Train Like An Athlete: Football Workout Routine
In order to be a great football player, you must follow a training plan that will be specific to the game of football.
Football is played as an explosive sport; plays often last between 2-and-15 seconds. In most cases all the strength and power is put out in a few shots then you get a chance to rest up and do it again.
For this reason, in this program, you’ll focus on strength training 3 days, explosive movements one day and plyometrics the other day. We will also focus on high intensity bursts and building the strength to do this throughout the whole game. By splitting your workout this way, you can reach your peak physical performance when you hit the football field.
This football workout will be sure to shred your body and give you the ideal look of an NFL running back. It will help you lower your body fat, increase muscle mass and improve athletic performance. This routine should probably not be used during peak season as it may be too taxing on your body and your central nervous system, which would result in overtraining, fatigue, and possible injury.
In addition, before beginning any of the workouts, you should always incorporate a proper warm-up consisting of mobility work, activation exercises, dynamic movements, and some intermittent running
Train Like an Athlete: Your Week Overview
- 3 days of Strength Training (upper, lower & full body)
- 1 day of speed and agility work
- 1 day of plyometrics
Monday – Upper Body Strength
Tuesday – Lower Body Strength
Wednesday – Speed & Agility
Thursday – Steady State Cardio
Friday – Plyometrics
Saturday – Full Body Explosive Strength
Sunday – Rest
Train Like an Athlete: Your Football Workout Plan
Upper Body Strength Workout
- Bench Press(4 sets of 10, last set to failure)
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press (3 sets of 8)
- Military Press (3 sets of 8-10)
- Shrugs(3 sets of 20)
- Cable Crossover (3 sets of 6-8)
- Dumbbell Fly (3 sets of 8)
- Alternating Dumbell Curls (3 sets of 8-10)
- Tricep Dip (3 sets of 10)
- Skullcrushers (3 sets of 6-8)
Lower Body Strength Workout
Do all lower body workouts for 3 sets with 10-12 reps.
- Squats
- Deadlifts (Every other week switch from straight leg and regular / conventional type)
- Lying Leg Curls
- Lunges
- Calf Raises
Speed & Agility Functional Football Workout
Do 3 sets of each to concentrate on high intensity sprints.
- 10m Sprints
- 25m Sprints
Follow up your sprint workout with one longer distance sprint.
- 400m Sprint x 1
Agility Work
- Suicides
- Agility Ladder – push up – sprint: Run the agility ladder (outside to inside each box, end with 5 push ups, then pop up to sprint 10m) Do this 5 times.
Functional workout to improve vertical jump
- Jump and reach – While standing, squat down and jump to reach something above you. It’s recommended to do this with a weight vest.
Steady State Cardio
This is the second lightest workout of your week so keep your heart rate up and do some steady state cardio. You will focus on your conditioning by doing steady state cardio for 30-60 minutes (depending on your fat loss goals).
Plyometrics Workout
Do 3-4 sets of each
- One Leg Jumps – Squat and jump straight up x 10 each leg
- Forward Jumps – While standing, squat and jump forward as far as possible. x10
- Pop Squats x 20
- Burpees with pushup x 20
- Box Jumps x 10
Full Body Explosive Strength
Do these exercises for 3 sets each (aim for around 8 reps unless otherwise noted)
- Power Cleans
- Box Jumps
- Snatches
- Medicine Ball Throw Situps (against a wall / net or with a friend x20 )
- Push-up to Box Jump (x10)
- Incline weighted situps (x15)
We want to see you sweat. If you tried this workout let us know what you think. Tag us on Facebook or Instagram, with the #ReflexNation.
