Explosive Power: The Ultimate Guide to Training Like a Running Back

The running back position in football demands a unique blend of power, speed, agility, and endurance. To excel, running backs need a comprehensive training regimen that addresses all these aspects. This guide provides a detailed roadmap for training like a running back, covering everything from strength training to conditioning and position-specific drills.

I. Building the Foundation: Strength Training for Running Backs

Strength is the bedrock of any successful running back. It allows them to break tackles, power through defenders, and maintain balance. The following exercises should form the core of your strength training program:

A. Lower Body Powerhouse: Squats

The squat is arguably the most important exercise for a running back. It builds lower body strength, improves power output, and enhances overall athleticism. Here’s how to perform a proper squat:

1. Starting Position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly pointed outwards. Hold a barbell across your upper back (high bar or low bar position depending on preference) or use dumbbells at your sides.
2. Descent: Initiate the movement by pushing your hips back as if you’re sitting in a chair. Keep your back straight, chest up, and core engaged.
3. Depth: Lower yourself until your hip crease is below your knee. This ensures a full range of motion.
4. Ascent: Drive through your heels to return to the starting position. Maintain a straight back and engaged core throughout the movement.

Sets and Reps: 3-5 sets of 3-5 reps for strength, or 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps for hypertrophy (muscle growth). Focus on maintaining proper form throughout each set.

Variations: Front squats, goblet squats, box squats, Bulgarian split squats.

B. Explosive Force: Deadlifts

The deadlift is another essential exercise for building lower body strength and power, particularly in the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, and lower back). Here’s how to execute a proper deadlift:

1. Starting Position: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with the barbell directly over the middle of your feet. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees to grip the bar with an overhand grip (or a mixed grip). Your back should be straight and your shoulders should be slightly in front of the bar.
2. Lift-off: Engage your core and keep your back straight. Drive through your heels and lift the bar off the ground by extending your hips and knees simultaneously.
3. Lockout: Continue lifting until you are standing upright with your shoulders back and your glutes squeezed.
4. Descent: Lower the bar back to the ground by reversing the movement. Hinge at your hips and bend your knees while keeping your back straight.

Sets and Reps: 1-3 sets of 1-5 reps for strength. Focus on maintaining perfect form and a controlled descent.

Variations: Romanian deadlifts (RDLs), trap bar deadlifts, sumo deadlifts.

C. Hamstring Strength: Glute-Ham Raises

Strong hamstrings are crucial for acceleration, deceleration, and preventing injuries. Glute-ham raises are a highly effective exercise for targeting the hamstrings and glutes. If you don’t have access to a GHD machine, you can use a partner to hold your ankles.

1. Starting Position: Secure your ankles in the glute-ham raise machine. Kneel upright with your thighs resting on the pad.
2. Descent: Slowly lower yourself forward, keeping your back straight and your core engaged. Control the descent as much as possible.
3. Ascent: Use your hamstrings and glutes to pull yourself back up to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps.

Variations: Nordic hamstring curls (requires a partner), hamstring curls on a machine.

D. Upper Body Strength: Bench Press

While lower body strength is paramount, upper body strength is also important for breaking tackles and protecting the ball. The bench press is a fundamental exercise for building upper body strength.

1. Starting Position: Lie on a bench with your feet flat on the floor. Grip the barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Descent: Lower the bar to your chest, keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
3. Ascent: Press the bar back up to the starting position.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps.

Variations: Incline bench press, dumbbell bench press.

E. Pulling Power: Pull-ups/Chin-ups

Pull-ups and chin-ups are excellent exercises for building upper back and bicep strength. They improve pulling power, which is essential for breaking tackles and maintaining balance.

1. Starting Position: Hang from a pull-up bar with an overhand grip (pull-ups) or an underhand grip (chin-ups).
2. Ascent: Pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar.
3. Descent: Lower yourself back to the starting position in a controlled manner.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 sets to failure.

Variations: Lat pulldowns (if you can’t perform pull-ups), assisted pull-ups.

II. Unleashing Speed and Agility: Conditioning Drills

Speed and agility are crucial for evading defenders and making explosive plays. The following drills will help you improve your speed, agility, and overall conditioning:

A. Sprinting: Linear Speed

Sprinting is fundamental for developing linear speed. Focus on proper form and technique during your sprint workouts.

1. Warm-up: Perform a thorough warm-up, including dynamic stretching and light cardio.
2. Drills: Incorporate various sprint drills, such as A-skips, B-skips, high knees, butt kicks, and bounding.
3. Sprints: Perform a variety of sprints, including short sprints (10-40 yards) for acceleration and longer sprints (50-100 yards) for top-end speed.

