The Players:Tony Triceps, resident meathead extraordinaire and Mikey Mobility supporter of all things ROM (range of motion) related.
Mikey:Hey Tone looks like you are getting nice and swole for the upcoming football season
Tony: Cha bra, these guns are gonna do some damage on the field!
Mikey:Impressive indeed, but let me get your ear for a second. What if I told you that you can get faster, more agile and prevent injury in a mere 10-15 min a day. Would you be interested?
Tony: (puts down his EZ curl bar) Yea brudda what do I gotta do? More curls?
Mikey:Mobility work and stretching
Tony: What’s a mobility?
FIN
Obviously exaggerated for dramatic effect but sadly this is a scenario I see all too often.A lot of athletes just forget or completely ignore mobility.Many athletes go to great lengths to increase their strength.Toiling for hours with iron like a modern day blacksmith.Gains are great, benches go up, plates get slapped on the bar and limbs thicken like weeds.These guys look the part and cast a long and wide shadow of intimidation over the opposition.But when Tony Triceps in his form fitting Under Armour onesy tries to chase down a ball carrier he gets as much knee drive as a kick line of 90 year olds. Of course those tight hips get shook from a cutback and if his ego isn’t torn chances are a part of his posterior chain is from being introduced to an unfamiliar ROM.
Sigh, oh what could poor muscle-bound Tony T have done differently that would have prevented this unenviable position. Did someone say mobility work? Tell him what he’s won Ed.
Let’s consider the basic summer training period for most football players.Ballpark a time extending from May 15th to August 15th disregarding differences in age, level etc.Put the basic training block at 6hrs/week (1.5 hr session 4 times a week) for a grand total of 72 hours the entire summer.If we set aside 10 min a day for mobility we are looking at 40 a week which translates into 8 hours total for the entire summer.This comes to a mere 11% of your total training, to aid in injury prevention, balance, speed and agility.But here’s the great part about mobility enhancement…..you don’t even need to be in the gym.Crazy idea right?Becoming a better athlete from the comfort of your own home, watching TV, listening to young jeezy weezy, even eating a sandwich (at your own risk).If you have free time (and everyone has some don’t give me the no free time excuse, when in doubt do it before bed) take advantage and get yourself better.
An important feature to remember: like strength training mobility is something you have to constantly work at.And we’re not doing maintenance work here people, step outside your comfort zone, improve and increase your worth as an athlete.
Here is a sample mobility circuit you, like Shakira can do where ever, when ever. We’re going to go with the number 4 a lot to avoid thinking too much.
On Your Hands:
-4 Spidermen each
-4 Grasshoppers each
On Your Feet:
4 Body Weight Squats/ 4 Quad Stretches each
4 Toe Touches each/ 4 Figure Fours each
On Your Back:
-4 Dynamic Kicks with :15 hold each
-4 Single Leg Thrusts each
-4 Iron Crosses each
-4 Back Rolls to V-sit reaches
-4 Dynamic Shoulder Touches each
On Your Stomach:
-4 Scorpions each
-4 Knee to Armpits each
On Your Knees:
- 4 Cat Camels
- 4 Fire Hydrants each
-4 Frog Hip Stretches
- 4 Dynamic Shoulder flings each
-4 Shoulder Stretches each
StaticStretches:
-Foot on Box Hip Flexor Stretch (Facing Box) 2x:30each
-Foot on Box Hip Flexor Stretch (Back Foot on Box ala Bulgarian Split Squats) 2 X:30 each
-Calf Stretch :15 each
-Chest Wall stretch :15 sec each
I just did this, it took a whopping 8 min and 37.67 seconds.Invariably I forgot something but you pretty much have hit every major joint and muscle in under ten min.Throw some foam rolling in there prior to the stretching and mobility and you are looking at 15 min tops.And the best part? You don’t need any fancy (or standard) piece of equipment.No bar, sandbag, wobble board or intense music necessary, this can be done anywhere.
Sink your hips and change direction on the run, move fluidly on the field and stay injury free in 15 extra min a day-for my money it’s a bargain.Killing yourself in the weight room is only part of the athletic process, tie it all together and become a complete player with mobility work.
“Damn!”, screamed the guy dead lifting across the gym. Curious, I asked him what was wrong. “I only got 405 for 4!” he retorted, clearly annoyed. “Hmmm,” I said. “Have you ever deadlifted 405 before?” Calming slightly, he replied “No, well, I guess I haven’t.” Laughing at this point, I said “Well, how can you be mad if you have never done it before!” Believe it or not, I see this phenomenon play out on a weekly basis, and while it is lifters who care so much that make our gym great, I do feel as though in general, there are a lot of irrational people out there when it comes to getting angry in the gym. This is most definitely a humorous post, and those who have spent time in the gym have seen these guys. Without further adieu, here are my Top 3 irrational angry lifter moments.
