Football season is just a few months away and that means it’s time to start whipping your body into football shape. Summer football camps are a great way to shake off the rust and get ready for the upcoming season. 

And while you may be excited and ready to go, it is unrealistic to go straight from couch to the field and expect to perform at your highest level. Jace Derwin, a lead sports performance specialist at Volt Athletics believes that preparation prior is crucial for an athlete’s performance and well-being.  

“Camp is physically expensive,” Derwin said. “Training on a properly constructed annual program that helps to develop general athletic qualities will provide athletes their best chance to improve their health and safety in camp and in the game.” 

So what type of workouts should you do to prepare for camp? Derwin tells athletes to be dynamic in their training and to maintain a healthy balance between cardiovascular exercise and weight lifting. 

“Athletes should focus on improving basic movement skills,” Derwin said. “This means running, jumping, landing and the general characteristics of football need to be developed. Lifting weights is just a piece of the equation.” 

Summer football camps can vary in length, intensity and purpose. No matter what, Derwin believes there are some core elements that athletes should focus on when prepping for camp. 

Nutrition. Identify personal nutrition goals in order to optimize performance. Regardless of needed nutrition, athletes should never skip meals before, during or after camp and should be properly fueled to participate. Training on low or minimal daily calories will severely limit an athlete’s ability to improve skill and work capacity. Prioritize eating from quality sources and avoid over-indulging. 

Sleep. Make rest and recovery a priority. Keep your phone away from your bed and focus on getting quality rest for seven or eight hours each night. Getting strong isn’t about lifting heavy weight, it’s about recovering from lifting heavy weight. 

Have balanced workouts leading up to camp. Extensive cardio shouldn’t be prioritized over a properly structured resistance training program focused on improving strength and power. Don’t avoid cardio but rather use it in an organized and strategic manner that doesn’t interfere with the primary goals of a football athlete. Athletes will be doing a lot of sprinting and jumping during camp and will need both the strength to properly absorb those impacts as well as the endurance to sustain proper positions when they start to encounter fatigue. 

Don’t forget to stretch. Mobility of the hips and shoulders are incredibly important and often overlooked. Football athletes don’t need to be gymnasts but they should be limber enough to easily move in and out of squat or push-up pattern with easy control. Some light stretching after a warm-up can be good to prepare for training but extensive stretching done for the purpose of improving range of motion should occur after athletes have completed practice or training. 

Focus on your ability to accelerate. At many camps athletes are required to run the 40-yard dash. In order to run the best possible time, it is crucial for athletes to prepare for the drill. This requires relentless practice and good understanding of “quality reps” when it comes to speed training. Posture and positioning play critical roles in an athlete’s ability to maximize acceleration. Strength training can help provide the structural stability to hold more efficient positions at higher speeds.  

Hydration. Hydration is critical, especially for athletes who live in hotter than average climates. I’d recommend athletes get into the habit of taking a water bottle with them throughout the day so that they are always staying hydrated throughout the day.  

Be consistent with your workouts. Stay consistent on the long-term goal. Don’t get caught up trying in having one single massive workout at the expense of being fresh enough to train after camp. Success comes from the cumulative total of all factors associated with training. Utilizing an annual, periodized, and flexible training program can promote long-term success for football athlete.  

Derwin hopes athletes use summer camps as a way to improve their football athleticism. Taking into account all the factors he recommends gives athletes the best methods of preparation to yield results on the field. 

For more information on the U.S. National Team and its programs click here.