For a little while longer our Sundays will remain as a day of praise, recuperation, and relaxation. Football closer to its return still remains a faint and distant memory of past victories, day parties, and one too many drinks. But some of us have already begun preparation for the season to come, because the foundation to a good season is a great off-season.
Football is a beautiful combination of finesse and brutality intertwined, athletes are expected to be agile, explosive, fluent in the art of elusion and evasion; but also powerful and strong enough to be able to destroy an opposing tackler or bring an advancing ball carrier to a halt. With these polar opposite set of skills that somehow have to find a way to be combined and harmonize a special type of training and sport specific instruction is needed.
Plyometric, exercises in which muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time, with the goal of increasing both speed and power, are one of the greatest forms of training you can incorporate into your offseason workout whether you’re in a competitive flag league or suiting up on Saturdays or Sundays to play at the highest collegiate or professional level. Plyometrics will help improve explosive and ballistic movements needed to be successful at any position on the field. Plyometrics are beneficial in any program because almost all plyometric movements are compound exercises that engage countless numbers of muscles which allows you to build the most muscle and also increase strength the fastest.
Like any type of training there are more advanced movements and easier movements that can be performed. I will share two workouts with you guys one for the more advanced and experienced gym goer and another one that would better fit someone with a little less experience. I would consider plyometric training a type of program that should only be attempted by those with competent or proficient skills with training and working out and would never suggest anyone new to plyometric training attempt Olympic lifts without the supervision of a fitness professional or someone knowledgeable of the exercises technique, teaching points, and the correct progressions for teaching these lifts.
Beginner:
Plyo-push ups
Squat Jumps
Lunge Jumps
Reverse Lunge w/ Knee up
Frog Squat Jump
Advanced:
Clean/ Squat
Thrusters
Box Jumps
Push Press
Weighted Lunge Jumps