1.)The guy who doesn’t understand the concept of pre fatigue. Some people just don’t understand the concept of exercise order, and its HUGE impact on performance. Let’s take shoulder presses for example. If you do them first, you are going to do far better than if you are doing them as your fourth exercise, with 12 working sets under your belt already! Understand this, and don’t get mad.
2.)The angry PR guy. We have a kid who we absolutely love, but who gets angry every time he benches a Personal Record because he always wanted one more rep. Even though he has never done that before. Yep.
This guys just set a PR...and he's pissed!
3.)The overanalyzer. When this guy doesn’t perform well, he overanalyzes EVERYTHING, and attributes his lack of progress to how he slept 3 days or ago, or maybe it was that 5 lb dumbbell he picked up yesterday, or maybe it was something he ate, or blah, blah blah, blah blah…
Got any angry lifter moments in your gym? Do share!
One of our most popular athletes at the gym is “Sam Bonato.” ”Sam plays Nose Tackle for a Division III school in Central New York, and while I cannot provide you with his real name per NCAA regulations, everybody who trains at our gym is undoubtedly laughing right now. Why is Sam so popular? Because he has the biggest neck in the gym! He takes a lot of ribbing for it (rumor is he even has strangers approach him in the street about his neck), but most of it is out of sheer jealousy of the 18 inch tree trunk that supports his head. And for all of you internet warriors out there claiming a 20 inch neck, I am calling you out on it. A 20 inch neck is like a 40 inch vertical or a 4.4 40 Yard Dash. Everybody “has one.” Anyways, I am having a little too much fun at Sam’s expense, and there is a point to all of this.
HOW on earth can you consider yourself a serious football player and NOT train your neck? Despite the fact that you are taught to lay a bone crushing hit with a shoulder pad, football is a violent instinctive game, and sometimes there is helmet to helmet contact. Having a strong neck is extremely important to prevent spinal injuries that may occur during such collisions. When going into a big hit, do you want a neck like Gumby or a neck like a tree trunk?
In this sport, you had better protect your neck!
Ok, so we know training our neck is important, but HOW do we train our neck. At PTS, we have 2 neck exercises that we really like, and both are far cheaper than a 4 way neck machine. For neck extension, we like the neck harness, and for neck flexion we like to place a dumbbell on our forehead using a towel. When training the neck, here are a few tips that we would like to advise you on:
1.)A slower tempo is advisable. Going too quickly cut lead to pinched nerves, and injury.
2.)Start light, and progress slowly. In other words, don’t go trying to be Mike the Machine in your first neck workout!
3.)Be careful about using extreme ranges of motion. Never go into cervical hyperextension. (Where you are leaning your head ALL the way back).
4.)Use higher rep ranges when training the neck in order to maximize muscular hypertrophy and keep safer working loads.
5.)DON’T leave your neck training to be finished “later”. In my experience, “later” means “never.”
6.)Don’t neglect your traps. Plenty of deadlifts, shrugs, scarecrows, etc will also help build a nice protective base.
Neck Flexion Start (Above)
Neck Flexion Finish
Neck Extension Start
Neck Extension Finish
At PTS, we like to incorporate neck work as “filler” between our core lifts. For example, if you train on M, W, F, on M you would perform neck extensions with a neck harness, and on W you would perform dumbbell neck flexion with a towel. Perform 4-5 sets of 20-30 reps after each warmup /working set. However you choose to incorporate it, just do it! Alternate flexion and extension each time you train, and you will be well on your way to a bigger, stronger neck that will provide your spine with the reinforcement it needs on the gridiron.
Recently a lot of internet trolls have emerged from their lairs of misery and claimed that the tried and true bar bench press isn’t football specific. The claims often state it’s over rated, impractical and the ever popular “sure it’s a good exercise if you’re on your back, but if you’re on your back chances are you’ll soon be on the bench.” Would the creator of the gym friendly swim move machine please stand up? How about the weighted pin and rip Nautilus? Oh yes, how could I forget EliteFTS’ newest football specific exercise… the banded QB friendly three step drop. Here’s the deal- if you are looking to develop upper body power and engage the most muscle in a bang for your buck scenario, then the bench still reigns king.
Position specific upper body strength is a different matter however. When looking at the archaic NFL 225 pound bench reps test (it’s an endurance test, a 1-3 rep max would illustrate true max effort pressing strength) there are different standards based on what position you play and the requirements associated. Last years average numbers were around the high 20s for most DL and hovering in the mid teens for WR’s. Clearly if you are a NFL GM you are paying more attention to the pressing numbers of a DL than that of a WR. Sure it would be nice to have a slot wideout bench 225 40 plus times but wouldn’t you be more concerned with his vert, broad jump and three cone times?
