In Season Training for Football Players
August 21, 2008
Q: Hi Matt, I am a D-III football player, and we do not have a Strength Coach at our school. I have tried to lift like I was over the summer, but it just seems like too much, and I am worn down. Could you please advise me on how I should be lifting in season? I am a starter and will play a lot on Saturdays.
-Chad
Hey Chad, I am actually very glad you asked me this question. You see, there is an inverse relationship between strength training and extracurricular activities. The more extracurricular activities you do, i.e. practice, skill work, games, etc, the less time you can devote to strength training. Think of it like driving a car. You only have so much “gas” in the tank, and with each physical activity performed you tap into that “gas” supply. When you are training over the summer, you can lift and run a lot, because that is all that you are obligated to do. During the season, you will quickly be OUT of gas if you maintain this type of workout. But don’t worry, maintaining strength in season is really quite simple, provided that you are consistent with it, and don’t overdo it.
Since you play a lot on Saturdays, Sundays will be a day when you are not asked to practice hard, and perhaps go over some film. This is also a great day to get in a full body lift. The volume needs to be relatively low, and the lift itself should not take more than 30-45 minutes to complete, after a 5-10 minute warmup. Pair 1A and 1 B, 2A and 2B, etc…
Tuesday will be another great day to perform an upper body lift, since your legs will be placed under a heavy demand from practice, and need to be as close to 100% recovered as possible by Saturday.
Sunday Full Body
1A- Box Squat- Work up to a 5 Rep Max on the Parallel Box Squat. I recommend performing “build up sets” of 5, 4, and then 2 reps before attempting this lift. Progress in weight from set to set, but be careful not to choose too heavy of a load on your final warmup set. You want to “feel” a heavy load, but you do not want to see your bar speed suffer on this set.
1B- Neck Harness- 4 X 15- Perform a set of flexion using a VERY slow tempo after the first set of box squats. Perform a set of extension after the second set. Repeat once more, so that 2 flexions and 2 extensions have been completed.
2A- Incline DB Bench Press- Perform a light warmup set of 5 reps. Perform 2 X 8-10, working sets.
2B- Chinups- 2 X 8-10
3A- Glute Ham Raises- 2 X 8-10 (Use Weight if Needed)
3B- Incline DB Row- 2 X 10-12 (Use Weight if Needed)
4A- Plank Hold- 2 X 1:00 (Use Weight if Needed
4B- Trap Bar/Bar Shrugs- 2 X 10-12
Biceps/Abs Finisher- Rotate Between 2 Exercises for 5:00, only stopping after fatigue has occurred to switch stations, or :30 has passed.
Tuesday Upper Body
1A- Bench Press- Work up to a 5 Rep Max on the Bench Press. I recommend performing “build up sets” of 5, 4, and then 2 reps before attempting this lift. Progress in weight from set to set, but be careful not to choose too heavy of a load on your final warmup set. You want to “feel” a heavy load, but you do not want to see your bar speed suffer on this set.
1B- Box Jumps- 4 X 3. After warming up on a smaller box, perform 4 sets of 3 reps on the box jump. Choose a box that will require you to exert a significant amount of effort, but keep safety in mind; now is not the time to PR’s in this movement.
2A- 1-Arm DB Row- Perform a light warmup set of 5 reps. Perform 2 X 8-10, working sets.
2B- DB Bench Press- Perform a light warmup set of 5 reps. Perform 2 X 8-10, working sets.
3A- DB Upright Row- 2 X 10-12
3B- Weighted Hex DB Pushups- 2 X 12-15. Use any external resistance available, i.e. chains, bands, plates, and keep a very controlled tempo.
4A- Blast Strap Scarecrows/DB Rear Delts- 2 X 10-12
4B- Inverted Row/Reverse Pushup- 2 X 10-12 (Use Weight if Needed)
Triceps/Delts/Neck Finisher- Rotate Between 3 Exercises for 5:00, only stopping after fatigue has occurred to switch stations, or :30 has passed.
Hope this helps Chad!
