Squat: Cornerstone For Football Strength Program

I have some incredible memories of strength training during my high school years. I graduated from Manheim Township High school, Lancaster Pa. in 1982, where along with school work, I played high school football.

Football demands some form of physical development and sets the stage for further exposure to strength and conditioning. Squat and bench were the exercises of choice for our high school football program and the staple for most programs during the late 70's and early 80's. Along with squat and bench we always did a series of isometric exercises where we would push or pull for 30 seconds against a stationary object. For the isometrics we would use the jungle gym adjacent to our football practice field. We would line up 5 guys across the bottom bar of the jungle gym and for 30 seconds try to pull the play ground equipment out of the ground. High school strength and conditioning programs have changed drastically over the past 30 years, just like most everything else. The one exercise that has stood the test of time is the squat. The squat is and should be the cornerstone for all football strength programs.

The squat has been called the king of all exercises. This movement requires a tremendous amount of muscle coordination and muscular involement to complete successfully. Along with the obvious development of your lower body musculature, quads, hamstrings and glutes, the squat also targets the muscles of your back and core. The muscles of your back and core are responsible for creating a stable platform, allowing you to complete the squat successfully. A strong back gives you the foundation to transfer force generated by the muscles of your lower body and direct that force through the bar.

Football requires a tremendous amount of lower body strength and power, and your ability to transfer that power through the length of your body. Squats should be the cornerstone of your program!