specific Training for Football Players 

It’s important that football players train with the intent to transfer their gains to the field of play. This includes but is not limited to their strength, power, and speed improvements. If it doesn’t impact on-field performance it’s not helpful. Aim to design training sessions with exercises that mimic movements the sport requires. This is what makes an elite athlete.

Training specificity is a determining factor in the results an athlete experiences. This part of a training program is often overlooked or undervalued. Training effects are very specific. If there are minor changes in an athlete's performance during practice or games it can lead to decreased performance. 

Football involves high power and fast movement. Power is generated through strength and speed. The best exercises for football players include pushing, pulling, and squatting movements. Exercises like the bench press and squat increase strength and power. This transfers to gameplay. 

Keep in mind a football play only lasts about 15-20 seconds. Each play is followed by approximately 30 seconds of rest. Conditioning workouts should be performed with this same work-to-rest ratio. This helps the athlete specifically train and perform accordingly.

Resistance Training for Football Strength and Conditioning

Muscle hypertrophy, endurance, and strength are important for football players to focus on. Football athletes can use various exercise methods to execute their workouts. These include isometric, free weights, and calisthenics. Isometric training produces muscle contraction without movement. Free weights include barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells. Calisthenics include exercises that use body weight only as resistance.

Using a variety of exercise methods is important. Choosing exercises that develop major muscle groups is a must. Football players should center their workouts around total body exercises. These include squats, deadlifts, bench press, cleans, and snatches.

Muscle Hypertrophy

Football players should train for hypertrophy prior to the preseason. This type of training is used to prepare an athlete for the next phase of the strength and conditioning program. Advanced athletes should train for muscle mass 4-6 days per week. 

Strength Training

After 4 weeks of building a foundation of muscle growth, comes the strength phase. This focuses on muscle fiber recruitment. One of the biggest components of sprinting speed is the force applied to the ground by an athlete. Lifting heavy and increasing strength will transfer to the field. Once a foundation of muscle and strength is built, move into the power phase of training. 

Power Phase

The power phase is created to apply the strength built. As a football player, you want to ensure you apply the strength built but also with speed. This power phase teaches a player, prior to the season, to quickly generate max power. After the power phase, it’s time for the football player to focus on sport-specific skills and practices. While doing so, maintaining everything built in the offseason.

Speed and Agility for Football

All players need to change direction quickly on the field. As the season approaches, transition to on-field practices slowly. Begin implementing cone drills, ladder drills, and agility drills. These should be designed around game-like situations. Speed is developed in the weight room, but can be trained with short quick sprints. Typically sprints less than 20 yards, downhill sprints, uphill sprints, and sleds. 

Lastly, a football team looking to condition must train the way the game is played on the field. Running endless sprints and suicides without intent or strategy is not conditioning the body. Building endurance requires some sort of fitness build. Once a player has a base foundation then a conditioning program can be implemented. Consider intervals similar to how each football play is run. Interval training is an effective way to condition the body in parallel to the game of football. 

Recovery for Football Players 

It’s important for football players to balance their training with adequate rest. Muscles grow and develop outside of the gym. Athletes cannot make gains without rest between workouts. Overtraining in the weight room is more common than it should be. It disrupts skill development and sports skills on the playing field.

Effective ways to recover include a proper cooldown post workouts. This can include foam rolling, stretching, or compression therapy. On rest days light activity is encouraged. Players can even consider low-intensity cardio to get blood flowing and pool workouts. 

Football is a sport that requires mainly anaerobic output. This is exercise that involves short powerful bursts of activity. Recovery periods during training and in between training sessions must be planned. Training should focus on building muscle and strength. Then developing explosive power and quickness to transfer to on-field performance. 

Football Strength and Conditioning Workout

This type of training will include speed, agility, and strength training. Some exercises can be performed without equipment and others require equipment. The entire football workout can be modified based on an athlete's fitness level. It’s important to give max effort and perform each exercise with proper form.

The Warm-up

#1 A-March

In the standing position, lift your left leg up. Drive your left knee towards your chest and drive the opposite arm. Once your left foot hits the ground, return your right arm to your side. Now lift your right knee up and drive your left arm. Repeat and perform for 20 yards.

