Keeping Fit: How Do NFL Players Train?
Amanda Campbell provides advice on how NFL Players Train.
If you are looking to get in shape or want something interesting to bet on with NFL player props, learning how NFL players train and stay healthy can be fascinating.
Unlike most of us, these players are paid to work out and stay healthy, so they are match-perfect for their games. We have the details for you if you want a sneak peek at how they enhance their performances!
Nutrition
Before starting the exercise portion of training, NFL players need to ensure balanced nutrition. They need to increase or maintain muscle mass while stabilising essential fats. Most NFL players will have a nutrition coach to keep them on track.
Protein
Protein is essential in a healthy diet as it repairs muscles and strengthens bones. It also provides a great source of energy for players. That is why most NFL players eat mainly protein.
This means that an NFL player's dinner plate will likely contain a lot of chicken or fish to ensure that the body absorbs these needed nutrients.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates often get a bad rap, but that is only because our fast-food society usually eats more than we need to. In reality, we need carbs to get a more significant energy boost than we can receive from proteins and allow a healthy amount of sugar into our system.
If an NFL player did not have enough carbohydrates, they would feel faint due to a lack of energy and a low blood sugar level. With a lack of energy, they will do poorly in their games and not have the power to run down the field.
Fats
Many people misunderstand fats, another food group. Yes, we do not need tons of them, but we should not go without either. Fats protect your organs and help them grow new and healthy cells. They also help keep your blood pressure under control.
NFL players often get their fat nutrition from nuts, olive oil, and fish. However, they might prefer to take supplements so that the exact amount of fat ingested can be calculated.
Different Strategies
Each NFL player will have their diet and their workout scheme. It is because every type of player will need to prioritise different strengths. Also, some players will naturally be able to build muscles in areas that others find difficult.
It is why you can never get a straight answer when people talk about getting the same body as an NFL player. Instead, it will show you the leading and most repeated training exercises these athletes regularly do.
Training
These five training methods are often considered the primary base for every NFL training session. Although some players might add boxing, swimming, or tennis to their training, they will include these generic workout ideas.
Dynamic Warm-ups
Often confused with stretching, dynamic warm-ups are designed to increase core temperature. This allows muscles to gear up and prepare for more challenging and energy-exerting movements.
On the other hand, stretching is where you “wake up” your muscles and allow them to move and gain a range of motion in preparation for quick reactions.
They are both important, and NFL players often utilise both of these warm-ups before a game.
If you want to try it yourself, add jogging and high-knee running to begin your workout.
Agility Drills
Although NFL games only have around 11 minutes of active play per game, a player can run 50 to 80 yards in just 4 or 5 seconds. To ensure that the players keep up this fast pace, they need to practice their running speed and quick reaction times.
Many players will try to run through areas of obstacles, try to outpace a tackle, and may be forced to duck away from flying objects to stay on their toes in the middle of a game.
Strength Development
Of course, in the NFL, players need to be more than fast; they need to be strong, too. In a typical strength development workout, the players would follow a week of 10 sets of repetitions that hit 70% of their max strength. This way, they do not overwork themselves by pushing too hard but continue to exercise at a level that will develop their strength.
Then they might switch to a week of higher intensity. It could include four repetitions that reach 90% of their max strength. These exercises will be much more complex, so the reps are heavily reduced.
They would then return to a smaller weight to allow their body to recover.
Core Strength
Core strength does not necessarily mean getting 6-pack abs, as that type of body often means the person is dehydrated rather than strong. Instead, the players must ensure their core is strong enough to pulse energy to the rest of their bodies.
To exercise their core, many NFL players practice planking.
Hydration
Throughout training and games, the players need to ensure that they are correctly hydrated. Depending on where they are in the country, each player will need to maintain different hydration levels because of changes in temperature and humidity.
Everyone around the world becomes accustomed to their environment, which means that the heat of Arizona will feel like an impossible desert to people from Michigan.
Post Training
After a game day, the players will get involved in a process called “taper down.” It consists of healing their muscles and recharging their bodies through exercises like ice baths and massages.
The process also includes mental health breaks, as losing a game can feel like the end of the world to a player. Imagine failing at your job day after day. It doesn't matter that the other players were given more support than you or brought in a great crowd to provide the team with money. The failed game can still play on your mind.
Our athletes need mental health breaks to reignite their passions for the sport and ensure that they recognise that they did a good job and created an entertaining game.
Page Reference
If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:
- CAMPBELL, A. (2021) Keeping Fit: How Do NFL Players Train? [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article670.htm [Accessed
About the Author
Amanda Campbell is a freelance journalist.