Force Factor

Pumped for the 2011 football season? So are we. That's why we're following the pros both on and off the field this year by integrating football drills and lifts into our workouts. Read on to find out how you can up your own game this season.

Optimal exercises for football depend on the position played, but across the board, it's smart for players to focus on total body power and strength. Plays typically last about six seconds so explosiveness, agility, and speed are all critical for getting off the line, setting up a block, or running a route before the opponent can read your next move. Also important are back, neck, and core strength to stabilize these quick movements and maintain balance and control following contact.

With advice from Force Factor athlete (and San Francisco Tight End) Vernon Davis, here are some new exercises we're adding to our workouts this September:

Farmer's Walk

This exercise is a staple of strongman competitions, but it's great in general for working the shoulders, upper back, forearms, glutes, and legs. You'll be working your core (abs and low back) as well as your hips as they must stabilize you as you walk.

To do the farmer's walk, grab a pair of heavy dumbbells. They should be heavy, not weights that you can swing easily as you walk. Walk the length of the weight room and back until failure. You should be able to walk for about 30-60 seconds before grip failure. Rest, then squat down to lift the weights and walk again.

Power Cleans

Power cleans are another lift frequently seen at competitions. The main muscles worked are the quadriceps, but the calves, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, shoulders, and traps are also involved.

Start with a barbell on boxes or blocks of the appropriate height. Grip the bar, lower your hips, and begin the first pull by driving through your heels, extending your knees but keeping your back and arms straight. As the bar approaches mid-thigh, use a jumping motion to extend the hips, knees, and ankles to move the bar upward for the second pull. For the third pull, use the arms and shoulders to shrug the bar high enough to move the elbows under the bar and the bar to the shoulders. Drive through the heels to reach a complete standing position. Return the weight to the blocks and repeat the full motion cycle.

Romanian Deadlifts

These deadlifts mainly work your hamstrings with bonus benefits for your calves, glutes, and lower back.

Begin with the barbell down in front of you on the ground. Grab it with your palms facing down, knees bent slightly, and hips back and back straight. Exhale and lift the barbell using your hips while you keep your arms and back straight. When you are standing completely straight up, push your hips back to lower the bar and bend your knees slightly. Repeat.

Barbell Shrugs

This is a great way to work your traps. This exercise is designed to use the bar, but you can perform a variant of the lift using heavy dumbbells at your sides.

Grab the barbell in front of you with your palms facing behind you. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Your hands should be slightly more than shoulder-width apart. As you breathe out, raise your shoulders up as high as possible. Keep your arms straight all through this exercise. Pause briefly with your shoulders raised and then inhale while you drop your shoulders. Repeat.

Incline Bench Press

This variant on the typical bench press uses the incline bench to help you target your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Lie back on the incline bench and grab the bar using a grip that is slightly wider than shoulder-width. Lift the bar straight up and hold it with locked arms. Inhale as you lower slowly down so the bar just touches your upper chest. Pause and then exhale as you slowly straighten your arms and return the bar to the starting position. Focus on a taking twice as long to lower the bar as to raise it back up. Repeat.

Russian Twists

These twists are great for building core strength and stability as they target the abdominal muscles and lower back.

Have a partner (or other stationary object) secure your feet while you lie down on the floor on your back with your knees bent. Holding a plate with both hands (and arms straight out), raise your upper body to create a "v" shape. Twist your torso to the right and hold for one second then return to center. Twist to the left and hold for one second then return to center. Repeat.

Barbell Squats

Like power cleans, barbell squats primarily work the quadriceps, but have bonus benefits for the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

Perform this exercise inside a squat rack for safety purposes. Start with the bar set at just below your shoulder level. Step under the bar, positioning it across the back of your shoulders. With palms facing forward, hold the bar on both sides and lift it by straightening your legs. Step forward from the rack so that you can move up and down without interference. Keep your head up and your back straight as you lower, bending the knees and hips. Lower until the angle between your thighs and calves are slightly less than 90 degrees. Exhale and push through your heels to straighten your legs up and return to the starting position. Pause and repeat.

Calf Raises

Working your calves is an important part of any leg day workout. These calf raises specifically target increasing the strength and stability of these muscles.

To perform standing calf raises, stand on the calf raise machine (or a step of similar height) with the balls of your feet on the step and your feet flat (your heels will be suspended over air). Raise your heels as high as you can by extending your ankles. Do not lock or bend your knees. Pause at your highest extension before inhaling and slowly lowering into a flat foot position. Repeat.

Lat Pulldowns

This upper-body strength exercise predominantly targets the lats but also works your biceps, back, and shoulders.

Using the pulldown machine with the bar attached to the pulley, sit down. Grip the bar with palms facing away from you and arms fully extended. Stick your chest out slightly and exhale as you pull the bar down, squeezing your shoulder blades toward each other. Pull down until the bar just touches your upper chest, pause briefly and inhale. Exhale as you return your arms to a straight position. Target more muscle fibers with this exercise by alternating the width of your grip between sets.

Dumbbell Fly

This exercise is great for targeting the chest with secondary benefits for the abs.

On a flat bench, lie down on your back with your arms above you, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your palms should face each other and your hands should start about shoulder-width apart. Raise the dumbbells up and towards each other like your pressing them, but don't completely straighten your arms. With elbows slightly bent, lower your arms to both sides in a wide arc as you breathe in. You'll feel a stretch in your chest. Then return to the starting position by exhaling and squeezing your chest muscles inward. Pause at the top of the motion and repeat.