Perform the right moves the right way and you’ll get stronger, more athletic, and—barring injury—more likely to enjory a life free of back pain. But doing the wrong exercises—or doing the right ones with poor form—and can cause a host of problems.

Simply put, the improper core training is “a potent injury mechanism,” according to Dr. Stu McGill, head of the Spine Biomechanics Lab at the University of Waterloo.

You’re probably familiar with what McGill is talking about if you’ve ever grunted your way through an 8-minute “ab finisher.” Typically you’ll feel “the burn” at first, but stiffness in your back later.

Or maybe you’ve done endless sit-ups and crunches and gotten a few lines to show up in your midsection. But has it really improved your sports performance?

If not, then it’s time to stop what you’re doing and make a change. In this article we’ll help you identify and ditch core moves that are ineffective and can cause pain, then give you better exercises that train the core the way it was meant to perform.

By the time you reach the end of this story, you’ll have a clear understanding of what is—and what it is not—a good core exercise. But before we get into that, we have to ask you a simple (but important!) question…

Do You Even Know What the Core Muscles Are?

Unfortunately, most people don’t.

That’s a problem because a lack of understanding is what leads people to train the core incorrectly. So if you’ll pardon the quick anatomy lesson, here’s what you need to know about the core.

The core is a lot more than just the “six-pack.” In fact the core consists of muscles from your chest down to your upper thighs, in every direction all around your body. Meanwhile, the muscle that causes the six-pack look is just one muscle, called the Rectus Abdominus.

The rectus abdominus can flex the trunk just like you do when you perform Crunches and Sit-ups. That’s why those exercises are so popular—they work this muscle, which gives you the “abs” look. The problem is that there are five other major muscle groups in the core that are just as—if not more—important to your spinal health and sports performance.

They are…

External Obliques. These are the muscles that form the outer wall of your core along the sides. Like the rectus abdominus, they can help flex the trunk. They also help create rotation, so they’re very involved with movements like throwing a baseball.

Sitting just beneath the external obliques are the Internal Obliques. These muscles run from the pelvis up to the ribcage.

RELATED: New Research Discovers the Best Type of Core Exercise

Another major internal core muscle is the Transverse Abdominus, or “TVA.” This muscle wraps around you like a corset, helping to improve your stability.

The last two core muscles we’ll talk about here are the Spinal Erectors in your back and the Hip Flexors, located on the front of your hips.

These two muscles can contribute to a common condition in athletes called anterior pelvic tilt, in which the pelvis dumps forward and tallbone hikes up behind them. A little anterior pelvic tilt is okay, but too much can be a bad thing. Good core workouts will help keep anterior pelvic tilt in check.

What Most Core Exercises Get Wrong

Here’s the problem with some of the most popular core exercises out there–moves like Sit-Ups, Crunches and Russian Twists. All of these moves, which require the spine to do a lot of bending or twisting, can be risky.

Why? Because those movements place an undo amount of stress on the spinal discs between each vertebrae. McGill’s research shows that, with enough bends, those discs will suffer damage. It’s not a question of “if.” It’s “when.”

For this reason, McGill recommends that people ditch exercises that force you to do a lot of forward bending. His view is that you should save those bends for the times you really need them, like when you bend over to tie your cleats.

But there’s another reason why traditional core exercises aren’t all that effective for athletes: They ask the core to do a job that it’s not really meant to do.

“The core is more of a force transmitter than a force producer,” says Mike Robertson, co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST) and physical preparation coach to the Indy Eleven professional soccer team. “It’s not really meant to generate movement.”

Most of the time, the muscles in your core are resisting motion, rather than creating it. A strong, stable core more shifts force from the lower body to the upper body by acting as a brace of sorts, transmitting energy from the ground to your outer extremities (the arms and legs).

“Athletes are not a collection of body parts. We need to unify our upper and lower bodies,” explains Robertson. “Smart core training ties our upper and lower bodies together to help us create seamless and athletic movements.”

The 3 Main Functions of Core Exercises

McGill’s approach to core training does exactly what Robertson describes–ties the upper and lower body together with a strong, stable core. The movements he recommends train three functions of a healthy core:

• Anti-extension: This refers to exercises like Planks or Dead Bugs. When you perform these moves, the goal is for your core to prevent the lower back from arching. In biomechanics lingo, an “extended” lumbar spine is arched, while a “flexed” lumbar spine would be rounded. If you prevent your belly from sagging toward the ground while you hold a Plank, you are training anti-extension.
• Anti-rotation: This includes movements like the Pallof Press. In these exercises, you prevent your trunk from rotating against a sideways force.
• Anti-lateral flexion: Includes Side Planks and any exercise in which you’re carrying an unbalanced load of heavy weights, such as a Contralateral Carry. In these movements, the goal is for your core to resist bending sideways. (“Lateral flexion” is the technical way to refer to a sideways bend).

While some of the 27 best core exercises for athletes will train one of these qualities solely, most hit several of these functions at once.

The 27 Best Core Exercises for Athletes

Taking into account everything we know about the core–the many muscles it encompasses, how those muscles support the back, and how all of those tissues work with the spine to support you during sports, we’ve assembled this master list of 27 exercises.

Every move on this list, performed correctly, will be safe for your spine. They can actually improve back pain in some instances.

How? By following McGill’s principles. They do not ask your spine to generate movement. By training your spine to perform in the way it was meant to perform, these exercises set you up for long term back health.

The exercises on this list are also more time efficient. Each of them trains your entire core–all of the major muscle groups we described above. You won’t be wasting your time doing isolation moves that make you “feel the burn” for a few minutes but don’t add much in terms of long-term value.

Finally, these exercises train your core to be strong and stable while your limbs are moving. This seems simple in theory, but in practice it’s easy to let your midsection go soft when you move. That creates energy leaks and inefficient movements. By teaching your body how to brace while you move your arms and legs, you’ll be more powerful in every sports movement you make.

1. RKC Plank

You simply need to hold your body in a straight line, which may look easy. And many of you may be able to hold a Plank for several minutes. But if you do it right, even the basic Plank should be incredibly challenging. Our favorite version? The RKC Plank, which even the strongest athletes can hold for only 10-15 seconds.

How to:

• Assume a standard Plank position with your elbows under your shoulders, chin tucked and back straight.
• Squeeze your fists and lock in your shoulders by trying to rotate your arms outward.
• Squeeze your legs together and contract your quads and glutes.
• Imagine pulling your elbows to your toes as if moving into a pike position.

2. Mountain Climbers

This popular exercise teaches your upper body to maintain its position during rapid leg movements, and can be used as an endurance move.

How to:

• Assume a push-up position with your back flat and core tight.
• Bring your right knee to your chest with your toes on the ground.
• Drive your right leg backward until it’s straight and simultaneously bring your left knee to your chest.
• Continue bringing your knees to your chest in an alternating fashion. Do not bounce up and down.

3. Rolling Side Plank

This combines a Plank and Side Plank, forcing your core muscles to brace during changing positions, making it challenging for both your abs and obliques.

