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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.

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Russell Wilson
Al Pereira / Contributor / Getty
Russell Wilson
Al Pereira / Contributor / Getty

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 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

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Russell Wilson's football workout

Day 1

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 1 of 4

Medicine Ball Rotational Throw

Equipment
Medicine Ball
Sets
3
Reps
5
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 2 of 4

Medicine Ball Woodchop

Equipment
Medicine Ball
Sets
3
Reps
5
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 3 of 4

Trap Raise

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
3
Reps
5
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 4 of 4

Squat

Equipment
Squat Rack
Sets
3
Reps
5 (each side)
Rest
0 sec.
Single-leg squats
Exercise 5 of 4

Suspended Row

Equipment
Strap
Sets
4
Reps
8
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 6 of 4

Overhead Biceps Cable Curl

Equipment
Elastic Band
Sets
2
Reps
8
Rest
0 sec.

Russell Wilson's football workout

Day 2

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 7 of 4

Front Squat

Equipment
Barbell
Sets
3
Reps
5
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 8 of 4

Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
3
Reps
5 (each side)
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 9 of 4

Machine Press

Equipment
Sets
3
Reps
8
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 10 of 4

2-Angle Dumbbell Flye

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
2
Reps
8
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 11 of 4

Resistance Band Pull Apart

Equipment
Resistance Band
Sets
3
Reps
35
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 12 of 4

Overhead cable triceps extension

Equipment
Adjustable Cable Machine
Sets
3
Reps
8
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 13 of 4

Swiss Ball Plank Circle

Equipment
Swiss Ball
Sets
3
Reps
30 sec.
Rest
0 sec.

Russell Wilson's football workout

Day 3

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 14 of 4

Dumbbell Hang Clean and Squat and Press

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
3
Reps
3 (each side)
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 15 of 4

Trap Raise

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
3
Reps
5
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 16 of 4

Stepup

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
3
Reps
5 (each side)
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 17 of 4

Lat Pulldown

Equipment
Cable Machine
Sets
2
Reps
8
Rest
0 sec.
With towels
Exercise 18 of 4

One-arm reverse-grip cable row

Equipment
Cable Machine
Sets
2
Reps
8
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 20 of 4

Band Curl

Equipment
Resistance Band
Sets
2
Reps
30 sec.
Rest
0 sec.

Russell Wilson's football workout

Day 4

Exercise
Equipment
Sets
Reps
Rest
Exercise 21 of 4

Squat

Equipment
Squat Rack
Sets
4
Reps
5
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 22 of 4

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

Equipment
Dumbbells
Sets
3
Reps
5
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 23 of 4

Incline Barbell Bench Press

Equipment
Barbell, Bench
Sets
3
Reps
8 (each side)
Rest
0 sec.
Exercise 24 of 4

Pushup

Equipment
Sets
2
Reps
15, 12. 10
Rest
0 sec.
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