The Football Body Workout

Use gridiron training to get the build of an NFL athlete

FREQUENCY: Perform each workout (I, II, III, and IV) once per week. Try to schedule your training so that you perform workouts I and II on back-to-back days, and then rest a day. Perform workouts III and IV on back-to-back days, followed by two days off. HOW TO DO IT: Perform the exercise pairs (marked A and B) as alternating sets, resting the prescribed amount of time between each set. So you'll do one set of A, rest, then one set of B, rest again, and repeat for all the prescribed sets. Perform the remaining exercises as straight sets, completing all the prescribed sets for one exercise before moving on to the next. Some exercises call for you to "work up" to a weight that's the most you can use for a given rep range. This is called your "rep max," or RM. A "3RM" would indicate a three-rep max (a weight you can perform only three reps with). Perform increasingly heavier warm-up sets of no more than six reps to gradually arrive at your RM weight (the warmup sets should not be very stressful). Make sure you perform at least five sets total for the exercise. The Workouts: View the original workout at: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/football-body-workout-w-i

Football Body Workout (W I)

1 BOX SQUAT
SETS: AT LEAST 5 REPS: WORK UP TO A 3RM REST: AS MUCH AS NEEDED Set up a barbell on the supports of a squat rack and place a box a few feet behind you. The box should be low enough that your thighs are parallel to the fl oor when you sit on it. Step underneath the bar and grab it with your hands about 8 to 12 inches wider than shoulder width. Nudge the bar off the rack and stand with your feet wider than shoulder width [1]. Bend your hips and knees, lowering your body onto the box [2]. Pause for a moment and then explosively stand back up. That's one rep.

2 BULGARIAN SPLIT SQUAT

SETS: 3 REPS: 8 1 1/2 REPS (EACH LEG) REST: 180 SEC. Stand a few feet in front of a bench, bend your left knee, and rest the top of your left foot on the bench [1]. Keeping your torso upright, bend your right knee and lower your body until your left knee touches the fl oor (but do not rest it on the fl oor) [2]. Extend your right knee so that you come halfway back up and then lower yourself back down again. Then come up to the starting position. That's one, 1 1/2 rep. Complete eight reps in this fashion on your left leg and then switch legs.

3A WEIGHTED BACK EXTENSION

SETS: 4 REPS: 12 REST: 0 SEC. Hold a weight plate against your chest and lock your legs into a back extension apparatus. Allow your torso to bend forward so that your hips are bent almost 90 degrees [1]. Extend your back so that your body forms a straight line [2]. Lower your torso back down. That's one rep.

3B DUMBBELL SIDE BEND

SETS: 4 REPS: 12 (EACH SIDE) REST: 90 SEC. Hold a dumbbell at your side with one hand [1]. Bend your torso to that side as far as you can, allowing the weight to pull you down [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep. Complete all your reps on that side and then switch sides.

4 SPRINTER SITUP
SETS: AT LEAST 5 REPS: WORK UP TO A 3RM REST: AS MUCH AS NEEDED Lie on your back and bend the hip and knee on one side 90 degrees. Swing the opposite side's arm forward and that side's arm back and crunch your torso forward [1]. Quickly switch your legs and arms [2] and then switch back. You should look like you're running a sprint. That's one rep. Perform your reps rhythmically, as if you were running.

View the original workout at: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/football-body-workout-w-ii

Football Body Workout (W II)

1 BENCH PRESS
SETS: AT LEAST 5 REPS: WORK UP TO A 3RM REST: AS MUCH AS NEEDED Lie on the bench, grab the bar underhand, and pull your torso up and forward, resting your head on the bench before the rest of your body. Your eyes should be under the bar. This should also cause your knees to bend 45 degrees so that your feet are planted far backit's OK if the balls of your feet are in contact with the fl oor but your heels are in the air. Now switch to an overhand, shoulderwidth grip. Lift the bar off the rack and hold it directly above your chest [1]. Squeeze the bar hard and arch your upper back. Lower the bar to just below your nipples [2]. Once the bar touches your chest, push your feet hard into the fl oor (dropping your heels if they're up). Press the weight up, focusing on pushing the bar back slightly toward your face. When the bar is halfway up, begin fl aring your elbows outward to lock it out. That's one rep.

2 NEUTRAL-GRIP FLOOR PRESS

SETS: 4 REPS: 8, 8, 6, 5 REST: 180 SEC. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lie on the fl oor, your knees bent 90 degrees. Keeping your elbows close to your sides, lower the weights with your palms facing your sides until your triceps touch the fl oor [1]. Press the weights straight up [2] and then return to the starting position. That's one rep. Perform eight reps the fi rst and second sets, then six reps the third, and fi ve reps the fourth.

3 DUMBBELL ROW
SETS: 2 REPS: 8, 20-25 REST: 120 SEC.

Hold a dumbbell in one hand and, keeping your lower back in its natural arch, rest your opposite side's knee and hand on a bench for support. Allow the arm with the weight to hang straight down [1]. Row the weight to the side of your chest [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep. Complete all your reps and then repeat on the opposite arm. Treat the fi rst set as a warm-up and perform eight reps. On the second set, use the heaviest weight you can that allows you to perform 20-25 reps.

4A SEATED DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE

SETS: 3 REPS: 10 REST: 0 SEC. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and sit on a bench, your arms hanging at your sides [1]. Raise your arms out 90 degrees so that your upper arms are parallel to the fl oor [2]. Lower them back down to the starting position. That's one rep.

