How to Become a Harder Hitter in Football

In a game like football that is based around contact with your opponents on the field, your ability to hit harder than the guy standing opposite you will count for a lot. There are a lot of factors that will go in to how hard you hit, but two of the big ones are your strength and your explosive power off the line. These variables are good ones to attack because with dedicated effort you can see big improvements in both.

Things You'll Need

  • Weight lifting gym
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Instructions

    • 1

      Start your hitting training roughly 12 weeks before the football season begins. During the season is not an ideal time to begin a training program because you will put yourself at an increased risk of injury.

    • 2

      Do stretches and warm ups before starting a workout. When weightlifting, for example, it is a good idea to do the lifts you plan on doing during your workout without any weight on the bar.

    • 3

      Lift weights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Do compound exercises, or exercises that use more than one muscle group. Exercises like the deadlift, the squat, the bench press, the power clean and the walking lunge are the kind of exercises you want to do. Do three to four sets, with six to eight repetitions. Start with a slow, controlled speed of movement. Transition to higher amounts of repetitions and faster speed of movement as you progress. Make sure that you know how to execute each exercise properly before doing them, to avoid injury.

    • 4

      On Tuesdays and Thursdays do plyometrics. Do exercises like double leg bounds, alternating leg bounds and vertical swings. Pay particular attention to exercises that target the legs, as that is primarily where hitting power is generated. Do three to four sets, and eight to 10 repetitions. Make sure that you know how to execute each exercise properly before doing them, to avoid injury.

    • 5

      Rest on Saturdays and Sundays.