Strength Training Methods

We all know that strength training plays a massive part in making a sporting athlete great, and AFL Football is no exception. Over the years as the game has become more professional and the stakes higher it has become as important as the skills element of the game. All the professional clubs employ a full time Sports Conditioning coach to try and get every last drop of talent and potential from their players. Unfortunately the education of how they do this does not filter down to the amateur clubs or even semi professional players. Reliance on body building techniques, and overuse of useless beach muscle exercises like bicep curls and the bench press make up most of the current football players toolbox of exercises. Lifting progressively heavier weights will not in itself lead to improved power and speed, but many athletes and coaches still get caught up with this ‘heavier and bigger is best’ strategy. Too much bulk is just that: an additional load to transport around the field or into the air. If increased muscle size on its own brought the required results, then why do we not see body builders dominating the AFL? It’s how you develop the size and strength, and relate it to movements that you need in your game, that counts. As the Women’s Football League has developed it has become apparent that for females a conditioning program is just as important, if not more so. Females cannot get big even if they want to, but they can get stronger and faster. Remember Bigger does not mean better, and does not mean you can generate greater force and ultimately more power, which I would say is what every football player who has taken part in our Sports program says they want. You can still add size and some bulk but it has to be done at the right time of year. In this article, I show you exactly how.

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