Staying fit in football will help you as a player stay on the field and preform well. There are many types an activiteis specific to football conditioning. This article talkes about the importance of running, weightlifting, and some specific drills like cross jumping and up downs that you can run.
Running Drills: A Way of Life
Endurance is the name of the game when it comes to football, and running will help you endurance grow. These drills are meant to help you play your hardest throughout the entire game. Though running drills can be a big help to your game, many people complain the most about the running. Because in the end, the team or players that are the fastest are the ones that win the championships. Another benefit that you will not see at first, is the ability to push yourself past your limits.
Building your muscles and endurance through Weightlifting
No practice regime would be complete without lifting weights. Not only will it add muscle to your body and increase your strength, it will also help you to increase your maximum power. Maximum power should be the goal of your training, because it involves muscle strength and muscle excursion during play. Strong and powerful execution will enable fast plays, quick action, and recognition on the field. We highly recommend working with a personal trainer when weightlifting to insure that you are doing it properly, and to help you design a program that will fit your position.
Conditioning: Cross jumping
Reaction is as skill that players need to develop through conditioning and drills. This drill will help players quickly change directions on the field. Start out by placing the player on any crossing lined area on the field, anything like a small for square area. Then the player will proceed to jump from on area or box to another, thus forcing the player to jump laterally, diagonally, frontwards, and backwards. Some of the variations can be on legged; either right or left, or changing the order those players will perform the drill.
Strength and conditioning: Up Downs
The popular conditioning drill known as up downs is a very effective way to increase cardiovascular activity and endurance. This drill starts by having the players run in place as fast as they can encourage them to get their knees up as high as they can. From time to time the coach will signal to the players, by whistle or a command, to get down meaning that they drop down do a push up and get back up as quickly as possible to run again. This drill is an excellent workout and should be worked in slowly at first and then increased in intensity and length over time.