Linebacker Training: Science Based Workouts To Turn You Into A Beast!
Want to become a top-notch linebacker? This guide contains all the necessary information. It covers the basics of defense and advanced drills and tactics. With it, you'll have the skills and knowledge to be a successful linebacker.
Linebacker Strength Training
Linebackers on the field are the human equivalent of a bulldozer on caffeine - hit hard and run fast! Of course, you won’t be a human bulldozer if you don’t do linebacker strength training. To reach peak performance, linebacker strength training programs often involve a mix of:
Resistance training, with weightlifting to build upper and lower body strength.
Plyometric exercises, to increase power and acceleration.
Speed and agility drills, with quick changes in direction and reaction time.
Core training, to improve stability, balance, and functional movement.
As a linebacker, the type of lifts you should be doing are mainly compound lifts for strength, and explosive lifts for speed and agility.
Think bench press, landmine press, and kettlebell swings. Throw in some Bulgarian split squats and back/front squats for leg day as well. Of course a staple for explosiveness is also a hang clean! Practice great form and fast bar speed with all your lifts.
In order to tackle running backs and cover receivers in small amounts of space, linebackers must take their strength training seriously.
Linebacker Drills
Agility Drills: Ladder drills, cone drills, and shuttle runs. These focus on lateral movement, changing direction, and reaction. Using speed hurdles, cones, and a speed ladder you can create hundreds of drills. You can find all of these pieces of training equipment as well as all the linebacker drills you’ll need in the 5⭐️ Football Physical Package.
Tackling Drills: Form tackling with dummies or partners. The shoulder tackle, wrap tackle, and drive tackle.
Coverage Drills: Practice man-to-man, zone coverage, and pass drops. Learning to read the QB and defend passes. Make sure you are peaking for receivers even when they aren’t there.
Gap Filling Drills: Reading formations and filling gaps with speed and power.
Blitzing Drills: Timing blitzes with swim moves, spin moves, or bull rushes.
It's important to dedicate time and effort to these drills. Remember, you’re going to be grateful you did these speed drills on gameday when you’re up against a speedy slot receiver. You can find all the linebacker drills you’ll need in the 5⭐️ Football Package Linebacker Edition!
Linebacker Training Program
The 5⭐️ Football Package Linebacker Edition is designed to hone players' strength, agility, and instincts. It includes:
LB-specific exercises for speed, explosiveness, body control, acceleration + direction.
Weightlifting for lower body strength and power.
Tackling + block-shedding techniques, coverage drills, footwork drills, daily drills, speed, and more.
Mental prep with film study and football intelligence drills.
Agility ladder, cone, and hurdle drills for footwork and quick reactions to plays.
Conditioning routines to build endurance and stamina.
Speed workouts to ensure you can chase down fast running backs.
The Linebacker Package is your one-stop-shop for extreme linebacker training. Get everything you need with just one purchase from workouts, to field workouts, daily schedule, nutrition plans, recruiting info, and so much more! Maximize your efforts and become a MUCH better linebacker in just 3 weeks…
Linebacker Footwork Drills
Pro-tip: To up your game as a linebacker, try these 4 drills!
Cone Drills: Set up cones in a zigzag or square formation. Move quickly and precisely through each cone.
Shuffle Drills: Low stance, shuffle side-to-side. Keep the body positioned right, and change directions quickly.
Reaction Drills: Follow commands from coach/teammate. Sprint, backpedal, or switch directions based on auditory/visual cues.
Bag Drills: Step over/around bags while keeping balance and speed.
These drills develop agility, balance, reaction time, and coordination. Linebackers especially need to be able to quickly change direction and go full speed.
Let’s say the offense does a run pass option, you play the run and then quickly need to break to a hook curl zone to defend a slot receiver.
Again, all the drills, speed work, footwork, change of direction, body control, and more are programmed for you in the Linebacker Package!
How do you train like a Linebacker?
