Body Building Guru

Strength Training For Football: Boost your Performance today

Strength is the ability of muscles to overcome resistance. It is a major component of physical fitness and can also be defined as the amount of force a muscle or muscle group can exert. Certain sports require less amount of strength while others may require more strength. Strength is required to improve agility, quickness, coordination, resistance to injury, increase bone density and development of stronger muscles, tendons and ligaments. Strength training for Football is a specialized training program specifically designed to get the most out of football players and help them to perform in the field.

Facts about football strength training:
Training for football is aimed at developing the overall strength and endurance, muscle strength and agility. It is not about getting big and bulky. Bigger muscles are not always stronger muscle. You not only need to lay emphasis on the size of the muscles but you must also consider the muscle strength. The main aim of specialized training programs for football is to increase the tendon and ligament strength by taking your training seriously. It is essential for you to focus on the application of the right form in every rep. You must perform your reps slowly, with full control and by applying full range of motion.

Bulky muscles result in decreased speed, finesse and agility.  For wide receivers, it is important to develop a strong defensive back and tail back for bursting power and speed.
It is essential for football players to take their strength training seriously as it is the foundation for developing maximum speed, acceleration, agility, muscular endurance, flexibility, and mobility. Strength training is the base of any effective football conditioning. To gain the greatest advantage, gains in maximal strength need to be transformed into explosive power. Power is a combination of strength and speed which is the key of performing well in football. Along with endurance, it is important to develop long distance running to build an aerobic base.

Types of strength training for football:
There are various types of football trainings for strength. It is a versatile sport and needs variety in strength training programs. The different types of programs are:
•    Functional strength training
•    Hypertrophy strength training
•    Maximal strength training
•    Power strength training

Functional Strength Training: While playing football the body is twisted, bounced, bent and forced into a number of positions and is put through a lot of unnatural strain. You need to focus on bilateral and symmetrical development and give equal effort to the development of both sides of your body. It is advisable to concentrate on the prime movers (quads, biceps, pecs, etc.) as well as the supporting muscles (hamstrings, calf, biceps, posterior delts, lower trapezius etc). Filing the body in a symmetrical, holistic passion may result in injury. The key here is to aim at the overall development of the body.

Hypertrophy strength training: This type of training lays emphasis on increasing muscle fiber to improve and increase muscle mass. This enables you to concentrate on muscle   enhancement and bulking up. To much of hypertrophy strength training results in injury due to lack of flexibility and speed.

Maximal strength training: This refers to the development of the cross sectional areas of each muscle. It is responsible for the outburst of explosive power. It requires athletes to undergo heavy weight training and lift maximal load in order to promote the development of these spurtable motor units. This type of training develops strength and power and supplies explosive bursts of energy from your body to the weight, propelling it to the desired destination.

Power strength training: In order to perform well on the football field you must have the ability to convert all your strength instantly into power. A stronger and more powerful athlete has better chances to survive a clash.  You need to combine the functional, hypertrophy and maximal training sessions with power strength training in order to avail maximum benefits.

Essentials of Strength training for Football:
Timeline: It is important for you to set a particular time frame in order to achieve maximum benefits in a short time. The goal should be to gain more in minimum time. You need to start with functional training followed by hypertrophy, maximal and power training and then repeat.
Trainer:  It is important to consult a licensed football trainer in order to achieve success in your training programs. You must apply the right form while performing various exercises such as leg curl, leg extensions, bench press abdominal and lower back exercises in order to avoid injury and increase the efficiency in the program.

Ball Stretching: Pleasurable stretching exercises

Stretching is a popular form of exercise performed by most athletes and individuals. It relaxes the body, increases blood circulation and increases resistance to injury. It also plays an important role in decreasing muscle soreness if performed during warm up and cool down sessions.  There are various types of stretching exercises that are performed by individuals of various age groups in order to increase the body’s flexibility and range of motion of the joints. These include, back stretching, ball stretching, fitness stretching, chair stretching, chest stretching etc.

Ball stretching exercises are great for relaxing the body and mind. They release muscle tension, expand the tendons, increase blood circulation and improve the body’s structure and alignment. These stretches are not only pleasurable but also adjustable depending on the needs of the individual. They help de-stress the body and play a significant role in relaxing the mind while regulating the structural and muscular disproportions of the body.  Ball stretches can be performed by both men and women at any time and anywhere. These exercises must be done with great care in order to avoid any injuries.

A stretching ball is also known as fitness ball, therapy ball, Swiss Ball, gym ball, stability ball, balance ball, body ball, etc. It is a large inflated ball that comes in a number of sizes measuring around 35 to 85 cm in diameter. A fitness ball acts as the surface on which exercises are performed. This enables the body to respond to its instability and work the abdominals and core body muscles.

Exercise balls are used for both physical therapy and exercise to help with conditioning and strength. Since you tend to use more muscles to keep you balanced on the ball while doing exercises normally performed by sitting, lying or standing, these balls provide a deeper conditioning effect. When used with physical therapy rehab exercises, these balls can promote flexibility, coordination, motor skills, strength and balance. They can also be used in sports medicine, Pilates, aerobics, yoga and as birthing balls. They are perfect for stretching, improving posture and performing balance exercises.

Fitness ball stretching exercises:
There are various fitness exercises that can be performed by athletes. The following exercises target at flexibility, and stability using an exercise ball.

Chest stretch: You must lie with your face upwards on the ball and roll down until your back is supported. Relax your hip and head and let the arms fall on either side and feel the chest muscles stretch. Hold this position for about 15 seconds and repeat.

Whole body stretch: Stand with your leg wide apart and place your hand on the ball rolling it. Press your chest towards the flow to stretch the back and hamstring. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat.

Back stretch: You must stand facing the wall with your right hand atop it and the thumb pointing upwards. Roll the ball towards the left and keep the hips square. Hold for 15 seconds and perform the exercise with the other side and repeat.

Balance the ball: Stand on your left leg with your right leg stretched behind you and hold the ball above your head. Lower the ball slowly towards the floor. Sweep the leg up behind you and balance, using the ball for support. Roll the ball a little upwards to elongate the body from head to toe. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

Modified half moon: When you are in the balancing the ball position on the right leg turn your body in such a manner that your hips face the front and sweep the left arm directly above your shoulder. Hold for 15 seconds and repeat with the other side.

Lunge stretch: Place the ball under your body taking a low lunge position with one leg forward, the back leg straight out and balancing on the toe. Make sure that you are resting on the ball. Bring your hands above your head and then in front of you. Hold for about 15 seconds and repeat with the other leg.

Stretching exercises are performed to increase the body’s flexibility and stability. They play a significant role in lengthening shortened muscles as tight muscles impact the movement of the lower back and pelvis leading to pain, particularly, due to unaligned tightness. Short muscles also affect the joints and ligaments around the muscles. This can results in pain, poor posture and injury. Stretching helps us maintain muscular balance and lengthen all muscle groups.