In part one of this article different tackles were discussed. Key elements of the tackle such as arm and body position were brought out together with why many tackles are unsuccessful. Emphasis was on arm and body positions since this is what determines the exercises that are needed to increase strength specific to the tackle.
Note that most football strength training programs do not target specific skills. They are usually general in nature and target multiple joints, actions and muscles. As a result, exercises specific to the skill of tackling are usually omitted. For example, the overhead press can often be found in strength programs. However, in the overhead position the arms are in a very weak position because the strength developed was for raising the arms, not for bringing the arms together as needed in a tackle.
This explains why the ball carrier can usually break typical tackles.He is in a strong arm position while the tackler is in a weak arm position.To compound the problem, the athletes usually use a wide grip which further decreases their ability to pull the arms toward one another.
To remedy this situation is necessary to incorporate specialized exercises that strengthen the arms and shoulders in the overhead position.One such exercise is the overhead arms-together press with straight arms.It may be a cumbersome name but it differentiates itself from the overhead press and states exactly what is done.
To execute this exercise I typically use same tension Total Athlete System™ attached 1-3 feet above shoulder level on either side of the athlete. This places the body in a Y position with the arms at approximately 45 degrees to the vertical.When in position, the athlete pulls the arms together against the cord resistance. See Figure 1. A, B.For safety and to exhibit maximum strength it is important that the athlete hold his breath on the pulling phase and exhale as he returns to the initial position.
For variety the athlete can do single arm overhead pulls to the midline of the body.They are executed in basically the same manner but you only pull with one arm. This is needed whenever the tackle is attempted with one arm or when one arm has to take most of the force as in tackling a runner from the side. The key feature here is that you keep the arms straight, but not locked in the elbows in both variants.A slight elbow bend is permissible. The breathing pattern is the same as above. See figure 2.A, B.
A great preliminary exercise to loosen up the shoulders and to get a full range of motion in the shoulder joint, is the lateral arm raise with straight arms to the completely overhead position. (See figure 3. A, B). This is an often neglected exercise mainly because of erroneous information.Also beneficial is the front arm raise which is also done with straight arms to the completely overhead position.
Athletes are told that they should not raise the arms above level when doing this exercise in the belief that the deltoid muscle is no longer involved above the level position and that such movement is injurious to the shoulder.However EMG studies prove that the deltoid is most strongly involved when the arm is 45° below level to 45° above level. From anatomy and from practical experiences we also know that raising the arms completely overhead in a lateral plane is a perfectly safe movement.
Raising the arms completely overhead provides full rotation of the scapulae which keeps the shoulder joints supple allowing for the arm to go through a full range of motion in all overhead movements.Stopping at the level position in my opinion, is what may be the cause of shoulder impingement as you “jam” the shoulder when using heavy weights that force you to stop at the level position.
However, you must not use heavy weights in the full ROM exercise. I have had only one athlete use a maximum of 20 pounds in this exercise while still keeping the arms straight and going through the full range of motion. Most athletes use 5-10 pounds.To complement this exercise the athlete can still do lateral arm raises to the level and slightly above level position with greater weights. It is important to inhale and hold the breath on the exertion phase and to exhale on the return.
An exercise to duplicate the position when the arms are overhead, approximately 45° to the body in the tackle, is the 45° incline arms-together press. To execute this exercise the athlete assumes a back lying position on an incline bench with the incline set at proximally 45°. He grasps the handles of two Active cords that are attached out to the sides, approximately hand high. When ready, he inhales and holds his breath as he pulls the arms together. Arms should be straight but not locked in the elbows. After coming together he relaxes somewhat and exhales as he brings his arms out to the side back to the original position. See figure 4. A, B.
In the “hugging” tackle, in which the tackler wraps his arms around the chest of the runner, the tackler needs greater strength in an action known as horizontal adduction. This action is duplicated in the dumbbell fly exercise in which the athlete lies on his back on a flat exercise bench and raises slightly bent arms kept in line with the shoulders. In essence he pulls the arms together until their hands touch, or come close to touching. See figure 5. A, B.Breathing pattern is the same as above.
To strengthen the grip and individual fingers such as the index, middle finger and thumb I recommend the use of Exer Rings. They allow for strengthening not only the whole handgrip but also can duplicate the action in individual fingers by using a ring appropriate to the task. Since there are five rings to a set is possible to find a ring suitable for any and all actions of the fingers and to challenge the athlete strength wise. For total handgrip use a round surface ring and squeeze it together until it almost flattened. See figure 6. A, B.
To strengthen individual fingers hold a flat surface ring between the thumb and finger to be exercised and squeeze as much as possible. To isolate the thumb place the back of the fingers ona support surface and then squeeze down with the thumb. To strengthen the finger action, place the thumb on a solid surface and squeeze down with the finger or fingers. See figure 7. A, B.
By doing these exercises and developing sufficient strength in the actions involved in the different tackles the athlete, or more appropriately, team should be much more successful in completing tackles. It should be rare to have the runner break loose or not go down after being tackled — especially if the tackle is made around the hips or below.