The Power Trainings Role In The Sports Football Essay

The Power Trainings Role In The Sports Football - Essay Example The defensive players, which rely on extension strength, need to power train their triceps muscle group (i.e. upper arms); meanwhile, the offensive players, which rely on flexion strength, need to power train their biceps muscle group (Sharkey and Gaskill, Sports Physiology 199). The principle of specificity enables the football players to concentrate their power training on the particular muscle group used, as a defensive or offensive player, on the field. The most common power training program is the lifting program. This program usually consists of â€Å"utilizing barbells, dumbbells, exercise machines and plyometrics† (Arthur and Bailey 10). While the use of weights is common for lifting, plyometrics is considered a more advanced power-building technique. It works by â€Å"rapidly stretching and contracting specific muscles under significant resistance† and improves the speed by which contraction commences in the muscles (McCarthy 160). Thus, it does not suffice to say that there is the power behind those muscle groups; it is also essential to understand the mechanisms that enable football players to fully exploit the power potential built in their muscles. In any sports training, an imperative initiative involves warm-up exercises while overdoing the training is considered unhealthy if not risky. These exercises enable the player to â€Å"establish a strength and endurance base† and avoid joint pains or delayed onset muscle soreness (Sharkey and Gaskill, Fitness and Health 197). In plyometrics, warm-ups include a slow start and then the gradual escalation of repetitions and intensity (Sharkey and Gaskill, Fitness and Health 197). It is very important that players recognize the setbacks and dangers involved in this power training since this will enable everyone to safeguard themselves, their muscles in particular, and optimally perform in the field.