How to Build Muscle for Football

Football is a physical contact sport that relies on running quickly, jumping over fallen players, holding the football tightly and the ability to tackle other players. Well conditioned muscles will give you the strength and endurance to perform these activities. You can increase your muscle mass and endurance by performing weight exercises.

Things You'll Need

  • Bench press
  • Weights
  • Squat bar
  • Weight belt
  • Heavy sand bags
  • Chains
  • Sturdy wooden box
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Instructions

  1. Instructions

    • 1

      Do your maximum bench press by laying down on the flat surface of the bench press. Align your feet so that they are firmly placed on the ground to keep you even as you are bench pressing. Grip the bar at a distance equal to the distance of your shoulder blades. Inhale when bringing the bar down and allow it to touch your chest gently. Exhale as you push the bar back up.

    • 2

      Increase your maximum bench press weight by adding five to ten pounds for five sets while doing low repetitions, such as sets of two or three.

      Apply maximum force to the bar to train you central nervous system to act quickly. When doing reps, exercises and sets, throw the bar off of your body as fast and hard as you can.

    • 3

      Do a box squat by sitting on a sturdy wooden box Place the squat bar onto your shoulders using a proper support weight belt around your waist. Sit down on the box as you would sit normally. Stand back up. Sit down. Repeat. This builds your hamstrings, gluteal muscles, calf muscles and the muscles around your back.

    • 4

      Perform a dead lift by placing weights onto the bar while it is on the ground. Grip the bar with your hands at equal distances. Bend your knees so that your back is straight and lift the bar while keeping your back straight. Wear a weight belt if needed to support your back. Lift the bar so that you are holding it with your arms straight. Lower the bar slowly while bending your knees.

    • 5

      Perform a clean and jerk lift by lifting the weight as you would in a dead lift, except pause for a moment while allowing the bar to dip down to the height of your shoulders before quickly raising it above your head. Lower the bar slowly by bringing it down to your shoulder blades and straightening your arms.

    • 6

      Perform a Romanian dead lift by putting weights onto the bar while it is on the ground. Approach the bar and lift it to your hip level. Lower the bar while moving your butt out so that it stretches your hamstrings. Bring the bar down to your knee level and straighten back out while keeping the bar close to you.

    • 7

      Perform a lateral lunge by keeping one leg stationary while stepping to the left or right with the other leg. Hold weights to add difficulty to the lunges.

    • 8

      Perform a snatch grip dead lift by gripping the bar at a wider distance than with a regular dead lift. The snatch grip dead lift forces you lower to the ground which allows for more attention to be placed on the upper and mid-back strength.

    • 9

      Train yourself to fix strength gaps. When lifting weights, they are suspended with weight cables and we have the assistance of a spot trainer. When on the football field, you can be thrown off of your tracks if you are not stable with weight changes. Practice with items like heavy sandbags that change shape and move to teach yourself to stabilize against weight changes.

    • 10

      Train yourself to lift 50 to 60 percent of your maximum bench press as fast as possible. Add chains with weights to the bar and lift the bar as fast as possible. Instead of slowing down when you get to the end of the bar, the chains will be suspended adding more weight which forces you to keep lifting the bar. This trains you to transition your weight room training into power to use on the football fields.