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Strength Training for Football
Edited by Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein and NSCA -National Strength & Conditioning Association
Foreword by Tom Coughlin
Series: Strength Training for Sport
336 Pages
Developed with the expertise of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), Strength Training for Football shows you how to design resistance training programs that will help athletes excel on the field. The book will help you understand the specific physical demands of the six groups of positions—offensive and defensive linemen; tight ends, fullbacks, and linebackers; wide receivers and running backs; defensive backs; quarterbacks; and kickers and punters. You will also find the following:
- 11 testing protocols for measuring and assessing athletes’ strength, power, speed, agility, endurance, and anaerobic capacity
- 11 total body exercises with 14 variations
- 20 lower body exercises with 13 variations
- 23 upper body exercises with 29 variations
- 15 core exercises with 35 variations
- 115 sample programs—90 of which are position-specific—for off-season, preseason, in-season, and postseason resistance training
Backed by the NSCA and the knowledge and experience of successful high school, college, and professional football strength and conditioning professionals, Strength Training for Football is the authoritative guide for creating football-specific resistance training programs to help your athletes optimize their strength and successfully transfer that strength to the field.
Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education course and exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes all the course materials and exam.
Introduction by Mike Gentry
Part I. Principles of Sport-Specific Resistance Training
Chapter 1. Importance of Resistance Training
Anthony Caterisano
Chapter 2. Analysis of the Sport and Sport Positions
Brett Bartholomew
Chapter 3. Testing Protocols and Athlete Assessment
Zac Woodfin
Chapter 4. Sport-Specific Program Design Guidelines
Jeff Hurd and Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins
Part II. Exercise Technique
Chapter 5. Total Body Exercise Technique
Richard Lansky
Chapter 6. Lower Body Exercise Technique
Anthony Lomando
Chapter 7. Upper Body Exercise Technique
Jim Peal and Erik Myyra
Chapter 8. Anatomical Core Exercise Technique
Ted Rath
Part III. Program Design Guidelines and Sample Programs
Chapter 9. Off-Season Programming
Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Chapter 10. Preseason Programming
Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Chapter 11. In-Season Programming
Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Chapter 12. Postseason Programming
Darren Krein, Jerry Palmieri, and Zac Woodfin
The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) is the world’s leading organization in the field of sport conditioning. Drawing on the resources and expertise of the most recognized professionals in strength training and conditioning, sport science, performance research, education, and sports medicine, the NSCA is the world’s trusted source of knowledge and training guidelines for coaches and athletes. The NSCA provides the crucial link between the lab and the field.
Jerry Palmieri, MA, CSCS, RSCC*E, was the strength and conditioning coach for the New York Giants for 12 years under Tom Coughlin. Palmieri attended Dumont High School in Dumont, New Jersey, where he played football and began competing as an amateur boxer. He attended Montclair State University and, upon earning his bachelor’s degree in physical education, he returned to Dumont to begin his coaching career as an assistant football and track coach.
Palmieri later earned his master’s degree in exercise physiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He then worked as a strength and conditioning coach at Oklahoma State, Kansas State, and Boston College. In 1995, he began his NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he coached for eight seasons. He spent 2003 with the New Orleans Saints before returning home to coach with the New York Giants in 2004. He retired from the Giants and the NFL in 2017, culminating a 34-year coaching career in strength and conditioning.
In 1999, Palmieri was honored as Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, and he was named the 2007 NFL Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by Samson Equipment. He was a member of the New York Giants’ staff during their Super Bowl Championship seasons in 2007 and 2011. He has written numerous articles on strength and conditioning and enjoys speaking not only about his profession but also on his spiritual life. Palmieri volunteers for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Palmieri married his high school sweetheart, Ellen. Their daughter, Annamarie, is a vice president of Winner & Mandabach Campaigns in Santa Monica, California. Their son, Tony, is the football video coordinator at the University of Delaware. Tony and his wife, Sabrina, have blessed Jerry and Ellen with their first grandchild, Gabriel.
Darren Krein, MA, CSCS, PES, CES, has 18 years of NFL coaching experience, most recently serving as the head strength and conditioning coach of the Indianapolis Colts (2016-2017) and Miami Dolphins (2011-2015). In 2013, he was recognized by his peers as the NFL Strength Coach of the Year at the league’s annual strength and conditioning coaches banquet.
From 1997 through 1998 and again from 2001 through 2009, Krein was an assistant strength and conditioning coach with the Seattle Seahawks, where he assisted in the coordination of the athletes’ weight training and off-season conditioning program. He was also integral in the design and implementation of the rehabilitation process for injured athletes.
Prior to coaching, Krein was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the fifth round (150th overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft, but he missed his rookie season due to a knee injury. A native of Aurora, Colorado, Krein was a four-year letterman (1989-1993) for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was named a unanimous First Team All–Big East selection and Second Team Associated Press All-America choice as a senior. While at the University of Miami, Krein totaled 190 career tackles and 17.5 sacks as a member of the Hurricanes and earned a degree in business management. He also holds a master’s degree in kinesiology from A.T. Still University.
“Throughout more than 30 years of coaching in the NFL I made it a point to stay up to date with the advancements within the profession. Strength Training for Football provides the essential keys so you can do the same while building a great program. Within this book you’ll find all the exercises and drills required to improve your athletes’ performance.”
—Steve Watterson, Retired Strength and Conditioning Coach for Tennessee Titans Football
“The NSCA’s efforts have improved the athlete and football player. One look at Strength Training for Football and that becomes abundantly clear. Here is the latest in science, research, and programming you need to develop the strongest players on the field.”
—Chris Snee, New York Giants Offensive Lineman (2004-2014) and Two-Time Super Bowl Champion
“Strength Training for Football is the comprehensive conditioning resource for the sport. The authors provide excellent insights and programming templates for every position and phase of the game.”
—Kevin Yoxall, CSCS, MSCC, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Midway High School in Waco, Texas
How long should your strength and conditioning program run?
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport.
By Jeff Hurd and Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins
Length of the Program
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport. Some college football coaches will start spring ball later in the semester to allow for the longest continuous training time during the off-season program. Others may want to break the off-season up with two short periods of training before and after spring ball. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) establishes certain weeks as “dead weeks” when no organized training can take place. The National Football League (NFL) designates only two weeks that are considered truly off-season training, with another three weeks when the coaches can take the athletes on the field for drills and learning. While training continues during this phase of the off-season, the strength and conditioning professional faces some limitations. After this period are three weeks of organized team activities, which involves full team organized practices. A mandatory minicamp makes up the final week of the off-season program.
The high school football coach probably has the greatest opportunity to organize the longest continuous off-season program; however, some difficulties may arise because high school football athletes may also participate in other sports. One solution for the high school coach is to have an 11-week training cycle followed by a testing week and a transition week. Thirteen weeks is probably about the length of a seasonal sport. The athletes who are not involved in another sport get a significant amount of time to train and then transition into their spring sport, or to begin a new 11-week cycle as stronger athletes. For the athletes who played a winter sport, they can now join their teammates as they all start a new 11-week cycle together.
The sample off-season programs in this chapter are based on an 11-week period. Table 9.1 shows how that sample program can be altered based on the time allotted at the high school, college, and professional levels.
Learn this technique: tall kneeling stick lift
Exercise Type: Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
By Ted Rath
Tall Kneeling Stick Lift
Exercise Type
Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
Primary Muscles Trained
Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, gluteals
Beginning Position
- Kneel with both knees on the floor.
- Take an overhand grip on the stick.
- The outside arm is flexed, the inside arm is extended (a).
- The cable is below the athlete's hip (a low to a high angle).
Movement Phases
- Extend the outside arm to a locked-out position (b).
- Press the inside arm away from the chest using the core into a locked-out position (c).
- Return the inside arm from a locked-out position to the chest.
- Return the outside arm to a flexed position.
Figure 8.4 Tall kneeling stick lift: (a) beginning position; (b) extend outside arm; (c) press inside arm away from chest.
Sport-specific goals of a resistance training program
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power.
By Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power. Creating consistent overload will increase strength in the untrained athlete, but when training a more conditioned athlete, there is more to consider to create stimulus and variation that promote growth while preventing overtraining. It is advantageous to divide the time in the training period into phases. Each phase has its own goals for making progress toward the overall program goal of strength and power. The strategic manipulation of an athlete's preparedness using sequenced training phases (defined by cycles and stages of workload) is known as periodization.
