Peyton Manning is performing the Pass Drop with Overspeed, an exercise that builds speed and quickness to his muscles and mind. This trains him to release the ball faster so he can avoid any hits.

Peyton Manning has one of best work ethics of any professional athlete in sports and that is evident in his workout routine (and obviously what he does on the football field). He simply is the most prepared guy come Sundays and you have to wonder what his workout routine is that got him so good.

Manning will go down as one of the best quarterbacks ever not only due to his passing ability from within the pocket, but due to his ability to lead his team by recognizing defenses and calling audibles on the line of scrimmage.

Even when he is not working, he’s working. At any point during a game when he’s on the sideline, you can see him studying the playbook. While most QBs watch and root their defense on, Manning makes sure he’s ready for his next outing to be the most efficient player he can be. He approaches his training with this attitude as well.

According to STACK Magazine, Peyton Manning prepares in the off-season by working out at D-1 Sports, created by Will Bartholomew. “Will named it D1—not because he can guarantee that you will become a D1 athlete—but because he will train you like one,” Manning says. “They hold you accountable for yourself, and you’re truly part of a team here. I wish I had something like this when I was 14 years old. Back then, I saw some crazy exercises on TV and would go do them in my backyard. I had no idea what I was doing. We would lift weights, and then have to drive across town for a field to run on. Here, they have weights and the field.”

Below is a shortened modified version of Peyton Manning’s off-season workout routine that he performs with D1 Sports posted by Stack Magazine. It is separated by Core Exercises, Flexibility Exercises, Agility Exercises, and Strength Exercises that Manning routinely does.

Core

Manning performs each core exercise immediately followed by a flexibility exercise, supersetting each.

Seated Overhead Med Ball Throws- 1 Set x 15 Reps
Partner Med Ball Rotation Throws– 1 Set x 8 Reps each side
Lateral Partner Med Ball Rotation Throws- 1 Set x 8 Reps each side
Med Ball Toe Touches– 1 Set x 15 Reps
Russian Twist– 1 Set x 10 Reps each side

As you can see, Manning relies heavily on medicine ball workouts for his core. There are many advantages to training with medicine balls. They allow for improved range of motion, core strength, coordination, flexibility, joint integrity, and upper and lower body strength. Working with medicine balls also forces you to work through multiple planes of movement.

Flexibility

Manning brings each stretch to a point of slight tension then holds it for 15 seconds. He makes sure to perform directional stretches on both sides. By increasing your range of motion, your performance may be enhanced and the risk of injury reduced. Quarterbacks sometimes twist and turn their bodies to make a throw and they also take huge hits from a charging defensive player. Their muscles can get injured at any time so it’s important to keep them stretched. Even a simple run can tweak a hamstring.

Agility

Reactive Tennis Ball Shuffle– 3 Sets x 15 seconds
Pass Drop with Overspeed- 4 Reps
Pass Drop with Bungee Resistance– 4 Reps
Mini Hurdle Shuffle– 4 Reps x 5 changes of direction
Speed Ladder- 2 Sets

Straight Run: One Foot  – One foot in each box
Straight Run: Two Feet  – Two feet in each box
Hop Scotch – In hopping fashion, land both feet simultaneously in each box, then both feet simultaneously outside each box
For second set, perform drill in every other box

Ickey Shuffle – 2x each drill

Some of the most effective things in his workout is the bungee resistance and agility ladder. With a bungee resistance you are working with resistance. Because resistance training results in stronger bones, increased flexibility, and stronger connective tissue, your body really gets stronger when attached to a cord. Not to mention, your body is adapting to a force placed on it by the resistance so you are better conditioned to take hits and move in specific directions. In addition, Manning also uses an agility ladder in his workout. The training effect is similar to a jump rope but with several advantages. Agility ladders are multi-directional because you can move forward, sideways, and sometimes backwards. Your feet are also allowed to move independently in more complex patterns than a jump rope allows. The cycle time can be increased greatly because you are not limited by the speed of the rope turn. The result is you can train your feet to move more quickly and move more efficiently in multiple directions.

Strength

Manning supersets the following exercises: DB Bench with Back Hypers and Tricep Pushdown with Hamstring Curls

Dumbbell Bench– 4 Sets x 6 Reps
Back Hypers– 3 Sets x 8-10 Reps
Tricep Pushdown Dropset- 2 Sets x 10+10+10 Dropping Weight 10-15 pounds each time with no rest in between
Hamstring Curl with Single-Leg Negative– 2 Sets x 5 Reps each leg

He also does a lot of supersets. Studies have shown that supersets produce greater strength gains than traditional sets. You can also do more exercises in a shorter period of time since you are using your rest time to do another exercise. This not only can build up strength but also works on your conditioning.

Manning makes sure that what he does from a nutrition and hydration standpoint makes a difference. It takes longer for his body to recover, especially as he gets older, so he makes sure to get the proper nutrition with the right amount of macronutrients and at the proper times while drinking plenty of fluids.

NOTE: This is only part of Peyton Manning’s workout routine, in which we offer some additional commentary to his regimen. To see the whole routine and to go more in-depth with athlete workouts, be sure to check out STACK Magazine

http://magazine.stack.com/TheIssue/Article/4717/Peyton_Mannings_Training_Routine.aspx