Football Training

Diet and Nutrition
1

Ok. I have a couple questions. First off, I am training for football. Specifically Running Back/Wide Receiver on offense and Linebacker/Defensive Back on defense. This is what I am doing for lower body 2x a week.

2x15 Lateral Cone Hops
3x8 Jump Squats
2x10 Depth Jumps
3x10 Squat Lunges
3x10 Step Ups
4x6 Bulgarian Split Squats
4x6 Romanian Deadlifts
4x8 GHR?s

The total reps are 214. Is that too much? And Can I do this 3 x a week.

As for upper body. What do you think I should be doing. I am thinkin of these lifts:

Bench 3x5
Incline Bench 3x5
Military Press 3x8
Pull Ups 3x8
Chin Ups 3x8
Dips 3x8

Total reps: 126

I am doing core work as well using a stability ball.

Any comments? Can i do the lower body workout 3x a week?

2

The lower body is modifyed some…here it is
Monday:

Jump Squats - 6x4 @ 20 - 30% 1 rep max

Step Ups - 3x15

Sprints - 5x40yards

Calf Raises - 3x20 @ 65% 1 rep max

Jumpsoles Propreception - 2x20 Circles; (Both Directions)
Back & Forth 2x20; (Both Directions)
Sideways 2x20; (Both Directions)

Tuesday:

Adjustable Rim Dunking (Optional) - 5x5

Wednesday:

Lunges - 3x10 @ Resonable Resistance

Sprints - 1x80yards; 1x60yards; 2x40yards; 2x20yards

GHR’s - 4x8

Bucket Exercise (Shins) - 3x20 @ Resonable Resistance

Thursday:

Rest

Friday:

Leap Ups - 5x12 (Focus on Explosiveness)

Bulgarian Split Squats - 4x6 @ 75 - 80%

Snatch Grip Deadlifts - 4x6 @ 75 - 80%

Sprints - 5x40yards

Calf Raises - 3x20 @ 65% 1 rep max

Saturday:

Adjustable Rim Dunkin’ - 5x5

Sunday:

Rest

3

Frank, if you want some good info on a good training system for football players, then go to the training logs section on Elitefts.com and look at what coach X or coach H does with their players. It is highly advanced so you may need to simplify it, but it is cutting edge also in the methods of training athletes.

4

Squat!..but OGuard is right, take a look at Coach X’s training logs at elitefitness

5

Frank Have those Jumpsoles actually helped you?

6

Hi Frank,
Here are some general thoughts…
I think you are doing too much volume overall. Some of your rep ranges need to be reconsidered…why 3x8 on the Military press?
Ditch the jumpsoles. IMO they only make u jump higher with the jumpsoles on. Hitting your prosterior chain will do much more for your jumping power than a pair of gimmicky shoes.
To echo what someone else said: SQUAT!
I dont care if its front or back. You seem to be over-emphasizing the lunges, splits, jumps, etc.
Some more info on you would be helpful…whats you diet like? how old are you? how many years have you been playing and/or lifting…

If you want to talk more, PM me or feel free to email me.

-Steve

7

Ok. I’m gonna be 14 in a month. I’m not squatting because I don’t have a rack and I will be able to start squatting Febuary 28th. Thats when I start lifting in the H.S’s gym. I can’t wait. The Equipment i have is dumbells, a barbell, and a bench. I have been playing football 5 years. This year upcomming will be my 6th. My diet is ok. I’m changing it up a lot. I am trying to get ready for the next football season. This is the modifyed version of what i’ll be doing up to febuary 28th.