A training period is often divided into three phases:
Phase I: Hypertrophy/strength endurance (fourth-quarter conditioning)
Phase II: Basic strength
Phase III: Strength/power
The first phase of the training cycle is known as the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase. There are two goals for this phase of training. The first goal is to increase the size of skeletal muscle; this is known as muscle hypertrophy. Increasing muscle size prepares the muscles to handle the heavier loads that follow in the next two phases. The second goal is to enhance muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is important not only for sustaining an athlete's strength and power into the fourth quarter of a game, but also for helping the athlete to complete the prescribed repetitions during the next two phases of training. To accomplish these goals, training volume must be high. When training volumes are high, it is necessary to use low to moderate intensities to avoid overtraining, especially during the initial phases of a strength program. Thus, during the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase, athletes should perform exercises with loads ranging from 50% to 85% of the 1RM, or 6 to 20RM. The hypertrophic and muscular endurance adaptations realized during this phase may be maintained through the basic strength and strength/power phases by providing adequate volume and using appropriate rest periods when performing supplemental or assistance exercises.
The second phase of the training cycle is known as the basic strength phase. During this phase, the primary goal is to improve the strength of the muscles that are essential to sport performance. Volume for the core exercises is decreased, while the intensity is increased. Progressing from lighter weights to heavier ones provides the necessary stimulus to promote strength adaptation. In addition, the exercises used during this cycle may become more specific to the sport. The loads used during this phase should range from 80% to 95% of the 1RM, or 2-6RM. In addition, athletes should complete between 2 and 6 sets per exercise.
The third phase of the training cycle is known as the strength/power phase. During this phase, the training volume will be lower and the intensity higher than the previous phases. The athlete should perform no more than five repetitions per set, while using loads of 87% to 95% of the 1RM to develop maximal strength and 30% to 85% of the 1RM to develop maximal power. During this phase, it is also common to reduce the total number of exercises performed within the training week. Heavy loads, which can be moved for lower repetitions, are necessary to promote the neuromuscular adaptations that will maximize muscle strength. Furthermore, moderate loads are used in this phase for power exercises, because moderate loads allow for maximal power development. For example, loads of 50% to 70% of the 1RM may be necessary to achieve maximal power production in the bench press. Thus, the training goal and specific exercises that are chosen in this phase will ultimately dictate the appropriate loading scheme. Finally, an unloading or variation week should be implemented between phases or every three to four training weeks, in addition to the week prior to training camp.
All position groups need the same basic attributes on the playing field. Football is demanding and violent, and athletes at all positions must be strong, fast, and powerful at some time during practice and game performances. Therefore, every football athlete must have strength, speed, and overall power. What differs is that athletes at different positions need more emphasis in certain areas than others. Receivers, defensive backs, and running backs require speed in longer distances, while offensive and defensive linemen require speed and quickness in shorter bursts. Offensive and defensive linemen require high levels of strength and power to push big bodies off the line of scrimmage, but wide receivers and defensive backs also need strength and power when trying to gain separation from a defender or playing press-man on defense. Furthermore, all athletes are required to block or tackle.
All positions must be strong, powerful, and explosive, even though each position may have a different emphasis. Linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks need an equal balance of all of the attributes. They must be strong for blocking and tackling, fast for running or covering routes, and agile as they react in the open field. Furthermore, these athletes often are on cover or return special teams, which require them to be fast over longer distances. Even quarterbacks need to be strong and powerful in order to throw the ball with good velocity and distance. Without the necessary strength and power in their hips and legs, they will place more stress on the shoulder and increase their susceptibility to injury. Quarterbacks must also be able to take hits, run a quarterback sneak, avoid being tackled or sacked, keep the ball from being stripped away, and scramble when the pocket collapses.
These positional emphases can be addressed while maintaining a standard philosophy of training with some manipulation of exercise selection, intensity, and volume.
Because the physical attributes of strength and power are necessary for every football position, a base program should be established to develop these attributes. Once this program is designed, then the coach can alter the program to address the specific positional needs. Bench lockouts may be added to the offensive and defensive linemen's program to work on the finishing press of close line play. Burner-preventive exercises may be added to the programs for the tight ends, linebackers, fullbacks, and defensive backs, since these positions are susceptible to neck and shoulder burners. Wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs may have more single-leg resistance training added to their programs because they often find themselves cutting or jumping off one leg. Quarterbacks may need more rotational exercises than the other positions. Since offensive and defensive linemen need to place a greater emphasis on strength, they may handle heavier loads than their teammates, while the wide receivers and defensive backs may be programmed to use lighter loads and faster movement to emphasize speed development. Likewise, sets and repetitions can be altered to meet the specific goals of each position.
How long should your strength and conditioning program run?
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport.
By Jeff Hurd and Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins
Length of the Program
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport. Some college football coaches will start spring ball later in the semester to allow for the longest continuous training time during the off-season program. Others may want to break the off-season up with two short periods of training before and after spring ball. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) establishes certain weeks as “dead weeks” when no organized training can take place. The National Football League (NFL) designates only two weeks that are considered truly off-season training, with another three weeks when the coaches can take the athletes on the field for drills and learning. While training continues during this phase of the off-season, the strength and conditioning professional faces some limitations. After this period are three weeks of organized team activities, which involves full team organized practices. A mandatory minicamp makes up the final week of the off-season program.
The high school football coach probably has the greatest opportunity to organize the longest continuous off-season program; however, some difficulties may arise because high school football athletes may also participate in other sports. One solution for the high school coach is to have an 11-week training cycle followed by a testing week and a transition week. Thirteen weeks is probably about the length of a seasonal sport. The athletes who are not involved in another sport get a significant amount of time to train and then transition into their spring sport, or to begin a new 11-week cycle as stronger athletes. For the athletes who played a winter sport, they can now join their teammates as they all start a new 11-week cycle together.
The sample off-season programs in this chapter are based on an 11-week period. Table 9.1 shows how that sample program can be altered based on the time allotted at the high school, college, and professional levels.
Learn this technique: tall kneeling stick lift
Exercise Type: Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
By Ted Rath
Tall Kneeling Stick Lift
Exercise Type
Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
Primary Muscles Trained
Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, gluteals
Beginning Position
- Kneel with both knees on the floor.
- Take an overhand grip on the stick.
- The outside arm is flexed, the inside arm is extended (a).
- The cable is below the athlete's hip (a low to a high angle).
Movement Phases
- Extend the outside arm to a locked-out position (b).
- Press the inside arm away from the chest using the core into a locked-out position (c).
- Return the inside arm from a locked-out position to the chest.
- Return the outside arm to a flexed position.
Figure 8.4 Tall kneeling stick lift: (a) beginning position; (b) extend outside arm; (c) press inside arm away from chest.
Sport-specific goals of a resistance training program
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power.
By Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power. Creating consistent overload will increase strength in the untrained athlete, but when training a more conditioned athlete, there is more to consider to create stimulus and variation that promote growth while preventing overtraining. It is advantageous to divide the time in the training period into phases. Each phase has its own goals for making progress toward the overall program goal of strength and power. The strategic manipulation of an athlete's preparedness using sequenced training phases (defined by cycles and stages of workload) is known as periodization.
A training period is often divided into three phases:
Phase I: Hypertrophy/strength endurance (fourth-quarter conditioning)
Phase II: Basic strength
Phase III: Strength/power
The first phase of the training cycle is known as the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase. There are two goals for this phase of training. The first goal is to increase the size of skeletal muscle; this is known as muscle hypertrophy. Increasing muscle size prepares the muscles to handle the heavier loads that follow in the next two phases. The second goal is to enhance muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is important not only for sustaining an athlete's strength and power into the fourth quarter of a game, but also for helping the athlete to complete the prescribed repetitions during the next two phases of training. To accomplish these goals, training volume must be high. When training volumes are high, it is necessary to use low to moderate intensities to avoid overtraining, especially during the initial phases of a strength program. Thus, during the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase, athletes should perform exercises with loads ranging from 50% to 85% of the 1RM, or 6 to 20RM. The hypertrophic and muscular endurance adaptations realized during this phase may be maintained through the basic strength and strength/power phases by providing adequate volume and using appropriate rest periods when performing supplemental or assistance exercises.
The second phase of the training cycle is known as the basic strength phase. During this phase, the primary goal is to improve the strength of the muscles that are essential to sport performance. Volume for the core exercises is decreased, while the intensity is increased. Progressing from lighter weights to heavier ones provides the necessary stimulus to promote strength adaptation. In addition, the exercises used during this cycle may become more specific to the sport. The loads used during this phase should range from 80% to 95% of the 1RM, or 2-6RM. In addition, athletes should complete between 2 and 6 sets per exercise.
The third phase of the training cycle is known as the strength/power phase. During this phase, the training volume will be lower and the intensity higher than the previous phases. The athlete should perform no more than five repetitions per set, while using loads of 87% to 95% of the 1RM to develop maximal strength and 30% to 85% of the 1RM to develop maximal power. During this phase, it is also common to reduce the total number of exercises performed within the training week. Heavy loads, which can be moved for lower repetitions, are necessary to promote the neuromuscular adaptations that will maximize muscle strength. Furthermore, moderate loads are used in this phase for power exercises, because moderate loads allow for maximal power development. For example, loads of 50% to 70% of the 1RM may be necessary to achieve maximal power production in the bench press. Thus, the training goal and specific exercises that are chosen in this phase will ultimately dictate the appropriate loading scheme. Finally, an unloading or variation week should be implemented between phases or every three to four training weeks, in addition to the week prior to training camp.
