What Are The Best Football Conditioning Drills?
Football is a challenging sport, requiring agility, stamina, strength, and speed during every single play. With the right strength and conditioning training for football players, you can help lead your team to victory. But which drills and exercises should you include in daily practices to help your athletes prepare for the game?
Key Strength and Conditioning Exercises for Football
1. Four Corners Drill
Developing your players’ footwork is an essential part of strength and conditioning training for football. This technique improves receiving, passing, and quickly changing direction during the game. The four corners drill helps garner fast reflexes and coordination.
Start by setting up a 10-yard square with cones at each of the four corners. From the first corner to the second, players will backpedal. From the second to the third, they will perform a shuffle. From the third to fourth, they will complete a Carioca drill. And finally, players will sprint from the fourth cone back to the first. Complete this cycle, allow players to rest for one minute, and then complete it again.
2. Four Quarters Drill
It can be difficult for athletes to maintain the energy needed to carry them through to the fourth quarter. With the four quarters drill, you can help your players develop the endurance they need for each game.
Start with a 10-yard sprint and 10-second rest, followed by a 20-yard sprint and 20-second rest, finishing with a 30-yard sprint and 30-second rest. Following the final rest, have your players complete another hundred yards, alternating 20 yards of sprints and strides. This completes one of four steps, each representing one quarter of the game. Have your players complete this four times with two to three minutes of rest in between each set.
3. Sprint & Stride Combo
Sprints equip your players to maintain speed and energy for yards at a time. Strides build endurance at lower speeds without sacrificing momentum. Once your athletes have mastered these two techniques, a drill combining the two can help to optimize speed, acceleration, deceleration, and maintenance.
Your players will alternate between 20-yard sprints and strides down the length of the field, followed by a 30-second rest. Repeat this back to the opposite end zone to complete one full set. This drill should consist of four sets with a 30-second rest after each set of 100 yards.
With these three drills, you’ll be well on your way to winning more championships.
If you’re looking for a strength program that incorporates principles like these, sign up for The Moffitt Method today. We make programs for high schools and colleges that get athletes stronger, healthier, and help you win more championships.
Written by Matt Bruce, 2 two-time Olympic alternate and strength coach for over a decade.