Get in shape like an athlete with these football player-inspired workouts

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Football is a physical sport that requires players to be physically fit in order to compete at their best. The sport is also notoriously hard on the body, requiring players to be in top physical condition all season long.

A football player should have a strong upper body and core, as well as strong legs and lower body, and a good level of cardiovascular fitness. Playing the sport also requires endurance and the ability to play for long periods during games, practice or competitions.

In order to achieve these goals football players must work hard and develop a routine that incorporates strength training and cardio into their workout plans.

In this article, we will look at some of the exercises football players can use to help improve their strength and stamina and make them better athletes.

Source: Pixabay

1. Squats

One exercise that most football players are familiar with is squats. They are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening and toning the thighs and glutes. They can be done using weights or without.

There are several variations that you can try to improve your strength and increase your range of motion. These include split squats, lunges and donkey kicks. When doing these exercises it is important to maintain your form to avoid injury and ensure you are getting the most out of each rep.

How to squat like an athlete:

• Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward.

• Hold a barbell across your upper back, with your hands gripping the bar at shoulder-width.

• Keep your chest up and your back straight as you bend your knees and lower your body down.

• Stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor, and then push through your heels to stand back up.

• Make sure to keep your weight on your heels and avoid leaning forward or letting your knees cave in.

Source: Pexels

2. Bench Press

Another important exercise for football players is the bench press. This exercise works the chest, shoulders, and triceps, and can help football players improve their upper-body strength and power. This is important for tackling and blocking, as well as throwing and catching the ball.

How to bench press like an athlete:

• Lie on a flat bench with your feet flat on the floor.

• Hold a barbell at shoulder-width with your palms facing away from you.

• Lower the barbell to your chest, keeping your elbows close to your body.

• Then, push the barbell up, straightening your arms.

• Make sure to keep your shoulders down and avoid arching your back.

Read also: See how Cristiano Ronaldo do his daily workouts

Source: Pexels

3. Lunges

Lunges are essential for building single-leg strength. Both forward and reverse lunges improve performance during acceleration and, particularly, decelerations.

Football players must make numerous starts and stops motion, and because they frequently don't run at full speed, the player who can accelerate and decelerate more quickly will have an advantage.

How to lunges like an athlete:

• Stand tall with your chest up, eyes forward, and feet about shoulder width apart.

• Step two to three feet forward with your right foot. Allow both knees to bend until your front knee is at about a 90-degree angle, with your knee behind your toes, and your back knee a few inches above the floor.

• Press into your right foot (keep your foot flat into the floor), and push back to the starting position.

• Repeat, stepping forward with your left foot, and alternate legs for 8 to 12 reps per side.

Source: Unsplash

4. Pull-Ups

Another exercise that all football players are familiar with is the pull-up. They strengthen the back, arms, shoulders and abdominal muscles, allowing you to move more freely on the field and prevent injury.

They can be done using a variety of tools including resistance bands, pull up bars and even your own body weight if you are able to grab onto the bar and pull yourself up.

You can also do a bodyweight version by hanging from a bar and slowly lowering yourself down until your chin touches the bar.

How to pull-ups like an athlete:

• Stand under a pull-up bar with your feet shoulder-length apart.

• Place both hands on the floor in front of you and quickly kick your legs back so that your stomach, thighs and toes are all touching the floor and your elbows are bent.

• From this position, use your triceps to do a press-up, lifting your hips up so you can bring your legs back up so your feet are tucked up beneath you.

• Stand and jump. Grab the bar above you as you jump and immediately pull yourself up until your chin is just above the bar.

• Drop down to your starting position and repeat.

Source: Unsplash

5. Deadlifts

This exercise focuses on the development of hip, glute, mid and lower back, and hamstring strength. Additionally, stronger hips, glutes, and hamstrings, and quads will provide you with the strength necessary to change direction, backpedal, and shuffle faster.

How to deadlifts like an athlete:

• Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart and your toes pointing slightly outward. 

• Hold a barbell in front of your thighs, with your hands gripping the bar at shoulder-width. 

• Keep your chest up and your back straight as you bend your knees and lower your hips. 

• Grab the bar with your hands and lift your chest, pulling the bar up your legs until you're standing with your hips and knees locked. 

• Then, lower the bar back down to the starting position. Make sure to keep your back straight and avoid rounding your shoulders.

To get the most out of these exercises, it's important to use the right form. Start with lighter weights and gradually increase the weight as you get stronger. And make sure to warm up before each workout to prevent injury.

Source: Pexels

6. Push Ups

Regular push-ups are a good exercise to do to strengthen your pectoral muscles and tone your chest, arms and shoulders.

However, if you would like to make your push-ups more challenging you can incorporate different arm positions such as inverted, wide and narrow press ups or add a weight to your arms to increase the mass.

How to push-ups like an athlete:

• Start in standard push-up position

• Instead of slowly rising to top position, explosively extend arms to launch your torso into the air, high enough to allow you to clap your hands together

• Catch yourself and lower to start position

• Repeat for specified repetitions

By following this football-inspired workout, you too can improve your physical fitness and your stamina. Give these exercises a try and see how they can help you transform your body and become a fitter person. 

Remember to use the right form and start with simpler routines before building them up gradually as you gain strength. With hard work and dedication, you can achieve your fitness goals, and who knows? Maybe one day you'll turn pro at football yourself!

Doing routine workout can be challenging. If finding motivation is the problem preventing you from exercising regularly, enrolling in fitness classes is a great place to start especially if you can find one that allows you to book a class using an easy to use fitness software.

Good luck!

Colson 🐼

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