Football - Need Size

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

I’m about 6’-6’1" and around 150 pounds. I play linebacker and runningback. I’m pretty damn stong for my size, I squat about 300 or more but I haven’t tested my max because I’m in season. I’m told I hit pretty damn hard because I’m decently fast for a sophmore; I run in the 4.8’s.

The season ends next week and I really need to get in the 180’s by next season and I was wondering what kind of program to use for size, but that will also incorporate oly lifts for speed, and I have a coach for conditioning.

I would like to use the article by Mike Robertson called “Designer Athletes,” but I want to have that after a first program that will help to build my strength and mass up that I’ve lost from nonstop practice and negligable lifting. Over summer I’m going to use WS4SB 2 since it contains conditioning, and otherwise I am unable to do AM workouts because of school.

I was thinking of something like Pushin’ For the Gridiron by JB, but could consider some other authors who specialize in training.

So basically what I’m asking is what is a good transition program from in season, to out of season to help me gain back my lost weight and strength?

2

May sound Odd but id say go for a more traditional BB routine bit higher rep and volume to transitiuon back. get the joints and tendons nice and strong etc… Pack on Meat.

Then go for WS4SB and eat and train like a horse.

3

I’d suggest a program called Super squats. There is a book (i cant think of the author) it emphasizes a workout focused on 1 set 20 squats at 85% of your max. It says that you will gain 20 - 30 pounds of muscle in six weeks. I gained about 15 pounds ofm uscle in 4 and half so it seems to work alright.

4

[quote]BlakedaMan wrote:
The season ends next week and I really need to get in the 180’s by next season and I was wondering what kind of program to use for size, but that will also incorporate oly lifts for speed, and I have a coach for conditioning.
[/quote]

If you don’t mind spending $30 I would point you in the direction of ‘Theory and Application of Modern Strength and Power Methods’ by Christian Thibaudeau.

You can find it at http://www.muscledrivethru.com

It is an ebook so you basically get it the minute you buy it.

Thib covers everything you will need to know in it. Oly lifts are covered extensively in this book.

It would be $30 very well spent.

5

[quote]Phill wrote:
May sound Odd but id say go for a more traditional BB routine bit higher rep and volume to transitiuon back. get the joints and tendons nice and strong etc… Pack on Meat.

Then go for WS4SB and eat and train like a horse.[/quote]

I agree with this, although I’m surprised that your coach doesn’t have you guys on a lifting program already.

Maybe a form of TBT to get yourself used to compounds, and then going for a westside program to gain max strength.

6

you play linebacker at 150? And 4.8 is not at all fast, ESPECIALLY for your size.

7

[quote]Split wrote:
you play linebacker at 150? And 4.8 is not at all fast, ESPECIALLY for your size.[/quote]

But think about it - he’s still pretty young (only a high school sophomore) and I would think the extra muscle is only going to help him get faster. I think there’s a point at which you are so skinny that you don’t even have the leg muscle to get ya going.

8

so you’re tying to compliment the guy by saying “well, at least he’s faster than a paraplegic”?

9

[quote]teencraft wrote:
so you’re tying to compliment the guy by saying “well, at least he’s faster than a paraplegic”?[/quote]

What the hell are you talking about? I played football for a bad D-3 team, and 4.8 was on the fast end for our linebackers, though not our backs. The NFL average for a linebacker is probably about 4.7-4.8, and there are guys who run over a 5.0 and succeed (Greg Biekert comes to mind). This kid is plenty fast at a 4.8 in high school.

And to his point, the biggest thing is eating. Up the calories, the protein, PWO nutrition, drink a lot of milk - size comes more from that than from how you lift.

10

[quote]GDollars37 wrote:
teencraft wrote:
so you’re tying to compliment the guy by saying “well, at least he’s faster than a paraplegic”?

