SHOULDERS AND WRS

 IN SEASON STABILIZATION EXERCISES

DID YOU KNOW, AS THE SEASON GOES ON YOUR BODY STARTS TO FATIGUE AND YOU SLOWLY START TO LOSE STRENGTH IN YOUR MUSCLES. WITH THIS HAPPENING, IT PUTS MORE STRESS ON THE LIGAMENTS THAT HOLD YOUR BONES TOGETHER AT THE JOINTS AND EVENTUALLY COULD LEAD TO INJURY.

THIS DECREASE IN STRENGTH ALSO DECREASES YOUR ABILITY TO PERFORM. YOU MOVE SLOWER AND YOU AREN’T ABLE TO HIT AS HARD.

THEREFORE, STAYING IN THE GYM TO KEEP STRENGTH UP IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE. ESPECIALLY, DOING STABILIZATION EXERCISES THROUGHOUT THE SEASON FOR YOUR JOINTS, WHICH CAN HELP KEEP THEM SAFE AND STRONG.

CARS ARE SOME OF MY FAVORITE EXERCISES THAT I EVEN STILL DO TODAY. CAR IS AN ACRONYM FOR CONTROLLED ARTICULAR ROTATION. 

THE PURPOSE OF THIS EXERCISE IS TO MOVE THE HIP AND THE SHOULDER TO THE END RANGES OF MOTION AND CONTROL THESE MOVEMENTS THROUGHOUT. THIS NOT ONLY HELPS WITH RANGE OF MOTION, BUT ALSO INCREASES STABILIZATION AT THESE END RANGES OF MOTION BECAUSE YOUR CONTROLLING YOUR ARM AND LEG THROUGHOUT.

BUT WHY DO YOU WANT TO INCREASE YOUR STABILIZATION AT THESE END RANGES OF MOTION?

IF YOUR MUSCLES ARE STRONG AND CAN STABILIZE AT THESE POSITIONS, YOU ARE LESS LIKELY TO GET INJURED IN THESE POSITIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, AS A WR, IF YOU FALL ON YOUR SHOULDER DIVING FOR A BALL, YOUR ARM IS IN AN AWKWARD POSITION. DOING SHOULDER CARS STRENGTHEN YOU SHOULDER TO HELP PREVENT A DISLOCATION FROM HAPPENING WHEN YOU DIVE FOR BALLS.

CARS CAN BE APPLIED TO MULTIPLE PLACES IN THE BODY INCLUDING THE NECK, SHOULDER, AND HIP.

HERE IS A SHORT TIKTOK VIDEO OF ME DOING THE CARS IF YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THEM.

WIDE RECEIVERS

THE NUMBER ONE JOB FOR A WIDE RECEIVER IS CTFB (CATCH THE FREAKING BALL.) BUT THERE ARE MANY STEPS IN THE PROCESS TO GETTING SEPARATION FROM THE DB THAT NEED TO PLAY OUT FIRST.

DOUG BALDWIN ANALYZES HIS ROUTE RUNNING TECHNIQUE VS TOP CORNER BACKS

CHECK OUT THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO OF DOUG BALDWIN SPEAKING ABOUT HIS ROUTES AND TO PLAY AGAINST DEFENDERS. WHERE HE STATES, “IF YOU HANDLE WHAT YOU NEED TO HANDLE AT THE LINE OF SCRIMMAGE YOUR GONNA GET THE SEPARATION YOU NEED”

HERE ARE SOME DRILLS BY OBJ ON YOUTUBE YOU CAN DO BEFORE OR AFTER PRACTICE TO GET THE REPITITIONS IN WITH CATCHING AND HAND-EYE COORDINATION.

OFF THE FOOTBALL FIELD, IN THE TRAINING ROOM AND WEIGHT ROOM THEIR ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO THAT WILL TRANSLATE ONTO TO THE FIELD FOR CATCHING. SPECIFICALLY WITH YOUR HANDS.

IN MOST CASES, PEOPLE FOCUS ON ONLY THE STRENGTHENING ASPECT WHEN IT COMES TO IMPROVEMENTS ON THE FIELD. BUT IF WE FIRST WORK ON FINGER STRETCHING AND MOBILITY THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO GAIN STRENGTH AT THOSE DIFFERENT POSITIONS THE FINGERS ARE IN. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE QB RIPS YOU A HEATER ON A SLANT THATS UP AND AWAY FROM YOUR BODY THAT YOU STRETCH OUT TO GET, YOUR FINGERS AND WRISTS ARE GOING TO BEND BACK WHEN THE BALL HITS YOUR HANDS. IF YOU GET THE RANGE OF MOTION FOR YOUR FINGERS TO MOVE BACK AS WELL AS STRENGTHEN YOUR FINGERS, YOU WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF CATCHING THIS BALL BECAUSE YOUR FINGERS ARE STRONGER AT THIS BENT BACK POSITION.

THERE ARE SO MANY VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. AND TO BE HONEST, A LOT OF THEM PROVIDE INACCURATE INFORMATION TO PEOPLE. I’VE CHOSEN A COUPLE VIDEOS THAT I’VE FOUND TO BE ACTUALLY BENEFICIAL FOR WIDE RECEIVERS TO IMPROVE THEIR HANDS.

NOT GONNA LIE, THESE WILL BE EXTREMELY BORING BUT AFTER CONSISTENCY, THEY WILL IMPROVE THE STRENGTH AND FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR HANDS.

CHECK OUT THESE TWO TIKTOK VIDEOS

STRETCH

STRENGTH