How Do I Prepare for My Season?

Posted on August 5, 2024

Reading time: approximately 2 minutes

August is crunch time! Pre-season camps are underway, setting the tone for the season to come. Are YOU ready? If you’ve only been trying to beat your high score this summer, you might be at a higher risk for injury.

Here Are 5 Ways You Can Get on the Fast Track:

1. Strength Training

Muscle strength is a foundational requirement for all athletes. Football players especially need to be strong AND agile. If you’re just starting to build strength, keep to the basics and be consistent.

• Exercise types: front squat, dumbbell walking lunges, bench press, pull-ups, russian twists
• Goal: building strength with high weight & low reps
• 3-5 sets of 6 repetitions : 2mins rest between sets

2. Explosive Conditioning

Football is played at high intensity between the whistles. Here are a few things you can do to prepare:

• Exercise types: timed sprints, burpees, broad jumps, skater jumps, agility footwork drills going forward, sideways and backward.
• Goal: high intensity using a timer
• 30-45 sec of work : 2min rest

3. Tackle Training

Know how to tackle properly, and practice it daily. The top 3 factors that expose a player to injury are lack of confidence, lack of muscle memory, and low strength. Schedule a time to get focused help from a knowledgable coach.

4. Water

• Your performance takes a hit when you don't drink enough water
• Drink enough over 24 hours so that your urine is a light color Learn More
• The game here is consistency

5. Food

Food is your FUEL - you need to fuel the engine! In general, aim for 2,000-4,000 calories per day. Do not restrict your calories, unless directed by a physician and do not skip meals.

• Carbohydrates: these are fruits, breads, pastas, cereals, and athletic bars
• Fats: good sources come from animal, fish or plant-based unsaturated (liquid oil) fats
• Proteins: you need 1.2-2 grams of protein per pound of body weight, depending on your age and gender
• Supplements: in general, you can bet that most supplements are more likely to harm than help
• protein supplements are unnecessary as the general American diet supplies enough for your needs
• pre-workout supplements are also unnecessary and could put extra stress on your heart. It's usually taken to get amped up for training, practice, or games.
  A more effective option is to take an ice bath about 1-2 hours before training, practice or a game. 1-2 minutes is sufficient. Effects could last for hours.
• some supplements are great for you. Vitamin C, A, D, fish oil (omega 3 fatty acids) and a trustworthy probiotic are a great place to start
• Information on substances in supplements