Exercise Resistance Bands

Resistance Band Exercises for GAA players

Best Resistance Band Exercises for Gaelic Football

GAA players have much to gain from incorporating resistance band routines into their workouts. 

Many of the world’s best players have consistently used resistance bands to improve essential muscles used for kicking and manoeuvring during a game. Thankfully, these bands are readily available and are easy to use at home or on the field. 

Here are some of the most recommended exercises you should consider as a GAA player.

Resistance Band Squats

Squatting is paramount to building leg muscles that are core to kicks required for football. 

Although traditional squats using a barbell is effective, doing a squat with a resistance band adds an extra layer of complexity to your routine. Using the band, your core leg muscles will experience tension and pressure that’s not possible through traditional squats. 

The new exercise will allow you to work parts of your leg that you haven’t before, giving you a definite edge over your competitors. Doing both traditional and resistance band squats is the ultimate way to work all aspects of your core leg muscles.

Resistance Band Knee Flex

In addition to building your core leg muscles with squats, you should strengthen the essential components of your knee using resistance bands. The knee is perhaps one of the most important parts of the body when it comes to GAA or gaelic football. Improper use of your knee is the difference between kicking a game-winning goal or completely missing. Flexing your knee using resistance bands is the perfect way to slowly but surely build power in the area, making you much more able to kick game-winning shots. As you progress with flexing your knee, you’ll notice your capability to shoot precise and powerful shots becomes much greater than ever before. Related Article: What Are The Best Resistance Band Exercises For Lawn Bowlers?

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Resistance Band Lunges

While having strong and flexible knees for kicking is critical, you must also work parts your leg needed for running. 

Getting to the ball in time to shoot one last kick could change the course of a game, which means you should also focus on your building your running ability.

Lunges are the perfect exercise to increase capacity in leg muscles primarily used for running and dashing. Completing a lunging motion with resistance bands provides you with just the right pressure to work out your legs without tiring them to the point of requiring extensive rest. 

After a few weeks of consistently using a resistance band for lunges, you’ll notice your ability to dash towards the ball during a game will dramatically increase.

Resistance Band Hip Rotation

Dashing to the ball to make your next kick could alter the course of a game, but agility in your hips is what really drives the accuracy of your kicks. 

Each powerful kick you perform during a game of gaelic football heavily involves intricate muscles and tendons in your hips. You must remember that the act of kicking involves the whole body, which means that weak hips equal weak kicks. 

Building strength and flexibility in your hips is done easily by rotating them with resistance bands. Incorporating hip rotations, you’ll notice a strong uptick in your ability to make accurate and decisive moves on the football field.

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