Football is one of those sports where a variety of physical skills are needed, and the objective with any strength training and weight training for football routine should be on increasing your overall performance level. A simple bodybuilding program is not good enough, as you require functional muscles, not just big ones.
In this respect, a weight training for football routine can be split into 3 major areas that will focus on building strength and power, increasing speed and agility, and increasing explosiveness. Depending on which position you play, there may be a slight bias to one area more than another.
Build Strength and Power
Strength and power are essential for blocking opponents and holding your own, and can make all the difference late in the game.
To build strength and power your weight training for football program should focus on high intensity low volume training - which is where you are lifting as heavy as possible for low numbers of reps. Stick to compound exercises like Squats and Bench Press, as these will maximise your time in the gym and help you to gain muscle quickly. This type of training is the best for building solid slabs of muscle mass
Increase Speed and Agility
To increase your speed and agility you need to be focusing on exercises that have a large range of movement and allow you to perform them quickly and at high intensity.
For this reason your approach should be different to just building muscle mass as above. You should look to perform exercises like push-ups, burpees and pull-ups using a weighted vest and/or ankle and wrist weights to add some extra bulk and force you to up your efforts.
These exercises create functional muscles that respond in the same way as they would when you're out on the field.
Increase Explosiveness
We all know that explosiveness is the secret ingredient to success in this sport, and the guy who can off the mark quickest can make all the difference in the game.
To increase your explosiveness you'll want to perform exercises where the weight is enough to keep you challenged but not as heavy as in your strength building workouts.
The key here is to "explode" the weight up through the first part of the exercise very quickly and then do a slow contraction so you maintain a 1:3 ratio. So, for example, on a bench press you lower the bar slowly (the "3" portion of the exercise), then you push the weight upwards explosively.
This type of [http://www.gainmusclemass.net/weight-training-for-football-players.html]weight training for football causes your body to utilize a greater amount of muscle fiber and give you the explosive you'll need at game time.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Extreme Sports - How much is too much
For the 30 million student athletes in America, sports can be an excellent way for high school students to build relationships, stay in shape and learn valuable skills about teamwork. But high school sports aren't always fun and games. With scholarship hopes, parental pressures and an ultra-competitive atmosphere, some student athletes may begin to crumble under the pressure.
Pressure
How much should ride on throwing a ball in a basket, hitting a home run or running fast?
In many ways, high school sports have evolved into a high stakes game that puts student athletes under a tremendous amount of pressure. It may start in little league with over-eager dads and coaches lightheartedly inspiring kids' major league dreams, but it doesn't always end there. Student athletes don't want to let down their parents, their teammates, their school, or with high profile sports, their town.
These pressures are coming at a time when most high schoolers' confidence and self-image are in question. Children and teens want to live up to the potential that their parents see in them. They also want to ease the burden of college tuition. Earning an athletic scholarship would fulfill both of those goals.
According to The Sports Scholarship Handbook, only 1 in 50 high school athletes receive athletic scholarships. Consider the pressure to be that one along with those from school work, other activities and social lives; that is a lot for a teenager to handle. The drive to win, to be the very best, can inspire greatness in children and adults alike, but that winner-take-all mentality can also set unrealistic expectations. It is this kind of mindset that can sap the fun out of sports. Rather than create these pressure-filled pastimes, shouldn't we use high school sports to foster well-rounded young adults?
Physical Dangers
In order to be successful in high school sports these days, students are required to commit to one sport and play on club teams all year.
When athletes play one sport day-in, day-out all year round, they put themselves in danger of damaging joints, tearing muscles, or causing stress fractures due to the constant repetitive movements. Despite these dangers, coaches continue to warn students that they risk their roster spot and any college hopes by playing multiple sports.
A recent study demonstrates the alarming increase in these repetitive stress injuries. The study tracked the number of "Tommy John" surgeries, procedures done on pitchers to repair damaged elbow ligaments, and was completed by the American Sports Medicine Institute, Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center, in Birmingham, Alabama.
"Before 1997, Tommy John surgery was performed on only 12 of 97 patients (12%) who were 18 years or younger," coauthor and research director E. Lyle Cain, MD said.
"In 2005 alone, 62 of the 188 operations performed were on high-school athletes, a third of the surgical group,'' Cain said. "The reality is that this surgery is successful and that's good. But a disturbing trend of younger kids needing the surgery is troubling."
Ironically, playing multiple sports can help athletes to be in better physical shape, develop multiple muscle groups, and keep them from burning out on their chosen sport.
