Tight End Workout Routine

Set up a circuit training regimen, which can help you build muscles to improve your strength and speed for playing tight end. An added benefit to circuit training is that you can include new drills to keep it from being mundane. Incorporate speed drills such as the 40-yard dash, agility drills such as running through a speed ladder on the ground and strength drills such as flipping large tractor tires. Many gyms with outdoor facilities have the room and equipment for all three drills.

Spend ample time in the weight room to enhance your upper- and lower-body strength. Because tight ends must block defenders who are often much larger in stature, strength is crucial. San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, who is known for his intense workouts, performs a combination of bench presses, squats, power clean lifts, bent over rows and upright rows to build the muscles in his upper body, legs and core. The amount of weight you lift depends on your weight, but aim for fewer reps of more weight to bulk up.

Recruit a partner to help you with blocking drills. Have the partner hold a blocking pad and line up 2 or 3 yards from you. Get in your stance and explode into your partner's pad and push him backward. Practice blocking schemes for different styles of play. For run blocking, angle the defender away from where your running back would be hitting the hole. For pass blocking in which you have a route to run, knock the defender off balance and then run a short route, such as a hook or a slant.

Have a coach, quarterback or someone else who can effectively throw a football throw passes to you. Strength and blocking are the unsung duties of a tight end, but catching passes is a way for you to get into the action offensively. Speak with your position coach to discuss the routes you'll run in the team's offense. Tight ends typically run short patterns, such as slants, hooks, ins and outs. Combine the blocking drill with the pass catching drill to simulate game action.