#2 Push-up

In a high plank position, place your hands shoulder-width apart. Lower your chest down towards the ground. Keep your spine neutral. Push back up to the starting position and repeat for 3 rounds of 30 seconds.

#3 Walking Quad Stretch to Knee Hug

In a standing position, raise one leg behind the body and grab onto your ankle pulling your heel towards your back. Lower the same leg down and pull your knee into your chest. Take two steps forward and repeat on the opposite side. Walk for 20 yards. 

#4 Forward Lunge

Take one step forward and drop your back knee towards the ground. Push back up to the starting position and repeat on the opposite leg. Maintain a straight back and avoid leaning forward. Continue to alternate on each leg until you reach 30 repetitions total. 

Performance

#1 Box Jump

In a standing position place your arms above your head. Bend at the hips and knees while bringing your arms down and back. Push through the ground, drive your hips forward and jump onto the box. Drive your arms forward and up to propel your body in the air. Step down and repeat. Perform 5 sets of 3 repetitions.

#2 Lateral Med Ball Throw

Start with the med ball at hip height and one side of your body facing the wall. Rotate the ball away from the wall keeping your arms straight. Twist your hips and use your core to explosively turn towards the wall. Release the ball at the wall and then catch. Repeat for 3 sets of 5 reps on each side. 

#3 Agility Ladder Drills

To perform lateral high knees. Start with one side of your body lined up with the ladder or hexes. Begin your high knees and use your arms as you move the body laterally through the ladder. Repeat on both sides and perform 3 sets on each. 

Strength

#1 Barbell Incline Press

Lie flat on the bench, unrack the barbell and bring it right above your upper chest. Lower the bar down in a controlled manner. As the bar approaches your chest, push the bar back up being explosive. Repeat 4 sets of 4-6 reps.

#2 Kettlebell One-Arm Row

Start with one knee and hand placed on the bench for support. In a bent over position grab the kettlebell off the ground and begin by pulling it up towards the side of your body. Maintain a bent position with a flat back. Lower the kettlebell back down towards the ground. Avoid overextending. Repeat for 3 sets on each arm for 6-8 reps.

#3 Barbell Deadlift 

Begin with the barbell pressed up against your shins. Be sure to keep your feet shoulder width apart. Squat down to grip the bar right outside of your legs. Stand up driving your hips forward and maintaining a flat back. Lower the bar down the exact same way. Perform for 4 sets of 4-6 reps.

#4 Dumbbell Lunge 

Hold two dumbbells down to the side of the body. Take one step forward and lunge by dropping the back knee towards the ground. Push back up to the starting position with your front leg. Repeat on the other side. Keep your shoulders back and avoid leaning forward when lunging.

Conditioning

#1 Sled Sprints

With a forward lean, rest your hands on the sled handles. Begin sprinting and push the sled as quickly as you can 25 yards. Rest for 30 seconds and repeat for 3-5 rounds.

Cooldown Stretch

#1 Seated Fold

In the seated position, spread your legs as wide as you can. Fold your body forward in between your legs. Reach your arms as far out as you can. Move from side to side reaching for your feet to intensify the stretch. Hold for 30 seconds total.

#2 Arms and Shoulder Stretch

In a standing position bring your right arm across your body at chest level. With your left arm pull the right arm across and stretch. Hold for 10 seconds and rotate to the other side. Complete twice on each arm. 

#3 Seated Hamstring Stretch

In a seated position, extend one leg out in front of your body. Keep the other leg tucked with the bottom of your foot on the inside of the straight leg. Reach for your toes by folding your body in half. Hold and stretch for 20 seconds on each leg.

Get Certified as a Strength and Conditioning Coach

Learn more about strength and conditioning for football. Check out these blogs: 

• Essential Strength Training Tips

• SAQ Training for Football

• Exercises to Improve Power

Help any client reach peak performance with the ISSA Strength and Conditioning certification. You’ll learn exactly how to help your athletes build power, strength, speed, and endurance.