TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX

 TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX

 FILM PREPARATION IS ONE OF THE GREATEST ASSETS TO YOUR GAME. DB’S LIKE JALEN RAMSEY SAYS HE NEVER STRICTLY PLAYS ONE TECHNIQUE ALL GAME AND HE ADDS TOOLS IN HIS TOOLBOX FROM THE FILM GOING INTO THE GAME USING DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES AND DISGUISES. THIS KEEPS THE QUARTERBACK AND RECEIVER SECOND GUESSING AND DISRUPTS THEIR RELATIONSHIP ON THE FIELD. MAKE THE WR OVERTHINK HIS RELEASE AND HIS CUTS. MAKE HIM WONDER IF YOU’RE GONNA PUT YOUR HANDS ON HIM, IF YOU’RE GONNA STAY IN THE FLATS OR COME WITH HIM ON HIS ROUTE.

 NOW THIS PUTS A REACT RATHER THAN ACT ONTO THE WR MAKING YOU IN CONTROL WHICH IS HOW YOU SHOULD THINK OF THE THIS POSITION RATHER THAN VICE VERSA. THINK OF WAYS YOU CAN DISGUISE YOUR DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES AND COVERAGES. WATCH FILM ON YOURSELF AND MAKE SURE YOU DON’T HAVE ANY OBVIOUS TELLS OF WHAT COVERAGE YOU’RE IN. INCREASE YOUR FOOTBALL IQ ABOVE THE LEVEL YOU ARE PLAYING AT AND YOUR SUCCESS IN THE GAME WILL INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY.

 SHOULDER

 THE SHOULDER IS A COMPLEX JOINT IN THE BODY AND PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN FOOTBALL. THIS JOINT TRANSFERS POWER FROM THE LOWER BODY AND CORE FOR BLOCKING AND TACKLING. WHEN WE LOOK AT DIFFERENT JOBS IN FOOTBALL, (BLOCKING, TACKLING, AND CATCHING), WE USE THE MUSCLES AROUND THE SHOULDER TO ALLOW FOR A HIGH PERFORMANCE. THEREFORE, KNOWING WHAT MUSCLES ARE USED TO PERFORM THESE JOBS CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR WORKOUTS AND FOCUS IN ON WHAT TO DO IN THE WEIGHT ROOM. ADDITIONALLY, UNDERSTANDING WHERE THESE MUSCLES LIE AND WHAT THEY DO CAN HELP YOU USE THEM PROPERLY AND INCREASE YOUR *PROPRIOCEPTION.

 _{PROPRIOCEPTION - YOUR BODY'S ABILITY TO SENSE MOVEMENT AND WHERE IT IS IN SPACE}

HAVE YOU INJURED YOUR SHOULDER THIS SEASON AND YOU’RE IN A SLING? SLEEPING WITH IT IS PROBABLY TERRIBLE! I FEEL IT. MY CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR CREATED THE SHOULDER SLEEPER FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM. CHECK IT OUT! WE’VE HEARD SOME GREAT REVIEWS FROM ATHLETES WITH SHOULDER INJURIES.

  WITH BLOCKING, LOOKING ONLY AT THE SHOULDER, WE WANT TO KEEP THE ARMS IN TIGHT WITH ELBOWS STARTING AT YOUR SIDES UNTIL THE STRIKE. KEEPING YOUR ELBOWS IN ALLOWS YOU TO TRANSFER MORE POWER AND HAVE MORE CONTROL IN YOUR BLOCK RATHER THAN HAVING THE ELBOWS OUT TO THE SIDE.

  THIS IS BECAUSE YOUR MUSCLES ARE IN A BETTER POSITION FOR STRENGTH AND STABILIZATION. THE MUSCLES WE USE TO KEEP THE ARMS TIGHT TO THE SIDES ARE THE LATS AND THE PECS. THE LATS ARE A LARGE MUSCLE ON YOUR BACK, YOU’LL FEEL THIS MUSCLE WORKING WHEN YOU DO PULL UPS IN THE GYM. WHILE THE PECS ARE YOUR CHEST MUSCLES.

    WHEN YOU STRIKE THE DEFENDER IN YOUR BLOCK, YOU ARE USING YOUR DELTOID, PECS, AND TRICEPS MAINLY. THE DELTOID MUSCLE IS THE MUSCLE THAT COVERS YOUR SHOULDER. YOU CAN FEEL THIS MUSCLE CONTRACT ANYTIME YOU RAISE YOUR ARM ABOVE YOUR HEAD. THE TRICEPS ARE THE MUSCLES ON THE BACK SIDE OF YOUR ARM. THIS IS A THREE HEADED MUSCLE (HENCE THE TRI-). THIS MUSCLE ALSO CONSISTS OF 2/3RDS OF YOUR ARMS, SO IF YOU WANT BIGGER ARMS THIS IS A GOOD MUSCLE TO TRAIN.

  TO HOLD THIS BLOCK, YOUR SHOULDER MUST BE STABLE IN THE JOINT WHICH IS THE ROLE OF YOUR ROTATOR CUFF. THESE MUSCLES ARE MUCH HARDER TO FIND BUT THEY LIE ALL AROUND YOUR SHOULDER BLADE. WE’LL TALK A LOT ABOUT THESE MUSCLES IN THE FUTURE.

   WHEN TRAINING IN THE WEIGHT ROOM TO INCREASE YOUR STRENGTH FOR BLOCKING, THINK CLOSE GRIP BENCH PRESS, OR EVEN BETTER SWISS BAR BENCH PRESS. KEEP YOUR ELBOWS TIGHT INSTEAD OF OUT TO THE SIDES TO GET A BETTER TRANSFER OF SKILLS ONTO THE FIELD. REMEMBER, WHEN TRAINING IN THE WEIGHT ROOM, WE’RE TRAINING FOR BETTER PERFORMANCE ON THE FIELD NOT JUST STRENGTH AND BIGGER MUSCLES. SO, WITH THESE EXERCISES ITS IMPORTANT TO TRAIN EXPLOSIVELY, INSTEAD OF EXCLUSIVELY HIGH WEIGHT AND SLOW BAR VELOCITY.

  ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BALL, THE SHOULDER DOES HAVE A ROLE WITH TACKLING. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE MUSCLES AROUND THE SHOULDER ARE STRONG TO KEEP THE SHOULDER SAFE WITH THE LARGE IMPACT PUT ON THE SHOULDER. THE MUSCLES YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON STRENGTHENING HERE ARE THE TRAPS, THE DELTOIDS, AND ROTATOR CUFF. THESE MUSCLES HELP PROTECT THE SHOULDER DURING IMPACT AS WELL AS STABILIZE THE SHOULDER.

  THE TRAPS ARE THE MUSCLES BETWEEN YOUR NECK AND SHOULDER. YOU CAN FEEL THIS MUSCLE CONTRACT WHEN YOU DO SHRUGS.

  WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KNOW THESE MUSCLES?

  UNDERSTANDING YOUR BODY IS VERY IMPORTANT CONSIDERING YOUR MAIN LIMITATION IN THIS SPORT IS YOUR BODY’S ABILITY TO MOVE. IF YOU CAN INCREASE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THIS SUBJECT, YOU CAN POTENTIALLY INCREASE YOUR PERFORMANCE.