8-Week Off-Season Football Conditioning Program
Every football player, regardless of position, must be in peak shape come football season. Conditioning gives you the confidence you need to execute any play. Even if you don’t anticipate sprinting 100 yards to stop a potential touchdown very often, you need to know that you can do it.
Football conditioning typically involves wind sprints and gassers performed at the end of a workout or practice. These have their place, but relying on complete fatigue exercises can create bad form habits, and even slow you down. Instead, you need to repeatedly perform intense exericses with little rest to keep your heart rate up and develop the energy systems that are needed during a game.
The workouts in the following eight-week conditioning plan may not seem like typical endurance workouts. But they will improve your endurance in a way that directly translates to the field, and can help you get stronger and lose weight at the same time.
Workout Guidelines
- You will need an open grassy area about 20 yards long, a kettlebell and a 20- to 30-foot heavy rope.
- You can substitute a dumbbell for a kettlebell and a med ball for a heavy rope if necessary.
- HR indicates a heavy rope exercise, and KB indicates a kettlebell exercise.
- Warm-Up: 400-yard slow jog and 10-15 minutes of mobility exercises
Block 1 – Weeks 1-2
Monday
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 20 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times. Note that all of the exercises are performed with only your body weight.
- Jumping Jacks
- Burpees
- Squats
- Inchworms
- Bear Crawls
- Push-Ups
- Crunches
- Planks
- Cross-Knee Crunches (right side)
- Superman Holds
- Cross-Knee Crunches (left side)
- Flutter Kicks
Thursday
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 20 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times.
- (HR) Jump rope
- (KB) Two-Handed Swings
- (HR) Two-Handed Slams
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (right hand)
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (right hand)
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (left hand)
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (left hand)
- (KB) Cleans (right hand)
- (HR) Woodchoppers (med ball version)
- (KB) Cleans (left hand)
Block 2 – Weeks 3-4
Monday
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 20 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times.
- (HR) Jump rope
- Jumping Jacks
- Crunches
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Burpees
- Plank
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Squats
- Cross-Knee Crunches (right elbow to left knee)
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Inchworms
- Cross-Knee Crunches (left elbow to right knee)
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Bear Crawls
- Side Plank (right)
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Push-Ups
- Side Plank (left)
- Flutter Kicks
Thursday
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 30 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times.
- (HR) Jump Rope
- (KB) Two-Handed Swings
- (HR) Two-Handed Slams
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (right hand)
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (right hand)
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (left hand)
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (left hand)
- (KB) Cleans (right hand)
- (HR) Woodchoppers
- (KB) Cleans (left hand)
- (HR) Side to Side
- (KB) Jerk (right hand)
- (HR) Circles (clockwise)
- (KB) Jerk (left hand)
- (HR) Circles (counterclockwise)
Block 3 – Weeks 5-6
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 20 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times.
Monday
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Jumping Jacks
- Sprint 10 yards
- Crunches
- Sprint 10 yards
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Burpees
- Sprint 10 yards
- Plank
- Sprint 10 yards
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Squats
- Cross-Knee Crunches (right elbow to left knee)
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Inchworms
- Sprint 10 yards
- Cross-Knee Crunches (left elbow to right knee)
- Sprint 10 yards
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Bear Crawls
- Sprint 10 yards
- Side Plank (right)
- Sprint 10 yards
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Push-Ups
- Side Plank (left)
- Flutter Kicks
Thursday
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 30 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times.
- (HR) Jump Rope
- (KB) Two-Handed Swings
- Shuffle (right) 5 yards
- (HR) Two-Handed Slams
- Shuffle (left) 5 yards
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (right hand)
- Shuffle (right) 5 yards
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (right hand)
- Shuffle (left) 5 yards
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (left hand)
- Shuffle (right) 5 yards
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (left hand)
- Shuffle (left) 5 yards
- (KB) Cleans (right hand)
- Backpedal 5 yards
- (HR) Woodchoppers
- Sprint 5 yards
- (KB) Cleans (left hand)
- Backpedal 5 yards
- (HR) Side to Side
- Sprint 5 yards
- (KB) Jerk (right hand)
- Backpedal 5 yards
- (HR) Circles (clockwise)
- Sprint 5 yards
- (KB) Jerk (left hand)
- (HR) Circles (counterclockwise)
Block 4 – Weeks 7-8
Saturday
Instructions: Perform the same workout as weeks five and six, but add in an active recovery day on Saturday. Do not rest between exercises. Repeat the circuit three times.
- Simulated KB Swings x 10
- Shuffle (right) 5 yards
- Simulated One-Handed KB Swings x 10 each hand
- Shuffle (left) 5 yards
- Simulated HR Woodchoppers x 10
- Backpedal 5 yards
- Simulated HR Side to Side x 10 each side
- Sprint 5 yards
- At the end of these eight weeks, you will be in better shape, leaner and ready for football!
Read more:
Football Summer Speed Training Plan
The Complete Off-Season Football Workout
Purdue’s Football Conditioning Program
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8-Week Off-Season Football Conditioning Program
Every football player, regardless of position, must be in peak shape come football season. Conditioning gives you the confidence you need to execute any play. Even if you don’t anticipate sprinting 100 yards to stop a potential touchdown very often, you need to know that you can do it.
