How Arch Manning trains for power, mobility and longevity
Arch Manning focuses on mobility and flexibility to prevent injuries
© Roger Ho
In the strength and conditioning world, it used to be about how much you could squat or how much you could bench - kind of meatheadish. Now, it’s more about injury prevention and completing workouts that mimic the games and what movements you’re going to be doing while you’re playing.
You come from a storied football family. Was there a moment as a kid when you realized the family occupation of quarterback was something you also wanted to pursue?
Would you say your familial connection to the game helped make pursuing football a tangible goal?
I liked playing in the backyard with my brother and at recess, and just kept playing. Now here we are. I never viewed it as anything more than playing a game. When I started to get recruited, I thought, “Okay, maybe I can do this in college,” but I always liked playing and will keep trying to play until I’m no longer having fun.
In terms of having fun, let’s explore your workout regimen. Why is mobility such a priority for you?
Going back, my dad and grandfather imparted to me at a young age the more mobile you are, the more you stretch, and the more flexible you are, the less you get injured. I took that to heart, which is why I try to be as mobile and flexible as possible and take pride in that part of the workout as best I can.
Is longevity then something you’re thinking about as you’re going through your mobility?
One-hundred percent. I want to be able to move around and hopefully play football for a while. But even beyond that, I want to be able to play outside with my future kids and my grandkids.
More specifically, how does rotational mobility help you when it comes to throwing and being in the pocket?
It’s huge because we’re rotational athletes as throwers. We do a lot of rotational stuff in the weight room and a lot of core strengthening to help us with throwing.
Texas quarterback, Arch Manning focuses on core strengthening
© Roger Ho
How do the rotational and core exercises impact you on the field?
By being able to be stable in those positions and help my accuracy. We also work with one of our strength guys on how to fall. When you get tackled, you tuck your chin, you land a certain way, so he’s put together some good clips of me falling or getting sacked and landing without getting a concussion or anything.
How does training carry over to those in-game moments when you’re under pressure, need to make split second decisions in the pocket, or when you’re on the run and need to think fast?
A guy could be running at you and you’ll have to cut, make a move, or back out of it, and I think doing that type of stuff during the summer and offseason helps for when those moments arise in the game. The workouts and the science behind everything just keeps getting better and better.
When training to be a powerful quarterback, how does that differ from the workouts of say a defensive lineman or a wide receiver?
Obviously you still want to build strength because football is a physical game, but we’re not out there hangcleaning and barbell benching like the D-linemen and O-linemen. There’s definitely a method to it, with quarterback being more rotational stuff and more arm care, but we’ll still squat and do deadlifts. It’s all fun.
How does your lower body strength impact your accuracy and, confidence, and your overall ability to throw?
A lot of people will tell you that a quarterback’s mechanics start with their feet and lower body. Whenever I’m not accurate or miss a throw, I’ll always think about where my feet were. So the lower body is very important and we build that out in the weight room through squatting, jump roping, and continuing to get my feet engaged.
How do you balance getting stronger while staying flexible?
In high school, maybe sophomore year, I was benching a lot, trying to be all jacked. But I got kind of stiff and wasn’t throwing as well as I wanted to, so there’s definitely a balance. You want to build strength but also stay loose and flexible. We do a good job of not overdoing the strength part while trying to stay loose and nimble.
After a full week of training, what do you do physically and mentally to prepare for game day?
A lot of it is film study for game day - learning your opponent and also mastering the game plan. You’re also eating well and sleeping well, and I like to have really good sleep on Thursday night because Friday you’re in the hotel and you’re anxious about the game. So really good sleep Thursday night and then you’re ready to roll.
Arch Manning recharging in between sets with Red Bull Energy Drink
© Roger Ho
As you prepare for gameday, what role does Red Bull play?
We’re an early morning operation, which is when we workout. If we have a lift at 8am, I like to eat breakfast and drink a Red Bull 30-45 minutes before the workout and then get ready to go.
What’s your regimen between games and how do you maintain a strong body and mind throughout the season?
Having days to decompress. Sunday I’ll hang out with buddies, get my recovery in and just get away from football as much as I can that day. Then I’ll attack it come Monday and start over. But I think keeping the same routine and keeping your process the same throughout the season is central to success.
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