Football Lifting
Workouts
NFL players compete in 16 regular-season games, plus training camp and any preseason games. Even at the high school level, where the season is four or more months long, football players face special challenges in terms of maintaining strength and speed over the course of a season. Weightlifting is still a key form of football strength and speed training.
Exercises
Some of the exercises that football players perform are the bench press, in which the player extends a weighted barbell vertically from his chest; the squat, in which a player places a barbell on his shoulder and bends his knees; and the power lift, in which a player picks a dumbbell straight from the ground and swings the weight to chest level. While squatting, the player should bend his knees and keep his back straight.
Workout Goals
Players begin by maxing out, to see how much they can lift one time. With the maximum weight determined, a player can set a goal for the workout period. For instance, an athlete tries to improve that number by 10 percent or 15 percent. You can also talk to your coach to get a better sense of the strength and agility areas in which you need to make improvements.
Lifting Workouts
Most football players lift for about an hour to 90 minutes. The workout is divided into periods for squatting, bench pressing and power lifting, along with jumping rope or other smaller lifting exercises. You can start lifting by taking your max number and reducing it to about 70 percent. Do 10 repetitions at 70 percent. Take a short break, then do eight repetitions of 70 percent. Next, do six repetitions of 80 percent. Finally, finish by doing four repetitions of 90 percent.
Workout Goals
When lifting weights, there are a few things to keep in mind. Athletes should not "perform until failure" and, if a weight is too much, simply move on to the next exercise. The combination of too much weight and exhaustion can cause damaging muscle fatigue or injury. Secondly, players should lift weights in a "slow and controlled" manner, so that the muscle is extended completely. All weightlifting should be done in the presence of a spotter, someone who can secure the barbell if the lifter loses her grip. During all lifting workouts, you should have a spotter to keep an eye on you.
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