Legendary NFL players didn’t reach their career-best in a day, it took them years of practicing, exercising, and sacrifices to reach that mark.
Anyone familiar with football is familiar with the hardships players have to go through in staying put in the game. When it comes to the National Football league the efforts required have no limit. The preparations have to be done a year-long whether it’s the off-season or the playing season you are always on a training and nutrition routine. The intensity would vary but it would still be there at all times during your playing career, and it’s largely important for you to be dedicated to it.
This, without question, is the basis for the success of American Football. They explore every possible tip and technique to further the player’s performances.
The NFL training camps are renowned for the tough way of training enabling the players to withstand any amount of tension or physical effort required in the playground during the campaign. NFL Training is meant to keep you in touch with the game so that the wear and tears of the off-season are all gone.
Scrimping on the training session is strictly discouraged. Any player faking the training efforts is doing his harm, it’s only you who in the long run will have to bear the consequences.
Below are the crucial elements of NFL Training that keep players in a condition to put on display an outstanding output year after year.
Workout Routine
The workout comes first in NFL Training as players require adequate fitness chores in place so that the tough drills won’t be havoc for them.
Before training starts, there will be an introductory briefing that informs about expectations from the team, routine schedule as well as goals for the entire season.
Particular attention is given to team bonding in the initial stages and then gradually constant focus on the training from early morning becomes the sole factor in mind. Usually, teams have two practices per day with the first one being focused on getting used to the playbook which has all the strategies and plays of the game.
The second part of the practice is the good old exercise such as deadlifts, squats, ladder drills, bench press, etc. Needless to say, this is the most tiring part of the training day.
- Prominence to Core Exercises
For improved celerity, the routine described below is the expert-backed, time-tested one.
According to several renowned coaches as well as players exercises like Cable-Resisted Physio Ball Crunches helped to stand out in several crucial game moments. They take the benefit of strengthening the core. For most of the game, an offensive lineman or more will be grabbing him from around and the power from the core is the only rescue.
How to do Cable-Resisted Physio Ball Crunches?
- Place the physioball in front of a cable machine
- Lie down on the ball with your upper back on the physioball.
- With the crunch strap in each of your hands around and just above your chest.
- Now crunch upward in a sitting position.
Recommended: 3 sets of 10-12 Reps.
This is how you strengthen your core as you get to keep your muscles tight for a longer time. Explore more core exercises from reputed columns.
- Sand Workout
When it comes to football speed is important but not forward but in multiple directions. Practicing with that requirement, sand is the best option. Running in the sand gets you faster feet and the ability to change directions.
Sand will tire you by absorbing all the energy you exert to push forward while running and thereby making you try harder.
- Squats
Squats are of different variants when it comes to thorough NFL Training. The Kettlebell Bulgarian Split Squat is a famous example. There are several more effective ones such as box squats.
Workout Starts at Mind
Special athletic abilities that only some players possess are not because they have won some unique genetic lottery. The right mindset towards training and the ridiculously high bar they have set for themselves are the reasons.
The drive can come from proper self-motivation. No one can rely upon external motivational factors for a constant supply. Past failures serve as the training fuel for some players and due to this, they are seen achieving greater successes.
Boosting the Beasts: The role of Supplements
It’s no wonder that NFL Players are some of the fittest men all over America. And such muscle mass has a vital role to play in their career.
Along with training, exercise, nutrition, and recovery, proper supplementation do the extra boosting required for ultimate success under pressure.
Many of the NFL Players are taking supplements to make sure to reach the precise dietary needs and decent performance. This is legal in practice for the last few years.
Many of the supplements are well familiar ones for a proper health boost. Proteins, amino acids nitric oxide, and creatine are the most common ones while the list goes on. There are brands available now that are meant for athletes for boosting different parts and requirements of their bodies. Such as mental, physical, immunity, relaxation, vegan, and whey proteins.
For utmost performance maintaining the proper amount of body fat is essential. It helps them move rapidly, sprint in a split second, and change directions vigilantly.
There are three major sources of daily nutrition that help an athlete in different ways: Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats. The small and continuous energy flow to the brain and muscles is done by carbohydrates, proteins are the building blocks of muscles and living tissues. Uninterrupted functioning of the body is attained by proper maintenance of body fat.
Top 3 supplements Football players should consider taking:
Your body must respond to the physical and mental needs of the game. I mean what will you do with the strong willpower to ace the game of football when your body doesn’t support your aim. So it’s really important to provide regular supplements to your body.
- Creatine: when an athlete is exhausted and low on energy Creatine can be consumed to top up the lost energy in much lesser time than usual.
Creatine is consumed during high-intensity workout sessions or exhausting training sessions.
Creatine has not only proven results in boosting power but also increases muscle mass. Creatine fastens the process of muscle recovery which is needed after an intense gym session. It is found in Milk and Fish and is also produced by our body as well.
- Protein and Amino Acids:
For football players, it is critical that their body is ready to bear the wear and tear of the game, as this game demands too much on the physical front. Most of the NFL players are into bodybuilding and protein helps you attain a lean body mass.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, so a deficiency of Amino acids will result in improper protein buildup.
- A survey revealed that 49% of the athletes are taking some or the other kind of supplement to top up their body protein needs. CJC-1295 is a proven amino acid supplement, and you can take it if you want to consume supplements, but be advised to intake it in limited dosage.
- Nitric Oxide: It is a molecule that helps dilate blood vessels, this fastens the blood flow to the different organs and the oxygen supply is improved significantly. Though nitric oxide is manufactured naturally in our body, a deficiency can cause serious issues.
Nitric Oxide supplements do not directly provide Nitric oxide to your body but they provide arginine, which is an amino acid that is converted into nitric oxide inside the body.
Training Drills
Drills have an important role in not only preparing the players for the real experience they will have in the game as well as assessing their expertise level they have gained.
NFL Training camp drills are mainly based on the core exercises such as sprinting, jumping, squats, shuttle runs, etc.
Here are the top factors that determine your ability to master the game:
- Aerobic Endurance, Explosive Speed / Quickness in reaction, Self Motivation & Confidence in yourself
- BodyBalance, Hand-Eye Coordination, Quick Reaction Time, Dealing with Pressure Situations.
- Strength & Power Quotient, Analytic & Tactical Abilities, Skills and Techniques
- Lastly your Body Size and factors like Flexibility, and Agility.
Doing new and unfamiliar drills for better agility and performance is also a thing.
The 2-minute drills which simulate the last 120 seconds of the game that prove vital time almost every time in a game are done in NFL Training camps.
The Gauntlet, Sleds, One-on-One Drills, etc are some of the other rewarding drills done by the players.
Conclusion
In the end, all these drills and everything should give the desired output which is making a career for the athlete as a football player. Thus it is not only about mindlessly doing some February drills. It is all about practicing customized exercise routines with total attention to improving performance as well as stamina. The efforts they take in the training camps should reflect in the game field.