How to:

• Lie on your side with your bottom elbow on the ground under eath your shoulder and your forearm perpendicular to your body.
• Position your top foot on the ground in front of your bottom foot. Raise your top arm vertically to form a T with your upper body.
• Drive your hips up to form a straight line with your body from head to toe. Tighten your abs, glutes and quads.
• Keeping your core tight, rotate your torso and place your opposite elbow on the ground to assume a Side Plank position on your opposite side.
• Continue slowly rolling side to side.

4. Physioball Circles

An advanced variation of the Plank, moving your forearms in a circle on a physioball makes the exercise unstable and your abs seriously burn.

How to:

• Assume a Plank position with your elbows on a physioball.
• Keeping your core tight, rotate your arms clockwise to move the physioball in a circle
• Repeat, moving your arms counterclockwise.

5. Physioball or TRX Pike to Rollout

According to Nick Tumminello, owner of Performance U, this may be the king of core exercises. It combines flexion and anti-extension moves to isolate the abs with minimal stress on the hip flexors and lower back.

How to:

• Assume a push-up position with your feet on a physioball. Keep your back straight and core tight.
• Drive your hips up so your body is in an inverted V position.
• Return to the starting position and drive your body back into a rollout.

RELATED: Learn how to perform the Physioball Pike to Rollout.

6. Physioball Buzzsaw

A great anti-extension core exercise that’s more difficult than a Plank but easier than a Rollout, making this a great progression exercise.

How to:

• Assume a plank position with your elbows on a physioball.
• Keeping your core tight, drive your elbows forward to push the physioball forward.
• Roll the physioball back to the starting position.

8. Renegade Row

Everything in your core along with muscles in your shoulders, back, chest, hips and even quads have to work to keep you in the proper position during this exercise. “The Renegade Row is an indication that everything in your body is firing and firing proportionately,” says Dr. Joel Seedman, owner of Advanced Human Performance. That’s why it’s the ultimate test of core strength.

How to:

• Set up two dumbbells parallel to each other about a foot apart.
• Assume a push-up position with your hands grasping the dumbbells instead of flat on the ground. Position your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Tighten your core and keep your back flat and hips square to the ground.
• Pick up the right dumbbell and row it to your side.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell and repeat. Perform on the opposite side.

9. Hanging Leg Raises

According to Brian Nguyen, owner of Brik Fitness and Mark Wahlberg’s personal trainer, simply hanging on the bar is core work for the upper body. “Some of my favorite exercises to do for the core involve static shoulders and dynamic hips,” he says. Add a Leg Raise, and your entire core works to produce movement while preventing your body from swinging back and forth.

How to:

• Hold onto a bar as if performing a Pull-Up with your arms and legs straight.
• Keeping your core tight, bring your legs up until they’re parallel to the ground.
• Slowly lower your legs to the starting position.
• Do your best to avoid rocking back and forth.

RELATED: Basic Core Exercises for Beginners

10. Single-Leg Lowering

This is one of the most basic movements. Lots of athletes can perform it for many, many reps. But done right and paired with proper breathing technique, it’s one of the best ways to activate your core muscles and restore your posture.

How to:

• Lie on your back and bring your left leg up until it’s nearly perpendicular to the ground, depending on your flexibility. Wrap a resistance band around your left foot and hold it with your hands.
• Take a deep breath in.
• As you exhale, slowly lower your left leg and drive your heel away from you. Lower until your foot is a few inches above the ground.
• Inhale and raise your right leg up until it’s next to your left leg.
• Repeat with your opposite leg.

11. Core-Engaged Dead Bug

This exercise might look simple, but done right it’s one of the best ways to train your core or prepare it for heavy training. The beauty of this exercise is that it improves breathing patterns and teaches your core to brace when your legs are moving, an essential skill for athletes.

How to:

• Lie on your back with your arms extended in front of your shoulders.
• Hold a resistance band or cable with the attachment or machine overhead.
• Bend your hips and knees to a 90-degree angle.
• Tighten your abs and press your lower back into the floor. Take a deep breath in.
• As you exhale, slowly extend your left leg toward the floor and bring your right arm overhead. Keep your abs tight and don’t let your lower back arch.
• Slowly return your arm and leg to the starting position. Repeat with your opposite arm and leg.

12. The Lewit

A corrective exercise, the Lewit engages your deep core muscles, which are difficult to develop with other movements.

How to:

• Lie on your back with your arms at your sides. Bend your hips and knees to a 90-degree angle. Maintain a naturally arched back.
• Slightly rock your pelvis forward and backward on your tailbone to fine-tune your back position.
• Once you’re comfortable, take three normal breaths. Exhale normally on your third breath, then purse your lips and push any remaining air out of your lungs.
• Reset by rocking your pelvis and repeat the breathing pattern.

RELATED: Learn More About the Lewit

13. Turkish Get-Up

It looks weird and is tough to learn, but it’s worth the trouble. According to Boyle, it’s a fundamental movement that everyone should be able to perform. Plus, it builds serious core strength, improves mobility and increases shoulder stability.

How to:

• Lie on the ground holding a kettlebell in your right hand overhead.
• Bend your right knee and extend your opposite arm to the side. Fix your eyes on the kettlebell.
• Slowly sit up by shifting your weight to your left elbow and then your hand.
• Drive through your left hand and right heel to extend your hips and raise your body into a bridge position.
• Swing your left leg under your body and assume a kneeling position.
• Repeat on the other side.

14. Hollow Body Holds

An exercise popular with gymnasts, this one strengthens the abs without wearing down the lumbar spine like a Crunch or Sit-Up.

How to:

• Raise your legs straight up, bring your arms overhead and crunch your shoulders up.
• Tighten your abs as if bracing for a punch, making sure your lower back is flat against the floor.
• Hold this position, making sure to breathe throughout the hold.

15. Modified Curl-Up

As a substitute for Crunches and Sit-Ups, Dr. Stuart McGill, a leading spine researcher at the  University of Waterloo, recommends the Modified Curl-Up. It looks sort of like a Crunch, but the actual movement is significantly different and safe for the lumbar spine. “This Curl-Up is light years away from a standard abdominal crunch exercise,” says McGill in his book Back Mechanic.

How to:

• Lie with your back on the floor.
• Place your hands flat under your lower back and raise your elbows slightly off the ground.
• Bend one leg so that your foot is in line with your opposite knee.
• Keeping a straight neck, tighten your abs as if bracing for a punch and raise your head and shoulders off the ground slightly. Hold this position for 10 seconds.
• Lower and repeat.

16. Reverse Crunch

This is one of the best ways to directly target your abs, and it works. “It feels like you got kicked in the stomach a couple of times after you do them,” says Dr. John Rusin, a strength coach and physical therapist.

How to:

• Lie back on a bench with your thighs perpendicular to the ground.
• Place a foam roller between your hamstrings and calves and squeeze the roller.
• Place your hands over your head and grab the sides of the bench.
• Forcefully contract your abs to lift your butt off the bench and your knees up above your chest. Hold this position for one or two seconds with a maximal ab contraction.
• Slowly lower back to the starting position until your butt is on the bench and your thighs are perpendicular to the ground.

