I once wrote an article about how most agility training programs are terribleI got more than a few pieces of hate mail; and for that Im thankful. If we were all afraid to change the old-school thinking on football training, wed all be doing calisthenics and wouldnt lift weights because it makes you muscle-bound.
Well, heres another reason for some to hate me: most football speed training is beyond awful too. More on that in a future articlefor now, well talk about ways to increase football speed in the one place that matters most: the weight room!
Big, compound movements like Squats, Box Squats and Deadlifts should always be the base of your football training program. However, there are several smaller movements and special tools that can help you increase your quickness when performing speed training for football.
Enter the Dragon
Most people never heard of Kettlebells before Dragon Door and Pavel re-introduced them to the world.
Theyve been used by fighters and athletes for about a century, but they lost popularity somewhere along the line. This is a shame because they are excellent tools for becoming faster and stronger, especially for football.
Before anyone bitches out and complains that Im a member of a Kettlebell Kult (people who train only with Kettlebells), get over it. Kettlebells are to be used in addition to your normal football training, not in place of it!
Kettlebells are excellent for football speed because:
They can target the hamstrings and glutes in a way that a barbell cant
They compliment the big movements nicely by allowing you to train in athletic positions
They are excellent for dynamic speed work
Remember, football speed isnt just about running some damn 40-yd dash. Youve got to be explosive (hence the name Explosive Football Training).
Here are 2 excellent Kettlebell exercises that will increase your football speed:
1. Kettlebell Swings
This is the king of the football speed makers! Its a really common KB exercise yet I see people doing them wrong all the time. If all you did was add Kettlebell Swings to your football speed training, youd be miles ahead of most of your competitors.
This is NOT a squat movement. While you can do a squat/swing for general conditioning and fat loss, this is not what I am talking about for speed development.
You need to allow the bell to travel all the way back and then SNAP it forward. That snap is the key to the exerciseyou are building reactive strength, the same you would need for sprinting, jumping, and coming out of your stance into a sprint. This is explosive football training, not training for fat loss!
This can be done after your heavy leg exercise or at the end of your training as a hamstring/glute finisher. It is not necessary to do high reps in the swing as some believe.
Use a heavier KB and shoot for 3-4 sets of 4 6 reps.
Swings should be part of any Football Weight Training Workout, especially for those in high school.
2. Kettlebell Overhead Lunge
This is an excellent single-leg football exercise that will hit the glutes, hams and hips hard. It also has the added bonus of working the abs/obliques very hard since they have to stabilize the bell overhead.
Grab a kettlebell, press it overhead, then do a lunge. Get a nice, long stride and explode back up. These are excellent for your High School Football Workouts
When you lunge, dont be afraid to go deep. This is an excellent movement for football speed training because not only will it strengthen the muscles, but it will also dynamicall stretch the hip flexorstight hip flexors are often called breaks, because they literally will push the brake pedal on your speed!
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