Lets look at two otherworldly athletes. Now they are about as different as Paula Abdul & MC Skat Kat but both dominate their respective positions: DeSean Jackson and Haloti Ngata. As a game changing speed based WR, I don’t care if DeSean Jackson can bench a stick of bamboo (truth told he never participated in the test at the combine, so he very well might not be able to). His innate ability to consistently dodge, dip, duck, dive and dodge around hapless defensive backs is a sheer joy to watch (even if he sometimes forgets to hold on to the football: first offense and second) However, throw DeSean’s waifish frame into the interior defensive line and you would have better luck with Raggedy Ann. Conversely, when looking at the nose and defensive tackle position most coaches are looking for a fast twitch human bench press machine. The ability to separate and disengage from potential blockers relies a lot on ones pressing power. This little gem illustrates Mr. Ngata doing his thing. He’s been rumored to throw up over 500 pounds on the bench and finished with a whopping 44 on his combine reps test.
Would you want this on your D-Line?
Unfortunately not all of us are blessed with the genetics and football skills of our two models. And believe me, this isn’t a promotion for all you high school WR’s to say well DeSean can’t bench a lot, why should I have to get under the bar? Until you can beat a NFL corners press technique with your feet alone like Mr. Jackson it’s time to shut up and start benching.
Everyone who has ever squeezed a bar and attempted to plow it off their chest knows one thing: We all have sticking points. It’s the moment where you are driving, pushing and (sometimes) screaming with every fiber of your being and that cursed bar just won’t move. Depending on your frame that spot can be mid point or near the top. All are equally annoying and stand in the way of everyone’s goal-to lift more weight. Here’s a list of some tools/tips that I have witnessed in the gym that can help smash past sticking points, lift more weight and hopefully lead to a more explosive upper body on the field.
1)Chain Benching
I’m of the taller and longer armed persuasion, so I’m not ideally biomechanical adapted to the bench (6’9” wingspan). I’ve often found that many of my fellow stork armed brethren get caught at the top of their bench. The bar may fly right off of their chest but gets stuck right near the lockout, an inch or two from the J hooks. One way to attempt to smash through the stick is by incorporating chains into your bench routine. This method made famous by the folks out at Westside Barbell, uses a technique called accommodating resistance. The chains become de-loaded at the bottom part of your bench; as you press the bar up the links in the chain rise with the bars progression making the total weight pressed heavier as the bar goes up. The bar should initially jump off your chest and as the weight increases you to really strain through the upper portion of your lockout, hopefully strengthening that weakness.
2)Board Presses
For people who stall in the middle of their press a pin or board variation (usually a one or two board) can be the remedy to their struggle. The two board works the range of motion 4 inches off of your chest and differs from a pin press because it really allows the lifter to get the eccentric (negative) and concentric (positive) benefits of the lift often lacking in a pin press. Another advantage of board pressing is that it allows the lifter to handle a heavier load than they would normally be able to handle in their full ROM. It enables you to feel and press a heavy weight that would normally trap you in a full conventional press.
3)Thrash your Triceps
This doesn’t mean 300 kickbacks with your mothers pink rubber dumb bells. Being that the bench press success is predominately predicated on tricep power you need to train them heavy with a variety of pressing movements. JM presses, close grip variations, skull crushers I could go on, point is do them heavy with intensity and watch your numbers jump.
4)Stay Tight/Incorporate as Much Muscle as possible
I’m always flabbergasted when someone steps (or lays down) to a max effort bench attempt and limply grips the bar with a relaxed core, legs splayed haphazardly to the sides. Would you take the same gumby spined posture to a goal line situation with the game on the line? Of course not, you’d be tighter than Ebenezer Scrooges wallet. White knuckle the bar, firm up your core and drive your heels through the rubber (and I don’t mean hip thrust). The bar is heavy; use what you have to move it!
Don't grip the bar like this guy!
Being able to lock a defender out as a blind side tackle or shoot your hands through a full back as a pass rushing linebacker has a lot to do with ones ability to press their arms out in a violent, sudden manner. Yesterday, today and in the future, the one exercise we can count on to help develop that ability is the bench press. Smash through your sticking points, handle more weight and watch your performance on the field improve.
I have written about this topic before, but it bears repeating. Speed and strength are CLOSELY related. I don’t care how many ladder drills, dot drills, or parachute sprints you do. If your legs are weak, you won’t be fast. Now, in regards to be speed, OF COURSE I am talking about relative body strength. You must be strong relative to your body weight. In other words, if the 300 pound lineman squats more than the 175 pound wide receiver, he may not be faster due to the difference in relative strength. It is quite shocking how unbelievable it is that more people don’t piece it together that added strength, with added hip mobility/flexibility, along with sprinting a couple of times per week, will yield far better results than performing ladder drills and parachute sprints with the local “speed guru” who basically makes his living convincing parents that he got their kids faster by pulling out all of the speed gadgets he could order in one training session.
Speed is the most coveted physical attribute. It is also the most genetically predetermined one, BUT that doesn’t mean we can’t improve it. Get your lower body stronger and watch your speed go up!
