Fitness enthusiast Jack Estes Debrabander offers his top five exercises to prepare athletes for the upcoming football season.
The fall football season may feel far away this spring, but football coaches and enthusiasts are already starting to prepare. Football and fitness enthusiast Jack Estes Debrabander is offering his top five exercises to help athletes prepare for the upcoming season, whether they’re playing Pop Warner, middle school, high school, or college football.
“Many football players focus on bulking up before the season, and while strength-training is essential, a lot of players are missing out on other key exercises,” Jack Estes Debrabander says.
Jack Estes Debrabander explains how plyometrics exercises are some of the top exercises for football players. They help athletes develop superior strength and speed while helping them generate more force, more quickly. Jack Estes Debrabander describes that two of his favorite plyometric exercises for football players are box blasts and lateral bounds.
Box blasts help develop that explosive up-and-down power football players need in their legs and hips, while lateral bounds help develop explosive power in the lateral direction. Jack Estes Debrabander explains that these plyometrics skills not only promote superior performance, they prevent injury too.
“Another simple yet effective explosive move is the squat jump,” Jack Estes Debrabander says. “This is an exercise that provides more power, whether you’re tackling, jumping, or sprinting.”
Fitness enthusiasts like Jack Estes Debrabander explain how exercises that build strength while preventing injury are ideal. Debrabander describes ankle jumps as another excellent exercise for preventing ankle injury and developing strength in the lower legs, an area that often gets forgotten. Ankles are often a common injury area for football players, and ankle hops can help reduce that risk.
Jack Estes Debrabander further explains that some of the best exercises football players can perform involve stretching the muscles. He suggests every athlete use a foam roller during their workout routine, especially when the workout is complete. The compression created by the use of the foam roller loosens the muscle, helps nerves relax, promotes superior blood circulation, and aids the body in the recovery process.
“It may not sound like much, but the process of using the foam roller to relieve muscle tension and help the body recover is one of the most important exercises football players, and all athletes, can do,” Jack Estes Debrabander says.
Jack Estes Debrabander explains that all of the above exercises are designed to help provide the extremely quick, explosive power football players need while helping prevent injury in the process. He reiterates that time spent performing plyometrics exercises can be just as beneficial as lifting heavy weights in the gym.
“There’s a time and place for strength training and a time and place for building explosion and agility. It’s important that football athletes focus on both of the above as well as proper muscle recovery to prepare for the upcoming football season,” Jack Estes Debrabander finishes.