17. Bird Dog

“Whether you’re an athlete, bodybuilder, powerlifter, fitness enthusiast or an active individual looking for a way to improve your low-back function and spinal health, the Bird Dog is a worthwhile drill that can enhance multiple aspects of performance and muscle function,” says Dr. Seedman.

How to:

• While maintaining a flat back, kneel on the floor with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders.
• Keeping your abs tight, raise your opposite arm and leg until they are straight and in line with your body. Do not arch your lower back.
• Return to the starting position and repeat with your opposite arm and leg.

RELATED: 8 Challenging Bird Dog Variations

18. Pallof Press

The Palloff Press trains your core to resist rotation. “A lot of times when we are working the core, we use things like super bands and do a lot of rotational work,” says Todd Durkin. “Anti-rotation is great for stability of the obliques, core and lower back.” (Check out these 5 Killer Pallof Press Variations.)

How to:

• Stand with your feet wider than hip width and position your body perpendicular to a cable machine.
• Grasp the cable handle with both hands directly in front of your chest.
• Keeping your core tight, extend your arms in front of your chest.
• Bring your hands back to your chest to return to the starting position.

RELATED: 6 Underrated (But Essential) Core Exercises

19. Med Ball Rotational Throws

This one increases rotational power from your hips and core, which is critical for throwing a ball, swinging a bat or taking a slap shot.

How to:

• Stand with your left side facing a wall about 5 feet away with your knees and hips bent, holding a med ball in front of your waist.
• Shift your weight to your right foot and swing the med ball to your right hip.
• Drive through your hips, rotate at your core and throw the med ball against the wall with an underhand toss.
• Catch the ball off the wall and immediately repeat.

20. Med Ball Slams

Increase your ability to explosively generate force through your lower body and core to power an upper-body movement.

How to:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart holding a med ball at chest height with your arms extended.
• Rise up onto your toes, lift the med ball overhead and slam it straight down, generating power through your hips and core.
• Catch the ball off the bounce and set up for your next rep.

21. Farmer’s Walks

Once used primarily to increase grip strength, Farmer’s Walks and other loaded carries are simply a moving Plank, where your core must fire to stabilize your trunk and hips while you walk with weight.

How to:

• Stand between two sets of weights—dumbbells, kettlebells or custom barbells—and grab hold of the weights.
• Brace your core and glutes and drive through the floor to lift the weights.
• Keeping your core tight, back flat and shoulders down and back, take small and quick steps for the allotted distance or time.
• Put the weights down carefully—do not simply drop them on the floor.

22. TRX Rip Trainer Pitchfork

Pulling the Rip Trainer up and behind your body activates everything from your hands to your feet, while your core fights to prevent rotation and keep you upright.

How to:

• Assume a quarter-squat stance facing the cord mount.
• Hold the Rip Trainer in front with a shoulder-width, overhand grip; hold the bottom of the Rip Trainer with your left hand and your right hand near the cord.
• Simultaneously extend your hip and knees to drive the tip of the Rip Trainer over your shoulder. Briefly hold this position.
• Lower in control and repeat.

23. Wide-Stance Anti-Rotation Chop

A slow and controlled movement that teaches your core to produce and resist rotation through a full range of motion.

How to:

• Assume an extra-wide stance with a cable machine to your right.
• Hold the rope attachment in front of your chest with your arms extended.
• Rotate your upper body to the right as far as your range of motion allows without rotating through your lower back. Keep your arms directly in front of your chest—do not move your lower body.
• Reverse the movement and rotate your upper body toward the left as far as you can, pulling the rope attachment with you as you move.
• Continue rotating your torso in each direction

24. Landmine Rainbow

“If you want a strong core that will help you perform athletically on the field, you need to perform integrated core exercises,” says Tumminello. To do this, you need to work your core while engaging your shoulders and glutes.

How to:

• Place a barbell in a landmine rack and load the desired amount of weight (it’s best to start light).
• Stand directly in front of the end of the barbell and raise it above your head with both hands.
• While keeping your body stationary, move the barbell in a rainbow-like arc. Bend slightly at the elbows while moving the weight, but try not to rotate at the hips or shoulders.
• Stand tall throughout the movement.

RELATED: Learn how to perform the Landmine Rainbow.

25. Barbell Offset Iso Holds

The uneven load on the barbell naturally pulls you to one side, and you have to tighten your entire core to maintain an upright position. “You are breathing and bracing under stress and really learning how to engage your core muscles, not just your six-pack muscles,” says Matthew Ibrahim, strength coach and owner of Movement Resilience.

How to:

• Load a barbell with a plate on one side and position it on a rack at hip height.
• Grasp the bar with a shoulder-width grip and pick it up off the rack.
• Tighten your core as forcefully as possible for the specified duration before returning the bar to the rack.
• Complete your sets on one side, then switch the plate to the opposite side of the bar.

26. Contralateral Carries

Holding a light kettlebell overhead and a heavy kettlebell in the rack position at your shoulder has benefits similars to Farmer’s Walks, but it forces your core muscles to handle uneven loads in challenging positions.

How to:

• Hold a heavy kettlebell with your right hand at shoulder height in the rack position. Hold a lightweight kettlebell with your left hand overhead.
• Keep your core tight and back flat. Avoid arching through your lower back.
• Walk slowly for a specified distance or duration. Switch the positions of the kettlebells for the next set.

27. Heavy Lifts

Squats, Deadlifts and their variations are among the best ways to develop a strong core. During the movement, your core muscles work overtime to keep your spine in place and handle the heavy weight load. Although they are effective, do not rely exclusively on heavy lifts to develop your core.

The exercises above have many variations, and some other exercises are extremely effective, but we couldn’t include every single one. But we’re confident that if you add some of the core exercises above to your training, you will develop the core strength you need for athletic performance and long-term health.

READ MORE:

• This is the Worst Core Exercise Ever
• 5 Painfully Common Mistakes That Make Core Workouts Useless (or Worse)
• You’re Planking Wrong. Here’s How to Fix It.

Activating this muscle prepares your body for the explosive side-to-side movements that are common to most sports. Develop this muscle and you’ll be able to run or skate faster and change direction more quickly. The gluteus medius also improves hip stability, which is critical for maintaining balance and preventing knee and ankle injuries.

Another variation of the Fire Hydrant exercise adds a hip extension to further activate the glutes and open up the hips. The greater range of motion will help you move around the field without restriction, quickly transition into an athletic stance and jump even higher.

Perform these three variations of the Fire Hydrant exercise during your dynamic warm-up to be ready for the demands of an intense workout, practice or game.

