Football Lineman Workout: Front Squat to Press By: Tony Duckwall Provided by: STACK
To develop mobility and power, every football lineman should include the Front Squat to Press in his workout. The Front Squat improves hip mobility, allowing you to drop deeper into position with better posture than a Back Squat. It also develops your ability to push harder into the ground with your feet and express force in the opposite direction with your hands. Holding the bar in front develops core bracing strength. Front Squat to Press Do this 2 to 3 times weekly on leg day or in conjunction with a total body workout. The Front Squat to Press can replace Back Squats on leg day. Or you can do it as an accessory to Back Squats or in conditioning as a finisher. • Pick up the barbell with your hands in a front-loaded position-hands the same width as the outside point of your collar bones, elbows 90 degrees to your chest and up high. Sets/Reps: 5x6-8 with two-minute rest between sets. Dumbbell Squat to Press. In this version, hold a pair of dumbbells instead of a barbell. Start with light dumbbells and only increase weight when form is perfect for all 5 sets of 8 reps). The dumbbells add difficulty with balance and control, while helping to fix right- and left-arm strength differences. Single-Arm Dumbbell Squat to Press. This is exactly what it sounds like. You hold and squat press only one dumbbell at a time. This adds a higher level of conditioning to the exercise by doubling the number of Squats. Additionally, core strength is challenged by stabilizing against a single weight held overhead. Med Ball Front Squat to Press Finisher. For a cardio blast at the end of the workout, use Med Ball Front Squat to Press wall throws. Instead of a barbell or dumbbells, use a relatively heavy rubber med ball held at chest height. Drop to a full squat and explosively stand up. At the top of the movement, press the med ball up into the air (think about shooting a basketball), aiming at a high point on a brick or concrete wall. Catch the med ball and repeat. This drill can be done a lot of ways-most hits in 60 seconds, first athlete to 100 throws, and others. Make it fun and competitive. Include these exercise variations in your lineman workout program this off-season and you will develop the power you need to throw your opponents off the line of scrimmage on game day.
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