All position groups need the same basic attributes on the playing field. Football is demanding and violent, and athletes at all positions must be strong, fast, and powerful at some time during practice and game performances. Therefore, every football athlete must have strength, speed, and overall power. What differs is that athletes at different positions need more emphasis in certain areas than others. Receivers, defensive backs, and running backs require speed in longer distances, while offensive and defensive linemen require speed and quickness in shorter bursts. Offensive and defensive linemen require high levels of strength and power to push big bodies off the line of scrimmage, but wide receivers and defensive backs also need strength and power when trying to gain separation from a defender or playing press-man on defense. Furthermore, all athletes are required to block or tackle.
All positions must be strong, powerful, and explosive, even though each position may have a different emphasis. Linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks need an equal balance of all of the attributes. They must be strong for blocking and tackling, fast for running or covering routes, and agile as they react in the open field. Furthermore, these athletes often are on cover or return special teams, which require them to be fast over longer distances. Even quarterbacks need to be strong and powerful in order to throw the ball with good velocity and distance. Without the necessary strength and power in their hips and legs, they will place more stress on the shoulder and increase their susceptibility to injury. Quarterbacks must also be able to take hits, run a quarterback sneak, avoid being tackled or sacked, keep the ball from being stripped away, and scramble when the pocket collapses.
These positional emphases can be addressed while maintaining a standard philosophy of training with some manipulation of exercise selection, intensity, and volume.
Because the physical attributes of strength and power are necessary for every football position, a base program should be established to develop these attributes. Once this program is designed, then the coach can alter the program to address the specific positional needs. Bench lockouts may be added to the offensive and defensive linemen's program to work on the finishing press of close line play. Burner-preventive exercises may be added to the programs for the tight ends, linebackers, fullbacks, and defensive backs, since these positions are susceptible to neck and shoulder burners. Wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs may have more single-leg resistance training added to their programs because they often find themselves cutting or jumping off one leg. Quarterbacks may need more rotational exercises than the other positions. Since offensive and defensive linemen need to place a greater emphasis on strength, they may handle heavier loads than their teammates, while the wide receivers and defensive backs may be programmed to use lighter loads and faster movement to emphasize speed development. Likewise, sets and repetitions can be altered to meet the specific goals of each position.
How long should your strength and conditioning program run?
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport.
By Jeff Hurd and Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins
Length of the Program
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport. Some college football coaches will start spring ball later in the semester to allow for the longest continuous training time during the off-season program. Others may want to break the off-season up with two short periods of training before and after spring ball. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) establishes certain weeks as “dead weeks” when no organized training can take place. The National Football League (NFL) designates only two weeks that are considered truly off-season training, with another three weeks when the coaches can take the athletes on the field for drills and learning. While training continues during this phase of the off-season, the strength and conditioning professional faces some limitations. After this period are three weeks of organized team activities, which involves full team organized practices. A mandatory minicamp makes up the final week of the off-season program.
The high school football coach probably has the greatest opportunity to organize the longest continuous off-season program; however, some difficulties may arise because high school football athletes may also participate in other sports. One solution for the high school coach is to have an 11-week training cycle followed by a testing week and a transition week. Thirteen weeks is probably about the length of a seasonal sport. The athletes who are not involved in another sport get a significant amount of time to train and then transition into their spring sport, or to begin a new 11-week cycle as stronger athletes. For the athletes who played a winter sport, they can now join their teammates as they all start a new 11-week cycle together.
The sample off-season programs in this chapter are based on an 11-week period. Table 9.1 shows how that sample program can be altered based on the time allotted at the high school, college, and professional levels.
Learn this technique: tall kneeling stick lift
Exercise Type: Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
By Ted Rath
Tall Kneeling Stick Lift
Exercise Type
Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
Primary Muscles Trained
Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, gluteals
Beginning Position
- Kneel with both knees on the floor.
- Take an overhand grip on the stick.
- The outside arm is flexed, the inside arm is extended (a).
- The cable is below the athlete's hip (a low to a high angle).
Movement Phases
- Extend the outside arm to a locked-out position (b).
- Press the inside arm away from the chest using the core into a locked-out position (c).
- Return the inside arm from a locked-out position to the chest.
- Return the outside arm to a flexed position.
Figure 8.4 Tall kneeling stick lift: (a) beginning position; (b) extend outside arm; (c) press inside arm away from chest.
Sport-specific goals of a resistance training program
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power.
By Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power. Creating consistent overload will increase strength in the untrained athlete, but when training a more conditioned athlete, there is more to consider to create stimulus and variation that promote growth while preventing overtraining. It is advantageous to divide the time in the training period into phases. Each phase has its own goals for making progress toward the overall program goal of strength and power. The strategic manipulation of an athlete's preparedness using sequenced training phases (defined by cycles and stages of workload) is known as periodization.
A training period is often divided into three phases:
Phase I: Hypertrophy/strength endurance (fourth-quarter conditioning)
Phase II: Basic strength
Phase III: Strength/power
The first phase of the training cycle is known as the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase. There are two goals for this phase of training. The first goal is to increase the size of skeletal muscle; this is known as muscle hypertrophy. Increasing muscle size prepares the muscles to handle the heavier loads that follow in the next two phases. The second goal is to enhance muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is important not only for sustaining an athlete's strength and power into the fourth quarter of a game, but also for helping the athlete to complete the prescribed repetitions during the next two phases of training. To accomplish these goals, training volume must be high. When training volumes are high, it is necessary to use low to moderate intensities to avoid overtraining, especially during the initial phases of a strength program. Thus, during the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase, athletes should perform exercises with loads ranging from 50% to 85% of the 1RM, or 6 to 20RM. The hypertrophic and muscular endurance adaptations realized during this phase may be maintained through the basic strength and strength/power phases by providing adequate volume and using appropriate rest periods when performing supplemental or assistance exercises.
The second phase of the training cycle is known as the basic strength phase. During this phase, the primary goal is to improve the strength of the muscles that are essential to sport performance. Volume for the core exercises is decreased, while the intensity is increased. Progressing from lighter weights to heavier ones provides the necessary stimulus to promote strength adaptation. In addition, the exercises used during this cycle may become more specific to the sport. The loads used during this phase should range from 80% to 95% of the 1RM, or 2-6RM. In addition, athletes should complete between 2 and 6 sets per exercise.
The third phase of the training cycle is known as the strength/power phase. During this phase, the training volume will be lower and the intensity higher than the previous phases. The athlete should perform no more than five repetitions per set, while using loads of 87% to 95% of the 1RM to develop maximal strength and 30% to 85% of the 1RM to develop maximal power. During this phase, it is also common to reduce the total number of exercises performed within the training week. Heavy loads, which can be moved for lower repetitions, are necessary to promote the neuromuscular adaptations that will maximize muscle strength. Furthermore, moderate loads are used in this phase for power exercises, because moderate loads allow for maximal power development. For example, loads of 50% to 70% of the 1RM may be necessary to achieve maximal power production in the bench press. Thus, the training goal and specific exercises that are chosen in this phase will ultimately dictate the appropriate loading scheme. Finally, an unloading or variation week should be implemented between phases or every three to four training weeks, in addition to the week prior to training camp.
All position groups need the same basic attributes on the playing field. Football is demanding and violent, and athletes at all positions must be strong, fast, and powerful at some time during practice and game performances. Therefore, every football athlete must have strength, speed, and overall power. What differs is that athletes at different positions need more emphasis in certain areas than others. Receivers, defensive backs, and running backs require speed in longer distances, while offensive and defensive linemen require speed and quickness in shorter bursts. Offensive and defensive linemen require high levels of strength and power to push big bodies off the line of scrimmage, but wide receivers and defensive backs also need strength and power when trying to gain separation from a defender or playing press-man on defense. Furthermore, all athletes are required to block or tackle.
All positions must be strong, powerful, and explosive, even though each position may have a different emphasis. Linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks need an equal balance of all of the attributes. They must be strong for blocking and tackling, fast for running or covering routes, and agile as they react in the open field. Furthermore, these athletes often are on cover or return special teams, which require them to be fast over longer distances. Even quarterbacks need to be strong and powerful in order to throw the ball with good velocity and distance. Without the necessary strength and power in their hips and legs, they will place more stress on the shoulder and increase their susceptibility to injury. Quarterbacks must also be able to take hits, run a quarterback sneak, avoid being tackled or sacked, keep the ball from being stripped away, and scramble when the pocket collapses.
These positional emphases can be addressed while maintaining a standard philosophy of training with some manipulation of exercise selection, intensity, and volume.
