Lucozade Sport athlete Born Barikor shares some NFL-inspired functional exercises to build explosive power and reaction times.
Last Sunday (7th) saw a clash of some of the world’s most impressive athletes as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on the Kansas City Chiefs at the Super Bowl LV.
With explosive power and lightening reaction times being central components of American football, these exercises – suitable for your garden or any outdoor space – will give you a sense of the athletic prowess required.
Warm up and cool down:
- 30 secs each exercise
- No rest between each
- 2 rounds
1a. Jumping Jacks
1b. High Knees
1c. Russian Twists
1d. Alternating Leg and Arm Swings
Your Super Bowl workout:
- 1 min each exercise
- 30 secs between moves
- 60 secs rest after 1 round
- 5 rounds in total
1a. Jumping lunge and Squat with Wall Ball
- Position a tennis ball by your feet, and stand around two metres from a wall.
- Perform a jumping lunge on each leg, then drop into a squat.
- While in the squat position, grab the ball and throw it against the wall with one hand.
- Catch the ball with the same hand – don’t allow the ball to bounce.
- Repeat the jumping lunges, squat, and repeat the wall ball with the other hand.
1b. Two-Person Reaction Throws (skip this if you’re on your own)
- Stand two metres away from your partner or person you live with.
- Have the other person hold any type of ball (tennis, rugby, football).
- That person should then throw the ball in any direction and it is your job to catch the ball before it hits the ground.
1c. Sprinting Drill
- Set a HIIT timer for 5 seconds work and 15 seconds rest.
- On the beep, see how far you can sprint in the 5 seconds.
- Aim to react right on the beep of the timer.
- See if you can cover more distance each time.
1d. Kneel to Squat Ball Reaction Drill
- Grab that tennis ball.
- From a kneeling position, throw the ball up in the air.
- Explode up onto your feet and catch the ball before it bounces.
- Use a rugby ball to make the move harder.
Born Barikor is a Lucozade Sport Ambassador, helping to encourage an active lifestyle and teaching the benefits of hydration to improve overall performance.
