How To Build Leg Strength For Football
Written By: Gridiron Elite Training
How To Build Leg Strength For Football
Written By: Gridiron Elite Training
Football Strength Training: Purpose of Building Leg Strength For Football
Football strength training is all about building strength, power, and endurance in the muscles used in football. By doing so, you’ll be able to run faster, jump higher, and hit harder, which will help you dominate the field.
Building strength in football takes time and dedication, but it can improve the player’s ability to maintain power and speed during a game. Building strength can be done through exercises that strengthen the muscles in football.
Strength training will minimize the risk of injury by improving balance, stability, and coordination. Muscle strength is the most significant predictor of performance in sports; therefore, players must develop strong muscles to make them highly effective.
Why Is Building Leg Strength Important and How To Increase Leg Power For Football
Building strength in football is vital for a variety of reasons. Leg strength is essential for football players because it can help with the game’s tackling, running, blocking, and other physical aspects. Lifting weights can also help to build upper body strength, which is needed to throw and catch the ball.
The benefits of strength training for football players are multifold: improvement in performance and injury prevention. Progressing from light weights, the body adapts by adding more muscle tissue, increasing strength, and improving speed. As the body becomes more accustomed to lifting weights and increasing muscle mass, heavier weights and more repetitions can be done with less risk of injury. Football players can perform strength training using barbells, dumbbells, weight machines, and bodyweight exercises.
Football players should be aware that strength training is a long-term commitment. It takes time to develop muscle mass and increase strength. Strength training should not be started before the weight room experience has been established because it can take weeks or months to see muscle progress. The benefits of both resistance and aerobic exercise can only be seen when combined with strength training exercises like squats and deadlifts, which involve full-body movements that use many muscle groups simultaneously.
How do I Achieve Maximum Leg Strength for Football?
Football players need to have a lot of leg strength to be able to run, jump and tackle. First, you should know that compound and isolation are two types of exercises for the legs.
Compound exercises use more than one muscle group at the same time. Isolation exercises only use one muscle group at a time. Compound exercises are typically the best choice for football players. If a player has a significant muscle imbalance, he or she should focus on isolation exercises.
To develop leg strength, start with exercises that involve the legs and core, such as squats, lunges, step-ups with a box, and torso rotations.
Squats are compound because they work your quadriceps (front of thigh) and hamstrings (back of thigh).
Lunges work your quadriceps and hip flexors (flexor muscles on the front of each leg that you can feel when you point to your iliac crest)- which is why you can use your body weight, but if you are looking to build strength and size, add weight by using a dumbbell or kettlebell.
Step-ups with a box work your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and hip flexors.
Torso rotations work the hip flexors of the stabilizing muscles that rotate your thigh on a horizontal plane (iliopsoas) and serratus anterior (side of the rib cage). The answer for many people is that they can’t do these exercises at home. Your local gym is an excellent place to start if this describes you.
Many machines allow you to perform all of the exercises mentioned above and will allow you to progress safely and effectively.
5 Leg Exercises for Improving Speed and Explosiveness
Here are 5 leg exercises for improving speed and explosiveness.
Squats
Squats are one of the best exercises for building explosive power in your lower body, which is why they’re widely used in sports like football and basketball.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Fitness Reality Squat Rack Power Cage with | Optional Lat Pulldown & Leg Holdown Attachment | Squat... |
$249.00 |
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Box Jumps
These are great for improving the power in your legs and your ability to jump higher.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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VEVOR Plyometric Platform Box Fitness Exercise Jump Box Step Plyometric Box Jump for Exercise Fit... |
$41.99 |
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Bulgarian split squats
A bulgarian split squat is one of the most effective lower body workouts for strengthening quads
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Bowflex SelectTech 552 Dumbbells (Pair) |
$429.00 |
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Hurdle Jumps
This exercise is similar to a box jump, but instead of jumping onto a box from a standing position, you’ll be jumping over hurdles on the ground or raised up on boxes or platforms.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Champion Sports Adjustable Height Training Hurdle, Red |
$67.26 |
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Single-leg deadlifts
Single-leg deadlifts are a great way to strengthen the muscles in your backside while also targeting quads, hamstrings, calves, abs and oblique muscles.
Leg Strength Training for Football – Putting Your Best Feet Forward
Football strength training and explosive leg workouts are essential for any football player who wants to take their game to the next level. By incorporating these exercises into your training routine, you can develop the strength, power, and agility you need to dominate on the field. Remember to always use proper form and technique. Many more exercises could be done, but these ones will provide the most benefit with the least amount of time and effort.
Suppose you need more workouts for your strength and conditioning training. In that case, you can read our latest posts on “The 5-Step Full Body Football Strength Workout to Get Stronger and Prevent Injuries” and “Strength Training Exercises – Workout For Football Players.”
You can access our sports performance training programs, football drills, workouts, and the Gridiron Recruiting Center inside “The Gridiron Academy” to help you with your football recruiting.
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