Because the physical attributes of strength and power are necessary for every football position, a base program should be established to develop these attributes. Once this program is designed, then the coach can alter the program to address the specific positional needs. Bench lockouts may be added to the offensive and defensive linemen's program to work on the finishing press of close line play. Burner-preventive exercises may be added to the programs for the tight ends, linebackers, fullbacks, and defensive backs, since these positions are susceptible to neck and shoulder burners. Wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs may have more single-leg resistance training added to their programs because they often find themselves cutting or jumping off one leg. Quarterbacks may need more rotational exercises than the other positions. Since offensive and defensive linemen need to place a greater emphasis on strength, they may handle heavier loads than their teammates, while the wide receivers and defensive backs may be programmed to use lighter loads and faster movement to emphasize speed development. Likewise, sets and repetitions can be altered to meet the specific goals of each position.
How long should your strength and conditioning program run?
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport.
By Jeff Hurd and Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins
Length of the Program
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport. Some college football coaches will start spring ball later in the semester to allow for the longest continuous training time during the off-season program. Others may want to break the off-season up with two short periods of training before and after spring ball. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) establishes certain weeks as “dead weeks” when no organized training can take place. The National Football League (NFL) designates only two weeks that are considered truly off-season training, with another three weeks when the coaches can take the athletes on the field for drills and learning. While training continues during this phase of the off-season, the strength and conditioning professional faces some limitations. After this period are three weeks of organized team activities, which involves full team organized practices. A mandatory minicamp makes up the final week of the off-season program.
The high school football coach probably has the greatest opportunity to organize the longest continuous off-season program; however, some difficulties may arise because high school football athletes may also participate in other sports. One solution for the high school coach is to have an 11-week training cycle followed by a testing week and a transition week. Thirteen weeks is probably about the length of a seasonal sport. The athletes who are not involved in another sport get a significant amount of time to train and then transition into their spring sport, or to begin a new 11-week cycle as stronger athletes. For the athletes who played a winter sport, they can now join their teammates as they all start a new 11-week cycle together.
The sample off-season programs in this chapter are based on an 11-week period. Table 9.1 shows how that sample program can be altered based on the time allotted at the high school, college, and professional levels.
Learn this technique: tall kneeling stick lift
Exercise Type: Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
By Ted Rath
Tall Kneeling Stick Lift
Exercise Type
Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
Primary Muscles Trained
Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, gluteals
Beginning Position
- Kneel with both knees on the floor.
- Take an overhand grip on the stick.
- The outside arm is flexed, the inside arm is extended (a).
- The cable is below the athlete's hip (a low to a high angle).
Movement Phases
- Extend the outside arm to a locked-out position (b).
- Press the inside arm away from the chest using the core into a locked-out position (c).
- Return the inside arm from a locked-out position to the chest.
- Return the outside arm to a flexed position.
Figure 8.4 Tall kneeling stick lift: (a) beginning position; (b) extend outside arm; (c) press inside arm away from chest.
Sport-specific goals of a resistance training program
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power.
By Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power. Creating consistent overload will increase strength in the untrained athlete, but when training a more conditioned athlete, there is more to consider to create stimulus and variation that promote growth while preventing overtraining. It is advantageous to divide the time in the training period into phases. Each phase has its own goals for making progress toward the overall program goal of strength and power. The strategic manipulation of an athlete's preparedness using sequenced training phases (defined by cycles and stages of workload) is known as periodization.
A training period is often divided into three phases:
Phase I: Hypertrophy/strength endurance (fourth-quarter conditioning)
Phase II: Basic strength
Phase III: Strength/power
The first phase of the training cycle is known as the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase. There are two goals for this phase of training. The first goal is to increase the size of skeletal muscle; this is known as muscle hypertrophy. Increasing muscle size prepares the muscles to handle the heavier loads that follow in the next two phases. The second goal is to enhance muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is important not only for sustaining an athlete's strength and power into the fourth quarter of a game, but also for helping the athlete to complete the prescribed repetitions during the next two phases of training. To accomplish these goals, training volume must be high. When training volumes are high, it is necessary to use low to moderate intensities to avoid overtraining, especially during the initial phases of a strength program. Thus, during the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase, athletes should perform exercises with loads ranging from 50% to 85% of the 1RM, or 6 to 20RM. The hypertrophic and muscular endurance adaptations realized during this phase may be maintained through the basic strength and strength/power phases by providing adequate volume and using appropriate rest periods when performing supplemental or assistance exercises.
The second phase of the training cycle is known as the basic strength phase. During this phase, the primary goal is to improve the strength of the muscles that are essential to sport performance. Volume for the core exercises is decreased, while the intensity is increased. Progressing from lighter weights to heavier ones provides the necessary stimulus to promote strength adaptation. In addition, the exercises used during this cycle may become more specific to the sport. The loads used during this phase should range from 80% to 95% of the 1RM, or 2-6RM. In addition, athletes should complete between 2 and 6 sets per exercise.
The third phase of the training cycle is known as the strength/power phase. During this phase, the training volume will be lower and the intensity higher than the previous phases. The athlete should perform no more than five repetitions per set, while using loads of 87% to 95% of the 1RM to develop maximal strength and 30% to 85% of the 1RM to develop maximal power. During this phase, it is also common to reduce the total number of exercises performed within the training week. Heavy loads, which can be moved for lower repetitions, are necessary to promote the neuromuscular adaptations that will maximize muscle strength. Furthermore, moderate loads are used in this phase for power exercises, because moderate loads allow for maximal power development. For example, loads of 50% to 70% of the 1RM may be necessary to achieve maximal power production in the bench press. Thus, the training goal and specific exercises that are chosen in this phase will ultimately dictate the appropriate loading scheme. Finally, an unloading or variation week should be implemented between phases or every three to four training weeks, in addition to the week prior to training camp.
All position groups need the same basic attributes on the playing field. Football is demanding and violent, and athletes at all positions must be strong, fast, and powerful at some time during practice and game performances. Therefore, every football athlete must have strength, speed, and overall power. What differs is that athletes at different positions need more emphasis in certain areas than others. Receivers, defensive backs, and running backs require speed in longer distances, while offensive and defensive linemen require speed and quickness in shorter bursts. Offensive and defensive linemen require high levels of strength and power to push big bodies off the line of scrimmage, but wide receivers and defensive backs also need strength and power when trying to gain separation from a defender or playing press-man on defense. Furthermore, all athletes are required to block or tackle.
All positions must be strong, powerful, and explosive, even though each position may have a different emphasis. Linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks need an equal balance of all of the attributes. They must be strong for blocking and tackling, fast for running or covering routes, and agile as they react in the open field. Furthermore, these athletes often are on cover or return special teams, which require them to be fast over longer distances. Even quarterbacks need to be strong and powerful in order to throw the ball with good velocity and distance. Without the necessary strength and power in their hips and legs, they will place more stress on the shoulder and increase their susceptibility to injury. Quarterbacks must also be able to take hits, run a quarterback sneak, avoid being tackled or sacked, keep the ball from being stripped away, and scramble when the pocket collapses.
These positional emphases can be addressed while maintaining a standard philosophy of training with some manipulation of exercise selection, intensity, and volume.
Because the physical attributes of strength and power are necessary for every football position, a base program should be established to develop these attributes. Once this program is designed, then the coach can alter the program to address the specific positional needs. Bench lockouts may be added to the offensive and defensive linemen's program to work on the finishing press of close line play. Burner-preventive exercises may be added to the programs for the tight ends, linebackers, fullbacks, and defensive backs, since these positions are susceptible to neck and shoulder burners. Wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs may have more single-leg resistance training added to their programs because they often find themselves cutting or jumping off one leg. Quarterbacks may need more rotational exercises than the other positions. Since offensive and defensive linemen need to place a greater emphasis on strength, they may handle heavier loads than their teammates, while the wide receivers and defensive backs may be programmed to use lighter loads and faster movement to emphasize speed development. Likewise, sets and repetitions can be altered to meet the specific goals of each position.
How long should your strength and conditioning program run?
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport.
By Jeff Hurd and Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins
Length of the Program
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport. Some college football coaches will start spring ball later in the semester to allow for the longest continuous training time during the off-season program. Others may want to break the off-season up with two short periods of training before and after spring ball. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) establishes certain weeks as “dead weeks” when no organized training can take place. The National Football League (NFL) designates only two weeks that are considered truly off-season training, with another three weeks when the coaches can take the athletes on the field for drills and learning. While training continues during this phase of the off-season, the strength and conditioning professional faces some limitations. After this period are three weeks of organized team activities, which involves full team organized practices. A mandatory minicamp makes up the final week of the off-season program.
