Exercise Tips for Wide Receivers

A wide receiver is a key part of any football team. His ability to catch passes from the quarterback gives the team the chance to gain yardage, while his speed and acceleration allow him to escape from defensive backs and sprint for the end zone. With this in mind, wide receivers should conduct specific exercise programs that give them the chance to maximize their natural attributes, make more catches and score more touchdowns.

  1. Catching the Football

    • Catching the ball is the wide receiver's principal skill and must be practiced intensely. With a partner, the receiver should repeatedly throw and catch short passes. The repetition focuses the player's mind on watching the ball and also helps to strengthen his hands and forearms. This work should be done as often as possible. Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Chris Chambers recommends 100 catches per day for a basic catching exercise.

    Concentration under Pressure

    • Part of a wide receiver's exercise regime should involve drills intended to improve his ability to catch passes. A good way of doing this is to supply three training partners with body shields and arrange them in triangular formation. The receiver should be asked to run into the triangle as the coach throws him a high pass, which the receiver must jump to catch. As the pass is caught, the three players with shields should converge upon the receiver. The aim of this drill is to focus the receiver on catching the ball, even when he is under pressure from opponents.

    Speed

    • Wide receivers should look to develop their speed and acceleration by performing a lot of short, sharp sprints, because they will often need to turn on an explosive burst of acceleration in a game setting. Uphill sprints are sometimes used. Strength training, such as squat thrusts, builds the leg and gluteal muscles, as powerful legs generate more speed. Professional wide receivers will work to a season-long plan and will build up their speed training toward the end of pre-season, after a period of work focused more closely on strength.

    Hand Strength

    • Hand strength is important because wide receivers must catch and hold the ball, and they also must be able to shed defenders with their hands. A great drill to develop hand muscles is called "Hang 'Em High." A towel is taped to the crossbar of a goal post, hanging down enough that the player can jump, hold the towel and hang in the air. The receiver should look to stay airborne for at least five seconds. For advanced exercise, the receiver can aim to do pull-ups, rather than just hang in the air.