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 By: Kelly Baggett
To be able to perform you'll need to have an optimum range of motion which is determined in large part by your level of flexibility. Dynamic Flexibility Dynamic flexibility is the ability to move a joint through a full range of motion using muscular assistance or with movement. Throwing a kick above your head is an example of this. You can also call this type of flexibility "active flexibility." Static Flexibility Static flexibility is the ability to stretch without any momentum or muscular assistance. Sitting in place and doing the splits is an example of this. It turns out there isn't always a good correlation between static flexibility and dynamic flexibility. That is, you might not be very flexible when doing the splits (static flexibility), yet still might be able to kick well above your head (dynamic flexibility). The reverse can also be true. You might see someone with very good static flexibility, yet not very good dynamic flexibility.
What's more, performing static flexibility prior to a workout has been shown to lead to a decrease in strength in that workout. Too much static flexibility work can also have a negative influence on reactive strength. An overly flexible muscle-tendon complex can dampen the reactive reflex, or spring-like effect. The muscle-tendon complex needs an optimal stiffness in order to function optimally. Since the type of flexibility you need in football is dynamic anyway, I recommend you focus the majority of your time in achieving optimal dynamic flexibility. Some static flexibility work can be beneficial, but it should only be done after your workout and never before. The following dynamic flexibility workout will greatly assist you in achieving and increasing the range of motion necessary to have awesome football speed. Perform it at least 3 times per week along with a good general warm-up.
As mentioned before it is essential that you be able to apply max force through a full and deep range of motion. It's not enough to only have strong quadriceps or be strong at doing 1/4 squats. Your hips, glutes, and hamstrings all must be strong. Most players play in too much of an upright position and don't bend their knees and move in rhythm. This can be caused by having insufficient strength in the hips, hamstrings, and glutes, or posterior chain. To achieve this strength you'll need to strengthen these muscle groups and build strength through full range and mechanically inefficient positions like when your femurs are at or close to 90 degrees. Barry Sanders was the epitome of being strong and powerful in this respect. He was also probably the most agile football player who has every played the game. When you bend your knees in a movement, generally the lower you descend the more you involve the hips, hamstrings, and glutes. Strengthening these muscle groups is key. You can do this by working through a full range of motion in both full range general strength training exercises such as: As well as some modified martial arts movements like isometric side kicks for hip abductor strength. Working on these exercises will ensure you have a good general base of limit strength that can then be used to enhance eccentric strength (stabilizing strength), and reactive strength. Not only will these exercises do a good job of increasing the strength of the muscles specific to lateral speed and agility, but they will also do an excellent job at increasing your linear speed.
If you've been training for any length of time you're probably familiar with how many athletes in vertical displacement sports that require leaping ability will use exercises like depth jumps and shock jumps (altitude landings), to increase their vertical jump.
When you land after stepping off a high box you create extremely high forces, which stimulate an adaptive response in the non-contractile elements. This training method teaches the muscle-tendon complex to absorb and utilize stored energy better. This develops plyometric strength, reactive strength, or reversal strength. Generally, when performing a depth jump, you get a training effect in the muscle groups or the range of movement with respect to the position you land in. For example, if you step off a box and land in a 1/4 squat athletic stance position, you get a training effect in the upper range of motion which involves mostly the quadriceps and muscles of the lower leg. This is good for increasing vertical jumping ability and speed. However, if you perform a depth landing and land in a deeper squat position you can also develop reactivity in the hamstrings and glutes - muscles which are more important for agility and acceleration.
Another way you can increase reactive ability specific to agility is to simply perform intense agility drills such as shuttle runs. You simply accelerate in one direction, dip down, plant your foot and STOP, then quickly reverse direction and drive off in the opposite direction. The act of accelerating and then bending down, stopping on a dime and changing direction stimulates and trains the muscle-tendon complexes responsible for movement in a lateral direction, much like regular depth jumping stimulates a movement in vertical direction. Other exercises great for developing specific reactive ability are:
Now here's an example of how you can put all this information together into a workout. Weight train 2 times weekly with 1 session dedicated to improving general strength + agility and 1 session dedicated to improving reactive and explosive strength and agility. If time is an issue workouts can be split up into A.M/P.M. sessions. Perform the hip flexibility workout 3x weekly. Perform prior to either of the workouts (days 1 and 5) and on a separate day on it's own (day 3).
 Dynamic Flexibility Routine - (minus the agility drills)- 1 set per exercise
30 yards x 3-4 runs 20 yards x 3-4 runs
Reverse hyper - 4 sets x 8 reps Split Squat lunge - 4 sets x 10 reps per leg (A lunge with the back leg elevated on a box or bench)
Dynamic Flexibility Routine - 2 sets each exercise
Dynamic Flexibility Routine - 1 set each exercise
30 yards x 3-4 runs 20 yards x 3-4 runs
Glute ham raise - 4 sets x 6-8 reps
There you have it! Countless new methods to improve your functional speed on the gridiron. If you choose not to incorporate the entire workouts I hope this article at least gives you some ideas and helps shed some light on what you can do to make yourself perform better and be a better all around athlete. References:
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