The high school football coach probably has the greatest opportunity to organize the longest continuous off-season program; however, some difficulties may arise because high school football athletes may also participate in other sports. One solution for the high school coach is to have an 11-week training cycle followed by a testing week and a transition week. Thirteen weeks is probably about the length of a seasonal sport. The athletes who are not involved in another sport get a significant amount of time to train and then transition into their spring sport, or to begin a new 11-week cycle as stronger athletes. For the athletes who played a winter sport, they can now join their teammates as they all start a new 11-week cycle together.
The sample off-season programs in this chapter are based on an 11-week period. Table 9.1 shows how that sample program can be altered based on the time allotted at the high school, college, and professional levels.
Learn this technique: tall kneeling stick lift
Exercise Type: Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
By Ted Rath
Tall Kneeling Stick Lift
Exercise Type
Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
Primary Muscles Trained
Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, gluteals
Beginning Position
- Kneel with both knees on the floor.
- Take an overhand grip on the stick.
- The outside arm is flexed, the inside arm is extended (a).
- The cable is below the athlete's hip (a low to a high angle).
Movement Phases
- Extend the outside arm to a locked-out position (b).
- Press the inside arm away from the chest using the core into a locked-out position (c).
- Return the inside arm from a locked-out position to the chest.
- Return the outside arm to a flexed position.
Figure 8.4 Tall kneeling stick lift: (a) beginning position; (b) extend outside arm; (c) press inside arm away from chest.
Sport-specific goals of a resistance training program
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power.
By Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power. Creating consistent overload will increase strength in the untrained athlete, but when training a more conditioned athlete, there is more to consider to create stimulus and variation that promote growth while preventing overtraining. It is advantageous to divide the time in the training period into phases. Each phase has its own goals for making progress toward the overall program goal of strength and power. The strategic manipulation of an athlete's preparedness using sequenced training phases (defined by cycles and stages of workload) is known as periodization.
A training period is often divided into three phases:
Phase I: Hypertrophy/strength endurance (fourth-quarter conditioning)
Phase II: Basic strength
Phase III: Strength/power
The first phase of the training cycle is known as the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase. There are two goals for this phase of training. The first goal is to increase the size of skeletal muscle; this is known as muscle hypertrophy. Increasing muscle size prepares the muscles to handle the heavier loads that follow in the next two phases. The second goal is to enhance muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is important not only for sustaining an athlete's strength and power into the fourth quarter of a game, but also for helping the athlete to complete the prescribed repetitions during the next two phases of training. To accomplish these goals, training volume must be high. When training volumes are high, it is necessary to use low to moderate intensities to avoid overtraining, especially during the initial phases of a strength program. Thus, during the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase, athletes should perform exercises with loads ranging from 50% to 85% of the 1RM, or 6 to 20RM. The hypertrophic and muscular endurance adaptations realized during this phase may be maintained through the basic strength and strength/power phases by providing adequate volume and using appropriate rest periods when performing supplemental or assistance exercises.
The second phase of the training cycle is known as the basic strength phase. During this phase, the primary goal is to improve the strength of the muscles that are essential to sport performance. Volume for the core exercises is decreased, while the intensity is increased. Progressing from lighter weights to heavier ones provides the necessary stimulus to promote strength adaptation. In addition, the exercises used during this cycle may become more specific to the sport. The loads used during this phase should range from 80% to 95% of the 1RM, or 2-6RM. In addition, athletes should complete between 2 and 6 sets per exercise.
The third phase of the training cycle is known as the strength/power phase. During this phase, the training volume will be lower and the intensity higher than the previous phases. The athlete should perform no more than five repetitions per set, while using loads of 87% to 95% of the 1RM to develop maximal strength and 30% to 85% of the 1RM to develop maximal power. During this phase, it is also common to reduce the total number of exercises performed within the training week. Heavy loads, which can be moved for lower repetitions, are necessary to promote the neuromuscular adaptations that will maximize muscle strength. Furthermore, moderate loads are used in this phase for power exercises, because moderate loads allow for maximal power development. For example, loads of 50% to 70% of the 1RM may be necessary to achieve maximal power production in the bench press. Thus, the training goal and specific exercises that are chosen in this phase will ultimately dictate the appropriate loading scheme. Finally, an unloading or variation week should be implemented between phases or every three to four training weeks, in addition to the week prior to training camp.
All position groups need the same basic attributes on the playing field. Football is demanding and violent, and athletes at all positions must be strong, fast, and powerful at some time during practice and game performances. Therefore, every football athlete must have strength, speed, and overall power. What differs is that athletes at different positions need more emphasis in certain areas than others. Receivers, defensive backs, and running backs require speed in longer distances, while offensive and defensive linemen require speed and quickness in shorter bursts. Offensive and defensive linemen require high levels of strength and power to push big bodies off the line of scrimmage, but wide receivers and defensive backs also need strength and power when trying to gain separation from a defender or playing press-man on defense. Furthermore, all athletes are required to block or tackle.
All positions must be strong, powerful, and explosive, even though each position may have a different emphasis. Linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks need an equal balance of all of the attributes. They must be strong for blocking and tackling, fast for running or covering routes, and agile as they react in the open field. Furthermore, these athletes often are on cover or return special teams, which require them to be fast over longer distances. Even quarterbacks need to be strong and powerful in order to throw the ball with good velocity and distance. Without the necessary strength and power in their hips and legs, they will place more stress on the shoulder and increase their susceptibility to injury. Quarterbacks must also be able to take hits, run a quarterback sneak, avoid being tackled or sacked, keep the ball from being stripped away, and scramble when the pocket collapses.
These positional emphases can be addressed while maintaining a standard philosophy of training with some manipulation of exercise selection, intensity, and volume.
Because the physical attributes of strength and power are necessary for every football position, a base program should be established to develop these attributes. Once this program is designed, then the coach can alter the program to address the specific positional needs. Bench lockouts may be added to the offensive and defensive linemen's program to work on the finishing press of close line play. Burner-preventive exercises may be added to the programs for the tight ends, linebackers, fullbacks, and defensive backs, since these positions are susceptible to neck and shoulder burners. Wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs may have more single-leg resistance training added to their programs because they often find themselves cutting or jumping off one leg. Quarterbacks may need more rotational exercises than the other positions. Since offensive and defensive linemen need to place a greater emphasis on strength, they may handle heavier loads than their teammates, while the wide receivers and defensive backs may be programmed to use lighter loads and faster movement to emphasize speed development. Likewise, sets and repetitions can be altered to meet the specific goals of each position.
How long should your strength and conditioning program run?
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport.
By Jeff Hurd and Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins
Length of the Program
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport. Some college football coaches will start spring ball later in the semester to allow for the longest continuous training time during the off-season program. Others may want to break the off-season up with two short periods of training before and after spring ball. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) establishes certain weeks as “dead weeks” when no organized training can take place. The National Football League (NFL) designates only two weeks that are considered truly off-season training, with another three weeks when the coaches can take the athletes on the field for drills and learning. While training continues during this phase of the off-season, the strength and conditioning professional faces some limitations. After this period are three weeks of organized team activities, which involves full team organized practices. A mandatory minicamp makes up the final week of the off-season program.
The high school football coach probably has the greatest opportunity to organize the longest continuous off-season program; however, some difficulties may arise because high school football athletes may also participate in other sports. One solution for the high school coach is to have an 11-week training cycle followed by a testing week and a transition week. Thirteen weeks is probably about the length of a seasonal sport. The athletes who are not involved in another sport get a significant amount of time to train and then transition into their spring sport, or to begin a new 11-week cycle as stronger athletes. For the athletes who played a winter sport, they can now join their teammates as they all start a new 11-week cycle together.
The sample off-season programs in this chapter are based on an 11-week period. Table 9.1 shows how that sample program can be altered based on the time allotted at the high school, college, and professional levels.
Learn this technique: tall kneeling stick lift
Exercise Type: Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
By Ted Rath
Tall Kneeling Stick Lift
Exercise Type
Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
Primary Muscles Trained
Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, gluteals
Beginning Position
- Kneel with both knees on the floor.
- Take an overhand grip on the stick.
- The outside arm is flexed, the inside arm is extended (a).
- The cable is below the athlete's hip (a low to a high angle).
Movement Phases
- Extend the outside arm to a locked-out position (b).
- Press the inside arm away from the chest using the core into a locked-out position (c).
- Return the inside arm from a locked-out position to the chest.
- Return the outside arm to a flexed position.
Figure 8.4 Tall kneeling stick lift: (a) beginning position; (b) extend outside arm; (c) press inside arm away from chest.
Sport-specific goals of a resistance training program
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power.
By Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power. Creating consistent overload will increase strength in the untrained athlete, but when training a more conditioned athlete, there is more to consider to create stimulus and variation that promote growth while preventing overtraining. It is advantageous to divide the time in the training period into phases. Each phase has its own goals for making progress toward the overall program goal of strength and power. The strategic manipulation of an athlete's preparedness using sequenced training phases (defined by cycles and stages of workload) is known as periodization.