-Matt
Posted in
Metabolic Conditioning for Wrestling
August 21, 2008
Q: I am trying to get into shape for wrestling…should I run cross country?
-Brian
Brian, I honestly cannot tell you to do, or not to do, a certain sport. However, I can advise you that while cross country will help you get into shape for wrestling, it only addresses part of the puzzle.
You see wrestling entails a VERY high level of conditioning; it is one of the most demanding sports that there is. While cross country will effectively target aerobic capacity and cardiovascular endurance, it fails to prepare your skeletal muscular system for the demands of the wrestling season.
I liken this to going into a gun fight with a knife…sure, you have a weapon, but is that weapon really going to help you?
Metabolic Conditioning is a training style that targets your skeletal muscular system, your anaerobic and aerobic capacity, and your respiratory system. In short, it is VERY intense, and kicks your butt, but it also gets you into GREAT shape. I would highly recommend performing this type of training this fall, in order to get into the best shape possible.
Here is a sample Metabolic Conditioning Workout in the form of a barbell complex, which is a series of exercises done with the same load, and no rest:
-Military Press X 8
-Lunges X 8
-Squats X 8
-High Pulls X 8
-RDL’s X 8
-AB Rollouts X 8
-Bar Pushups (When securely racked at mid-shin level) X 16
Rest for 2:00
Repeat for a total of 2-4 “Rounds”
Brian, I hope this helps you out! Performing a Metabolic workout 2-3 times a week is definitely the way to go!
Matt
Posted in
Football Conditioning Tests
May 09, 2008
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
Increasing Bench Press
May 09, 2008
Q: Matt, how do I increase my bench press? My typical routine is to warmup with 3 sets of 12, and then max out. This seems to be getting me nowhere, help!
-Jamel
Jamel, I am going to time you in a 40 yard dash. First, I want you to run a mile though, ok? What’s that? Doesn’t sound good to you? Your probably want to just run a lap around the track and then do some dynamic stretches do get loose, huh? Well, I don’t blame you, it would be crazy to run a mile before a timed 40. But that is my point.
Going back to your question, it is crazy to pre-fatigue yourself with endurance work before a maximal effort lift. You would be better off performing 4 warm-up sets of 5, 3, 3, and 3 before performing a max effort lift. DO NOT fatigue yourself in these sets. Start with 50% of your 1 rep max and make incremental jumps from there.
Every time you perform an activity in the weight room, you need be able to justify why you are doing it. In this instance, your warm-up sets are elevating your core temperature, increasing joint mobility, and preparing your Central Nervous System to take action. Doing 3 sets of 12 will warm you up…and it will tire you out for the sets that matter the most.
There is a time and a place for 3 sets of 12, but it is not in preparation for maximal strength work in the 1-5 rep range. I hope this answers your question.
-Matt
Lifting Routine
May 09, 2008
Q: Matt, great site! I am 15 years old I just started lifting 6 months ago. My typical routine is chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, legs on Wednesday, shoulders on Thursday and arms on Friday. I am a little frustrated because I don’t seem to be getting bigger. Do you have any suggestions?
-Mike
Hi Mike, thanks for the feedback. You are not making progress because you are not following an optimal training program for gaining strength. With younger guys like yourself, you would be better off following a full body program 3X/week, a push/pull split 4X/week, or an upper/lower split 4X/week. You need to hit each bodypart with less volume and more intensity each session. By training in this fashion, you can actually train each body part 2-3 times per week. This will be optimal for getting stronger by providing the overload you need.
There is a lot out there on this topic, but stick to the big movements, i.e. squats, deadlifts, bench presses, chinups, rows, pushups, etc. You may include auxiliary lifts like curls, calf raises, etc., but at your age you really need to hone in on getting stronger in the big lifts. I would recommend going to http://www.t-nation.com and reading up on all of the full body programs they have…there are literally hundreds to choose from!
Be sure to record all workouts and try and make small incremental jumps in weight from session to session. Lastly, make sure you are a eating a lot of good, clean food and getting at least 8 hours of sleep daily!
Hope this helps,
-Matt
