This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
Inside Saquon Barkley's NFL Offseason Workout ¶
Published on September 16, 2019, Saquon Barkley, one of the best running backs in the NFL, shares his offseason workout routine in a YouTube video. The Pro Bowler takes fans and viewers through the intense series of exercises he put himself through to get ready for the grueling nature of an NFL season.
Barkley's workout focuses on building speed, strength, and overall athleticism. He blasts his core, arms, and honing his overall athleticism as well. The video, posted by the New York Giants, shows him going through a full gauntlet of work, including dumbbell incline work and several variations of bodyweight pushups.
"The best ability is durability," Barkley says at the end of the video. With the news that's come already this week—Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is out for the season and Saints QB Drew Brees will miss six weeks—that's more evident than ever, and something that Barkley clearly has worked at over the years.
Here are five tips and takeaways from Barkley's video that show how one of the NFL's best-known physiques stays sharp:
Don't Sweat the Barbells ¶
For as much as the barbell bench is a gold-standard lift, both for NFL players (it’s a Scouting Combine test) and in most gyms, note that Saquon never once does that move in this video. Instead, he does other press variations, pressing with dumbbells and doing several variations of pushups. Take a cue from Barkley and limit how often you attack barbell benching in your workouts.
Band-Resisted Chinups ¶
If you’ve gotten to the point where chinups and pullups seem easy, this is an excellent way to level them up. You could also add a weight belt or vest to up the challenge, but bands lend something unique to the chinup: They’re at their most resistive when you’re at your highest. That helps you learn to really squeeze your back muscles.
Band-Resisted Bottoms Up Kettlebell Pulses ¶
At this point, Barkley is doing bottoms-up kettlebell shoulder press pulses with banded resistance. This isn’t a move you’ll see, well, almost anywhere, but it’s all about shoulder and wrist stability. The upside-down kettlebell position forces Barkley to focus on keeping his forearm vertical and applying as much force as possible going directly upwards.
Swiss Ball Rollout to Pike-Up ¶
Here, Barkley does Swiss ball rollouts to pike-ups. This is a great and move for both core and shoulder stability. When you pike upwards, you’ll attack your abs, build shoulder strength and mobility. Rolling out will hit your abs and lower back muscles, and when you press all the way back, it’ll again help train your shoulder stability.
NFL-Level Weighted Inverted Rows ¶
This is an easy way to progress the standard inverted row if it’s gotten too easy, although note that Barkley’s training partner stays close to him the entire time to control the weight. Also note that Barkley isn’t driving his chest to a bar or driving up super-high. It’s a reminder that you don’t need to drive chest to bar on inverted rows.
