Lowerbody Strength Sessions
Along with this page, read the notes on Strength Training, to help assist you with good technique. Combine your football training with your workouts to allow for your body to recover, avoid training sore muscles. Train at low intensity if you are new to weights, working on your legs for both explosive power (sprinting, tackling and jumping)and muscular endurance to be able to last both the 90 minutes of the match, and also the full season.
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Seated leg extension machine Quads. Keeping your back firmly into machine, place your feet under the foot pad, about shoulder width apart, just above your ankle level. As you develop your leg strength, aim to work for 3 sets of 10 - 12 reps, followed by 1 - 2 sets of 50% weight, using 1 leg for 4 - 8 reps. |
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Calf machine. Most modern gyms will have a calf machine, if not that use either a Smith Machine or Barbell across your shoulders. Stand straight with the balls of your feet on the platform, with the shoulder weight cushions comfortably placed on your shoulders, - avoid being bent up, or straining to reach the supports. Lift and lower slowly for 2 - 3 sets of 10 - 12 reps working for a full range. |
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Cable adductor and abductor pulls, Inner / Outer Thighs. Aim for 2 sets of 10 - 12 reps with a suitable weight. Work one leg, then simply turn around to face the other way, in order to work the abductors. Repeat on the other leg. Count the number of reps that you can do, in order to gauge the difference if any in strength in each leg. |
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Leg Press Quadriceps. There are a number of foot positions you can use to work the different muscles of your quadriceps, you can have your feet close together - wide or shoulder width apart. Work for 3 sets of 10-12 reps, for first set work with your feet close, then normal and finally wide, with toes pointing outwards. |
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Hamstring Curl Machine. Use a suitable weight and perform smooth reps. Avoid pushing yourself on this exercise, as most peoples hamstrings will tend to be tight, and can easily be damaged. Aim for 2 - 3 sets of 10 - 12 reps, using a light weight for your first set. |
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Gluts / Hip Flexor Cable Pull Connect a foot strap around a leg, just above the ankle joint, and attach this to a low cable pulley. Aim to keep your legs and back straight throughout the exercise, to help isolate the gluts, holding a secure object for balance. Work for 2 sets of 10 - 12 reps, on each leg - facing forward (gluts) and rearward (hip flexors). |
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Complete Lower Body. A combination of either front or rear lunges can be performed using a Smith Machine, however always make sure that you perform with a lightweight, enabling your leg muscles to get use to the movement prior to increasing the weight. Aim for 2 sets of 10 - 15 reps each leg, using a light weight, however aim for a full range of movement. |
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Adductor Machine. Aim to keep your legs and back in contact with the machine at all times. Some machines will have a combination of settings, allowing the legs to be taken wider, avoid taking your legs out too far, especially for beginners. It may be useful to warm up your muscles with a lightweight prior to your training weight. Aim for 2 sets of 10 - 12 reps with a suitable weight. |
To often football players will only work on their lower body. This is a big mistake, as movements such as sprinting and jumping will all be assisted by upper body strength. Read the next page to see how you can improve your football game, by getting the upper body strength you will need to sprint - jump and defend away from other players.