The lower body is modifyed some…here it is
Monday:

Jump Squats - 6x4 @ 20 - 30% 1 rep max

Step Ups - 3x15

Sprints - 5x40yards

Calf Raises - 3x20 @ 65% 1 rep max

Jumpsoles Propreception - 2x20 Circles; (Both Directions)
Back & Forth 2x20; (Both Directions)
Sideways 2x20; (Both Directions)

Tuesday:

Adjustable Rim Dunking (Optional) - 5x5

Wednesday:

Lunges - 3x10 @ Resonable Resistance

Sprints - 1x80yards; 1x60yards; 2x40yards; 2x20yards

GHR’s - 4x8

Bucket Exercise (Shins) - 3x20 @ Resonable Resistance

Thursday:

Rest

Friday:

Leap Ups - 5x12 (Focus on Explosiveness)

Bulgarian Split Squats - 4x6 @ 75 - 80%

Snatch Grip Deadlifts - 4x6 @ 75 - 80%

Sprints - 5x40yards

Calf Raises - 3x20 @ 65% 1 rep max

Saturday:

Adjustable Rim Dunkin’ - 5x5

Sunday:

Rest

Somebody is critiqing it for me and I am supposed to get a revised version of it later on today.

As for the core I use a stability ball and the abslide.

Upper Body is where I can use some help. If someone could give me like a guidline to go by it would help.

I will post here what i’ll do in the H.S gym for you guys to critique. Maybe i’ll get the HS coach to give me a program to follow? But I heard most HS coaches know nothing about training.

The positions I played last season were saftey and defensive end. This season I would like to play Linebacker, Saftey, Cornerback, or Defensive End.

On offense i would like to play running back or wide receiver.

I have a little fat around my midsection, which I am trying to get rid of. I am not fat at all. I am like average. I was the smallest person (weight wise) on the defensive line last season. Played 6 games saftey then I was moved to defensive end, i guess they thought i was better at defensive end because i have good speed and get off the ball fast. I had 3 interceptions in my 6 games at saftey. I had 4 sacks in my 3 games at Defensive End.

Any Help?

8

Ok, good to hear that you’ll be at the H.S. gym soon. I realize you can’t squat yet, but you could be doing deads. If anyone around you knows anything about o-lifting, some of the variations could help you. I wouldnt reccomend cleans, snatches, ect., but Clean pulls, snatch pulls, Snatch grip deads (DiFranco reccomends them off of a box) would help you.
Your lack of hamstring training, well, scares me. You are jumping and sprinting like a mad man but I think you are ignoring one of the most important muscles, the hamstrings.

You are doing an awful lot of jumping. Again, deadlifts, squats, and pulls will help jump higher than just jumping. You must work the Prosterior chain. Check out with Dave Tate has to say in his forum. Read the DiFranco interview in this week’s issue. Read “The Strength Coach’s Playbook.”

Also, I feel compelled to again reccomend ditching the jump soles…and the rim dunking. I realize you want to jump higher, but the Jump soles, from what i’ve seen, are worthless. And dunking on a rim? Are you going to do that on the field? I dont like it when coaches get crazy over specificity but I think the rim dunking is unnecessary.

Just curious, what is a “bucket exercise?”

Talk with the H.S. coach, see what he has to say. He may just know something about lifting. If nothing else he can see what position(s) you will play. A Saftey and a D-end? I doubt that will happen in H.S. You sound more like a DB/WR combo.

Upper body? Stick to the basics. Military press, push press, bench, incline, Rows, Deads, pulls. Use dumbells and barbells. Sets and reps? I dont think there is one absolute answer. Multiple sets of low reps would probably be best, expeically if you are trying to put on a little mass.

Read Coach Davies Ab training article. Christian T’s article on abs is great too. Do some medicine ball work. Do full contact twists. If you are deadlifting and (eventually) front and back squatting you abs will get stronger…and trust me, you will need strong abs to do any decent numbers in those exercises.

Lastly, you need to be open to change. You seem reluctant to stop the jumping and jumpsoles, ect. If you really want advice, ask. If you are looking for validation, I think you came to the wrong place.

9

I’m all for advice. What i’m doing in jumpsoles is proprioceptors.

I don’t think they are worthless…if they are tell me after checking out the link.

Bucket exercise is where you fill a bucket with weights and put it over your toes, and bring your toes to your shin. It works the shins real well.

I will deadlift 3x a week. Romanian Snatch Grip.

Adjustable Rim Dunking is gone, i actually don’t really care as much about vertical leap than overall strength. Somebody made that program for me. I thought it looked pretty good.

So…i am deadlifting 3x a week now…4x6 ok? and adjustbale rim dunking is gone.

I probably won’t be able to do the sprints…any suggestions on a subsitute lift or exercise?

