Football training built for contact.
Strength, speed and a body that holds up play after play. Here's what football demands and how to train for it, from a Certified Athletic Trainer.
The short version
- Each play is a few seconds of maximal effort. Strength and power drive everything.
- The first 10 yards decide most plays, at every position.
- Durability is trained: neck, shoulders, hamstrings and knees get specific work.
- Players who keep lifting in-season finish the season stronger than they started.
Football training has to build maximal strength and explosive speed, plus a body that can absorb contact play after play. A football play lasts a few seconds of all-out effort, followed by about half a minute of rest, repeated 60 or more times a game. Linemen need force, skill players need speed, and everyone needs durability. With MB, every football athlete starts with an assessment by a Certified Athletic Trainer (BOC-ATC), then trains for their position and the demands of the game.
This guide is for high school, college and adult football players, and the parents of younger athletes, who want training built around the sport instead of a generic gym program.
From the coach: Matt has trained NFL players. The same strength, speed and durability principles apply to high school and college players, scaled to their training age.
What football demands
Football is the most power-driven of the major team sports. Each play is short and maximal, and the body takes contact on most of them.
Coach's demand profile
Football: what the sport asks for
Rated 1–5 by how much each quality decides performance and injury risk in football. Position changes the weighting.
Demands shift by position: a lineman's profile leans toward strength and mass, while a receiver or defensive back leans toward speed and cutting. The assessment decides the weighting.
Where football players get hurt
Injury reduction isn't a separate program. It's built into every session, aimed at the injuries this sport is known for.
| Injury | Why it happens | What to train |
|---|---|---|
| Knee (ACL, MCL) | Cutting, planting and contact to the leg | Single-leg strength, landing and cutting mechanics, hamstring strength |
| Ankle sprains (including high ankle) | Cutting, piles and getting rolled up on | Ankle strength, balance and mobility |
| Hamstring strains | Sprinting at top speed, especially when fatigued | Nordic curls, sprint exposure, warm-up structure |
| Shoulder (AC joint, instability) | Tackling, blocking and falling on the shoulder | Shoulder and upper-back strength in many positions |
| Concussion + neck strain | Head and body contact | Neck strengthening (research still developing), tackling technique, recognizing symptoms and following return-to-play protocols |
Want this built for your sport and position? MB Online coaching starts with a movement assessment and builds your program around what it finds and your season.
The tests worth tracking
You can't train what you don't measure. These are the numbers that matter most for football, retested through the year so progress is visible instead of assumed.
| Test | What it tells us |
|---|---|
| 10- and 40-yard sprint | Acceleration and top speed |
| Vertical and broad jump | Lower-body power |
| 5-10-5 pro agility | Change of direction |
| Trap bar deadlift or squat strength | Lower-body max strength, tested safely |
| Upper-body push and pull strength | Bench and row balance protects the shoulders |
| Neck strength | Baseline for contact preparation |
| SFMA movement screen | Finds mobility versus control problems behind pain or stalled lifts |
How to train for football
1. Max strength on the big lifts
Squat or trap bar deadlift, presses and rows, loaded progressively. Strength is the foundation every other quality is built on.
2. Explosive power
Jumps, med ball throws and Olympic-lift variations or simpler alternatives, matched to the athlete's training age.
3. Speed and acceleration
Starts, sled pushes and short sprints to sharpen the first steps, plus top-speed work for skill positions.
4. Durability for contact
Neck, upper back and shoulder strength, plus hamstring and adductor work to cut down on soft-tissue injuries.
5. Position-specific conditioning
Short, all-out efforts with rest that matches the game, including heat acclimatization before August practices.
The training year
| Phase | Focus | Strength sessions / week |
|---|---|---|
| Off-season (winter) | Build max strength and muscle; repair weak links | 4 |
| Summer | Convert strength to power and speed; build football conditioning | 3–4 |
| In-season (fall) | Maintain strength and power; recover from contact | 1–2 |
High school players who keep lifting during the season finish it stronger than they started. Stopping in-season means rebuilding from scratch every winter.
A sample off-season week
- Day 1: Lower-body max strength + acceleration
- Day 2: Upper-body strength + neck and shoulder durability
- Day 3: Speed and change of direction, conditioning
- Day 4: Power: jumps, throws, Olympic-lift variations + hamstrings
Each session runs about 60 minutes and starts with a sport-specific warm-up. Exact exercises and loads come from the athlete's assessment.
Who's coaching you
MB is led by Matt Bridges, a BOC-Certified Athletic Trainer, a credential built on injury prevention, rehab and return to play, not just exercise. The same program can handle an athlete coming back from an injury and one chasing the next level.
Athletes Matt has worked with
- NFL players
- MLB players
- Division I swimmers
- Collegiate basketball players
- Collegiate soccer players
- ECNL + ECRL soccer players
- Collegiate tennis athletes
- Collegiate golfers
BOC-ATC · SFMA · Functional Range Release · Graston Technique · Exos Performance Specialist
Coming back from an injury? Read training after physical therapy.
Common questions
How can a football player get faster?
Get stronger, get more powerful and sprint at full speed regularly with good technique. Speed improves when strength, power and sprint practice are trained together.
Should football players lift during the season?
Yes. One to two short sessions a week keep strength and power from fading over the season and help the body handle contact.
Does neck strength prevent concussions?
Research is still developing. A stronger neck may help the head absorb force, but no training prevents concussions. Technique, rules and proper return-to-play care matter most.
What does position-specific training mean?
The same core lifts for everyone, with the weighting changed: more strength and mass for linemen, more speed and cutting for skill players, a mix for linebackers and tight ends.
Can I do sports performance training online?
Yes. MB Online builds your football program in the MB app: video-guided workouts, form-check reviews, check-ins and direct messaging with your coach. Training is planned around your team schedule, games and season.
How do I get started?
Start the free online movement assessment in the MB app. You film a few simple tests, and Matt reviews every one personally before recommending a plan. In San Diego, you can also train 1:1 with Matt in Pacific Beach.
Train for football, from anywhere.
Start with the free movement assessment in the MB app. Matt reviews every one personally, then builds your program around your sport, position and season. Athletes under 18 need a parent or guardian's consent.
In San Diego? Train 1:1 with Matt in Pacific Beach.
This guide is educational and is not medical advice. MB provides strength, conditioning and movement coaching and does not diagnose or treat injuries. If you have an active injury, pain that's getting worse or a recent concussion, see a physician before training.