Example Workout:

• Warm-up: 10 minutes
• A-skips: 2 x 20 yards
• B-skips: 2 x 20 yards
• High Knees: 2 x 20 yards
• Butt Kicks: 2 x 20 yards
• 10-yard sprints: 5 reps
• 20-yard sprints: 5 reps
• 40-yard sprints: 3 reps
• 60-yard sprints: 2 reps

B. Agility Drills: Lateral Movement and Change of Direction

Agility drills are essential for improving your ability to change direction quickly and efficiently. These drills will enhance your lateral movement, footwork, and overall agility.

1. Cone Drills: Set up cones in various patterns and practice navigating them with quick, controlled movements. Examples include:
• 5-10-5 Shuttle: Sprint 5 yards to one side, touch the line, sprint 10 yards to the other side, touch the line, and sprint back 5 yards to the starting point.
• 3-Cone Drill (L-Drill): Sprint forward to the first cone, then shuffle laterally to the second cone, then shuffle laterally to the third cone, and then sprint back to the starting point.
2. Ladder Drills: Use an agility ladder to improve footwork, coordination, and reaction time. Examples include:
• Ickey Shuffle: Step into each square with both feet.
• Lateral Shuffle: Shuffle laterally through the ladder, placing one foot in each square.

C. Plyometrics: Explosive Power

Plyometrics are exercises that involve explosive movements, such as jumping and bounding. They improve power output, which is essential for acceleration, jumping, and breaking tackles.

1. Box Jumps: Jump onto a box of varying heights.
2. Depth Jumps: Jump off a box and immediately jump as high as possible upon landing.
3. Bounding: Perform long, exaggerated strides, focusing on covering distance with each stride.
4. Single-Leg Hops: Hop on one leg for a set distance or time.

Important Note: Start with low-intensity plyometrics and gradually increase the intensity as your strength and conditioning improve. Proper landing technique is crucial to prevent injuries.

D. Conditioning: Endurance and Stamina

Running backs need to have excellent endurance and stamina to maintain their performance throughout the game. The following conditioning exercises will help you improve your cardiovascular fitness and your ability to handle the demands of the position.

1. Interval Training: Alternate between high-intensity bursts of exercise and periods of rest or low-intensity exercise. Examples include:
• Sprint Intervals: Sprint for a set distance (e.g., 100 yards) and then walk or jog back to the starting point.
• Hill Sprints: Sprint uphill and then walk or jog back down.
2. Long-Distance Running: Perform longer runs at a moderate pace to improve your overall cardiovascular fitness.
3. Shuttle Runs: Run back and forth between two points, touching the ground at each point.

III. Position-Specific Drills: Honing Your Skills

In addition to strength training and conditioning, running backs need to dedicate time to position-specific drills that will improve their skills and technique. The following drills are essential for developing the skills needed to excel at the running back position:

A. Ball Security Drills: Protecting the Football

Fumbling the football can be devastating for a team. Ball security drills are essential for developing the habit of protecting the ball at all times.

1. High and Tight: Carry the ball high and tight against your chest, with your elbow tucked in.
2. Strip Drill: Have a coach or teammate attempt to strip the ball from you as you run. Focus on maintaining a secure grip.
3. Gauntlet Drill: Run through a gauntlet of players who are trying to knock the ball out of your hands.

B. Receiving Drills: Catching Passes Out of the Backfield

Modern running backs are often required to catch passes out of the backfield. Receiving drills are essential for developing your hands and your ability to catch the ball in traffic.

1. Soft Hands Drill: Practice catching the ball with soft hands, absorbing the impact of the ball.
2. Route Running Drills: Practice running various routes, such as screens, flats, and wheel routes.
3. Catching in Traffic Drill: Have a coach or teammate throw passes to you while you are being covered by a defender.

C. Blocking Drills: Protecting the Quarterback

Blocking is another important skill for running backs. Blocking drills are essential for developing your technique and your ability to protect the quarterback.

1. Form Blocking Drill: Practice proper blocking technique, including footwork, hand placement, and leverage.
2. Pass Protection Drill: Practice blocking pass rushers, focusing on maintaining a strong base and preventing them from reaching the quarterback.
3. Cut Blocking Drill: Practice cut blocking, which involves diving at the legs of a defender to knock them off balance.

D. Agility and Footwork Drills (Position Specific)

These drills are modifications of the general agility drills, tailored for the running back position.

1. Jump Cut Drill: Set up cones in a line. Practice planting your outside foot and cutting sharply to the inside. Repeat in both directions. This simulates quickly changing direction to avoid a defender.
2. Spin Move Drill: Use a dummy or cone as a defender. Practice approaching the defender and then executing a spin move to avoid them. Focus on quick footwork and maintaining ball security.
3. Hurdle Drill: Use mini-hurdles or cones. Practice stepping over the hurdles with quick, light feet. This improves agility and foot speed, allowing you to navigate through traffic.

IV. Nutrition and Recovery: Fueling Your Performance

Training is only one part of the equation. Proper nutrition and recovery are also essential for optimizing your performance and preventing injuries.