Detavius Mason agrees in his article for The Guilford Orthopedic and Sports Medical Center titled "Age of Specialization: One Sport Vs. Multiple Sports."
"Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer, Tom Brady, Lebron James, Alex Rodriguez," Mason wrote. "When these names are brought up, a few things come to mind: excellence, transcendent talent, winning, but the thought of them specializing in one sport should not. Kobe & Federer were soccer players, Brady played baseball, Lebron played football and A-Rod played basketball, football and soccer."
He ends with advice to parents and coaches: "So allow your child to participate in multiple sports ... Participating in multiple sports also allows them to see if they are talented in another sport, less stress on the body, overall athleticism increases, gain more friends & social interaction, and there is less pressure to be perfect."
In extreme examples, some sports can endanger an athlete's general health. Whether students are trying make weight for wrestling, stay slim for dance or bulk up for football, sports can trigger some dangerous eating and exercise habits.
The Out-Crowd
High school sports can also create an "in crowd" mentality that excludes those who don't make the cut.
Let's face it, not all kids are athletic superstars. Does that mean they don't love the game and want to be a part of the team? Does that mean they should miss out on the social and physical benefits of organized sports? Though some kids stay involved as managers or fans, well-organized recreational options are few and far between.
These exclusions also extend beyond general skill level. With club sports being an unofficial requirement to make many high school teams, underprivileged students are put at a distinct disadvantage because they cannot afford membership fees and travel expenses that club teams require. When try-outs come around, coaches are more likely to favor club players that they've seen play for years over unknowns who have only practiced on the playground.
John Cochran, a parent from Newton, Mass., argues that all students should have the chance to play high school sports regardless of skill level.
"Studies have shown that students who participate in high school athletics have higher grade point averages, fewer discipline problems and greater self-esteem," Cochran wrote in his editorial for Newton's Wicked Local newspaper.
"By cutting everyone except the very best players, only a small fraction of students will ever benefit from those [government allocated] resources." he wrote. "If the prevailing philosophy is taken to its logical conclusion, public high schools should provide inferior educational opportunities to students who are not at the very top of their class."
The Solution
My goal is not to ban high school sports, but to return sports to their original purpose: fun. If we can change the general outlook on these sports - letting kids play multiple sports, refocusing on recreation instead of cutthroat competition, and creating a fair playing field for all would-be athletes - then high schoolers can really go out and play.
Pressure
How much should ride on throwing a ball in a basket, hitting a home run or running fast?
In many ways, high school sports have evolved into a high stakes game that puts student athletes under a tremendous amount of pressure. It may start in little league with over-eager dads and coaches lightheartedly inspiring kids' major league dreams, but it doesn't always end there. Student athletes don't want to let down their parents, their teammates, their school, or with high profile sports, their town.
These pressures are coming at a time when most high schoolers' confidence and self-image are in question. Children and teens want to live up to the potential that their parents see in them. They also want to ease the burden of college tuition. Earning an athletic scholarship would fulfill both of those goals.
According to The Sports Scholarship Handbook, only 1 in 50 high school athletes receive athletic scholarships. Consider the pressure to be that one along with those from school work, other activities and social lives; that is a lot for a teenager to handle. The drive to win, to be the very best, can inspire greatness in children and adults alike, but that winner-take-all mentality can also set unrealistic expectations. It is this kind of mindset that can sap the fun out of sports. Rather than create these pressure-filled pastimes, shouldn't we use high school sports to foster well-rounded young adults?
Physical Dangers
In order to be successful in high school sports these days, students are required to commit to one sport and play on club teams all year.
When athletes play one sport day-in, day-out all year round, they put themselves in danger of damaging joints, tearing muscles, or causing stress fractures due to the constant repetitive movements. Despite these dangers, coaches continue to warn students that they risk their roster spot and any college hopes by playing multiple sports.
A recent study demonstrates the alarming increase in these repetitive stress injuries. The study tracked the number of "Tommy John" surgeries, procedures done on pitchers to repair damaged elbow ligaments, and was completed by the American Sports Medicine Institute, Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center, in Birmingham, Alabama.
"Before 1997, Tommy John surgery was performed on only 12 of 97 patients (12%) who were 18 years or younger," coauthor and research director E. Lyle Cain, MD said.
"In 2005 alone, 62 of the 188 operations performed were on high-school athletes, a third of the surgical group,'' Cain said. "The reality is that this surgery is successful and that's good. But a disturbing trend of younger kids needing the surgery is troubling."
Ironically, playing multiple sports can help athletes to be in better physical shape, develop multiple muscle groups, and keep them from burning out on their chosen sport.