A training period is often divided into three phases:
Phase I: Hypertrophy/strength endurance (fourth-quarter conditioning)
Phase II: Basic strength
Phase III: Strength/power
The first phase of the training cycle is known as the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase. There are two goals for this phase of training. The first goal is to increase the size of skeletal muscle; this is known as muscle hypertrophy. Increasing muscle size prepares the muscles to handle the heavier loads that follow in the next two phases. The second goal is to enhance muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is important not only for sustaining an athlete's strength and power into the fourth quarter of a game, but also for helping the athlete to complete the prescribed repetitions during the next two phases of training. To accomplish these goals, training volume must be high. When training volumes are high, it is necessary to use low to moderate intensities to avoid overtraining, especially during the initial phases of a strength program. Thus, during the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase, athletes should perform exercises with loads ranging from 50% to 85% of the 1RM, or 6 to 20RM. The hypertrophic and muscular endurance adaptations realized during this phase may be maintained through the basic strength and strength/power phases by providing adequate volume and using appropriate rest periods when performing supplemental or assistance exercises.
The second phase of the training cycle is known as the basic strength phase. During this phase, the primary goal is to improve the strength of the muscles that are essential to sport performance. Volume for the core exercises is decreased, while the intensity is increased. Progressing from lighter weights to heavier ones provides the necessary stimulus to promote strength adaptation. In addition, the exercises used during this cycle may become more specific to the sport. The loads used during this phase should range from 80% to 95% of the 1RM, or 2-6RM. In addition, athletes should complete between 2 and 6 sets per exercise.
The third phase of the training cycle is known as the strength/power phase. During this phase, the training volume will be lower and the intensity higher than the previous phases. The athlete should perform no more than five repetitions per set, while using loads of 87% to 95% of the 1RM to develop maximal strength and 30% to 85% of the 1RM to develop maximal power. During this phase, it is also common to reduce the total number of exercises performed within the training week. Heavy loads, which can be moved for lower repetitions, are necessary to promote the neuromuscular adaptations that will maximize muscle strength. Furthermore, moderate loads are used in this phase for power exercises, because moderate loads allow for maximal power development. For example, loads of 50% to 70% of the 1RM may be necessary to achieve maximal power production in the bench press. Thus, the training goal and specific exercises that are chosen in this phase will ultimately dictate the appropriate loading scheme. Finally, an unloading or variation week should be implemented between phases or every three to four training weeks, in addition to the week prior to training camp.
All position groups need the same basic attributes on the playing field. Football is demanding and violent, and athletes at all positions must be strong, fast, and powerful at some time during practice and game performances. Therefore, every football athlete must have strength, speed, and overall power. What differs is that athletes at different positions need more emphasis in certain areas than others. Receivers, defensive backs, and running backs require speed in longer distances, while offensive and defensive linemen require speed and quickness in shorter bursts. Offensive and defensive linemen require high levels of strength and power to push big bodies off the line of scrimmage, but wide receivers and defensive backs also need strength and power when trying to gain separation from a defender or playing press-man on defense. Furthermore, all athletes are required to block or tackle.
All positions must be strong, powerful, and explosive, even though each position may have a different emphasis. Linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks need an equal balance of all of the attributes. They must be strong for blocking and tackling, fast for running or covering routes, and agile as they react in the open field. Furthermore, these athletes often are on cover or return special teams, which require them to be fast over longer distances. Even quarterbacks need to be strong and powerful in order to throw the ball with good velocity and distance. Without the necessary strength and power in their hips and legs, they will place more stress on the shoulder and increase their susceptibility to injury. Quarterbacks must also be able to take hits, run a quarterback sneak, avoid being tackled or sacked, keep the ball from being stripped away, and scramble when the pocket collapses.
These positional emphases can be addressed while maintaining a standard philosophy of training with some manipulation of exercise selection, intensity, and volume.
Because the physical attributes of strength and power are necessary for every football position, a base program should be established to develop these attributes. Once this program is designed, then the coach can alter the program to address the specific positional needs. Bench lockouts may be added to the offensive and defensive linemen's program to work on the finishing press of close line play. Burner-preventive exercises may be added to the programs for the tight ends, linebackers, fullbacks, and defensive backs, since these positions are susceptible to neck and shoulder burners. Wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs may have more single-leg resistance training added to their programs because they often find themselves cutting or jumping off one leg. Quarterbacks may need more rotational exercises than the other positions. Since offensive and defensive linemen need to place a greater emphasis on strength, they may handle heavier loads than their teammates, while the wide receivers and defensive backs may be programmed to use lighter loads and faster movement to emphasize speed development. Likewise, sets and repetitions can be altered to meet the specific goals of each position.
How long should your strength and conditioning program run?
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport.
By Jeff Hurd and Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins
Length of the Program
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport. Some college football coaches will start spring ball later in the semester to allow for the longest continuous training time during the off-season program. Others may want to break the off-season up with two short periods of training before and after spring ball. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) establishes certain weeks as “dead weeks” when no organized training can take place. The National Football League (NFL) designates only two weeks that are considered truly off-season training, with another three weeks when the coaches can take the athletes on the field for drills and learning. While training continues during this phase of the off-season, the strength and conditioning professional faces some limitations. After this period are three weeks of organized team activities, which involves full team organized practices. A mandatory minicamp makes up the final week of the off-season program.
The high school football coach probably has the greatest opportunity to organize the longest continuous off-season program; however, some difficulties may arise because high school football athletes may also participate in other sports. One solution for the high school coach is to have an 11-week training cycle followed by a testing week and a transition week. Thirteen weeks is probably about the length of a seasonal sport. The athletes who are not involved in another sport get a significant amount of time to train and then transition into their spring sport, or to begin a new 11-week cycle as stronger athletes. For the athletes who played a winter sport, they can now join their teammates as they all start a new 11-week cycle together.
The sample off-season programs in this chapter are based on an 11-week period. Table 9.1 shows how that sample program can be altered based on the time allotted at the high school, college, and professional levels.
Learn this technique: tall kneeling stick lift
Exercise Type: Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
By Ted Rath
Tall Kneeling Stick Lift
Exercise Type
Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
Primary Muscles Trained
Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, gluteals
Beginning Position
- Kneel with both knees on the floor.
- Take an overhand grip on the stick.
- The outside arm is flexed, the inside arm is extended (a).
- The cable is below the athlete's hip (a low to a high angle).
Movement Phases
- Extend the outside arm to a locked-out position (b).
- Press the inside arm away from the chest using the core into a locked-out position (c).
- Return the inside arm from a locked-out position to the chest.
- Return the outside arm to a flexed position.
Figure 8.4 Tall kneeling stick lift: (a) beginning position; (b) extend outside arm; (c) press inside arm away from chest.
Sport-specific goals of a resistance training program
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power.
By Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power. Creating consistent overload will increase strength in the untrained athlete, but when training a more conditioned athlete, there is more to consider to create stimulus and variation that promote growth while preventing overtraining. It is advantageous to divide the time in the training period into phases. Each phase has its own goals for making progress toward the overall program goal of strength and power. The strategic manipulation of an athlete's preparedness using sequenced training phases (defined by cycles and stages of workload) is known as periodization.
A training period is often divided into three phases:
Phase I: Hypertrophy/strength endurance (fourth-quarter conditioning)
Phase II: Basic strength
Phase III: Strength/power
The first phase of the training cycle is known as the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase. There are two goals for this phase of training. The first goal is to increase the size of skeletal muscle; this is known as muscle hypertrophy. Increasing muscle size prepares the muscles to handle the heavier loads that follow in the next two phases. The second goal is to enhance muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is important not only for sustaining an athlete's strength and power into the fourth quarter of a game, but also for helping the athlete to complete the prescribed repetitions during the next two phases of training. To accomplish these goals, training volume must be high. When training volumes are high, it is necessary to use low to moderate intensities to avoid overtraining, especially during the initial phases of a strength program. Thus, during the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase, athletes should perform exercises with loads ranging from 50% to 85% of the 1RM, or 6 to 20RM. The hypertrophic and muscular endurance adaptations realized during this phase may be maintained through the basic strength and strength/power phases by providing adequate volume and using appropriate rest periods when performing supplemental or assistance exercises.
The second phase of the training cycle is known as the basic strength phase. During this phase, the primary goal is to improve the strength of the muscles that are essential to sport performance. Volume for the core exercises is decreased, while the intensity is increased. Progressing from lighter weights to heavier ones provides the necessary stimulus to promote strength adaptation. In addition, the exercises used during this cycle may become more specific to the sport. The loads used during this phase should range from 80% to 95% of the 1RM, or 2-6RM. In addition, athletes should complete between 2 and 6 sets per exercise.
