How to Become a Good Defensive End
Football season starts in late summer., Any football player's training schedule involves working out with weights and cardiovascular conditioning., Before you start hitting the weights you will need a proper schedule., Start off talking about your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Football season starts in late summer.
Hopefully you are reading this in about mid winter because you have a lot of training ahead of you.
If you are tall, slow toothpick that can't hit, this article can make you a force to be reckoning with.
If you are already a good athlete that is quick and strong, that's great but you will still need to train. -
Step 2: Any football player's training schedule involves working out with weights and cardiovascular conditioning.
For this step, joining a gym is a great idea.
Most gyms have everything you will need for your training and more.
Even if you already have stuff at home, it is strongly recommended that you join a gym.
But if you insist on working out at home, you should have a bench press, a treadmill or stationary bike, some dumbbells and a chin-up bar. , You can't train all your muscles every single day.
You will burn yourself out.
You need to train a different group of muscles every day.
The next few steps show you a pretty good schedule you can follow.
If you need help doing any of the workouts, do a Google search on how to do them. , It needs to be done every day.
No matter what muscle you train, you should start off with at least a 20 minute cardio warm up.
Try to make it longer as you progress.
Your cardio warm up could be running on the treadmill, going for a jog, using the stationary bike or maybe riding a real bike.
Make sure you stretch after you are done with your cardio warm up.
You should also include a cardio workout after you are done with your weights such as 40-yard sprints, hitting the heavy bag or swimming laps. , Workouts you can perform to work these muscles are Bench press, Shoulder press, triceps extensions, shrugs Push ups and dips.
As a defensive end, you want to get big and gain lots of weight in muscle.
So instead of sitting there doing 400 reps of 45 lbs, Pick a heavier weight and do less reps.
You should do 3 sets total of about 8 reps.
If you get tired and need to lower the weight, that's okay.
As far as unweighted exercises go, do 3 sets and lower the amount of reps each time.
Be sure to drink lots of water or Gatorade during your workout (Gatorade is still loaded with sugar though.
If you can, try Powerade Zero.
It tastes just like Gatorade but has little to no sugar) , Workouts you can do for these muscles are the Row (can be done with cables, barbell or dumbbells), the pull-down, the chin up, Biceps curls and wrist curls.
Do the same amount of sets and reps as you would for your first workout. , Almost every position in football requires strong legs because your legs are where you get your speed and hit charge from.
Workouts you can do for your lower body include crunches, The squat, the dead lift, leg lifts, leg extensions, leg curls, The leg press and the calf raise.
Do the same amount of reps you would for your other days.
You should work out 6 days a week.
Try hard not to miss any. , If you're used to eating junk every day, we're about to change your eating habits.
Instead of having sugary cereal and coffee loaded with sugar for breakfast, Try having some egg whites with cheese and some peanut butter on wheat toast with a glass of orange juice.
Instead of snacking on potato chips and cookies all day, try snacking on fruit and peanut butter crackers (make sure you get lots of peanut butter it's a great source of protein and helps build bigger muscles).
For dinner, make sure you have a lot of meat and get some vegetables in too.
Instead of having 3 cans of pop a day, try to drink more water.
Try to keep the eating of sweets to a minimum. , Now lets talk about actually playing the position.
As a defensive lineman, your objective is to stir up trouble and stop the offensive plays before they go anywhere.
But your job as an end is different from that of a defensive tackle.
Tackles are supposed to plug up the central gaps.
Ends need to contain the outside of the backfield and stop any ball carrier trying to make it to the outside.
Whether its the tailback making a sweep, the quarterback doing a bootleg or someone else, you have to stop them. , If the defensive secondary calls the correct strength, then you should know which way to shift.
Just make sure you are standing a little bit outside of the last guy on the offensive line. , Do not run straight at the quarterback or else you will leave your containment area open.
Try to get to the outside.
They will obviously try to stop you if the play is going your way.
If the tight end tries to push you inside, do not let him.
Fight your way to the outside.
If the tight end doesn't get you, A fullback or a pulling guard might try to run you over.
Stay low and evade the block and you will get to the ball carrier. , Hit him low and throw all your strength into the tackle.
Wrap him up by the waist, keep your head up and on the side of the ball, and drive until you bring him down.
Try your best to push him back.
Try not to let him get over you because even if you do tackle him that could mean the difference between 4th and 2 and a touchdown.
If you get to the quarterback but he is about to throw the ball, get in his face and pressure him. -
Step 3: Before you start hitting the weights you will need a proper schedule.
-
Step 4: Start off talking about your cardio workout.
-
Step 5: On day 1 of your workout you should work your chest and shoulders.
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Step 6: On day 2
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Step 7: You should train your upper back and arms.
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Step 8: Day 3 is the most important because you will be training your lower body.
