Weight Training for Australian Football
Issue: Volume 29 Number 4
Weight Training for Australian Football
by Con Hrysomallis
Hachette Livre (Imprint: Lothian Books), 2006
166pp
RRP $34.95
The vast majority of the people working with Australian Rules players are dealing with part-time players. It is safe to assume that they are looking for training information that is easy to apply and can be used with a broad base of players. They aren’t looking for page after page of text and the science of training; they want the training.
Weight Training for Australian Football provides sufficient text but dedicates the majority of the book to exercise description and programming. The exercises included a number of different categories, including bodyweight training, strength exercises, balance, power exercises and core. Australian Rules is a team sport with large squads so no one training approach will apply to every player. Having a large scope of exercises adds to the practicality of the text. Exercises include photos, technique description, training focus, muscles used and safety aspects.
The sample programs at the end of the book add structure to the exercises without preaching one particular method of training. A section on youth weight training is well placed. Information is included to allow the reader to understand the reasoning behind the exercises, and their application to Australian Football without becoming a difficult read.
One of the major advantages of Weight Training for Australian Football is the credibility factor. The authors are involved in AFL football at the highest level and have been for a long time. The exercises with one or two exceptions are performed by active AFL players. The technique in a few of the exercises may not be letter-perfect, but it is better than average and gives the reader a strong idea of how the exercise needs to be performed.
If one is searching for a 'science behind football' type manual, this is probably not the text to turn to, although it does include references for those searching for that information. But for those searching for a text that is practical to apply weight training to Australian Football this book deserves a look. The feedback we have received from those involved with conditioning for Australian football has been that the book is an essential resource.