The third phase of the training cycle is known as the strength/power phase. During this phase, the training volume will be lower and the intensity higher than the previous phases. The athlete should perform no more than five repetitions per set, while using loads of 87% to 95% of the 1RM to develop maximal strength and 30% to 85% of the 1RM to develop maximal power. During this phase, it is also common to reduce the total number of exercises performed within the training week. Heavy loads, which can be moved for lower repetitions, are necessary to promote the neuromuscular adaptations that will maximize muscle strength. Furthermore, moderate loads are used in this phase for power exercises, because moderate loads allow for maximal power development. For example, loads of 50% to 70% of the 1RM may be necessary to achieve maximal power production in the bench press. Thus, the training goal and specific exercises that are chosen in this phase will ultimately dictate the appropriate loading scheme. Finally, an unloading or variation week should be implemented between phases or every three to four training weeks, in addition to the week prior to training camp.
All position groups need the same basic attributes on the playing field. Football is demanding and violent, and athletes at all positions must be strong, fast, and powerful at some time during practice and game performances. Therefore, every football athlete must have strength, speed, and overall power. What differs is that athletes at different positions need more emphasis in certain areas than others. Receivers, defensive backs, and running backs require speed in longer distances, while offensive and defensive linemen require speed and quickness in shorter bursts. Offensive and defensive linemen require high levels of strength and power to push big bodies off the line of scrimmage, but wide receivers and defensive backs also need strength and power when trying to gain separation from a defender or playing press-man on defense. Furthermore, all athletes are required to block or tackle.
All positions must be strong, powerful, and explosive, even though each position may have a different emphasis. Linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks need an equal balance of all of the attributes. They must be strong for blocking and tackling, fast for running or covering routes, and agile as they react in the open field. Furthermore, these athletes often are on cover or return special teams, which require them to be fast over longer distances. Even quarterbacks need to be strong and powerful in order to throw the ball with good velocity and distance. Without the necessary strength and power in their hips and legs, they will place more stress on the shoulder and increase their susceptibility to injury. Quarterbacks must also be able to take hits, run a quarterback sneak, avoid being tackled or sacked, keep the ball from being stripped away, and scramble when the pocket collapses.
These positional emphases can be addressed while maintaining a standard philosophy of training with some manipulation of exercise selection, intensity, and volume.
Because the physical attributes of strength and power are necessary for every football position, a base program should be established to develop these attributes. Once this program is designed, then the coach can alter the program to address the specific positional needs. Bench lockouts may be added to the offensive and defensive linemen's program to work on the finishing press of close line play. Burner-preventive exercises may be added to the programs for the tight ends, linebackers, fullbacks, and defensive backs, since these positions are susceptible to neck and shoulder burners. Wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs may have more single-leg resistance training added to their programs because they often find themselves cutting or jumping off one leg. Quarterbacks may need more rotational exercises than the other positions. Since offensive and defensive linemen need to place a greater emphasis on strength, they may handle heavier loads than their teammates, while the wide receivers and defensive backs may be programmed to use lighter loads and faster movement to emphasize speed development. Likewise, sets and repetitions can be altered to meet the specific goals of each position.
How long should your strength and conditioning program run?
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport.
By Jeff Hurd and Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins
Length of the Program
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport. Some college football coaches will start spring ball later in the semester to allow for the longest continuous training time during the off-season program. Others may want to break the off-season up with two short periods of training before and after spring ball. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) establishes certain weeks as “dead weeks” when no organized training can take place. The National Football League (NFL) designates only two weeks that are considered truly off-season training, with another three weeks when the coaches can take the athletes on the field for drills and learning. While training continues during this phase of the off-season, the strength and conditioning professional faces some limitations. After this period are three weeks of organized team activities, which involves full team organized practices. A mandatory minicamp makes up the final week of the off-season program.
The high school football coach probably has the greatest opportunity to organize the longest continuous off-season program; however, some difficulties may arise because high school football athletes may also participate in other sports. One solution for the high school coach is to have an 11-week training cycle followed by a testing week and a transition week. Thirteen weeks is probably about the length of a seasonal sport. The athletes who are not involved in another sport get a significant amount of time to train and then transition into their spring sport, or to begin a new 11-week cycle as stronger athletes. For the athletes who played a winter sport, they can now join their teammates as they all start a new 11-week cycle together.
The sample off-season programs in this chapter are based on an 11-week period. Table 9.1 shows how that sample program can be altered based on the time allotted at the high school, college, and professional levels.
Learn this technique: tall kneeling stick lift
Exercise Type: Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
By Ted Rath
Tall Kneeling Stick Lift
Exercise Type
Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
Primary Muscles Trained
Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, gluteals
Beginning Position
- Kneel with both knees on the floor.
- Take an overhand grip on the stick.
- The outside arm is flexed, the inside arm is extended (a).
- The cable is below the athlete's hip (a low to a high angle).
Movement Phases
- Extend the outside arm to a locked-out position (b).
- Press the inside arm away from the chest using the core into a locked-out position (c).
- Return the inside arm from a locked-out position to the chest.
- Return the outside arm to a flexed position.
Figure 8.4 Tall kneeling stick lift: (a) beginning position; (b) extend outside arm; (c) press inside arm away from chest.
Sport-specific goals of a resistance training program
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power.
By Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power. Creating consistent overload will increase strength in the untrained athlete, but when training a more conditioned athlete, there is more to consider to create stimulus and variation that promote growth while preventing overtraining. It is advantageous to divide the time in the training period into phases. Each phase has its own goals for making progress toward the overall program goal of strength and power. The strategic manipulation of an athlete's preparedness using sequenced training phases (defined by cycles and stages of workload) is known as periodization.
A training period is often divided into three phases:
Phase I: Hypertrophy/strength endurance (fourth-quarter conditioning)
Phase II: Basic strength
Phase III: Strength/power
The first phase of the training cycle is known as the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase. There are two goals for this phase of training. The first goal is to increase the size of skeletal muscle; this is known as muscle hypertrophy. Increasing muscle size prepares the muscles to handle the heavier loads that follow in the next two phases. The second goal is to enhance muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is important not only for sustaining an athlete's strength and power into the fourth quarter of a game, but also for helping the athlete to complete the prescribed repetitions during the next two phases of training. To accomplish these goals, training volume must be high. When training volumes are high, it is necessary to use low to moderate intensities to avoid overtraining, especially during the initial phases of a strength program. Thus, during the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase, athletes should perform exercises with loads ranging from 50% to 85% of the 1RM, or 6 to 20RM. The hypertrophic and muscular endurance adaptations realized during this phase may be maintained through the basic strength and strength/power phases by providing adequate volume and using appropriate rest periods when performing supplemental or assistance exercises.
The second phase of the training cycle is known as the basic strength phase. During this phase, the primary goal is to improve the strength of the muscles that are essential to sport performance. Volume for the core exercises is decreased, while the intensity is increased. Progressing from lighter weights to heavier ones provides the necessary stimulus to promote strength adaptation. In addition, the exercises used during this cycle may become more specific to the sport. The loads used during this phase should range from 80% to 95% of the 1RM, or 2-6RM. In addition, athletes should complete between 2 and 6 sets per exercise.
The third phase of the training cycle is known as the strength/power phase. During this phase, the training volume will be lower and the intensity higher than the previous phases. The athlete should perform no more than five repetitions per set, while using loads of 87% to 95% of the 1RM to develop maximal strength and 30% to 85% of the 1RM to develop maximal power. During this phase, it is also common to reduce the total number of exercises performed within the training week. Heavy loads, which can be moved for lower repetitions, are necessary to promote the neuromuscular adaptations that will maximize muscle strength. Furthermore, moderate loads are used in this phase for power exercises, because moderate loads allow for maximal power development. For example, loads of 50% to 70% of the 1RM may be necessary to achieve maximal power production in the bench press. Thus, the training goal and specific exercises that are chosen in this phase will ultimately dictate the appropriate loading scheme. Finally, an unloading or variation week should be implemented between phases or every three to four training weeks, in addition to the week prior to training camp.
All position groups need the same basic attributes on the playing field. Football is demanding and violent, and athletes at all positions must be strong, fast, and powerful at some time during practice and game performances. Therefore, every football athlete must have strength, speed, and overall power. What differs is that athletes at different positions need more emphasis in certain areas than others. Receivers, defensive backs, and running backs require speed in longer distances, while offensive and defensive linemen require speed and quickness in shorter bursts. Offensive and defensive linemen require high levels of strength and power to push big bodies off the line of scrimmage, but wide receivers and defensive backs also need strength and power when trying to gain separation from a defender or playing press-man on defense. Furthermore, all athletes are required to block or tackle.
