Coach Thibaudeau

Nutrition
1

Coach, or anyone else that can help out,
I am trying to put together a football pendulum/tier system type program for myself consisting of a 3 day split.

1-Hypertrophy week
2-Strength Week
3-Power Week
4-Strength week
5-Hypertrophy Week

*Warm Up consists of:
Shoulder Box 2 x 10
Cable Pull Thru 3 x 8
1 leg back extension 3 x 8 ea

Hypertrophy week:
MONDAY
Total ME-Push Press (up to 6 rep max)
Lower DE-Box Squat 10x2
Upper -Barbell Row 3 x 8
Total-Power Shrug 3 x 8
Glute Ham Raise 3 x 8
Abs
Neck

WEDNSDAY
Lower ME Good Morn. (up to 6 rep max)
Upper DE Speed Bench 8x3
Total-Clean high pull 3x6
Lower-RDL 3x8
Upper-Weighted chins 5x6
ABS
Neck

FRIDAY
Upper ME Board Press (up to 6 rep max)
Total DE Snatch 8x2
Lower-Barbell Step up 3x8 ea
Upper-Barbell Tricep ext. 3x8
Total-Squat & Press 5x6
ABS
Neck

Strength Week
MONDAY
Total ME Push press (up to 1 rep max)
Lower DE Box Squat 10x2
Upper Barbell Row 4x6
Total Power Shrug 4x6
Lower GHR 4x6
ABS
Neck

WEDNSDAY
Lower ME Good Morning (up to 1 rep max)
Upper DE Speed Bench 8 x3
Total Clean High pull 4x6
Lower RDL 4x6
Upper Weighted Chins 6x3
ABS
Neck

FRIDAY
Upper ME Board Press (up to 1 rep max)
Total DE Snatch 8x2
Lower Barbell Step Up 4x6
Upper Barbell Tricep Ext. 4x6
Total Squat & Press 4 x 6
ABS
Neck

Power Week
MONDAY
Total ME Push Press (up to 1 rep max)
Lower DE Box Squat 10x2
Upper Barbell Row 6x3
Total Power Shrug 6x3
Lower GHR 4x6
ABS
Neck

WEDNSDAY
Lower ME Good Morn. (up to 1 rep max)
Upper DE Speed Bench 8x3
Total Clean Pull 6x3
Lower Jump Squat 4x5
Upper Iso Ballistic Push up 6x3
ABS
Neck

FRIDAY
Upper ME Board Press (up to 1 rep max)
Total DE Snatch 8x2
Lower Speed DLs 6x3
Upper Ballistic Bench 4x5
Total Power Shrug 6x3
ABS
Neck

*Then repeat Strength and Hyper weeks.

I know this is probably far from perfect, so I was just wanting some feedback as to what needs changing. I plan to cycle the big lifts at the end of each pendulum cycle. Any feedback whatsoever is MUCH appreciated. Thanks.

2

Whats your position, goals, stats, weaknesses, training exp…
Help us out here :slight_smile:
And we will try and help you out :smiley:

3

How often in football are both legs side-by-side? I value the big lifts like anyone else, but I think you’re shortchanging yourself by only including step-ups as single leg movements. I really would encourage you to explore some strength/power work in a variety of planes…not just the sagittal.

4

ehhh there goes the specificity thing again…work on specific skills with drills, 7 on 7, etc…, weight room should be commited to general strengthening and hypertrophy(if necessary), as reactivity and limb speeds cannot be mimicked. So really dont worry about whether your feet are side by side, how many unilateral movements you do, etc… stick to big compound moves and youll do fine…

5

Eric,
I agree with you. I had thought earlier about adding in some single leg squats (with back leg elevated)as well. Thanks for the input.

Position:Fullback
Height: 5’9
Weight: 198
Weaknesses:Posterior Chain

6

Good point, Numba56. Thanks.

7

Huh? We’re not talking about a powerlifter, weightlifter, or bodybuilder here. We’re talking about an athlete. It’s called performance training, dude.

EC’s not saying that you need to do all your training in a 3-point stance or with shoulder pads and a helmet on; he’s making an extremely valid point!

Heck, you could use jumping lunges as a DE Lower Body exercise, using a split stance, and reap the speed-strength benefits.

8

Could also use split jerks as a lower body DE movement

9

I don’t like split jerks, it really doesn’t bring you anything more than push jerks. Furthermore, very few peoples can learn to split correctly without a coach.

I do agree with EC that you should include some single leg movements. But don’t go overboard. Lunges, side lunges and bulgarian split squats are a good idea. They could be used in the structural weeks.

10

One good single leg exercise for the hamstrings is the single leg goodmorning: place the front leg on a bench IN FRONT of you. That leg should be almost fully extended.

11

Personally I’d use the power clean from blocks as the only OLY during the strength weeks (using around 85-95%)and power snatch from hang as the only OLY during the power weeks (using 70-80%).

A good way to add-in single leg movements might be to superset one bilateral exercise with one unilateral exercise during the hypertrophy weeks.

During the strength weeks don’t use unilateral exercises and during the power weeks use various types of single leg jumps and hops.

12

Easy there, numba56; please don’t put words in my mouth!

I think the functional training craze is bogus! Limit strength is the base of the pyramid. I think you need to derive 85-90% of this base from money exercises, most of which occur in the sagittal plane; the nature of the sport would dictate how many of these would be unilateral. The other 10-15% would be stuff in other planes. DeFranco, CT, and Joe Kenn, for example, have all asserted that single leg training merits inclusion in athletes’ training programs. Keep an eye out for my adductor article in a few weeks; it partially explains why.

13

Coach, I heard on another site that you were moving to 3 day splits for your athletes. In your Athletic Pendulum article, are you going to show examples using a 3 day split, or your traditional 4 day splits? Thanks again for all the help.

EC, Timbo and Numba, thanks for taking the time to help out. It is MUCH appreciated.

14

i wasnt saying single leg work is cancelled, i thought you were saying it should be the main thing, and i know read it again, general strengthening is the goal with the weight room for an athlete, i didnt say having a huge squat bench or dl, but general strength, to help perform specific tasks for the sport. I use unilateral moves, I just do them as a warm up(ie on bench day heavy DB presses, legs Heavy step ups).

15

numba56 -

general strength work only works for people who have good natural reactivity, starting strength, eccentric strength, speed etc.
Ie genetic freaks and the elite athletes
I guess most sprinter types fall into this catergory

but if you don’t, and most of us are in this position, then your going to have to do a lot more than general strength moves :slight_smile:

16

Cool is right on. For example, somebody who has perfect bench press levers and mechanical advantage will not have any specific weak points in his press and will be able to progress just fine by only using the bench press and no assistance exercises.

I am personally built to squat. I do not need any assistance exercises for the squat to increase it. However my deadlift is BAD (short arms, long torso, short legs) and really have to be super creative to get it to increase.

This might be one of the reason why elite olympic lifters get away with training only using the competitive lifts and squats: they are natural pulling machines. However, when a less “endowed” lifter tries to use such limitative method, he ends up getting screwed.