{"id":21291,"date":"2022-11-28T10:00:06","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T10:00:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/?p=21291"},"modified":"2024-11-26T15:42:50","modified_gmt":"2024-11-26T15:42:50","slug":"gym-exercises-for-footballers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/uk\/the-core\/gym-exercises-for-footballers\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Best Gym Exercises for Footballers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Football is a physical sport. Although strength and mass aren\u2019t as important as in games like rugby, resistance training is a vital aspect of improving performance, especially at elite level. With the World Cup underway, we\u2019ve looked at functional gym movements that can be directly applied to <\/span>the beautiful game<\/span><\/i>. In other words, the best gym exercises for footballers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Should footballers lift weights?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Before we dive into the movements, let\u2019s have a discussion about whether lifting weights benefits footballing performance or hinders it.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear from many experts that a standard training programme that focuses on muscle hypertrophy is not optimal, primarily because there is excessive volume. More volume equates to more muscle, not better performance. It could also lead to more DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), which may affect skill-based training sessions.<\/span><\/p>\n

So when lifting weights, the focus should be on enhancing strength in the right areas, relevant to actions during a game. So for a football gym workout, the aim should be to<\/span> train movements<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>not muscles<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Do premier league footballers go to the gym?<\/b><\/h3>\n

In the <\/span>Footballer\u2019s Football Podcast<\/b><\/a>, Premier League strikers Callum Wilson and Mikail Antonio, talked about how they generally avoid lifting weights to build muscle.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor a footballer, you don\u2019t want to carry that extra muscle. For me, do I need to do bench press? No, not really\u201d, said Wilson. \u201cLifting weights is not something I regularly do.\u201d\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n

Antonio, despite personally holding a lot of muscle mass, said that he doesn’t lift weights either. \u201cIf I even look at weights, I bulk up instantly\u201d, said the West Ham striker, \u201cSo if I\u2019m going to do anything, it’s going to be core. If I put on weight, whether it be from muscle or not, it will make me slower. And I don\u2019t want to lose my pace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This is an interesting perspective from two top-level footballers who already possess a high level of muscle and strength, partly due to gifted genetics. It\u2019s worth considering that both of these strikers like to play off the shoulder of defenders, and therefore must prioritise pace over raw strength. If this conversation was with a target man or a centre-back, or perhaps a younger player with less physical development, they may have different priorities. Different positions require different aspects of their physical game to be more developed.<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, let\u2019s get into the best exercises for a football gym workout. These could provide the outline for a suitable gym programme for footballers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1) Trap bar deadlift<\/b><\/h2>\n

When you see clips on documentaries like <\/span>All or Nothing <\/span><\/i>or an <\/span>England training camp<\/b><\/a> on YouTube, this movement pops up all the time. It\u2019s the deadlift performed using a trap bar rather than a conventional barbell.<\/span><\/p>\n

In our blog detailing <\/span>how to increase your deadlift<\/b><\/a>, we go into detail about the tremendous benefits of the movement. Its ability to stimulate everything from core strength, quads and the entire posterior chain makes it a sure-fire way to enhance overall strength.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is the same movement with the same benefits, but using the trap bar eradicates any harmful tension on the lower back. Saying that, the conventional deadlift is a safe movement when the technique is executed correctly, but using the trap bar any potential risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"trap
A member of the England U21s squad doing a Trap-Bar Deadlift.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2) Lat pulldown<\/b><\/h2>\n

A strong back provides a solid foundation for a well-rounded, functional physique to rest on.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lat pull-downs are a great compound movement that build mass and strength in the latissimus dorsi muscle – a key part of your posterior chain.<\/span><\/p>\n

A solid posterior chain is essential for shielding the ball with your back to an opposition. Think of a broad-framed target man holding the ball up, a full-back seeing a ball out for a goal kick, or a midfield maestro keeping possession.<\/span><\/p>\n