The Fire Hydrant Exercise

• Assume all-fours position
• Lift leg directly to side and hold for two counts; keep knee at 90 degrees
• Lower to start position
• Repeat for specified reps
• Perform set with opposite leg

Sets/Reps: 2×15-20 each leg

Side-to-Back Fire Hydrants

• Assume all-fours position
• Lift leg directly to side so thigh is parallel to ground; hold for two counts and keep knee at 90 degrees
• Extend leg directly behind, squeeze glute and lift leg toward ceiling; hold for two counts
• Lower to start position
• Repeat for specified reps
• Perform set with opposite leg

Sets/Reps: 1×15-20 each leg

Back-to-Side Fire Hydrants

• Assume all-fours position
• Extend leg directly behind, squeeze glute and lift leg toward the ceiling; hold for two counts
• Bend knee and hip to bring leg to side position; hold for two counts and keep the knee at 90 degrees.
• Lower to start position
• Repeat for specified reps
• Perform set with the opposite leg

Sets/Reps: 1×15-20 each leg

1. Goblet Squat Form
2. Goblet Squat Mistakes
3. Goblet Squat Benefits
4. Goblet Squat Muscles Worked
5. Goblet Squat Alternatives and Variations
6. Goblet Squat Workouts

Goblet Squat Form

The beauty of the Squat is that it’s incredibly easy to perform—even for beginners and young athletes. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Stand with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell vertically with your hands underneath the top of the weight. Hold the weight against your body so it’s touching your sternum and stomach.

Step 2: Keeping your core tight, back flat and dumbbell or kettlebell in contact with your body, bend your hips and knees to initiate the Squat and continue until your elbows touch your knees.

Step 3: Drive your heels into the ground to stand up to the starting position.

Goblet Squat Mistakes

The GS is fairly mistake-proof, which is one thing that makes it such a great exercise. However, there are two common mistakes you need to avoid to perform the move in perfect form.

Mistake 1: Your torso tilts forward

Mike Boyle, renowned strength coach and co-founder of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, explains that if your torso tilts forward during the Squat, that’s an indication that your ankles are too tight or your core isn’t strong enough. You can tell if you tilt too far forward if the bottom portion of the dumbbell comes off your stomach.

The Fix: There are two quick fixes. First, consciously tighten your core and keep the dumbbell in contact with your stomach throughout the rep. Second, place a 5- or 10-pound plate under your heels to overcome any ankle mobility problem.

But these are short-term fixes. You need a long-term plan to develop your core strength. Our 27 Best Core Exercises for Athletes is a great place to start. Also, make ankle mobility training a priority.

Mistake 2: Your knees collapse inward

One of the worst mistakes you can make during a Squat is to allow your knees to collapse inward. Technically called valgus collapse, this technique flaw puts your knees at risk during the exercise. Worse, there’s a good chance your knees also do this in dynamic movements in your sport, such as when you land from a jump when you’re more susceptible to an injury.

The Fix: Wrap a lightweight mini-band around your shins just below your knees. The tension from the band engages your glutes and teaches you to push your knees outward so they’re in line with your hips and ankles.

Goblet Squat Benefits

The GS develops lower-body strength, size, and power similar to other versions of the Squat. However, it has a few unique benefits compared to the Back Squat and Front Squat.

It Teaches Proper Squat Form

The Goblet Squat is the perfect option for an athlete learning how to squat. Someone who has little experience in the weight room can be confident they’re squatting with at least decent form if they can keep the weight in contact with their sternum and stomach, and their elbows touch their knees. If not, the fixes are relatively easy, as described above.

“The cool thing about this . . . sometimes it almost immediately cleans things up. It’s almost magical,” says Boyle. “We took a bunch of kids who were not good squatters and said, ‘OK let’s just Goblet Squat,’ and 90 percent of those kids got better right away.”

It’s Easy on Your Back

If Back Squats are uncomfortable or hurt your back, then Goblet Squats are a great option. The goblet position shifts the load to the front of your core and allows for a more upright torso position, which is easier on the spine. In fact, they can also be considered a weighted core exercise, because your abs, obliques, and other core muscles have to engage to perform the exercise properly.

It Can Be Loaded Heavy

Many athletes and coaches make the mistake of categorizing Goblet Squats as beginner exercises and only do them with lightweight. Yes, it’s a great teaching exercise but that doesn’t mean you can’t go heavy. You will ultimately be limited by how heavy the dumbbells are in your gym, but feel free to load up on the weight and challenge yourself. Even strong athletes who regularly Back Squat hundreds of pounds can benefit from heavy Goblet Squats.

Muscles Worked

The Goblet Squat promotes muscle engagement similar to other variations of the Squat. The prime movers are the glutes and quads, but other muscles in the lower body also contribute to the movement.

Goblet Squat Alternatives and Variations

Kettlebell Goblet Squat

Holding a kettlebell is similar to a dumbbell, but it doesn’t provide the same feedback as the two contact points. However, it’s still a highly effective exercise.

Squat to Curl

Performing a Curl at the bottom of each rep provides a huge challenge for your core muscles and teaches you to engage them during a Squat, which adds strength to the movement while protecting your spine.

Goblet Rear-Foot-Elevated Split Squat

The Rear-Foot-Elevated Split Squat develops single-leg strength and is an effective exercise to continue challenging yourself if your gym doesn’t have heavy dumbbells.

Goblet Squat Workouts

Goblet Squat Workout

1) Goblet Squats – 4×10

Goblet Squat Superset

1A) Goblet Squats – 4×8

1B) Hamstring Curls – 4×12

Full-Body Workout With Goblet Squats

1) Goblet Squat – 5×5

2A) Inverted Row – 4×8

2B) Half-Kneeling Overhead Press – 4×8 each arm

3A) Single-Leg RDL – 3×8 each leg

3B) Lateral Raises – 3×15

4) Pallof Press – 4×10 each side

RELATED:

• How to Master the Front Squat in 5 Minutes
• Build Lower-Body Power With This Squat Workout
• How to Correct a Little-Known Squat Mistake

Here’s one example:

And here’s another:

The phrase is good advice because it’s all too common for people to skip a leg day.

Leg workouts are hard, no doubt. Squats, Deadlifts and other leg exercises are physically demanding, and the soreness afterward can be beyond unpleasant. Couple these facts with the general preference for upper-body lifts, and you have a perfect list of excuses for someone to justify skipping leg day.

But it’s one of the worst things you can do in your workouts. So in this article, I’ll be your friend and attempt to convince you to never skip leg day.

Reason 1: You Will Look Ridiculous

We can all agree the guys in the photos above look silly. They clearly spend most of their time in the gym hammering their chest, arms and shoulders. Maybe they get some Leg Curls and Extensions  in from time to time. But even that is a stretch.

The result is embarrassingly small glutes and quads. You might be able to get away with a skipping a leg workout here and there (not ideal for all the reasons below), but becoming a serial leg-workout skipper will result in your exposure on the Internet, turning you into a meme like the pour souls above.

You’ve been warned.

Reason 2: You Will Suck at Sports

Except for pool sports, sports are played from the ground up. Obvious skill examples are sprinting and jumping.

However, even upper-body-centric skills like throwing a ball, swinging a bat and taking a slapshot follow this rule. Your lower-body muscles drive into the ground to create power, which travels up through your core and into whatever upper-body movement you are performing.

