8/30/22, 3:37 PM Russell Wilson's football workout | Muscle & Fitness

RUSSELL WILSON’S FOOTBALL WORKOUT

The Seattle Seahawks passer is one of the NFL's elite
quarterbacks. Find out how he prepares his body for battle on
the gridiron.

30 4 YES

At this point in his career, there’s no doubt that Russell Wilson is one of the
NFL’s elite quarterbacks. Though he was picked up by the Seahawks in the third
round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Wilson already has a Super Bowl ring—and with his
combination of scrambling speed, throwing power, and accuracy, Wilson’s skill
under center is hard to match.

Much of that quarterbacking prowess comes from his hard work in the gym. At
5′11″, 205 pounds, Wilson doesn’t have the frame of giants like Panthers QB Cam
Newton—so he works out hard, day in and day out, by mixing up his training
using weight work, speed exercises, Olympic lifts, and sprint drills to make sure
he’s in prime athletic shape.

Wilson’s play on the field makes the Seahawks a perennial Super Bowl
contender—and one of the most exciting teams to watch in the league. Here’s
the workout that helped make Wilson a Super Bowl champion.

HOW IT WORKS
Wilson lifts weights four days per week. His sessions are split up into two speed
days and two strength days. The speed days focus on variants of Olympic

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weightlifting exercises that develop power—this aids Wilson in running, cutting,

and scrambling in the pocket.

The strength days include heavier lifts to build greater muscle power, as well as
corrective exercises to prevent injury. For example, the dumbbell I-Y-T, band
pull-apart, and scap pushup all focus on the upper back. The stronger the
muscles around Wilson’s shoulder blades are, the better he can wind up for a
deep pass, and the healthier his shoulders will be after hours of throws and
brutal collisions.

Wilson used this kind of training to go from 208 pounds to 216 pounds during
his time off from football, combining it with a diet designed to optimize his
performance. If the workout below is good enough for one of football’s best,
imagine what it can do for a backyard quarterback like you.

DIRECTIONS
Perform each workout (Day 1, 2, 3, and 4) once per week, resting a day between
each session. Complete all sets for one exercise before going on to the next.

ROUTINE
RUSSELL WILSON'S FOOTBALL WORKOUT
Day 1

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT SETS REPS R E ST

MEDICINE BALL ROTATIONAL THROW Medicine Ball 3 5 0 sec.

MEDICINE BALL WOODCHOP Medicine Ball 3 5 0 sec.

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TRAP RAISE Dumbbells 3 5 0 sec.

5 ( E AC H
SQUAT Squat Rack 3
SIDE) 0 sec.

Single-leg squats

SUSPENDED ROW Strap 4 8 0 sec.

OVERHEAD BICEPS CABLE CURL Elastic Band 2 8 0 sec.

RUSSELL WILSON'S FOOTBALL WORKOUT

Day 2

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT SETS REPS R E ST

FRONT SQUAT Barbell 3 5 0 sec.

5 ( E AC H
SINGLE-LEG ROMANIAN DEADLIFT Dumbbells 3
SIDE)
0 sec.

MACHINE PRESS 3 8 0 sec.

2-ANGLE DUMBBELL FLYE Dumbbells 2 8 0 sec.

Resistance
RESISTANCE BAND PULL APART Band
3 35 0 sec.

Adjustable
OVERHEAD CABLE TRICEPS EXTENSION Cable Machine
3 8 0 sec.

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SWISS BALL PL ANK CIRCLE Swiss Ball 3 30 SEC. 0 sec.

RUSSELL WILSON'S FOOTBALL WORKOUT

Day 3

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT SETS REPS R E ST

DUMBBELL HANG CLEAN AND SQUAT AND Dumbbells 3

3 ( E AC H
0 sec.
PRESS SIDE)

TRAP RAISE Dumbbells 3 5 0 sec.

5 ( E AC H
STEPUP Dumbbells 3
SIDE) 0 sec.

L AT PULLDOWN Cable Machine 2 8 0 sec.

With towels

ONE-ARM REVERSE-GRIP CABLE ROW Cable Machine 2 8 0 sec.

PUSHUP 3 8 0 sec.

Resistance
BAND CURL Band
2 30 SEC. 0 sec.

RUSSELL WILSON'S FOOTBALL WORKOUT

Day 4

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT SETS REPS R E ST

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SQUAT Squat Rack 4 5 0 sec.

DUMBBELL ROMANIAN DEADLIFT Dumbbells 3 5 0 sec.

8 ( E AC H
INCLINE BARBELL BENCH PRESS Barbell, Bench 3
SIDE)
0 sec.

PUSHUP 2 15, 12. 10 0 sec.

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