Kettlebell Training for Football Players

Football is a very diverse sport. Certainly every athlete, no matter the position, needs to be strong, flexible, mobile, and powerful, but each position may require different athletic abilities and therefore different training protocols. The explosive power of a lineman might be of a greater intensity than that of a defensive back. Both need to move at full sprint speed, but one will have maximal power output while the other will call on different energy systems at different times. The lineman moves from static position to full force production against resistance. The defensive back will work at sub-maximal load then shift to maximal sprint when making a tackle or leaping for an interception. Training techniques need to vary slightly in optimizing each role.

Kettlebells provide a huge amount of versatility – allowing individuals to train for greater explosiveness from the hips (the power hub) while simultaneously improving hamstring flexibility, core endurance and mobility, and tough grit strength. Using the two examples stated above, this article will outline the basic movements and benefits of kettlebell training for football players.

Turkish Get-up

This is a total body movement drill to be used as a dynamic warm-up and mobility assessment. It promotes core resilience, shoulder mobility and stability under load, flexibility in opening the hips, and mental toughness through a variety of movement planes. Football players need core strength under load. In a heavy contact sport, the number one item that protects the spine is core resilience and static strength. Moving slowly under tension promotes deeper muscular contractions closer to joints which allows for more stable and secure joints and leads to greater power outputs through higher fiber activation percentages.

Double Kettlebell Swing and Snatch

This drill is great for training near maximal hip extension speed and power. This exercise is perfect for lineman looking to improve their first response hitting power from the three-point stance. Glutes, core, hip flexors, and hamstrings all activate in conjunction with each other to produce a total body explosion. Kettlebells are neuromuscular tools that help improve total athletic awareness, but without the high learning curve of traditional Olympic lifts. Athletes can learn to safely and effectively use KB swings and snatches within one training session, where power cleans and power snatches often times take weeks.  Kettlebells provide a safer deload and continues transition to the positive portion allowing to train power sets of 3-5 easier than using barbells.

Double Kettlebell Clean and Jerks

This variation of Olympic weightlifting promotes a timing and neuromuscular connection that defensive backs can utilize in their skill set. The clean works on hip explosion but with an element of endurance as to build repetitive maximal outputs. The overhead jerks provide more of a total body explosion and balance component to optimize core resilience and shoulder strength and stability (overhead reaches for batting and interception attempts).

These are just three kettlebell examples. Single leg deadlifts help athletes improve IT band health for lateral movement and glute strength for posterior chain stability and force production. Goblet squats can be used to increase hip mobility and flexibility for a decrease in injury risk. Lastly, renegade rows develop core strength and mental toughness like no other core exercise because of the amount of torque tension placed on the entire musculature of the trunk.

For more information on how your athlete can improve with kettlebell training – please reference www.dragondoor.com or www.bw-pt.com  for specific information on getting on a training program for your athletes team, receive a written supplement to your current strength and conditioning program, or to simply understand how to better use your body.