“In most sports, the power and everything you have comes from ground force production. Everything starts at the ground, moving from your ankles, knees and hips to your upper body,” states Ben Boudro, owner of Xceleration Sports (Auburn Hills, Michigan). “Your legs are your foundation. The stronger your foundation, the stronger and faster you will be in your skills.”

Try performing one of these skills without using your lower body and notice how your performance suffers.

The key leg muscles are the glutes, hamstrings and quads. Others muscles are involved, but we will focus on those three for the sake of simplicity. If you don’t train these muscles, it’s almost impossible to improve your sports skills and reach your potential no matter how talented you are.

Put simply, you will be a slow and weak athlete because of poor training choices.

RELATED: How Your Deadlift Max Will Make You Faster

Reason 3: You Will Neglect 2 of the Big 3 Lifts

The Big 3 lifts are the Bench Press, Squat and Deadlift. They work the major muscle groups of the body. (We could argue that an upper-body pulling exercise should be added, but that’s for another article.)

You should be doing these lifts if your goal is to get stronger, build muscle and even lose weight (more on this below). That’s why a vast majority of training programs feature these exercises and their variations. There’s no doubting their effectiveness.

Yet, too often the benches in the gym are 100 percent occupied, while the squat racks and areas where it’s possible to deadlift are completely vacant. This is very telling about most people’s priorities.

RELATED: Fix the 3 Key Exercises You’re Doing Wrong

Reason 4: It’s Harder to Build Muscle

The muscles in your hips and legs are the largest in your body. Boudro explains that training these muscles causes a massive release of growth hormone and testosterone, key elements for building muscle.

Assuming you do it correctly, training your lower-body muscles causes them to grow. But it also creates an anabolic environment in your body that can improve the muscle-building effects of your upper-body lifts.

Want to get a thicker torso? Do Deadlifts. Although it’s considered a lower-body lift, holding hundreds of pounds is one of the best ways to build your upper back, traps and grip.

The biggest and strongest people train their legs regularly. It’s non-negotiable.

WATCH: The Benefits of the Trap Bar Deadlift

Reason 5: It Makes It Harder to Burn Fat

Once again, neglecting the largest muscles in your body poses a problem.

Let’s say you want to lose weight. You’re probably looking for workouts that burn the most calories. The solution: do more lower-body exercises. The largest muscles in your body require the most energy to function, so working your legs will likely increase the amount of calories you burn in a typical workout.

Boudro adds, “One of the best exercises is the Squat. It’s going to work the entire body, and it hits the largest muscles in the body so it burns a lot of calories and you’re going to continue to burn more calories after your workout is finished.”

You also need to consider that adding muscle mass increases your resting metabolic rate—i.e., the number of calories your body burns at rest. So it only makes sense to focus a major part of your workouts on training the largest muscles in your body—the key to effective long-term fat loss.

Reason 6: You Will Be More Susceptible to Injury

If you’re an athlete, you probably understand the concept that a stronger lower body is more resistant to injury.

But sometimes athletes fall into a trap where they think their sport trains their legs sufficiently. Problem is, most athletic movements overemphasize the quads, creating what’s called quad dominance.

One common result of quad dominance? ACL injuries, especially in female athletes.

“If your hamstring isn’t developed and you’re not doing hip work, you’re so overdeveloped on the front part of your body and underdeveloped on the backside of your body, it will eventually lead to injury,” says Boudro.

That’s why it’s absolutely essential to regularly do leg work, and, more specifically, to strengthen your glutes and hamstrings.

RELATED: Prevent ACL Injuries With This Hamstring-Focused Workout

“We have different football sizes because it would be very difficult for a 9- or 10-year-old kid to throw an NFL ball,” explains Kevin Krysiak, Director of Global Innovation Team Sports at Wilson, the primary supplier of footballs to the NFL and NCAA. “The different sizes were created to be appropriate for athletes at each level.”

The governing bodies at each level determine the football’s dimensions, and manufacturers like Wilson must adhere to their guidelines. Although players may use different-sized balls throughout their careers, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re using different balls. Krysiak says that Wilson prides itself in offering a consistent experience throughout its product line.

Football Size Dimensions

Below are the dimensions of footballs from the NFL to the Junior level.

NFL

• Length: 11 inches
• Width: 7 inches
• Diameter: 21 inches

Collegiate/High School

• Length: 11 inches
• Width: 7 inches
• Diameter: 21 inches

Youth (12-14 years old)

• Length: 11 inches
• Width: 6.5 inches
• Diameter: 19.5 inches

Junior (9-12 years old)

• Length: 10.5 inches
• Width: 6 inches
• Diameter: 18.5 inches

Read More About Football:

• Football Field Dimensions and Goal Post Sizes: A Quick Guide
• All of the Football Positions, Explained
• How to Throw a Football – and Make it a Perfect Spiral Every Time
• The Ultimate Football Off-Season Training Guide

Here’s everything you need to know to correctly perform Dips, avoid common mistakes and build bigger and stronger triceps.

How To Do Dips

To perform Dips, you need parallel bars, a dip stand, or a dip machine. These devices can be standalone units, combined with a pull-up bar, or attached to a rack, as shown in our demo below.

Here’s how to do the exercise.

Step 1: Grasp the parallel bars and hop up so your arms are straight. Lean forward at about a 45-degree angle, bend at the waist, so your legs are vertical, and pull your toes up toward your shins. Pull your shoulders down and back. Maintain this body position throughout the exercise.

Step 2: Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body into the Dip until your upper arms are about parallel to the ground. Keep your elbows tight to your body.

Step 3: Straighten your arms to drive your body up to the starting position.

Dip Form Mistakes

According to Dr. Joel Seedman, owner of Advanced Human Performance, Dips are one of the most commonly butchered exercises in the weight room. He believes this is because there’s far less info on proper form compared to the Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, and most other exercises.

Dips are commonly viewed as an exercise that you can’t screw up, which is far from the truth. Dips done with poor form are not only less effective but are highly likely to cause shoulder pain.

Here are the common mistakes that you need to avoid.

Mistake 1: Poor upper-body position

This is the number one mistake people make when performing Dips. Most people lean too far forward, round their back, and have forward rounded shoulders. On the flip side, others try to maintain a close-to-vertical torso to more directly target their triceps more.

Either form of error puts your shoulders in a vulnerable position. There’s a good chance that if you experience shoulder pain during Dips, one of these technique mistakes is the culprit.

The fix requires you to:

• Maintain a 45-degree angle with your upper body
• Pull your shoulders down and back
• Keep your core tight

Mistake 2: Flaring your elbows

Another surefire way to screw up your shoulders is to flare your elbows out to your sides as your lower into a Dip. Some bodybuilders actually recommend flaring your elbows to hit the chest, but the stress placed on your shoulders isn’t worth it.

Similar to Push-Ups or Bench Presses, your elbows should be at no more than a 45-degree angle with your body. This puts your shoulders in a strong and stable position. For Dips, they can even be closer to your torso than when you do a Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Press or Close-Grip Bench Press.

