Power and explosiveness are the key traits of a football athlete. If you look at their body, it’s quite obvious how they are bulky in the right places and have the strength to play football, which is a very intense physical sport. Of course, this would require the athlete to have a strict training plan and diet to be at their peak whenever they play the game.
However, looking closely at their bodies, you will notice a few key differences that set them apart from your conventional bodybuilder. Whether you want to have a football athlete’s physique or are planning to get into professional football someday, we have some tips you might want to follow if you want to have a football athlete’s body. Let’s start.
Proper Nutrition
Of course, if you want a fit body like those athletes, the first thing you should start with is your diet. The general idea is, of course, lots of protein inside a balanced diet. But you might wonder, how do they fuel their bodies before and after every game?
It’s usually divided into pre and post-game meals. Pre-game meals help them keep their appetites in check. Also, their meals are usually food items that are easy to digest, so when the game starts, they don’t feel full, and they can move around a lot without vomiting their pre-game meals. Their meals usually contain mostly carbs and a moderate amount of protein. The fiber and the fats are usually on the lower side. It’s usually bread, rice, and meat.
For the post-game meal, they focus more on veggies and fruits. Their meals also include lean protein, whole grains, moderate fiber and fats. Of course, when it comes to fats, it’s preferable to focus on healthier fats like monounsaturated fats.
Try Out Basic Movement Screens
Many NFL players receive an in-depth movement analysis of their bodies. These screens are required so medical professionals can prescribe the necessary corrective exercises to capitalize on their bodies’ capabilities. However, if you don’t have access to an in-depth movement analysis from medical professionals, there are two at-home movement screens that you can do.
The first is pain-free pushups. You can do this pushup by doing the stance for a pushup on your toes while maintaining a straight line with your body that comes from the shoulders to the ankles. You should not let your body sag or arch your lower back region. The second is squats. You can do this screen by squatting and softly touching the buttocks on a chair. After a few seconds, you can return to your original position.
Do Running/Agility Drills
If you’re a regular bettor on NFL odds and fantasy baseball odds, you know that players usually train for five months of running and agility drills and even play with other teams before the season starts. Whether you’re a young athlete or a weekend warrior, practicing exercises that change directions, like the agility drills that NFL players usually do, will help you become physically fit to be a football player.
As a reference, a regular game in the NFL usually only lasts for 11 minutes without the pauses. This doesn’t sound like a lot at first, but trust us when we say it can be extremely exhausting if your body is not fit like a football athlete. If you look at it closely, a defensive back runs about 1400 yards on average, which typically breaks up between 50-80 and lasts from four to five seconds. Now, that sounds a lot. That said, if you want to have the body of a football athlete, doing the same drills as them will make you have one.
Improve Your Core Strength
A six-pack is quite easy if you’re doing it just for show. It’s the core that always matters. The core is the muscles behind the muscles that you call a six-pack, which is why you can usually see people who, even though they have a six-pack, have weak core strength. You can do the plank test to know if your core strength is enough for football.
You must get into a pushup position while on your toes to do this test. The upper body should also rest on the forearms and not the hands. You can then attempt to last for a minute. If you can’t do it, your core strength doesn’t reach the minimum to play football. Luckily for you, there are a lot of core exercises out there, like planking, dead bugs, sit-ups, etc.
Build Your Strength and Power
Anyone wanting a football athlete’s physique must develop their leg, core, hip, and upper body. That said, it’s important to see what you can improve and what you need to do. This can be accomplished by what we call a wave-cycle program.
This program involves changing the volume and intensity of your workout routine weekly or biweekly. Usually, you are required to increase your sets and reps in your workout whenever a cycle ends. This program will prevent you from getting on a plateau, helping you get an athlete’s body.
Final Words
Football athletes’ bodies are some of the most aesthetically pleasing specimens you can see in any sport. However, those bodies are molded by years of training and hardship, which is to say that it’s not only pleasing to look at but also functional for them to play at their peak in football. If you want that kind of body, you might want to follow the tips above.