Football conditioning typically involves wind sprints and gassers performed at the end of a workout or practice. These have their place, but relying on complete fatigue exercises can create bad form habits, and even slow you down. Instead, you need to repeatedly perform intense exericses with little rest to keep your heart rate up and develop the energy systems that are needed during a game.
The workouts in the following eight-week conditioning plan may not seem like typical endurance workouts. But they will improve your endurance in a way that directly translates to the field, and can help you get stronger and lose weight at the same time.
Workout Guidelines
- You will need an open grassy area about 20 yards long, a kettlebell and a 20- to 30-foot heavy rope.
- You can substitute a dumbbell for a kettlebell and a med ball for a heavy rope if necessary.
- HR indicates a heavy rope exercise, and KB indicates a kettlebell exercise.
- Warm-Up: 400-yard slow jog and 10-15 minutes of mobility exercises
Block 1 – Weeks 1-2
Monday
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 20 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times. Note that all of the exercises are performed with only your body weight.
- Jumping Jacks
- Burpees
- Squats
- Inchworms
- Bear Crawls
- Push-Ups
- Crunches
- Planks
- Cross-Knee Crunches (right side)
- Superman Holds
- Cross-Knee Crunches (left side)
- Flutter Kicks
Thursday
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 20 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times.
- (HR) Jump rope
- (KB) Two-Handed Swings
- (HR) Two-Handed Slams
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (right hand)
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (right hand)
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (left hand)
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (left hand)
- (KB) Cleans (right hand)
- (HR) Woodchoppers (med ball version)
- (KB) Cleans (left hand)
Block 2 – Weeks 3-4
Monday
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 20 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times.
- (HR) Jump rope
- Jumping Jacks
- Crunches
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Burpees
- Plank
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Squats
- Cross-Knee Crunches (right elbow to left knee)
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Inchworms
- Cross-Knee Crunches (left elbow to right knee)
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Bear Crawls
- Side Plank (right)
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Push-Ups
- Side Plank (left)
- Flutter Kicks
Thursday
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 30 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times.
- (HR) Jump Rope
- (KB) Two-Handed Swings
- (HR) Two-Handed Slams
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (right hand)
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (right hand)
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (left hand)
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (left hand)
- (KB) Cleans (right hand)
- (HR) Woodchoppers
- (KB) Cleans (left hand)
- (HR) Side to Side
- (KB) Jerk (right hand)
- (HR) Circles (clockwise)
- (KB) Jerk (left hand)
- (HR) Circles (counterclockwise)
Block 3 – Weeks 5-6
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 20 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times.
Monday
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Jumping Jacks
- Sprint 10 yards
- Crunches
- Sprint 10 yards
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Burpees
- Sprint 10 yards
- Plank
- Sprint 10 yards
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Squats
- Cross-Knee Crunches (right elbow to left knee)
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Inchworms
- Sprint 10 yards
- Cross-Knee Crunches (left elbow to right knee)
- Sprint 10 yards
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Bear Crawls
- Sprint 10 yards
- Side Plank (right)
- Sprint 10 yards
- (HR) Jump Rope
- Push-Ups
- Side Plank (left)
- Flutter Kicks
Thursday
Instructions: Perform each exercise for 30 seconds with no rest between sets. Repeat the circuit two times.
- (HR) Jump Rope
- (KB) Two-Handed Swings
- Shuffle (right) 5 yards
- (HR) Two-Handed Slams
- Shuffle (left) 5 yards
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (right hand)
- Shuffle (right) 5 yards
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (right hand)
- Shuffle (left) 5 yards
- (KB) One-Handed Swings (left hand)
- Shuffle (right) 5 yards
- (HR) One-Handed Slams (left hand)
- Shuffle (left) 5 yards
- (KB) Cleans (right hand)
- Backpedal 5 yards
- (HR) Woodchoppers
- Sprint 5 yards
- (KB) Cleans (left hand)
- Backpedal 5 yards
- (HR) Side to Side
- Sprint 5 yards
- (KB) Jerk (right hand)
- Backpedal 5 yards
- (HR) Circles (clockwise)
- Sprint 5 yards
- (KB) Jerk (left hand)
- (HR) Circles (counterclockwise)
Block 4 – Weeks 7-8
Saturday
Instructions: Perform the same workout as weeks five and six, but add in an active recovery day on Saturday. Do not rest between exercises. Repeat the circuit three times.
- Simulated KB Swings x 10
- Shuffle (right) 5 yards
- Simulated One-Handed KB Swings x 10 each hand
- Shuffle (left) 5 yards
- Simulated HR Woodchoppers x 10
- Backpedal 5 yards
- Simulated HR Side to Side x 10 each side
- Sprint 5 yards
- At the end of these eight weeks, you will be in better shape, leaner and ready for football!
Read more:
Football Summer Speed Training Plan
The Complete Off-Season Football Workout
Purdue’s Football Conditioning Program