Mistake 3: Messing up your range of motion

Lowering yourself too far puts your shoulders in a dangerous position. Failure to lower enough, and you’re only doing a partial rep that won’t fully challenge your muscles.

The key is to find a happy medium between the two. At the bottom of the dip, your upper arms should be parallel to the ground, and your elbows should be bent at approximately 90 degrees.

Mistake 4: Weak grip and bent wrists

There’s a tendency for the wrists to bend severely, often causing wrist pain. A poor grip limits muscle activation throughout the rest of the body, impairing stability and reducing the benefit of the exercise.

Throughout an entire set of Dips, try to crush the handles with your hands and maintain strong wrists. If you have trouble with this, spend extra time in your workouts improving your grip strength.

After reading about the mistakes, you can probably conclude that Dips have a tendency to cause shoulder problems, which is especially true if they are done incorrectly. If you have a shoulder injury or you’re an athlete who relies heavily on his or her shoulders, such as a baseball player or volleyball player, it’s best to avoid this exercise altogether.

The Benefits of Dips

Dips are considered an upper-body pressing exercise that primarily builds bigger and stronger triceps, but they also hit the chest, shoulders, and even the back.

In fact, Dips are one of the best exercises for developing overall upper-body strength and size. Many believe they’re as essential to developing complete upper-body strength as the Bench Press, Pull-Ups, and Rows—that is, if you can do them with good form and have healthy shoulders.

The triceps and general upper-body strength added by doing Dips will also improve your Bench Press strength. Stronger triceps help you drive through the sticking point (middle portion of the rep) of the press and have a stronger lockout.

Dips Muscles Worked

Dips are an upper-body exercise that focuses on the triceps. However, you can expect them to target your pecs, anterior deltoids, and muscles in your back. Even your biceps get a workout because they have to help control the descent.

For the sake of simplicity, we will focus on the triceps, pecs, and anterior deltoids.

Dip Alternatives and Variations

Here are three Dip variations that will help you decrease or increase the difficulty of the exercise.

Assisted Dips

Attach a band to the dip machine and place it under your feet. This provides assistance and makes it easier to perform the exercise if you lack the strength to perform it with proper form.

Weighted Dips

If you have mastered bodyweight Dips, it’s time to load up and challenge yourself. A weight vest is an ideal option, but you can also use a weight belt or simply hold a dumbbell between your feet.

Ring Dips

Ring Dips are the most challenging variation because of the added instability.

Avoid: Bench Dips

Bench Dips involve placing your hands on a bench behind you and bending your elbows to work your triceps. This is a common variation because it’s easier to perform, and you only need a bench to do them. The problem is this setup puts your shoulders in an extremely vulnerable position.

“Bench Dips cause maximal internal rotation and glenohumeral extension, which is a recipe for disaster,” says Tony Gentilcore, strength coach and owner of Core (Boston). “This is particularly problematic for athletes who have a history of shoulder problems or who play an overhead sport such as tennis or baseball.”

Dip Workouts

Here are a few options to help you add Dips to your workouts.

Dip Upper-Body Superset

1a) Dips – 4×8

1b) Dumbbell Rows – 4×8 each arm

Dip Arm Workout

1a) Dips – 3×12

1b) Hammer Curls – 3×12

Upper-Body Workout With Dips

1) Bench Press – 5×3

2) Barbell Rows – 5×5

3) Dips – 4×10

4) Pull-Ups – 4×8-10

5) Skull Crushers – 3×12

6) Hammer Curls – 3×15

READ MORE:

• This Little-Known Tricep Exercise Will Build a Bigger Bench Press
• The Simple Way Everyone Screws Up Tricep Pushdowns
• How Hand Placement Changes the Bench Press

For athletes, it develops the single-leg strength needed to be explosive off both legs when sprinting, jumping, and changing directions. It also focuses on the glutes and hamstrings, which are the primary drivers of the skills just listed.

More importantly, the Single-Leg RDL helps to eliminate strength imbalances on the left and right sides of the body and improves lower-body stability, which protects the knees from injury.

For non-athletes, the Single-Leg RDL is one of the best all-around exercises for developing lower-body strength, improving long-term health, and improving glute aesthetics (if that’s your goal).

But like many great exercises, its form is butchered more often than not. Sometimes lifters look like Quasimodo trying to raise and lower weight. Or, they bend straight forward and put a dangerous amount of stress on their lower back.

Performing Single-Leg RDLs with decent technique isn’t all that hard. But doing it perfectly can be a challenge, even for athletes and coaches who have significant experience in the weight room.

To help you master Single-Leg RDL, we’re going to give you the essential form cues, helpful tips, a strategy for learning the movement, and our favorite advanced versions to add serious strength to the backside of your body.

How to Perform the Single-Leg RDL

• Step 1: Stand balancing on your right leg and hold a dumbbell with your left hand in front of your thigh.
• Step 2: Sit your hips back as if you were being pulled by a rope attached to your waist., and allow your right knee to bend slightly. Your left leg should be straight (it’s OK if there’s a slight bend in the knee) and in line with your body throughout the rep.
• Step 3: Keeping your back flat, continue to bend at the waist until the dumbbell is at about mid-shin height (this ultimately depends on your hamstring flexibility).
• Step 4: Drive through your heel and push your hips forward to stand up to the starting position.

Coaching Points

• Focus your eyes on a fixed object about 10 feet in front of you.
• Set your neck by giving yourself a double chin.
• Hold the dumbbell as tightly as possible.
• Flex your glute when standing to improve balance.
• Try not to touch your elevated foot to the ground throughout the entire set.
• Take a deep breath in before each rep and tighten your core.
• Avoid rounding your back as you lower the dumbbell, especially as it gets close to the ground.
• Lower the dumbbell straight down in a vertical line.

To perfect this technique, we recommend following this five-step process:

Step 1: Perfect the Hip Hinge

The Hip Hinge is a fundamental movement pattern that’s essential for many exercises and sports skills. If you can’t hip hinge properly, there’s no way you can do the Single-Leg RDL.

Tony Bonvechio, strength coach at Cressey Sports Performance, provides detailed instructions on how to perfect the hip hinge in this article.

Step 2: Perform Double-Leg Dumbbell RDLs. 

Once you have the hip hinge down, try double leg Dumbbell RDLs. Start light and focus on keeping the dumbbells close to your legs throughout the entire rep. This is also a good opportunity to find your comfortable range of motion, which depends on your hamstring flexibility.

Step 3: Try Supported Single-Leg RDLs

Try doing a Single-Leg RDL while holding on to something like a TRX Suspension Trainer with the hand opposite your working leg. That way you can focus on perfecting the technique without worrying about balance.

Step 4: Perform an Unloaded Single-Leg RDL

Take away the strap and do Single-Leg RDLs without weight. To force yourself to sit back and keep your body in a straight line, reach forward as you lower into the exercise.

Step 5: Add some weight 

Now it’s time to load it up. Gradually add weight, and increase the load only if you can perform reps with perfect technique. Set up a camera or have a friend film you so you can assess your form. Eventually, you should be able to load up this exercise and develop some serious strength.