A. Nutrition: Fueling Your Body

A well-balanced diet is crucial for providing your body with the energy and nutrients it needs to perform at its best. Focus on eating whole, unprocessed foods, including:

• Protein: Essential for muscle growth and repair. Good sources include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and beans. Aim for at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day.
• Carbohydrates: Provide energy for your workouts and games. Good sources include whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Choose complex carbohydrates over simple sugars.
• Fats: Important for hormone production and overall health. Good sources include avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.

Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated. Dehydration can lead to fatigue, muscle cramps, and decreased performance.

B. Recovery: Allowing Your Body to Repair

Recovery is just as important as training. It allows your body to repair and rebuild muscle tissue, preventing injuries and improving performance.

• Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Sleep is essential for muscle recovery and hormone regulation.
• Active Recovery: Perform light activity, such as walking or stretching, to improve blood flow and reduce muscle soreness.
• Massage: Massage can help to reduce muscle tension and improve blood flow.
• Foam Rolling: Use a foam roller to massage your muscles and release tension.
• Ice Baths: Ice baths can help to reduce inflammation and muscle soreness.

V. Sample Training Schedule

This is a sample training schedule. Adjust it based on your individual needs and goals.

Monday: Strength Training (Lower Body)

• Squats: 3 sets of 5 reps
• Deadlifts: 1 set of 3 reps
• Glute-Ham Raises: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Bulgarian Split Squats: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
• Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15-20 reps

Tuesday: Speed and Agility Training

• Warm-up: 10 minutes
• Sprint Drills: 20 minutes
• Agility Drills: 30 minutes
• Plyometrics: 20 minutes

Wednesday: Rest or Active Recovery

• Light activity, such as walking or stretching

Thursday: Strength Training (Upper Body)

• Bench Press: 3 sets of 6-8 reps
• Pull-ups: 3 sets to failure
• Overhead Press: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets of 10 reps per arm
• Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Triceps Extensions: 3 sets of 12-15 reps

Friday: Position-Specific Drills

• Ball Security Drills: 20 minutes
• Receiving Drills: 20 minutes
• Blocking Drills: 20 minutes
• Agility and Footwork Drills: 20 minutes

Saturday: Conditioning

• Interval Training: 30 minutes
• Long-Distance Running: 30 minutes

Sunday: Rest

VI. Injury Prevention

Preventing injuries is paramount for any athlete, especially running backs who endure high-impact collisions. Incorporate these strategies to minimize your risk:

• Proper Warm-up: Always begin each training session with a dynamic warm-up to prepare your muscles and joints for activity.
• Correct Technique: Ensure you’re using proper form when lifting weights and performing drills. Consult with a coach or trainer to correct any flaws in your technique.
• Progressive Overload: Gradually increase the intensity and volume of your training to avoid overtraining and injuries.
• Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to any pain or discomfort you experience and rest when needed. Don’t push through pain, as this can lead to more serious injuries.
• Flexibility and Mobility: Regularly stretch and perform mobility exercises to improve your range of motion and reduce muscle tightness. Yoga and Pilates can be beneficial.
• Proper Footwear: Wear shoes that provide adequate support and cushioning for your feet.
• Ankle and Knee Stability Exercises: Incorporate exercises that strengthen the muscles around your ankles and knees to improve stability and reduce the risk of sprains and strains. Examples include single-leg balance exercises, banded lateral walks, and plyometric exercises.

VII. Mental Toughness

The running back position requires not only physical prowess but also mental fortitude. Develop these mental skills:

• Visualization: Regularly visualize yourself executing plays successfully. This can improve your confidence and performance.
• Positive Self-Talk: Use positive affirmations to build confidence and overcome challenges.
• Focus and Concentration: Practice focusing on the task at hand and blocking out distractions.
• Resilience: Learn to bounce back from mistakes and setbacks. Every running back will make mistakes; the key is to learn from them and move on.
• Game Film Study: Study game film to analyze your performance, identify areas for improvement, and learn from your opponents.

VIII. Gear and Equipment

Having the right gear and equipment can enhance your training and protect you from injuries:

• Weightlifting Shoes: Weightlifting shoes provide a stable platform for lifting weights, particularly squats and deadlifts.
• Running Shoes: Invest in a good pair of running shoes that provide cushioning and support.
• Agility Cones: Agility cones are essential for setting up agility drills.
• Agility Ladder: An agility ladder is a valuable tool for improving footwork and coordination.
• Resistance Bands: Resistance bands can be used for a variety of exercises, including warm-ups, strength training, and mobility exercises.
• Foam Roller: A foam roller is a great tool for self-massage and releasing muscle tension.
• Mouthguard: Always wear a mouthguard during practices and games to protect your teeth and jaw.
• Gloves: Gloves can improve your grip on the ball.

IX. Conclusion

Training like a running back requires a dedicated and comprehensive approach. By following the guidelines outlined in this guide, you can build the strength, speed, agility, and skills needed to excel at the position. Remember to prioritize proper form, nutrition, recovery, and injury prevention. With hard work and dedication, you can achieve your goals and become a dominant force on the football field.