Eight Pieces of Home Fitness Equipment Every Football Player Needs

Football is a sport that calls on all of your body’s energy systems. Although it’s mainly anaerobic requiring explosive power, it also calls for a great deal of aerobic fitness. That means that you’ve got to cover all of your training bases. If you’re serious about being in peak football shape, you need to take every opportunity to train – and that means having a decent gym set up at home.

 

In this article, we take a look at the 8 essential pieces of equipment that every serious footballer needs in his garage gym.

 

Power Rack

 

A power rack needs to be the most fundamental item in your garage gym. This is where you will perform all of your heavy compound work, including squats, power cleans, deadlifts and the bench press. The rack will keep you safe while performing these moves, even when you’re training by yourself.

 

Your power rack is only going to be as safe as the robustness of its construction material. Obviously, the thicker the steel, the more expensive the rack will be. Don’t let that prevent from getting a heavy duty rack. Go for a used rack if you have to, but do not skimp on the quality of your power rack.

 

Look for a rack that has the following minimum specs:

 

• 2 x 3 inch steel uprights
• 12 gauge steel
• ¾ inch bolts

 

Your power rack should come with storage pegs so you can store your Olympic plates. The stored plates also provide extra rigidity to the unit. The base of the rack needs to be very secure. You also want to ensure that you get a minimum of four square feet of walk-in space. This allows you to have plenty of room to perform your lateral power moves.

 

Look for a power rack that comes with a sturdy pair of steel j-cups to hold your barbell. You also need a reliable, solid safety spotter system that is easy to operate. The uprights of the power rack should have around 20 adjustment holes that you can move the j-cups to. The best hole spacing follows the Westside Barbell system, which gives you one inch on center hole spacing throughout the bench press zone, with 2-inch spacing above and below this zone.

 

When shopping for a power rack, if possible, make sure to get one with a bench.

 

Olympic Barbell Set

 

Having full range of weights is vital for developing explosive power. Olympic lifting should form the corner-stone of your power development training. That means that you’ll need a quality olympic bar and a full complement of the following olympic weight plates:

 

• 2.5 pounds
• 5 pounds
• 10 pounds
• 25 pounds
• 35 pounds
• 45 pounds

 

Olympic plates have a 2-inch diameter. They can be purchased as either steel weights that are encased in rubber or as straight steel. The rubber encased plates are more expensive and are less likely to scratch up your gym floor. These are known as bumper plates and will allow you to drop a weight to the floor without denting the floor.

 

An Olympic bar is seven feet in length and weighs 44 pounds. When looking for  bar consider the following factors:

 

• Knurling – you want enough knurling on your bar to allow you to get  good grip but not so much that it will rip your hands pet when you adjust your positioning.
• Sleeves – the ends of the bar where you place the weight plate is called the sleeve. This will determine the amount of spin of the bar. Bushings and bearings determine the quality of the spin.
• Barbell Strength – Yield strength is the amount of pressure needed to permanently bend the bar. Tensile strength is the breaking point of the bar. You want a tensile strength minimum of 180,000 PSI.
• Finish – the bar will either be finished in steel or in black oxide. A black oxide bar will give you far greater rust protection and require less maintenance.

 

Shop around for an all-in-one weight set that includes a 7-foot olympic bar, collars and 300 pounds of Olympic plates. Buying them s  set will save you big dollars.

 

Adjustable Bench

 

If you’ve purchased a power rack that comes complete with a bench, then you’ve got a good base to perform your bench pressing movements. If not you’ll want a sturdy, adjustable bench. It should be made from 2 x 2 inch or thicker, 12 gauge square steel. Both the back support and the seat of the bench should be adjustable to allow for ideal body positioning when pressing. You will want the back support to have at least seven different angle adjustments, including a decline so that you can work the lower part of your chest.

 

Don’t get a bench with padding that is too thick, or you won’t be able to achieve  stable positioning when benching. You also don’t want the bench to be too wide or it will restrict the natural movement of your lats when you’re pressing. The height of the bench should allow you to press your heels directly into the floor when benching.

 

Trap Bar

 

A Trap Bar is a variant on the olympic barbell. It has a hexagonal design that allows you to stand inside the bar. This puts the weight right alongside you rather than directly in front of you as happens when you perform a standard deadlift. Having a trap bar to perform your deadlifts and squats is a smart idea. It allows you to lift more weight while putting less shear force on your spine. The trap bar is also a great choice if you are coming back from an injury.

 

Pull Up Bar

 

Pull Ups are the ultimate upper body non-weight power move. It will massively increase the strength of your lats. If you’re lucky, your power rack will come with a pull up bar up top. If not, you’ll need to invest in a separate unit.

 

Here’s what you need to consider when buying a pull up bar:

 

• The bar should be at least 32 inches long to allow for a wide grip
• Look for  bar diameter of between 1 ¼ and 11/2 inches to allow for a solid hold as well as forearm and grip development
• Make sure it can handle at least one and a half times your bodyweight
• It should have at least six heavy duty mounting bolts

 

Agility Ladder

 

An agility ladder is a great tool to help you to develop your speed and quickness. It consists of an 8+ rung ladder that is made of heavy duty webbing and plastic rungs. The ladder is placed in the ground for you to perform all manner of agility drills on it.  

 

You will want a ladder that has adjustable rungs so that you can change their width as you please. The rungs should be solid enough that they won’t move out of place if you accidentally touch one of them while training. As a bonus, look for a ladder with spikes that you can use outdoors.

 

Jump Rope

 

A jump rope will be your least expensive gym item, but don’t allow that to make you underestimate its importance. Jumping rope is one of the best things you can do to improve your cardio fitness while also stripping off body fat. It also increases your hand-eye coordination and your overall agility.

 

Look for a jump rope that is made of leather and has steel ball bearings in the handle. In terms of height, it should come up to your chin when you place your foot on the middle of the rope.

 

Plyo Box

 

Plyometric box training is the key to getting explosive, agile and fast. You can pick up a quality plyo box for less than thirty bucks. Look for a box that provides you with three different jumping heights, depending on how you position it. The sides of the box should also be enclosed so that you don’t injure your shins when jumping up and down.