If you still have problems with the form, try these RDL variations from strength coach Seth Blevins.

If you’ve mastered the Single-Leg RDL, here are some advanced variations. Each of them isn’t much different from the traditional Single-Leg RDL, but the weight setup and opportunity to use heavier loads allow you to continue challenging your body. I’ve tried each of these lifts and found them incredibly effective.

WATCH: Drew Brees Builds Strong Glutes With Kettlebell Single-Leg RDLs

Double Dumbbell Single-Leg RDL 

Barbell Single-Leg RDL

Landmine Single-Leg RDL

RELATED:

• 3 Ways You’re Messing Up Romanian Deadlifts
• Fix the 10 Most Common Deadlift Mistakes
• The Benefits of Deadlifting With a Trap Bar

Front Squats are similar to Back Squats, however the barbell is placed across the front side of your shoulders instead of your upper back. This shifts the center of mass forward, which allows for a more upright posture, making it a spine-friendly lift. It also shifts some of the work from your glutes to your quads, making this one of the most effective quad strength and size builders.

This guide will teach you how to perform—and then perfect—your Front Squat technique. You’ll find photos and videos that illustrate the finer points of the move.

How to Perform the Front Squat: A Quick Overview

Begin with the barbell across the front side of your shoulders. Place your fingertips under the barbell just outside of your shoulders and drive your elbows up. Keeping your chest up and core tight, bend at your hips and knees to lower into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Straighten your hips and knees to drive up to the starting position.

That’s the gist of it. However, if you need more coaching, we go deeper on technique and common mistakes below.

Front Squat Barbell Placement

The barbell should sit across the front side of your shoulders close to your neck. A good way to tell if the bar is positioned correctly is to do a straight-arm test. Place the barbell across your shoulders and straighten your arms forward so they’re parallel to the ground. The barbell is in the proper position if it stays in place.

From this point, you can then decide which grip to use. You must remember that your hands are there to add extra stability and control, not to hold the weight, which is your torso’s job.

Here are the three Front Squat grip options:

Clean Grip

This is the classic grip used in the Front Squat and is the same position used when catching the bar during a Clean. With the barbell in position, place your fingertips under the bar just outside of your shoulders. Many people prefer to have all of their fingertips under the bar, but that’s not a requirement if it’s not comfortable—I prefer two fingers under the bar.

Now drive your elbows up so your upper arms are parallel to the ground. Your arms should also be parallel to each other. This is the grip you will hold throughout the lift.

The clean grip can cause wrist pain if you don’t have sufficient mobility and it is generally recommended that athletes who rely on their wrists (i.e., pitchers and tennis player) to avoid it. Also, it can be tough to get into this position if you have poor shoulder mobility or large biceps.

Cross Grip

The cross grip is another popular grip used for the Front Squat. Simply cross your arms in front of you and place your hands on the top of the barbell at your opposite shoulders. Now drive your elbows up so your arms are approximately parallel to the ground. This grip is easier on your wrists and has virtually no mobility limitations, but it might not feel as stable as the clean grip.

Clean Grip With Straps

This is a variation I learned from Dr. John Rusin, strength coach and physical therapist. Wrap a pair of lifting straps around the barbell and position them about shoulder-width apart. Grab hold of each strap as close to the barbell as you can and position your arms exactly like you would with the clean grip. This variation is easier on the wrists, requires less mobility and offers tremendous support. It’s my personal favorite.

Ideally, you should have a squat rack to do Front Squats. Begin with the bar on pins about chest height so you can get under the bar, position it across your shoulders and grip it before lifting it off the rack. If you don’t have access to a rack, you can deadlift the bar off of the floor and do a Hang Clean to get it up to your shoulders as shown below. However, this will limit the amount of weight you can use.

Front Squat Foot Position

Once you step back from the rack, it’s time to set your feet and prepare for your first rep. Start with your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart with your toes pointed slightly outwards at about 10-15 degrees. Try this position and you can then adjust to a narrower or stance wider depending on what feels good. There’s not a single correct stance. Experiment (with lightweight) and find what works for you.

Front Squat Technique Step-by-Step

Step 1: Take a deep breath in, tighten your core and pull your shoulder blades down and back.

Step 2: Sit your hips back, bend your knees and push your knees out to lower into the Squat. Keep your chest and elbows up throughout the rep.

Step 3: Continue bending your hips and knees under your thighs are approximately parallel the ground.

Step 4: Drive through your midfoot to stand up out of the squat as if you are pushing the ground away from you. You should feel your quads and glutes doing most of the work. Squeeze your glutes to extend your hips at the top of the Squat.

It’s a fairly simple exercise to perform, however there are a few common mistakes that you need to avoid:

Mistake 1: You hold the barbell with your arms. If your forearms are vertical and your arms are supporting the barbell, you’re doing it wrong. Refer back to the grip instructions and photos above.

Mistake 2: Your elbows drop. Keep your elbows up throughout the Squat. The barbell will slide forward off your shoulders if they tilt down too far.

Mistake 3: Your knees collapse inwards. This is extremely dangerous for your knees. To prevent it from happening, make a concerted effort to drive your knees outward as you lower into the squat. This will help to keep them aligned over your ankles and in a safe position that can handle heavy weight.

Mistake 4: You release your core. Tighten your core as if you’re about to get punched in the stomach. Hold this throughout the exercise and reset at the top of the lift if needed. Otherwise, you might tilt forward and drop the bar.

How to Front Squat With Dumbbells

If you don’t have access to a barbell, you can also do Front Squats with dumbbells. Some people like to hold the dumbbells horizontally with one end of the dumbbell on their shoulders. We find this makes your arms work too hard. It’s easier to hold the dumbbells vertically on your shoulders as shown above. Use the same technique as the Barbell Front Squat.

How to Front Squat With Kettlebells

The Double Kettlebell Front Squat is a favorite among strength coaches. It’s beginner-friendly, builds lower-body strength and will improve Front Squat form. Boston-based strength coach Tony Gentilcore goes into detail on why he loves this lift here. Again, use the same technique as the Barbell Front Squat.

The Benefits of the Front Squat

The Front Squat is a compound exercise, meaning that multiple joints and muscle groups are involved. Although it’s primarily a lower-body exercise, it’s really a full-body lift. Everything from your feet to your arms has to work together to perform this lift correctly.

Here are some of the benefits of the Front Squat:

It Builds Strong Quads

The Front Squat is considered one of the most effective exercises for building quad strength and size. Rather than wasting time on Leg Extensions, do Front Squats. You will build your quads and receive so many other benefits that aren’t possible being locked into a machine.

It’s Easier on Your Back

The upright torso position in the Front Squat puts less stress on your lumbar spine (lower back) compared to Back Squats, which require a forward torso lean. That said, a Back Squat performed with correct form shouldn’t cause any problems.

It Builds a Stronger Core

The Front Squat can be considered a weighted core exercise. The position of the bar and upright torso works the front of your core (abs and obliques), and helps build the core strength you need to handle heavy weight in other lifts, such as the Back Squat or Deadlift.

