Moon's Minute: Improving Your Athleticism

One of the NFL's all-time greats, Warren Moon will be contributing a weekly column to NFLHS.com this season. An outstanding quarterback at every level, Moon played 17 years in the NFL and six years before that in the CFL. He owns the NFL record for most passes completed in a season (404, 1991), is second in NFL history in passing yards-per-game (527, vs. Kansas City, Dec. 16, 1990), and stands third in the NFL record books in passing attempts and completions. The 1977 Pac 8 Player of the Year for the University of Washington and an All-American at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, Moon is not only a leader on the field. He was named the NFL Man of the Year in 1989 for the tremendous work he does with numerous charitable organizations.

I never felt like I was a great athlete in high school. I figured I was a good athlete, and maybe an above-average athlete for the quarterback position, but as far as being able to play other positions, I usually felt like I wasn't fast enough or strong enough to play in college. At the high school level I was good enough to play wide receiver or defensive back, but looking at the next level, I felt like I was best suited to play quarterback.

Because I wanted to become a better quarterback, I used to work with a pulley-cable system called an "Exergenie", which I'd attach to the fence around the track at my high school and do arm-strengthening exercises. Nowadays kids use rubber bands to do the same thing I started to use the rubber bands in college because nobody was using them before that.

I also got into a very light weightlifting program in high school. I don't think that weightlifting should be a main focus for young kids. I think it should be something that progresses over your three or four years because kids are still growing at that age. Some guys develop naturally younger than others so it all depends on how your body is growing.

I was and am a big believer in doing drills with your own body weight: doing pushups for your chest, dips for your triceps, a lot of situps lots of things like that. In 10th grade I started lifting weights, and I expanded the program slowly so that in 12th grade I was into a full-fledged program. I really think it's something you should take slowly, especially for the younger kids.

I did a lot my working out by myself, but I think it's always good to have a partner to work out with. If your partner is as motivated as you are, the two of you can push one another to make sure you're getting as much as you can out of each drill. Make sure your partner is someone motivated because you don't want to have to drag someone along every time you go work out.

Good luck!

Come back next week for more from Warren Moon!

Previous Articles:
Warren Moon: A Lot to Think About
Warren Moon: De La Salle - Poly Preview