This question of whether football players need maximum strength is probably asked most frequently in the sports world. Maximum strength training and in many cases muscle-mass training, are very popular, in weight training rooms around the country. Results of this training can be attested to by simply looking at the physiques of today’s athletes, especially football and baseball players. Their muscle definition and mass is very obvious.
There is no questioning the fact that strength plays an extremely important role in execution of sports skills and gameplay. The most important question however, is whether you need maximum strength or an optimal amount of strength. This has not been carefully examined. Nor has player performance been examined in relation to the amount of strength gained.
Do football players who have greater strength and muscle mass execute their skills better? Can they run faster, jump higher, execute quicker cuts, throw the ball faster and/or further? In many cases the answer is no. There are even many players who do not exhibit the same strength and mass but yet, can outdo players with greater strength and mass in game play.
This means that there is more involved in executing game skills than merely strength and mass. The most important factors overlooked are technique and explosive power. In the ideal situation all athletes who wish to execute the best and most effective technique must have an optimal level of strength, not maximal. It can be said that technique and explosive power play the most important roles in determining the success of an athlete.
Ideally, it is necessary to differentiate the need for strength in different sports as well as for different level athletes. For example, in youth and through the early high school years, strength and technique play the most important roles. The higher the level of the athlete the less additional amounts of strength are needed. At this time technique and explosive power are most important. The athlete also relies on strategy to remain on a high level rather than more strength.
Thus the key factor is not how much strength you have but how much of the strength improves your technique and ability to display explosive power during execution of the game skills. These are the key factors that must be looked at. In essence, your technique must be coupled with strength and explosive power. This should determine how much strength you need.
Also important to understand is that excessive amounts of strength are a negative on the highest levels of performance. Greater strength without a concomitant improvement in technique will greatly interfere with technique execution and not allow you to perform the skill as needed in gameplay. Greater strength without its literal conversion to speed and explosive power also hinders how well you can execute your skills on the field, ring or court.
For more information on this topic and achievement of the highest levels of sports performance, see Build a Better Athlete.