Football is a high collision sport. To withstand the physical stress of playing football, the body must be durable and resilient. To attain physical durability, it is vital to build a healthy balance between flexibility and strength. Completing a stretch routine after exercise is a great way to increase flexibility and also prevent injury. Optimally, football players will work just as hard in the off-season as they do during football season. An off-season program should focus on increasing muscle mass to improve strength and explosive power. The best way to do this is to eat a caloric surplus and utilize progressive overload. Progressive overloading is completing one more rep or increasing the weight each week in a lifting program.
Here is a workout routine that can be done at home or at a gym to prepare for football season:
3×12 Bulgarian split squat
This exercise targets the legs. Start with one foot on a chair or a bench behind you. Hop your front foot out to where you can comfortably lower your body down without your knee going out further than your toes. Try to take your back knee straight towards the ground until your lead leg is parallel with the ground and come back up.
3×12 Burpee
This exercise works everything including conditioning. Start standing up and bend your knees until your hands can touch the ground. Next, you will jump your feet back, and perform a push-up. Finally, you will jump your feet back up by your hands and hop up.
3×12 Goblet squat with partials
This exercise will target the legs. Start by holding a weight or your hands at the heart and place your feet shoulder-width apart with toes facing slightly outward. Keep your head and chest upright as you squat down until your hips are below your knees and return to starting position.
3×20 Bicycle crunch
This exercise will target the abs. Being by lying down in the supine position with hands by your ears. Next roll your shoulders off of the floor and bring your elbow to your opposite knee. Repeat until desired reps are performed.
Finish the routine with some basic stretching like toe touches, knee pull, ankle pull, and lying quad stretch.
Post-workout nutrition:
You will want good fuel to aid your progress after a tough workout. Stick to something high in protein and carbs with lower fat content. Try wrapping 5oz of chicken in a tortilla with some honey mustard. Protein 37g Carbs 24g Fat 4g