What the hell are you talking about? I played football for a bad D-3 team, and 4.8 was on the fast end for our linebackers, though not our backs. The NFL average for a linebacker is probably about 4.7-4.8, and there are guys who run over a 5.0 and succeed (Greg Biekert comes to mind). This kid is plenty fast at a 4.8 in high school.

And to his point, the biggest thing is eating. Up the calories, the protein, PWO nutrition, drink a lot of milk - size comes more from that than from how you lift.[/quote]

The hardest thing is getting these guys to understand just how much food they need to be eating in a day. Considering the current trends, I have no doubt he thinks he is eating plenty as it is even though his total daily intake is probably less than some single meals from some lifters here.

11

Have you looked into Eric Cressey’s Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual?

I believe he has a thread in the locker room running on it to, jump in and ask him a question.

Anyway, it covers pretty much everything you need to get yourself prepped. It’s a versatile handbook too, so you can use it to address each of your goals in your training as they come.

I’ve actually passed a lot of the principles onto the HS football athletes I work with in Washington.

12

Ok so, w/e program you end up choosing (WS4SB is supposed to be good), like Prof. X pointed out, you need to shovel food down your face:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal, eggs, meat, fruit juice, whole wheat pancakes or waffles, fruit, milk, breakfast sausage or bacon. Basically pick a protien and a whole-grain carb. Eat a lot of breakfast even if it means getting up earlier than normal. Pop-tarts are ok if you have a sweet tooth and a fast metabolism.

Snacks (two times a day, bare minimum):
You’re a high school student, therefore I assume, fairly poor. Drink chocolate or regular milk. Beef jerkey, natural peanuts or almonds, trail mix, bring fruit with you. PB&J sammiches on whole wheat bread.

Lunch:
If you’re eating cafetertia food, have a grilled chicken burger or a sub or pizza. Drink milk not soda. Eat fruit or veggies here too. If bringing from home, feel free to bring leftovers: pot roast, pasta, minestrone soup…w/e you have for dinner last night, bring lots of it.

Dinner:
W/e mom or dad makes. Eat lots of it. Tacos, chilli, steak, pasta…w/e it is, eat it. You’re 150 lbs, you’re not gonna get fat.

Before bed:
Drink a huge glass of milk, or eat some cottage cheese or eat some cheese or have some sort of slow-burning food.

Post-workout:
Can’t afford protien powder ? Don’t fret my child. Chocolate milk will cure what ails you. Fruit juice is good carbs DURING your workout.

Point being, EAT A LOT. We all want you to be 180 lbs and fast and strong but that won’t happen if you don’t eat. Keep us updated.

13

ya 4.8 is fast for a linebacker who is 225+lbs. Not a 150lb kid. Also dont brag about D3 ball, thats not impressive at all. And to the above poster, depending on what type of HS program you played for, 4.8 is not fast for a guy 150lbs, and thats also not a very big size at all for that age.

14

Dude, just freaking eat! and when you think you’ve had enough, then eat some more.

15

I would forget the bodybuilding work, it’s not very effective training for strength and power. That program for 20 rep squats wouldn’t be the best application either because the average play in football is what? 5 - 10 seconds.

Gaining weight is simple, train heavy and eat even heavier.

Focus on basic compound exercises in the gym…
Back Squats, Deadlifts, Push Press, Power Cleans, Snatch Grip high pulls, Bench press etc… No sense in waisting your time with curls, leg extensions and kickbacks. You only got so much time to train, use that time to be as effective as possible.

Get in 300gr of protein a day, cheap sources if your on a budget are whole eggs (get omega eggs), tuna, lean ground beef, cottage cheese and chicken. Since your pretty skinny you can afford to eat some starchy carbs so have a cup or 2 of rice or pasta with your meals.

People always ask me how to gain weight, I tell them to eat, they tell me they do eat a lot, I tell them to eat that times 2. 3 Meals a day won’t cut it. You want to keep your body in an anabolic environment and flood it with protein and amino acids all day. It’s hard to get in 8 solid meals a day so I’d buy an MRP and have 2-3 of your meals come from those. In your case, if it doesn’t hurt, then you didn’t eat enough.

