In the football community, a common quote is, “there’s no off-season.” If someone is serious about this high-impact sport, they have to put in the time and effort to keep up with their training throughout the year.
It’s not a good idea to wait until August to dust off the cleats and start training. In fact, the best players understand that training starts when the season ends.
They also know it should be a gradual progression to build power, flexibility, and strength. Along with taking time to work out by running, doing ladder exercises, and lifting weights, there are other training tips you can implement, as well.
Start Slow
If you attempt to go “all in” right away after taking some time off, it increases the risk of an injury. It’s important to give your body plenty of time to recover and to adapt each of the training components you implement to see any progress.
This does not mean you can engage in one session a week and be done. Instead, you need to adjust your workout volume and add more variety to your training.
It’s also a good idea to focus on unique elements of your fitness and training during the week.
Progression
The workout you do and find challenging in the first week will not provide the same results in week five. You must keep your body guessing and ensure you don’t become “used” to the movements.
This will help to reduce the likelihood that you will hit a plateau. Each week you need to try to overload your body.
This will help you see gains of around five percent and ensure your training remains challenging. It will also help to reduce the risk of an injury while keeping you moving forward to achieve your goals.
Testing
The testing process isn’t something you should dread. Instead, make it fun and be excited about seeing the results that you have achieved.
It’s a good idea to test yourself through your training time to make sure you are going in the right direction and that you actually see progress with your training efforts.
Recovery
The time you spend resting and sleeping is when your body becomes fitter and stronger. If you don’t give yourself enough recovery time, then this will hurt the results you are working so hard to achieve.
If you don’t take time to recover, you may get sick, lose your motivation to keep going, and experience burnout. Recovery and resting do not mean that you should sit around all day.
Instead, you just need to ensure you get plenty of sleep and engage in low-impact, low-intensity activities.
Be Specific
The game of football is constantly evolving. You need to realize that engaging in the right type of training is a must.
If you aren’t sure what to do, you can use the services of a trainer or ask your teammates. Figuring out the right workouts will help you see the desired gains.
Strength Training
When training for any activity, strength training is a must. While some believe that this may make them slow or that it is inappropriate for football, it isn’t the case.
Strength is the primary component of speed, and it will help you be a more powerful player. It will also help to increase injury resilience.
There is a lot of stress put on your body when you strength train. Because of this, you need to provide yourself with plenty of time to recover.
Getting Ready for Football Season
As you can see, there are more than a few things to keep in mind when it comes to getting ready and training for football season.
Be sure to keep the tips and information here in mind, which will help you achieve the desired results. Being informed is the best way to prepare your body for the upcoming season and ensure that you do not suffer an injury.
