Try Ben Watson's Football-Specific Exercises to Build Upper-Body Strength

By STACKPublished On: 2011-11-01

Cleveland Browns tight end Ben Watson never has a dull day in the weight room. That’s because Tim Slominsky, general manager of Euphoria Fitness, where Watson trains, keeps things interesting with creative new exercise techniques that build solid upper-body strength.
Slominsky takes traditional upper-body exercises and tweaks them to prepare Watson for game situations. For example, he prescribes the Lat Pulldown, [creating] resistance with the bands, but adds a three-second isometric hold at the bottom to promote extra strength that allows Watson to secure the football when defenders try to knock it loose. The resistance band in place of a traditional cable bar gives Watson a different feel for a common—but extremely beneficial—exercise for building back strength.
Even for the venerable One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Slominsky found a way to add a twist. He says, “I like doing the One-Arm Dumbbell Row because it takes stability away. You can add a band to it or you can smack the back of his arm.” Smacking the back of Watson’s arm mimics how his opponents smash into him on the field. The 6’3″ 225-pound juggernaut from Georgia must hold on to the dumbbell like he would a football.
Add these upper-body strength exercises to your workout for a functional blend of old and new techniques. And check out the rest of Ben Watson’s workout to see how the beast gets it done.
Perform the following exercises in circuit fashion.
Lat Pulldown With Resistance Band