All positions must be strong, powerful, and explosive, even though each position may have a different emphasis. Linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks need an equal balance of all of the attributes. They must be strong for blocking and tackling, fast for running or covering routes, and agile as they react in the open field. Furthermore, these athletes often are on cover or return special teams, which require them to be fast over longer distances. Even quarterbacks need to be strong and powerful in order to throw the ball with good velocity and distance. Without the necessary strength and power in their hips and legs, they will place more stress on the shoulder and increase their susceptibility to injury. Quarterbacks must also be able to take hits, run a quarterback sneak, avoid being tackled or sacked, keep the ball from being stripped away, and scramble when the pocket collapses.
These positional emphases can be addressed while maintaining a standard philosophy of training with some manipulation of exercise selection, intensity, and volume.
Because the physical attributes of strength and power are necessary for every football position, a base program should be established to develop these attributes. Once this program is designed, then the coach can alter the program to address the specific positional needs. Bench lockouts may be added to the offensive and defensive linemen's program to work on the finishing press of close line play. Burner-preventive exercises may be added to the programs for the tight ends, linebackers, fullbacks, and defensive backs, since these positions are susceptible to neck and shoulder burners. Wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs may have more single-leg resistance training added to their programs because they often find themselves cutting or jumping off one leg. Quarterbacks may need more rotational exercises than the other positions. Since offensive and defensive linemen need to place a greater emphasis on strength, they may handle heavier loads than their teammates, while the wide receivers and defensive backs may be programmed to use lighter loads and faster movement to emphasize speed development. Likewise, sets and repetitions can be altered to meet the specific goals of each position.
How long should your strength and conditioning program run?
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport.
By Jeff Hurd and Nathaniel D.M. Jenkins
Length of the Program
How long the strength and conditioning professional has to train athletes in the off-season is usually determined by two factors: The football coach and the governing bodies setting the rules for the sport. Some college football coaches will start spring ball later in the semester to allow for the longest continuous training time during the off-season program. Others may want to break the off-season up with two short periods of training before and after spring ball. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) establishes certain weeks as “dead weeks” when no organized training can take place. The National Football League (NFL) designates only two weeks that are considered truly off-season training, with another three weeks when the coaches can take the athletes on the field for drills and learning. While training continues during this phase of the off-season, the strength and conditioning professional faces some limitations. After this period are three weeks of organized team activities, which involves full team organized practices. A mandatory minicamp makes up the final week of the off-season program.
The high school football coach probably has the greatest opportunity to organize the longest continuous off-season program; however, some difficulties may arise because high school football athletes may also participate in other sports. One solution for the high school coach is to have an 11-week training cycle followed by a testing week and a transition week. Thirteen weeks is probably about the length of a seasonal sport. The athletes who are not involved in another sport get a significant amount of time to train and then transition into their spring sport, or to begin a new 11-week cycle as stronger athletes. For the athletes who played a winter sport, they can now join their teammates as they all start a new 11-week cycle together.
The sample off-season programs in this chapter are based on an 11-week period. Table 9.1 shows how that sample program can be altered based on the time allotted at the high school, college, and professional levels.
Learn this technique: tall kneeling stick lift
Exercise Type: Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
By Ted Rath
Tall Kneeling Stick Lift
Exercise Type
Antirotation, anti-extension, functional
Primary Muscles Trained
Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, gluteals
Beginning Position
- Kneel with both knees on the floor.
- Take an overhand grip on the stick.
- The outside arm is flexed, the inside arm is extended (a).
- The cable is below the athlete's hip (a low to a high angle).
Movement Phases
- Extend the outside arm to a locked-out position (b).
- Press the inside arm away from the chest using the core into a locked-out position (c).
- Return the inside arm from a locked-out position to the chest.
- Return the outside arm to a flexed position.
Figure 8.4 Tall kneeling stick lift: (a) beginning position; (b) extend outside arm; (c) press inside arm away from chest.
Sport-specific goals of a resistance training program
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power.
By Jerry Palmieri, Darren Krein, and Zac Woodfin
Football has many physiological requirements, but the primary goal of a resistance training program is to develop strength and power. Creating consistent overload will increase strength in the untrained athlete, but when training a more conditioned athlete, there is more to consider to create stimulus and variation that promote growth while preventing overtraining. It is advantageous to divide the time in the training period into phases. Each phase has its own goals for making progress toward the overall program goal of strength and power. The strategic manipulation of an athlete's preparedness using sequenced training phases (defined by cycles and stages of workload) is known as periodization.
A training period is often divided into three phases:
Phase I: Hypertrophy/strength endurance (fourth-quarter conditioning)
Phase II: Basic strength
Phase III: Strength/power
The first phase of the training cycle is known as the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase. There are two goals for this phase of training. The first goal is to increase the size of skeletal muscle; this is known as muscle hypertrophy. Increasing muscle size prepares the muscles to handle the heavier loads that follow in the next two phases. The second goal is to enhance muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is important not only for sustaining an athlete's strength and power into the fourth quarter of a game, but also for helping the athlete to complete the prescribed repetitions during the next two phases of training. To accomplish these goals, training volume must be high. When training volumes are high, it is necessary to use low to moderate intensities to avoid overtraining, especially during the initial phases of a strength program. Thus, during the hypertrophy/strength endurance phase, athletes should perform exercises with loads ranging from 50% to 85% of the 1RM, or 6 to 20RM. The hypertrophic and muscular endurance adaptations realized during this phase may be maintained through the basic strength and strength/power phases by providing adequate volume and using appropriate rest periods when performing supplemental or assistance exercises.
The second phase of the training cycle is known as the basic strength phase. During this phase, the primary goal is to improve the strength of the muscles that are essential to sport performance. Volume for the core exercises is decreased, while the intensity is increased. Progressing from lighter weights to heavier ones provides the necessary stimulus to promote strength adaptation. In addition, the exercises used during this cycle may become more specific to the sport. The loads used during this phase should range from 80% to 95% of the 1RM, or 2-6RM. In addition, athletes should complete between 2 and 6 sets per exercise.
The third phase of the training cycle is known as the strength/power phase. During this phase, the training volume will be lower and the intensity higher than the previous phases. The athlete should perform no more than five repetitions per set, while using loads of 87% to 95% of the 1RM to develop maximal strength and 30% to 85% of the 1RM to develop maximal power. During this phase, it is also common to reduce the total number of exercises performed within the training week. Heavy loads, which can be moved for lower repetitions, are necessary to promote the neuromuscular adaptations that will maximize muscle strength. Furthermore, moderate loads are used in this phase for power exercises, because moderate loads allow for maximal power development. For example, loads of 50% to 70% of the 1RM may be necessary to achieve maximal power production in the bench press. Thus, the training goal and specific exercises that are chosen in this phase will ultimately dictate the appropriate loading scheme. Finally, an unloading or variation week should be implemented between phases or every three to four training weeks, in addition to the week prior to training camp.
All position groups need the same basic attributes on the playing field. Football is demanding and violent, and athletes at all positions must be strong, fast, and powerful at some time during practice and game performances. Therefore, every football athlete must have strength, speed, and overall power. What differs is that athletes at different positions need more emphasis in certain areas than others. Receivers, defensive backs, and running backs require speed in longer distances, while offensive and defensive linemen require speed and quickness in shorter bursts. Offensive and defensive linemen require high levels of strength and power to push big bodies off the line of scrimmage, but wide receivers and defensive backs also need strength and power when trying to gain separation from a defender or playing press-man on defense. Furthermore, all athletes are required to block or tackle.
All positions must be strong, powerful, and explosive, even though each position may have a different emphasis. Linebackers, tight ends, and fullbacks need an equal balance of all of the attributes. They must be strong for blocking and tackling, fast for running or covering routes, and agile as they react in the open field. Furthermore, these athletes often are on cover or return special teams, which require them to be fast over longer distances. Even quarterbacks need to be strong and powerful in order to throw the ball with good velocity and distance. Without the necessary strength and power in their hips and legs, they will place more stress on the shoulder and increase their susceptibility to injury. Quarterbacks must also be able to take hits, run a quarterback sneak, avoid being tackled or sacked, keep the ball from being stripped away, and scramble when the pocket collapses.
These positional emphases can be addressed while maintaining a standard philosophy of training with some manipulation of exercise selection, intensity, and volume.
Because the physical attributes of strength and power are necessary for every football position, a base program should be established to develop these attributes. Once this program is designed, then the coach can alter the program to address the specific positional needs. Bench lockouts may be added to the offensive and defensive linemen's program to work on the finishing press of close line play. Burner-preventive exercises may be added to the programs for the tight ends, linebackers, fullbacks, and defensive backs, since these positions are susceptible to neck and shoulder burners. Wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs may have more single-leg resistance training added to their programs because they often find themselves cutting or jumping off one leg. Quarterbacks may need more rotational exercises than the other positions. Since offensive and defensive linemen need to place a greater emphasis on strength, they may handle heavier loads than their teammates, while the wide receivers and defensive backs may be programmed to use lighter loads and faster movement to emphasize speed development. Likewise, sets and repetitions can be altered to meet the specific goals of each position.
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