How to Condition for Football

Due to its rugged nature, football requires its players to condition tremendously well to handle the physical pounding that their bodies endure. Each coach trains his own players as he sees fit. However, there are certain training standards that all coaches need to address as they condition their players for the long football season.

Instructions

    • 1

      Establish a strong cardiovascular base. Football players need to be able to run 12 to 15 minutes at a pace that challenges them. This endurance builds reserves that allow a player to avoid fatigue. Enhance the cardiovascular base with a segment of wind sprints. Generally, 10 to 20 wind sprints at full speed for distances between 40 to 100 yards provides a strong conditioning base.

    • 2

      Support the football conditioning with a well balanced diet. Football players require a large amount of calories in their diet. Small, frequent meals comprised of lean meats and proteins, along with foods heavy in carbohydrates and healthy servings of fruits and vegetables, allow the football player the fuel he needs to train and practice at a high level.

    • 3

      Focus on position specific skills when training and conditioning. Determine the top five skills necessary for each position and work those skills into drills. For example, quarterbacks work on sprintouts and dropbacks while defensive backs work on back pedals and breaks. Perform the drills repetitively at a high pace. Since football is a game of intense, short bursts followed by 20 to 30 seconds rest, the drills should reflect these game conditions.

    • 4

      Enhance the overall athleticism for all of the football players. Incorporate drills that focus on short, intense bursts of jumping, bounding and cutting that increase body balance and control. Create short obstacle course-like drills that incorporate all training techniques to help improve general athleticism and movement.

    • 5

      Increase strength by including weight training that focuses on the bench press and squat as core lifts. Supplement these two mainstay activities with a three to four days a week program that includes bicep and tricep exercises, along with calf and quadriceps exercises. Most importantly, don't ignore the abdominal core of the body. Include daily sit-ups, crunches and abdominal twists to keep the midsection together.

    • 6

      Train year round. To play and practice at optimal levels, a football player trains and conditions the entire year, including the football season. Year round training and conditioning also ensures that the football player's body is acclimated to the various weather conditions that he encounters, such as heat and humidity.