Detavius Mason agrees in his article for The Guilford Orthopedic and Sports Medical Center titled "Age of Specialization: One Sport Vs. Multiple Sports."
"Kobe Bryant, Roger Federer, Tom Brady, Lebron James, Alex Rodriguez," Mason wrote. "When these names are brought up, a few things come to mind: excellence, transcendent talent, winning, but the thought of them specializing in one sport should not. Kobe & Federer were soccer players, Brady played baseball, Lebron played football and A-Rod played basketball, football and soccer."
He ends with advice to parents and coaches: "So allow your child to participate in multiple sports ... Participating in multiple sports also allows them to see if they are talented in another sport, less stress on the body, overall athleticism increases, gain more friends & social interaction, and there is less pressure to be perfect."
In extreme examples, some sports can endanger an athlete's general health. Whether students are trying make weight for wrestling, stay slim for dance or bulk up for football, sports can trigger some dangerous eating and exercise habits.
The Out-Crowd
High school sports can also create an "in crowd" mentality that excludes those who don't make the cut.
Let's face it, not all kids are athletic superstars. Does that mean they don't love the game and want to be a part of the team? Does that mean they should miss out on the social and physical benefits of organized sports? Though some kids stay involved as managers or fans, well-organized recreational options are few and far between.
These exclusions also extend beyond general skill level. With club sports being an unofficial requirement to make many high school teams, underprivileged students are put at a distinct disadvantage because they cannot afford membership fees and travel expenses that club teams require. When try-outs come around, coaches are more likely to favor club players that they've seen play for years over unknowns who have only practiced on the playground.
John Cochran, a parent from Newton, Mass., argues that all students should have the chance to play high school sports regardless of skill level.
"Studies have shown that students who participate in high school athletics have higher grade point averages, fewer discipline problems and greater self-esteem," Cochran wrote in his editorial for Newton's Wicked Local newspaper.
"By cutting everyone except the very best players, only a small fraction of students will ever benefit from those [government allocated] resources." he wrote. "If the prevailing philosophy is taken to its logical conclusion, public high schools should provide inferior educational opportunities to students who are not at the very top of their class."
The Solution
My goal is not to ban high school sports, but to return sports to their original purpose: fun. If we can change the general outlook on these sports - letting kids play multiple sports, refocusing on recreation instead of cutthroat competition, and creating a fair playing field for all would-be athletes - then high schoolers can really go out and play.
Cheap Sports Equipment - Their importance
A large part of the population takes part in active sports. Enormous quantities of sports equipment would be needed to meet their requirements. Apart from the demand from new players, the existing players would need to buy replacements of their worn out sports equipment. The professional players can afford to buy expensive gadgets and sports equipment. But, ordinary people who take part in sports for the love of the game can not even dream of buying such expensive equipment.
The cheap sports equipment would be the perfect choice for them. There is an inherent risk in purchasing cheap sports equipment. These equipments could be substandard equipment which may not last long. There is also a risk of injury when a person uses unknown sports equipments. The best advice on cheap sports equipments is available now, which would be useful in buying good quality equipments at cheaper prices. This information would discuss about the pros and cons of a particular equipment and their suitability to your style of playing.
The end result of this advice is that you could buy cheap sports equipments which would be as fine as the expensive ones. You could buy cheap equipments that are of good quality for sports like football, golf, cycling, rugby, skiing, snow boarding, tennis, baseball, horse riding basketball, boxing, swimming and snooker. Good advice is available on cheap equipments for these exciting sports activities. You can mention about your exact needs like a shoe that would help you kick the ball accurately or a tennis racket that could improve your serves. Perfect equipments that are also cheap would be located immediately.
The cheap sports equipment would be the perfect choice for them. There is an inherent risk in purchasing cheap sports equipment. These equipments could be substandard equipment which may not last long. There is also a risk of injury when a person uses unknown sports equipments. The best advice on cheap sports equipments is available now, which would be useful in buying good quality equipments at cheaper prices. This information would discuss about the pros and cons of a particular equipment and their suitability to your style of playing.
The end result of this advice is that you could buy cheap sports equipments which would be as fine as the expensive ones. You could buy cheap equipments that are of good quality for sports like football, golf, cycling, rugby, skiing, snow boarding, tennis, baseball, horse riding basketball, boxing, swimming and snooker. Good advice is available on cheap equipments for these exciting sports activities. You can mention about your exact needs like a shoe that would help you kick the ball accurately or a tennis racket that could improve your serves. Perfect equipments that are also cheap would be located immediately.
Monday, October 12, 2009
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