Want to know what it takes to become a future first-round NFL Draft pick? Size, athleticism and football talent are only part of the equation. Being fit enough to survive this ‘Five Minutes of Hell’ workout will give you a taste of the conditioning required to perform at the highest level.
Travelle Gaines put Men’s Health US fitness editor Brett Williams through a condensed version of the drills he uses to prepare elite American football prospects for the NFL Combine at Max Impact Training in White Plains, New York.
The founder of Athletic Gaines has helped prepare 54 first-round draft picks, including Myles Garrett, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Marshawn Lynch.
According to Gaines, these aren’t just random exercises. Each one has been selected to improve game-day performance, from maintaining explosive power deep into a match to developing the grip strength needed to secure the ball under pressure.
‘You have to have some great cardio to last a long period of time to see those quick-burst, boom, boom plays,’ Gaines says. ‘So the cardiovascular component is very important to what we’re doing.’
This ‘Metabolic Fridays’ session is a staple of Gaines’ programming. His NFL prospects work towards completing three rounds of the circuit by the end of the programme, while Williams was given just five minutes to complete as much work as possible.
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The NFL Combine ‘5 Minutes of Hell’ Workout
This opening effort provides a huge cardiovascular challenge in a short space of time – a quality Gaines believes every high-level football player needs.
B. Medicine Ball Slams x 10 reps
Lifting the medicine ball overhead before driving it forcefully into the floor develops triple extension – simultaneous extension through the hips, knees and ankles – helping to build the explosive power that’s essential in American football.
C. Sled Push (High Handles)
Drive the sled using the high handles to replicate the powerful forward-driving position used on the field, while keeping your heart rate elevated.
D. Medicine Ball Slams x 10 reps
E. Sled Push (Low Handles)
You’ve heard the saying ‘the low man wins’. Using the lower handles forces you into a lower body position, helping develop driving power from a different angle.
F. Keiser Biceps Curl x 30 seconds
Perhaps the least obvious exercise in the circuit, the Keiser curl develops grip and forearm strength – qualities that can make the difference when fighting off defenders or holding onto the football through contact.
After completing two rounds, Williams is exhausted. That’s exactly the point.
For Gaines’ athletes, the long-term target is three full rounds, but only after progressively building up to it over several weeks.
‘What we’d like to do in our summer program is work the guys up to three rounds,’ Gaines says. ‘They’ll start off with the first couple weeks doing one round, the next few weeks doing two rounds and before they leave to go to training camp, we have them doing three rounds. It gets pretty intense.’
Jeff Tomko is a freelance fitness writer who has written for Muscle and Fitness, Men’s Fitness, and Men’s Health.
