All young athletes want to reach the professional level, but are you willing to put in the work required to do so?
Plyometric training is a great way for football players to increase their athleticism. These results will shine through on the field and have coaches and scouts watering at the mouth.
When starting a new program make sure that you have a trainer, coach, or spotter with you for safety. Before getting into your plyometric workouts we must also focus on a proper warm up. A warm up should take the body through similar movements that it will face during the workout. A dynamic warm up is essential to athletic success and injury prevention.
One of my favorite plyometric workouts for football players is the box jump. If you are looking to lower your 40 time or jump higher, box jumps are critical. Box jumps incorporate acceleration and deceleration throughout the movement. Make sure to land soft and quiet on the box while extending our hips at the top. Progress by increasing the height of the box, the plane we work in and even performing on a single leg.
Another great exercise to incorporate are bounds and hops. With hops you can use a ladder, hurdles or cones to perform multiple movements. Hops focus on fire rate and limiting our impact with the ground. Any cut, break, or football movement needs to be fast so make sure we are working as quick as possible. Make sure to progress only when you have mastered a two legged hop.
Want to increase our upper body explosiveness too? Add medicine ball training with the above exercises. Medicine ball slams, throws and passes are a fantastic change up to everyday training.
Football requires our bodies to quickly transition from acceleration to deceleration. Plyometrics help with change of direction, explosiveness, and sprinting speed. Like the old saying goes, “slow feet don’t eat.” So make sure you are incorporating plyometric exercises into your conditioning!
