Get a Super Bowl worthy physique with these 5 exercises.
It’s 4th & short, the ball is on the 4-yard line and your team is behind by a touchdown. Do you go for it? Of course you do, it’s the Super Bowl—the biggest game of the year! Coach sends in the play from the sideline and your number is called. The quarterback snaps the ball, drops back and hands it to you. It’s go time! Your mind and body react with exact precision. The countless drills and training sessions over the years have allowed you to develop one of the most athletic physiques around. Slashing. Cutting. One defender. Two defenders. The end zone is just ahead, and so is a pair of additional tacklers. You drop your hips and explode up and over. Touchdown.
It’s in this moment that you realize you were just dreaming. But, fret not because you can still have a Super Bowl worthy body with these movements that are designed to improve your strength, explosive power, and cardiovascular endurance.
Squats
Almost everything that you do in football starts from the ground up, which means that you need a strong pair of wheels. A powerful lower half will enable you to get up and down the field if you are on special teams or running a down-and-out play.
The Olympic bar squat is a fundamental movement that is considered by many to be a total body exercise because it improves the quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, abs and back. Leg training also releases growth hormones and boosts testosterone, which improve muscle mass throughout the body.
Bench Press
The bench press is so core to football that it is actually part of the NFL Combine. Each year collegiate athletes are required to complete as many bench presses as they can with 225 pounds. Certainly, you don’t have to lift that heavy to realize the benefits of the bench, which is designed to improve your upper body strength.
Box Jumps
Explosive power and quickness are the name of the game if you are rushing for a touchdown or sacking the quarterback. Box jumps are very effective for developing this explosive lower body power. Box jumps can also improve your cardiovascular health and cardiovascular endurance.
Sprints
Football is all about getting from point A to point B as quickly as possible. The ultimate judge of quickness has always been the 40-yard dash. Historically, the dash was a benchmark for skill positions such as running backs and wide receives, but presently the “40” has been considered important for all players.
Certainly it’s not necessary for you to run a record time in the 40-yard dash, but sprints (e.g., 100 yards) or shuttle sprints can dramatically improve your cardiovascular health and aid in fat/weight loss.
V-Ups
Developing strong abdominals is essential for anything that involves the upper or lower body for that matter and that includes running, turning, twisting and throwing. The abdominals also have a role to play in effective breathing. The beautiful thing about the V-Up is that it works the upper and lower abdominals at the same time.