Getting well prepared for a football season takes more than just a day or two in the weight room and a week of practice. Athletes must have a planned practice regimen, a good diet, and many hours conditioning their bodies.
As far as a diet is concerned it’s very important, especially the night before a game, to eat a diet rich in carbohydrates. Spaghetti is a good example of an appropriate pre-game dinner. It’s imperative to get plenty of hydrating liquids all through the day before the game. This is not to be taken lightly! A good idea would be to carry around a water bottle with you for the whole day. It does not take long for one to perspire all of his or her liquids out making it very easy to cramp up.
It’s easy for one to think they can waltz into the training room two or three days per week and be prepared for the game, but in reality it is far from the truth. To be an exceptional athlete and to drastically reduce your risk of injury one must put in a full week of lifting and conditioning. Lifting needs to be varied to not only increase strength, but flexibility and agility. Free weights often work best, because balancing the weight as well as lifting it works all of the intended muscles instead of just a select few. Conditioning can be anything as simple as running around the track to as intense as lunges and line drills. One important thing to keep in mind is to do a light work out on the day before the game. You don’t want your muscles to be sore and tired on the day you have to perform.
The most important, thing to do before every practice begins is to stretch. It can not be emphasized enough how a few minutes of stretching can prevent a pulled muscle or even a more serious injury. After stretching is done it’s time to move onto the drills. While it’s true there are plenty of drills out there targeted at specific positions, much of practice can be training and conditioning exercises appropriate no matter where you play. One example of a more position specific drill requires the use of the sled. A sled, as far as football is concerned, is a metal contraption with a flat base and a varied number of metal bars that stick up from it. These bars are covered in very thick pads so one can hit them with full force without getting hurt. The most common way that it is used is by having linemen line up in front of it and on the snap of the ball hitting it and pushing it. This drill focuses on getting speed, strength, and unity in your line. Non-position specific drills are many and can be anything from line drills, log roll, or simply setting up cones and having your players weave around them to improve speed and agility.
None of the aforementioned exercises are by any means required of a casual player. It’s good to find your own unique ways of practicing and working out, but the key is that you do indeed find a way to get it done.