Also leap-up that is the same thing as a jump squat right?

10

My take on calves is they are over rated. The lever in the calf is the most efficient lever in the body providing the most mechanical advantage.

Most people can calf raise, esp beginners, more than they can squat. Your calves can already exert more force than your legs can generate.
This means that your calf strength is probably not holding you back.

Instead, when you run you generate something like 8x more power at the hip than the ankle. You need to develope hip musculature, especially the ever deficient posterior chain (glute, ham, low back)

11

Ok.

The proprioceptors strengthen the ankles.

12

Frank- The reason that website says all that stuff about jumpsoles is because it is the company that makes jumpsoles? Do you think they are going to say something bad about their own product? The posterior chain is much more important? DeFranco says that 70% of your power(maybe even more) when you are running and jumping comes from the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, hips).

13

Like Squattin said

14

I’m not neglecting the posterior chain. I said i’m doin deadlifts 3x a week. Snatch Grip Romanian.

15

Ok.

I should have a revised version in a couple minutes.

16

proprioceptors are not ankles, they are nerves. there are three types: free nerve endings, golgi-type receptors, panician receptors. They basically relate the body and joints to it’s orientation in the environment and to itself (ie the joint angle at the elbow is decreasing=elbow is flexing)

Ditch the Jumpsoles.

You donot know how many people I see with these stupid shoes. strengthen your legs and post chain. If your calves are already stronger than your squat what is improving calf strength gonna do? Nothing. You gotta bring up the legs. Find your weakness and bring it up.

If you want stronger calves jump rope, at least you’ll get some cardio and coordination out of it too, not just stronger calves.

oh yeah,
Ditch the Jumpsoles

They sell cuz they have a gimmick and marketing. Training the legs and post chain is hard work and not flashy or new looking. Hard work is a tough sell. If jumpsoles were so great every college bball team headed to march madness would use them. They don’t.

17

No offense to whoever designed this program, but it seems they are more concerned with novelty and being “cutting edge” than with actually designing a good, result-producing program. For the last time, just like I and Squattin600 said, DITCH THE JUMPSOLES. Sell them on ebay, maybe you can make 1/2 ur money back. Between the jumpsoles, all of the lunges and split squats, rim dunking, and proprioceptors, mienkia, just squat, row, pull, dead, press, sprint…repeat often for maximum value. Eat like a champion to play like one.
While Front squats, deadlifts, clean pulls and the like aren’t very “new” or exciting, they just WORK.
I realize that you are Sn grip DLing, but thats not enough.
Too much emphasis on calfs…sprinting and jump rope (which you should be doing alot of) will build your calfs more than any machine ever can.
Repeat after me “I will ditch the Jumpsoles” … “I will work my prosterior chain hard” …

18

Things have really changed in Athletic Training… okay, I’m 42 y.o. Does a 14 or 15 year old really need to be doing all this jumping and working on his or her “proprioceptors”? Check out Bill Starr’s book, “The Strongest Shall Survive”. Or, I was in the book store the other day and checking out BFS’s book (Bigger, Faster, Stronger). I thought it was pretty good stuff.

Bottom line, concentrate on the basics and do not get exotic. Work at progressing using good form in basic movements such as squats, benches, trap bar DLs, and RDLs. Do some flexibility work and perhaps some drills prior to the season and that’s it. GET STRONGER IN THE BASIC MOVEMENTS. Forget about all that other crap. Sometimes progress is not progress at all.

Just my two cents.

19

agreed, but ditch the speed pulls, power versions of olys will suffice. Like everyone said stick to basic movements, bench, squat, dl, pull ups, rows, olys. Maybe a unilateral thing as an assistance exercise on a day. Go over to elitefts.com and check that stuff out and look around here more. Also for speed improvements check out charliefrancis forum, and BFS isnt that bad, although I dont agree with sprinting the day after heavy lifting thenlifting heavy the next day.

20

Hey Kenmen,
I think the “Strongest…” is a classic. One of the best ever written. But the kid can’t squat until the 28th of Feb. and he doesnt know how to power clean, hence the pulls.
No matter how you slice it, its all about the basics.