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Step 9: To get optimal results from working out
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Step 10: you also need to eat healthy.
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Step 11: If you follow these guidelines
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Step 12: you should be in pretty good shape by the time the tryouts start.
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Step 13: Once you get on the line you should get in a 3 or 4-point stance (3 point stance is one hand on the ground 4 point stance is both hands).
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Step 14: When the ball is snapped that's when you jump the line.
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Step 15: Now if you get to the ball carrier successfully
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Step 16: just finish him.
Detailed Guide
Hopefully you are reading this in about mid winter because you have a lot of training ahead of you.
If you are tall, slow toothpick that can't hit, this article can make you a force to be reckoning with.
If you are already a good athlete that is quick and strong, that's great but you will still need to train.
For this step, joining a gym is a great idea.
Most gyms have everything you will need for your training and more.
Even if you already have stuff at home, it is strongly recommended that you join a gym.
But if you insist on working out at home, you should have a bench press, a treadmill or stationary bike, some dumbbells and a chin-up bar. , You can't train all your muscles every single day.
You will burn yourself out.
You need to train a different group of muscles every day.
The next few steps show you a pretty good schedule you can follow.
If you need help doing any of the workouts, do a Google search on how to do them. , It needs to be done every day.
No matter what muscle you train, you should start off with at least a 20 minute cardio warm up.
Try to make it longer as you progress.
Your cardio warm up could be running on the treadmill, going for a jog, using the stationary bike or maybe riding a real bike.
Make sure you stretch after you are done with your cardio warm up.
You should also include a cardio workout after you are done with your weights such as 40-yard sprints, hitting the heavy bag or swimming laps. , Workouts you can perform to work these muscles are Bench press, Shoulder press, triceps extensions, shrugs Push ups and dips.
As a defensive end, you want to get big and gain lots of weight in muscle.
So instead of sitting there doing 400 reps of 45 lbs, Pick a heavier weight and do less reps.
You should do 3 sets total of about 8 reps.
If you get tired and need to lower the weight, that's okay.
As far as unweighted exercises go, do 3 sets and lower the amount of reps each time.
Be sure to drink lots of water or Gatorade during your workout (Gatorade is still loaded with sugar though.
If you can, try Powerade Zero.
It tastes just like Gatorade but has little to no sugar) , Workouts you can do for these muscles are the Row (can be done with cables, barbell or dumbbells), the pull-down, the chin up, Biceps curls and wrist curls.
Do the same amount of sets and reps as you would for your first workout. , Almost every position in football requires strong legs because your legs are where you get your speed and hit charge from.
Workouts you can do for your lower body include crunches, The squat, the dead lift, leg lifts, leg extensions, leg curls, The leg press and the calf raise.
Do the same amount of reps you would for your other days.
You should work out 6 days a week.
Try hard not to miss any. , If you're used to eating junk every day, we're about to change your eating habits.
Instead of having sugary cereal and coffee loaded with sugar for breakfast, Try having some egg whites with cheese and some peanut butter on wheat toast with a glass of orange juice.
Instead of snacking on potato chips and cookies all day, try snacking on fruit and peanut butter crackers (make sure you get lots of peanut butter it's a great source of protein and helps build bigger muscles).
For dinner, make sure you have a lot of meat and get some vegetables in too.
Instead of having 3 cans of pop a day, try to drink more water.
Try to keep the eating of sweets to a minimum. , Now lets talk about actually playing the position.
As a defensive lineman, your objective is to stir up trouble and stop the offensive plays before they go anywhere.
But your job as an end is different from that of a defensive tackle.
Tackles are supposed to plug up the central gaps.
Ends need to contain the outside of the backfield and stop any ball carrier trying to make it to the outside.
Whether its the tailback making a sweep, the quarterback doing a bootleg or someone else, you have to stop them. , If the defensive secondary calls the correct strength, then you should know which way to shift.
Just make sure you are standing a little bit outside of the last guy on the offensive line. , Do not run straight at the quarterback or else you will leave your containment area open.
Try to get to the outside.
They will obviously try to stop you if the play is going your way.
If the tight end tries to push you inside, do not let him.
Fight your way to the outside.
If the tight end doesn't get you, A fullback or a pulling guard might try to run you over.
Stay low and evade the block and you will get to the ball carrier. , Hit him low and throw all your strength into the tackle.
Wrap him up by the waist, keep your head up and on the side of the ball, and drive until you bring him down.
Try your best to push him back.
Try not to let him get over you because even if you do tackle him that could mean the difference between 4th and 2 and a touchdown.
If you get to the quarterback but he is about to throw the ball, get in his face and pressure him.
About the Author
Timothy Myers
Specializes in breaking down complex crafts topics into simple steps.
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