A footballer is a passionate athlete who is trained in a wide variety of physical skills. Of course, football is a physically demanding sport in which you have to use your speed, endurance, agility, and performance in combination to lift the trophy of victory.
All these may sound good, but they aren't as easy as you think. They demand mental toughness to prepare yourself to survive in any circumstances in the field.
So, do you want to alleviate your performance? What could be more pleasing than incorporating different types of exercises in your regimen to strengthen your core, back, legs, and all? Let's delve into today's blog, where I have shared a list of exercises for football players that could help them improve their performance.
Why Need Exercises for the Football Players?
You might wonder why these football players need exercise despite having enough training sessions and practices. However, these exercises are not for their growth or development in their professional sector; they lead to personal gains, which indirectly lead to overall growth. These exercises shape the person, build discipline, strengthen their core, help them to sustain obstacles, and help in sports injury prevention, which is an inevitable part of any sport.
These exercises contribute to an increased number of benefits of playing sports, such as an improvement in the performance of the players, building mental focus and helping you stay focused even in the toughest circumstances, helping in increasing speed and explosiveness, enhancing agility and coordination in the players, improves and boosts cardiovascular fitness which could help the players in the long run, prepares the players for the demands and challenges required in any game, builds longevity in the sport and also build team's cohesion which is very important in a team sport.
Best Exercises for Football Players
Here is the list of best exercises for football players that could help them to stay on the football ground for a long time. Let's divide these exercises into five types depending on the principle area. All these can be categorized as strength training for speed and agility, core and endurance training, and training to prevent forthcoming injuries.
Strength Training
Strength training is mainly done to build power during performance. It is the foundation for a footballer's player ability. Here are some of the best strength training-building exercises,
Squats
Squats are best for developing body strength, particularly in the lower region of your body, which is the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. The squats have different variations, including back squats, front squats, and goblet squats. To perform squats, stand in the position of feet and shoulder width apart, and lower your feet until your thighs are parallel to the ground in the downward direction, then push back up again.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a superb workout to alleviate the posterior region which includes the hamstrings, glutes and lower back that helps for injury prevention. The variations of deadlifts are such as conventional deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts, and trap bar deadlifts. To perform these deadlifts, stand with feet hip-width apart, bend at the hips to grip the barbell, and lift it by increasing your hips and knees.
Speed and Agility
Agility and speed are most important, as the players need to be fast on their feet when cutting back and forth while kicking the ball. Speed drills are required for beating opponents and making big plays.
Ladder Drills
Agility ladder drills aim to improve footwork, coordination, and quickness in the players. These drills are practised mostly to enable the players to make quick decisions while changing directions. The ladder drills consist of in and out drills and icky shuffle. To perform the speed drill, you have to follow various patterns on the ladder as soon as possible. These drills will help you with better leg movement and will help during practice free kicks in football.
Cone Drills
Cone drills are useful and necessary, too, similar to ladder drills. They assist in enhancing the players' reaction time and movements, including cutting, pivoting, and accelerating.
Plyometrics
Plyometrics are exercises that emphasize the players' explosive movement, which is essential for jumping, sprinting, and tackling. It comes with variations, such as box jumps, broad jumps, and depth jumps. To conduct plyometrics, you must execute explosive jumps with limited ground contact time.
Core and Endurance Training
Core and endurance training is also an essential component of the training session, in which the core training is to develop a strong core for balance, power, and injury prevention. However, endurance training enables the players to endure on the field without feeling exhausted after playing for a longer period, without fluctuations in the performance level of the players. For endurance and core, the following exercises can be practised.
Long Distance Running
Long-distance running is the best endurance training and improves the endurance of the players. Here, at least running 3-5 miles is expected.
Circuit Training
Circuit training involves strength and endurance exercises, which allow the players to develop stamina. The best examples of circuit training are push-ups, squats, burpees, and planks.
Planks
Simple planks are considered the best core training sessions to build core strength. The variations in the planks include side planks and weighted planks.
Russian Twists
Russian twists are another fundamental skill in a football training exercise that engages the obliques and is best suited for rotational movements. To do Russian twists, sit on the ground, lean back slightly, and twist your torso side to side with the weight.
Injury Prevention
Prevention of injury is also crucial, similar to other aspects of the game. While injuries are prevalent in football, the correct exercises can minimize the chances of injury in the game.
Hamstrings Curls
Strong hamstring curls help in preventing knee injuries. Use a machine or a resistance band to curl your legs towards your bands.
Hip Bridges
Hip bridges are also crucial exercises that build glute strength and lower back strength. In hip bridges, lie on your back with your knees bent and hips raised to the ceiling.
Dynamic Stretch
Dynamic stretch helps improve flexibility and prepare the body for intense activity. Some of the best examples include leg swings, arm circles, and also lunges with a twist.
Recovery Tips After Playing Football
Recovering from the post-game tiredness is necessary to recharge yourself with another dose of energy.
The first step is having an ice bath, which is quite common for athletes. This could be relaxing for your muscles, but in the same way, it could also cause harm to them. Hence, it is always necessary to check on the temperature.
Sleep and proper nutrition have a very active role in helping you recover from the drained-out session. It is not fixed to have eight-plus hours of sleep, but you can increase the number if you're more exhausted.
A small increase in the calorie count with enough protein intake could also help you out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Exercise for Football Players
How Should a Football Player Workout?
The football player should work out and should be light and energy-booting.
Start with a warmup.
Stay hydrated.
Have some light foods that can supply you with energy during the game.
Take adequate rest after the gameplay.
What Are the Essential Training Drills to Improve Your Football Skills?
Ball control and drilling skills
Stamina and Speed control
Strengthen your core ability
Practising accuracy during the gameplay
Which Are the Best Drills for Speed and Agility?
Cone drills, shuttle runs, and interval training are some of the best drills for speed and agility.
The following exercises for football players help them not only to alleviate and improve their performance on the football field, but also help them to sustain on the field for a longer time, and also prevent injury.
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