If you got money to spare, don’t tell me your eating enough until you can down 3lbs of red meat, 12 whole omega eggs, 1 gallon of milk and a few cans of tuna a day. Hahaha.

It all comes down to calories in must be greater than calories spent.

16

First of all, don’t even think about any conditioning until mid-May or June. If you need to put on size, running around burning valuable kcal will not get you there. That doesn’t mean avoid all running. Speed and agility work are great, but shouldn’t be done to the point of exhaustion.

For strength, you may want to avoid the olympic lifts, with the exception of push press/jerk, overhead squat, high pulls, and one arm db snatch, unless you have a good coach that can SHOW you how to do the full lifts CORRECTLY. Ass to grass squats and deadlifts will help you more than you can believe, and will translate to the field better than anything else.

Another big thing: if you want to be a team leader, you have to be in the weight room with the rest of the team, and you have to be the hardest working motherfucker there, every day. Nothing can replace the hours spent in the weight room in the offseason for building unit integrity. Fire up the stereo, and get crazy with your weight work, just like you’d get fired up for a game.

17

[quote]Split wrote:
ya 4.8 is fast for a linebacker who is 225+lbs. Not a 150lb kid. Also dont brag about D3 ball, thats not impressive at all. And to the above poster, depending on what type of HS program you played for, 4.8 is not fast for a guy 150lbs, and thats also not a very big size at all for that age.[/quote]

I don’t think he was bragging. He did say it was a “bad D3 team.”

18

[quote]BlakedaMan wrote:
I’m about 6’-6’1" and around 150 pounds. I play linebacker and runningback. I’m pretty damn stong for my size, I squat about 300 or more but I haven’t tested my max because I’m in season. I’m told I hit pretty damn hard because I’m decently fast for a sophmore; I run in the 4.8’s.

The season ends next week and I really need to get in the 180’s by next season and I was wondering what kind of program to use for size, but that will also incorporate oly lifts for speed, and I have a coach for conditioning.

[/quote]

First thing’s first. You say you squat over 2X BW @ 6’1", yet you only run the 40 in 4.8, there’s something wrong there. With those strength numbers, you should have an accurately measured (not combine style) vertical leap of 34-35" and be running faster than a 4.6, and those are minimums. I suggest you spend some time really hammering your sprints for a while. This will help tremendously.

Now, moving on to size. There’s been plenty of great advice given so just follow it. Lift heavy and jack up your calories. If you aren’t gaining weight, just eat more. Simple enough,

Good luck.

RJ

19

Three Eggo waffles with syrup and lightly buttered with 2oz of rinsed blueberries on the side sprinkled with powedered sugar is not a lot of food. Hopefully I get the point across as you can make it seem like you ate a lot in your last sitting but in actuallity you did not.

But in actuallity you had some waffles and some fruit.

Like always said, you probably think you eat enough but if you’re on here asking how to add 40lbs by next season it’s obviously you’re lacking a serious amount of calories.

20

[quote]Split wrote:
you play linebacker at 150? And 4.8 is not at all fast, ESPECIALLY for your size.[/quote]

He came here for help, and your statement is of absolutely no help at all.

To Blakeda, i was in the same situation about 2 years back. I was 5’11, 139 pounds, and my coaches had the bright idea of making me defensive lineman, going up against 230 pound guys. I was absolutely horrible that year… so i spent the next year training hard, but i wasnt eating anywhere near what i needed to, and after a whole year of consistent training, i gained 4 pounds…

About a month before school started, i bought Scrawny to Brawny, and started to read up on the info on this site, and after 14 months, i’ve reached 185, and don’t plan on stopping until i’ve reached at least 200 (and i know that i could have gained much more, because i spent atleast 4-5 months being inconsistent)

So my advice is this, be consistent, and listen to the advice these people will give you, and you better keep us posted on your progress.