Football Conditioning Tests

Q: Coach, I am going to conduct a conditioning test when my football team reports to the start of training camp in August. We are going to run the mile…would you recommend anything else?
-Coach Jenkins

Coach Jenkins, I do apologize, but I need to ride you a little bit on this one… Why, oh why, do football coaches make their kids run a mile, and event that will take most 6-10 minutes, in a sport where plays last from 6-10 seconds! This is one of the most illogical conditioning tests known to man, and yet it is startling that it STILL permeates football programs across America!

Ok, rant over, let’s help you learn why:

To keep it simple, football players use predominantly two different energy systems during the course of a game, ATP-PC and anaerobic glycolysis.  The ATP-PC energy system is used for very explosive activities lasting up to 10 seconds, such as sprinting, jumping, throwing, etc. The anaerobic glycolysis energy system is used for activities that produce lactate, and last for a duration under 2 minutes. As you can see, football players use both energy systems concurrently; in the first quarter, the ATP-PC system may be the primary energy system utilized, while in the fourth quarter a shift will most likely have occurred to the anaerobic glycolysis energy system.

Both systems need to be trained by utilizing a rest:work ratio, which takes advantage of proper rest periods and proper work periods to ensure the use of the proper energy systems. In my off season football conditioning programs, we utilize rest: work ratios of 6:1 to 3:1 in order to elicit the desired conditioning effect.

Your conditioning test should hold athletes accountable for the work that they perform on a set rest:work ratio. A great test is to mandate that each athlete hits a certain time/rep/distance on an activity, based on their own personal abilities. You could have your linemen flip a 600lb tire, or have your receivers run 50 yard sprints. It truly does not matter as long as the athletes are exerting a maximal effort, as they would in a game.

Coach, with all due respect, if you care about your athletes, please do not ever run the mile with these guys again. Aside from not correctly identifying football conditioning levels, you are asking for injury from some of your larger kids whose bodies are not designed for the constant joint pounding that distance running causes.

Best of luck in summer conditioning!

Matt