Linebacker Training:
Focus on these six steps to become an elite linebacker:
Strengthen your lower body with squats, jumps, cleans, hex bar deadlifts, and lunges.
Increase upper body power with bench presses, landmine presses, bent over rows, and explosive push-ups.
Improve speed and footwork with ladder drills and cone exercises.
Build explosive power with box jumps and medicine ball throws.
Practice tackling techniques and refine reaction time with agility drills.
Increase endurance with sprints and shuttle runs at least 2x a week.
How do you build a Linebacker Body?
To become a scary looking linebacker, you need specific training techniques and exercises. For a linebacker body, use compound exercises like squats and bench press, explosive exercises such as box jumps and medicine ball throws, plus speed and agility drills.
Keep in mind, to build muscle, you must eat a balanced diet so you can properly recover.
Proper linebacker recovery should look like this:
8 hours of sleep, 1 gallon of water a day, and eating at a slight caloric maintenance. Make sure you consume plenty of carbohydrates and 1gram of protein per pound of bodyweight MINIMUM.
The 5⭐️ Football Package Linebacker Edition resolves all confusion about these techniques you may have with meal programs for cutting, bulking, or muscle gain depending on your needs. Also it has a full schedule built in for you that schedules your meals, snacks, sleep, workouts, recovery, and more!
Follow this 6-step guide to build a linebacker body:
Strength Training: Focus on compound exercises like squats, hex bar deadlifts, bench presses, power cleans, and rows.
Plyometric Exercises: Incorporate explosive exercises like box jumps, medicine ball throws, vertical jumps, and broad jumps.
Speed and Agility Training: Utilize ladder drills, shuttle runs, cone drills, and sprints.
Specific Position Drills: Practice position-specific skills such as tackling technique, shedding blocks, pass coverage drops, and reading offensive plays.
Nutrition: Eat a well-balanced diet with protein, carbs, fruits, vegetables, and hydrate hydrate hydrate! Electrolyte supplements are necessary!
Why do Linebackers have to be big?
Linebackers must be big, due to their role in football. This size helps them to stop the run and tackle effectively. Also, it gives them the strength to take on offensive linemen and shed blocks. Mass is needed for linebackers to do their job right. This weight helps them to withstand collisions with bigger offensive linemen while staying balanced and dominating ball carriers.
They need size and power to bring down running backs and tight ends. So, being big gives them an advantage in physical matchups and also makes it easier to intimidate their opponents. Being big will also keep you healthy and protected on the field!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What skills should a linebacker focus on during training?
A linebacker should focus on developing their agility, speed, strength, and tackling technique during training. They should also work on their ability to read offensive plays and react quickly to disruptions. All of these techniques are programmed for linebackers in the 5⭐️ Football Package Linebacker Edition!
2. How often should a linebacker train?
A linebacker should aim to train at least four to five times a week. However, it's important to also allow for adequate rest and recovery time in between training sessions. Proper recovery is key. There is also a full split programmed for you for the whole off season in the Package!
3. What type of exercises should linebackers do to improve their strength?
Linebackers can do a range of exercises to improve their strength such as power cleans, squats, med ball throws, etc. They should also incorporate plyometric exercises to improve their explosiveness.
4. How can linebackers improve their tackling technique?
Linebackers can improve their tackling technique by practicing on tackling dummies, working on their footwork, and improving their body positioning. Developing your hip power will also improve your tackling technique.
5. How can linebackers improve their ability to read offensive plays?
Linebackers can improve their ability to read offensive plays by studying game film, analyzing opponent tendencies, and understanding offensive formations. They should also work on their mental focus and reaction time during training.
6. What is the role of a linebacker in a football game?
The role of a linebacker is to defend against both the run and the pass. They are responsible for making tackles in open space, covering receivers and runningbacks, and sometimes blitzing the quarterback. More often than not, the middle linebacker is the leader of the defense.
