AFL is an incredible - albeit complex - sport. To become a standout player, you need the optimal combination of skill, strength and agility, as you duck and weave around the opposition to win the ball and distribute it effectively.

Today, we are going to focus on one of these essential attributes: strength. Every player in a good AFL team needs to be physically strong in order to win contests and tackle the opposition players to win back the ball or a free kick (among other important match functions).

So, why waste any time? It’s off-season now, and it’s the perfect opportunity to work on your strength so when you come back for the new season you will be one of the strongest players out there.

Grab some quality AFL merchandise online, head down to the park (or even just the backyard), and get stuck into these classic-yet-vital strength workouts:

1. Push-ups

The classic push-up can never be underestimated for its ability to strengthen the scapula-thoracic and CORE mobility whilst increasing your upper body’s general strength and stabilising you in the event of being tackled.

Push-ups may sound like a standard workout for anyone looking to increase their strength, but you will be amazed at just how much they can do this the more you persist and work on them.

2. Weight training

Every AFL club has a weight-training regime that helps strengthen their players and condition them to the intensity of matchday. There are a variety of weight training exercises you can do, from kettlebell weights to deadlifts, classic bicep curls and bench presses, with each workout helping strengthen different parts of the body and making you an overall stronger athlete.

3. Rear-foot elevated split squats

A rear-foot elevated split squat is essentially a lunge that contains more load isolation to the front leg than a typical standing lunge. This intense workout can demonstrate powerful hamstring, quad and glute synergy that is perfect for AFL leg strength.

The lunge position is a powerful overall indicator of the thigh, leg, hip mobility/stability relationship and is awesome for overall footy strength.

4. Chin-ups

Similar to push-ups, chin-ups (or pull-ups) demonstrate CORE stability and scapulo-thoracic whilst performing. Chin-ups are one of the all-time difficult workouts to master, with athletes and the curious struggling to perform just one rep at first.

However, pull-ups are a big workout with big reward: they work so many muscles in your body, from the back up to the shoulders and beyond. They are a vital workout for serious athletes.

5. Medicine ball workouts

Footy players need solid upper-body strength to compete - we know this. Athletic force is generated and controlled by the CORE and lower body before being released by the arms, hands and shoulders.

Using a medicine ball for a variety of workouts is perfect for improving your upper-body strength making you a reliable tackler whilst also having the ability to fend-off a tackle using only the strength of your upper-body.

Get cracking!

AFL is a powerful game and anyone who has enjoyed watching the game will know this. For new players, it’s important to reach a standard of strength that will help set you up for slugging it out with the opposition.

The above workouts - although classics - cannot be overlooked for their ability to strengthen your muscles and have you becoming one of the most powerful players on the field.