It’s Easier on Your Knees

Research shows that Front Squats are easier on the knees than Back Squats, which makes it a great option if you have prior knee injuries or nagging knee pain. However, this might be because you can’t lift as much weight as with Back Squats.

It Improves Mobility

Front Squats improve mobility in your hips, upper back and shoulders. If you’re feeling tight or your technique is off in other lower-body exercises, adding Front Squats into your routine might correct the problem(s).

These benefits add up to make the Front Squat one of the best lifts for athletes, and is a worthy addition to a lower-body training program.

Front Squat Muscles Worked

Everything from your feet to your arms plays a critical role in the Front Squat. However, the quads and glutes are considered the primary movers, or primary muscles that you’re training on this exercise.

RELATED LINKS:

• Why Baseball Players Should Never Back Squat
• The Best Squat Variations for People With Back Issues
• Take the Triple Squat Challenge to Add Leg Strength and Size

Length of a Football Field

The total length of a football field is 120 yards. The playing field is 100 yards (300 feet) long, and each end zone is 10 yards (30 feet) deep. The field is marked with a yard line every 5 yards, and every 10 yards is marked by a field number. The hash marks are 1 yard apart, used to mark each down when the ball is between the yard lines.

RELATED: 4 Football Conditioning Drills That Work

Width of a Football Field

The standard football field is 53 1/3 yards, or 160 feet, wide. The primary difference among different levels of play is the space between the two sets of hash marks:

• High School —  53 feet, 4 inches
• College — 40 feet
• NFL — 18 feet, 6 inches

All plays begin on or between the hash marks, depending on where the previous play ended. For example, if the previous play ended along the right sideline, the ball will be placed on the right hash mark.

RELATED: How Football Sizes Change at Each Level of the Sport

Goal Post Dimensions

The football goal crossbar is 10 feet high, and the posts are an additional 20 feet high, for a total height of 30 feet. NFL and NCAA goalposts are 18 feet, 6 inches wide. High school goalposts are 23 feet, 4 inches wide.

Read More About Football:

• All of the Football Positions, Explained
• How to Throw a Football – and Make it a Perfect Spiral Every Time
• The Ultimate Football Off-Season Training Guide

Based on our coach’s “speech” in the locker room after the game, we knew we were in for a rude awakening at our next practice. Sure enough, when we got on the ice, the coach set a bucket in the center of the rink. He called it the “puke bucket.”

Inevitably, a few of my teammates and I made a trip to the bucket after rounds of sprints that made us feel like we were starring in the movie Miracle.

Is this a wise coaching tactic? Well, that’s for another article.

At some point in your athletic career, you’ve probably lost your lunch—or at least you felt like you might. It probably came during a tough practice, a long game, or an intense workout. Regardless, it’s never convenient, and it’s always kind of embarrassing.

I know firsthand.

Why Do We Vomit from Intense Exercise?

Exercise is designed to push your body to its limits. Whether you lift heavy weights in the gym or perform sprints after practice, the idea is to challenge your body, causing it to adapt and make strength, size, power and/or endurance improvements.

Sports are different; they aren’t meant to cause improvement. You’re simply trying to succeed in whatever event you’re participating in. But this inherently causes you to push your body to the limit.

During intense activity, many things can happen in your body that might cause what’s technically called exercise-induced nausea, which can result in vomiting. We’ll focus on the two main causes.

Your Blood Flow Changes

Your muscles do a ton of work during a workout or game. Knowing this, your body puts your muscles on a VIP list so they have the resources needed to perform at their peak. In this case, the resource is blood, which carries oxygen and nutrients to your muscles.

To supply your muscles with extra blood, your body shifts blood flow away from your stomach and intestines, which slows down digestion. If you ate a poorly timed meal before starting an activity, the food just sits there, causing an upset stomach. At a certain point, your stomach might reject the food, and you will feel nauseous or worse, vomit.

A 2001 study confirmed that eating a meal immediately before a high-intensity workout increases exercise-induced nausea.

According to Dr. Joel Seedman, an exercise physiologist and owner of AdvancedHumanPerformance.com, this most commonly occurs during full-body workouts. When you use several muscle groups, more blood pools in your muscles and won’t be available for your stomach and intestines. You might also experience higher levels of nausea from leg workouts, because the muscles are so large.

If you do vomit, you usually feel better almost immediately. Despite the gross taste in your mouth, you can continue playing your sport or working out.

Your Lactate Levels Increase

You know when you perform a tough exercise and feel “the burn”? This is a sign that levels of lactate—a byproduct of energy metabolism—in your body are increasing. Lactate is used to create more energy, but if your muscles produce more lactate than they can handle, it accumulates in your blood. At a certain point, you reach the maximum amount of lactate your body can handle. This is called the lactate threshold.

As lactate levels increase, acidity levels also rise in your body. Your brain senses this as a toxic environment, and as a defense mechanism, it wants to get rid of the toxicity by causing you to vomit.

When this occurs depends on your conditioning and type of activity. If you suddenly do a crazy intense workout that might be beyond your ability, there’s a decent chance you might feel nauseous. Even a short break from training can cause unexpected nausea.

“If you take a few weeks off from a workout, your strength will not be impaired. In fact, it may increase. However, your body’s aerobic and anaerobic systems detrain within a few days,” explains Seedman. “So what happens is you’re able to stress your body to the same levels, but it catches up to you quickly because your body can’t keep up.”

Seedman says that a strength workout with high reps and short rest intervals (often seen in muscle-building routines) can be a culprit, even if the workout doesn’t leave you gasping for air. In this style of workout, lots of lactate is produced with little time between sets for your body to process it.

What Should You Do?

A lot comes down to genetics. Some people are able to avoid exercise-induced nausea better than others. And just because you vomit doesn’t necessarily mean you’re out of shape or less tough.

However, there are some things you can do to reduce your chance of vomiting during a workout or game.

Properly Time Your Nutrition

According to sports dietician Leslie Bonci, it’s critical to time your food and fluid intake before a game to maximize your performance and prevent stomach issues. She recommends following this schedule:

• Drink 20 ounces of fluid an hour before.
• Eat a small snack (about 100 calories) an hour before.
• If you eat a meal, do so about three hours before the game.

Increase Your Lactate Threshold

The second strategy is to improve your conditioning. Increasing your lactate threshold will reduce the likelihood of vomiting from a workout—unless you push yourself beyond what you’re capable of. To do this, you need to train at a high intensity, such as with intervals. Here are five drills that can increase your lactate threshold.

You Don’t Need to Puke for a Workout to be Effective

Vomiting occasionally from a workout is OK. It’s not fun, but there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. However, there’s no need to make it a habit when you work out. That just means you’re not training intelligently and within your work capacity. If you consistently feel nauseous from your workouts, it’s time to reassess them and maybe scale them back a bit.

If you vomit during a workout or sporting event, make sure to rehydrate with an electrolyte beverage such as a sports drink. This replenishes the lost fluid and nutrients that were in your digestive system and can prevent performance issues later in the session.

RELATED: Water or Sports Drink – What to Drink When?