To perform at a high level in the NFL, players need to do more than bench press and squat their way to success. They also have to possess elite mobility to keep their bodies limber and healthy, and they must have a plan for nutrition and recovery that allows them to quickly bounce back after a brutal 60 minutes on the gridiron. For this, teams seek assistance from fitness professionals off the field in order to help these superstar athletes excel beyond just the X’s and O’s. Here, we talk to two experts in completely different roles to get a feel for the behind-the-scenes work it takes to build an NFL player.
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Eat and Sleep Your Way to Victory
As crucial as strength and conditioning programs are to a winning NFL team, a proper nutrition and rest routine might be even more important.
“I always joke and say this to every strength coach—muscle isn’t built in the weight room; it’s built in the kitchen,” says Jordan Mazur, the San Francisco 49ers’ coordinator of nutrition.
“You need a strong stimulus, and you need a great training program, but all that’s a stimulus—it’s breaking the body down,” Mazur says. “The only way to build the body back up is through nutrition.”
Mazur quarterbacks the 49ers’ nutrition program by creating individualized plans for all the players on the team.
“I’m always working on the road or at home to get [the players] a solid post-game meal that’s high in lean protein, with a good amount of carbohydrates and some antioxidants to try to get some vegetables in,” Mazur says. “We’re always doing high-protein because they’re always doing damage to the muscles, and we need to rebuild that.”
While you may not be able to relate to the nutritional needs of a starting linebacker, Mazur has one key recovery hack that’s universal.
“Sleep is the No. 1 performance enhancer,” he says bluntly. “It’s the No. 1 supplement that’s guaranteed to aid in recovery, regulate hormones, and maintain body mass. If they could get eight to nine hours a night, that’s the biggest thing that’s going to help in their recovery.”
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Going Mobile
The better an NFL player’s range of motion, the stronger he’ll likely be to produce on the gridiron and sustain the rigors of a punishing football season. At least that’s what Chicago-based physical therapist David Reavy—who has worked with Philadelphia Eagles receivers Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor, along with Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman—believes. For Reavy, an NFL player’s explosiveness starts in the pelvis, which he calls the foundation of every athlete.
“What I find in professional athletes a lot of times is that the big muscles shut down—the glutes, the abs, and the lats—because you’re out of alignment in your pelvis,” he says. “A lot of times, when the hip flexor gets tired, it actually throws your pelvis out of alignment, and that could occur when you take a hit or land wrong.”
When Reavy started working with Jeffery during his second NFL season back in 2013, he assessed the wide receiver’s posture as “horrible” and used hip flexor movements to get his pelvis back into alignment. The results? A breakout season for Jeffery, who had 89 receptions for 1,421 yards and seven touchdowns to win the Most Improved Player.
When Jeffery injured his shoulder prior to the start of the 2017–18 season, he called Reavy for help. Jeffery produced 789 receiving yards and nine touchdowns that year and earned a four-year, $52 million extension before the Eagles won the Super Bowl; it was later revealed that he played the entire year with a torn rotator cuff—meaning Reavy’s methods allowed him to play effectively while hurt.
Regardless of a player’s age or position, Reavy believes getting them to buy into the importance of their pelvis to maximize their mobility could aid in extending their longevity. “Once you get them to understand their pelvis,” he says, “it changes the game.”
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Bigger, Stronger, Faster
Here, Reavy offers tips on how to give your gym training routine an NFL-inspired boost in strength, power, speed, and mobility.
“Keep your pelvis and spine neutral with each and every activity. This will give you a mechanical advantage. It will allow proper joint biomechanics, prevent injury, and allow for the biggest muscle groups to absorb the force.”
“If you don’t feel your muscle working, it isn’t working. This is your weakest link. It is part of a chain, and when you don’t use it, that link will suffer. You will lose performance. You will lose aesthetics. Yes, it is all connected.”
“Abdominals, lats, and glutes are the muscles that shut down the most. This is what I see clinically. Make a point to use your lats, as it crosses over 30 joints. Your abdominals connect your lower body to your upper, and your glutes give you the power. Function is getting your lats, abs, and glutes to work together.”
Speed & Mobility Drills
Do 20 yards down and back twice for each exercise. Skip Lateral A-Skip Butt Kick Side Shuffle Carioca Backward Run Sprint
Do 3 to 4 sets of 20 seconds for each exercise. Bounding Broad Jump Sprint Bear Crawl Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift to Vertical Jump
Strength & Power Workout
Rest 60 to 90 seconds after each set and use challenging weight.
Athletes must have the physical strength and energy needed for optimal performance. But it’s just as important to be mentally sharp when competing, practicing, or training.
To ensure your mind is as ready as your body for a rigorous training routine, you need the right supplements to give you a boost. Citicoline is a naturally occurring nutrient found in the brain that supports focus and attention. We all know it’s always mind over matter when it comes to training. Clinically tested for efficacy, Cognizin is a branded form of citicoline that helps enhance communication between neurons, protects neural structures, and supports healthy brain activity and energy. This means that Cognizin will support the energy necessary to keep your brain sharp during your next workout. Head to cognizin.com for more information.