4B SEATED DUMBBELL POWER CLEAN

SETS: 3 REPS: 10 REST: 90 SEC. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and sit on a bench. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, lean forward a bit to gather momentum [1] and then explosively extend your back and shrug your shoulders, pulling the weights up in front of your body. When they reach chest level, flip your wrists over so that your hands end up in the bottom position of an overhead press [2]. That's one rep.

5 ZOTTMAN CURL
SETS: 3 REPS: 8 REST: 60 SEC. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand as you would to begin a curl, with palms facing your sides [1]. Keeping your elbows tight against your sides, curl the weights up as high as you can [2]. Now turn your wrists over so that your palms face the fl oor [3]. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position [4]. That's one rep.

View the original workout at: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/football-body-workout-w-iii

Football Body Workout (W III)

1 BOX JUMP
SETS: 8 REPS: 2 REST: 45 SEC. Set up a box or aerobics step in front of you. It should be as high as allows you to make a challenging jump and still land on the platform safely. Stand in front of it and get into an athletic stance. Bend your hips and knees to gather momentum [1]. Explosively jump onto the box, landing with soft knees [2]. That's one rep. Immediately step off the box, return to the starting position, and repeat. Try to increase the height of the box slightly on each set.

2 BARBELL REVERSE LUNGE WITH KNEE LIFT

SETS: 3 REPS: 10 (EACH LEG) REST: 120 SEC. Place an aerobics step or small box on the fl oor and stand on it, holding a barbell across the back of your traps [1]. Step back off the surface and onto the floor with your left leg and bend both knees until your rear knee nearly touches the fl oor [2]. Reverse the motion to come back onto the step but do not put your left foot down. Raise your left knee up in front of you as high as you can, so you are supported on the step by your right leg [3]. Put your left foot back down. That's one rep. Complete all your reps on that leg, and then switch legs and repeat.

3 ONE-ARM DUMBBELL SWING

SETS: 3 REPS: 15 (EACH ARM) REST: 90 SEC. Get into an athletic, shoulder-width stance holding a heavy dumbbell in your right hand. Allow the weight to hang in front of your body, between your legs. Now dip your knees [1] as if you were about to jump, and explosively straighten your hips and knees to come up to a standing position. Allow the momentum to swing your arm up to shoulder level [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position that's one repand immediately begin the second rep. Complete all your reps, and then switch sides and repeat.

4A PLANK
SETS: 3 REPS: HOLD FOR 30 SEC. REST: 0 SEC. Get into pushup position and then bend your elbows 90 degrees and rest your weight on your forearms. Keeping your entire body in a straight line, hold the position for 60 seconds [1]. That's one set.

4B WEIGHTED SPREAD-EAGLE SITUP

SETS: 3 REPS: 15 REST: 60 SEC. Grab a dumbbell and lie on your back on the floor. Hook your feet around something sturdy, such as the legs of a power cage or a pair of heavy dumbbells. Hold the weight against your chest [1] and sit all the way up [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep.

View the original workout at: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/build-muscle/football-body-workout-w-iv

Football Body Workout (W IV)

1 PLYO PUSHUP
SETS: 8 REPS: 5 REST: 45 SEC. Get into pushup position and lower your body until your chest is about an inch off the fl oor [1]. Explosively push yourself up so that your hands come off the fl oor and you can clap in midair [2]. That's one rep. Land and immediately begin the next rep.

2 CHINUP
SETS: 3 REPS: CONTINUOUSLY FOR 30 SEC. REST: 120 SEC. Grab the bar with an underhand grip, just outside shoulder width. Allow your body to hang [1]. Pull your body up until your chin is over the bar, and squeeze your shoulder blades together [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep. Perform as many consecutive reps as you can in 30 seconds.

3A INCLINE DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS

SETS: 3 REPS: 10 REST: 0 SEC. Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45- degree angle. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and lie back against the bench, resting the weights at chest height on each side [1]. Press the dumbbells straight overhead [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep.

3B FACE PULL
SETS: 3 REPS: 12 REST: 120 SEC. Attach a rope handle to the top pulley of a cable station and grab an end in each hand [1]. Squeezing your shoulder blades together, row the handle to just in front of your face, so that your upper arms end up parallel to the fl oor [2]. Try to pull the rope apart as you row it. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep.

4 DUMBBELL SHRUG
SETS: 3 REPS: CONTINUOUSLY FOR 30 SEC. REST: 120 SEC. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Allow your arms to hang at your sides, with your palms facing each other [1]. Shrug your shoulders as high as you can [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep. Perform as many consecutive reps as you can in 30 seconds.

5A ALTERNATING HAMMER CURL

SETS: 3 REPS: CONTINUOUSLY FOR 30 SEC. REST: 120 SEC. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let your arms hang at your sides, palms facing each other. Don't allow your upper arms to move for the duration of the exercise. Curl one weight up as high as you can [1]. Lower it back to the starting position and curl on the opposite side [2]. That's one rep.

5B TRICEPS PUSHDOWN
SETS: 3 REPS: 20 REST: 60 SEC. Attach a rope handle to the top pulley of a cable station. Hold an end of the rope in each hand and tuck your elbows tight against your sides [1]. Without allowing your elbows to move forward, squeeze your triceps and straighten your arms [2]. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That's one rep..