NFL players are among the strongest athletes in the world, because they really need to be. American football is a very demanding sport that lays multiple players out with major injuries every single season. It’s within a player’s best interest to be as fit as he can if he wants to be at the very top and remain injury-free.
Players go through grueling workouts in order to get their bodies in proper shape ahead of every season. An NFL campaign is an arduous one and NFL live scores are influenced by many things, more so fitness levels.
Of course, there’s nothing stopping you from training like someone who plays professional football. What’s more, interviews with some of the top players in the league are all over to help you out, such as this one from Men’s Fitness.
The list below looks into the training regimens of some of the best players in the league revealed by players themselves or their trainers.
Odell Beckham Jr.
While he’s known for his antics both on and off the field, Odell Beckham Jr. is one of the hardest workers in the NFL and has a pretty rigorous offseason. The Cleveland Browns wide receiver works out with trainer Jamal Liggin, who puts him through drills such as box jumps, dumbbell workouts, squats, medicine ball workouts, footwork drills, resistance band drills, and his famous tennis ball drill.
“Odell is ready to work, no matter what the situation is,” Liggin told the aforementioned publication. “One time, he landed in Los Angeles at midnight and called me up to do a workout. We ended up doing an intense session from 2 a.m to 4 a.m. That’s the kind of guy Odell is and how dedicated he is.”
The veteran is coming off knee surgery and is understood to be in prime shape ahead of next term. The Browns are considered to have the best team on paper heading into 2021/22 and Beckham will be a welcome addition to the roster.
Russell Wilson
The Seattle Seahawks quarterback is one of the shortest in the league but is as fit as they come. Wilson has taken things up a notch, having added boxing to his workout routine a few years ago. He also does lots of box jumps, squats, kettlebell lunges, bench pressing, Romanian deadlifts, dumbbell step-ups, rows, triceps extensions, speed and agility exercises.
Wilson says he’s especially focused on his mobility and works on his legs a lot more now than as opposed to when he just came into the NFL.
“I’ve really focused on my leg strength in recent years,” he remarked. “When you’re growing up, you always think that your upper body strength and everybody is testing your best thing, your bench max and all that kind of stuff. As a quarterback, it’s really more so leg strength, core strength, shoulder stability, and core stability. The thing that I really pride myself on is mobility - my mobility and flexibility. I’m constantly working out those areas.”
Antonio Brown
Antonio Brown has gotten lots of bad press over the last few years but there’s no denying he’s one of the best in his position when he’s on it. Brown, who now plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after a failed stint with the New England Patriots, could be considered to be the fittest player in the league when healthy. The WR has revealed paying just as much attention to training during the season as he does in the offseason.
He’s especially fond of side planks, back squats, medicine ball drills, lunges, dumbbell workouts, agility drills and resistance band exercises.
“You’ve got to take care of your body - you’ve got to make those commitments to get in the gym, and make sure you make those commitments to working out and staying strong,” he says. “I try to keep my in-season workouts as intense as the offseason, making sure my feet are in shape, and make sure I’m still getting the same lifts.”
Brown signed a new deal with the Bucs last month that should see him spend next season in Tampa.
Sterling Shepard
When it comes to fitness, Sterling Shepard was pretty fortunate to understudy the likes of Odell and Victor Cruz. That seemed to pay off as he was second among rookies in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches in his first year. The New York Giants star told the magazine he wanted to get faster and more explosive after his rookie year and took to doing lots of speed work and strengthening his smaller muscles.
“I feel good about where my strength is, but I want to get faster, more explosive for next season,” he was quoted as saying on the back of his impressive first year.. “I’ve been doing a lot of speed work on the treadmill, strengthening my smaller muscles. I want to build on my first season and continue to get faster and stronger.”
Shepard is partial to Kaiser machine workouts, on-field agility drills, single-leg squats, and strength training.
Players go through grueling workouts in order to get their bodies in proper shape ahead of every season. An NFL campaign is an arduous one and NFL live scores are influenced by many things, more so fitness levels.