How's This Offseason Football Program?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerlifting & Strength Sports
1

This is my first post, but ive been reading on this site for a while our football season came to a end last friday and we got our off-season lifting program today.

Right now im a junior and i had a pretty good season on JV(i play fullback im 5’9 and 185 pounds) the our starting varsity fullback is going to college and its gonna be me and another junior competing for the spot, we split time this year in JV but i want to start all the time next year.

ok this is the basic program that we recived. The way that its set up is on Monday you do lower body strength then tuesday you do explosive lifts, you take wendsday off, thursday is upper body strength, then friday is another explosive day. he gave us another option if we all cant make it four days a week witch is lower mondy/wedesnday explosive lifts/friday upper

he doesn’t say how many reps or set we should be doing maybe you can help with that to

4 day split
Monday:
Lower body strength
Squats
deadlifts
Glute ham raises
Pull-throughs
Lunges

Tuesday:
Push Press
Split Jerk
Power snatch
jamming machine(football blocking machine a pretty good tool)

Thursday:
Bench Press
Incline Press
military press
bent-over row
tricpe work

Friday:
Power clean
high pulls
jamming machine
1 arm db snatch

3 day split
Monday:
Lower body strengh
squats
deadlifts
ghr
pull throughs
lunges

Wednesday:
Explosvie lifts
Power clean
Power snatch
Jamming machine
Push press
High pulls

Friday:
Upper body strength
Bench press
incline press
military press
bent-over row
tricep work

i think im gonna go with the 3 day split because its probaly more rest and i want to do speed and agility work on off days also im going to do strongman lifts like tire flipping, sled dragging, sand bag work, farmers walk. so i figure if i do the 3 day training ill have more rest

what do you all think of this program. in the other offseason i manily followed bill starr’s “big three”

how whould you add sets and reps to this program. Our coach wants us to stay in higher sets lower reps to gain strengh witch makes sence to me. but im not sure witch exercise should get more sets and that stuff.

the coach used to play in college and he says that this is what he used to do. he was a starting tight end at alabama back in the 60’s or 70’s

2

This is a general idea of how I’d split it up. If you can swing twice-a-day training, let me know, and some changes can be made. I’d also only use this particular breakdown for a few months.

Sets/reps put in with the quote:

[quote]fullback41 wrote:
4 day split
Monday:
Lower body strength
Squats - 6 x 5
deadlifts - none
Glute ham raises - 3 x 10
Pull-throughs - none
Lunges - 4 x 6-8

**Add Back Extensions on the glute-ham bench with stomach supported on the pad - 3 x 12. Add weight by holding plates behind your head.

Tuesday:
Push Press - 3 x 6
Split Jerk - none if push press is done
Power snatch - done first, 4 x 3
jamming machine(football blocking machine a pretty good tool) 5 x 10 second blocks with as many as possible with good form

Thursday:
Bench Press - I’d say none, but it gets tested, so 4 x 6-8
Incline Press - 2 x 5-8
military press - 2 x 5-8
bent-over row - 5 x 5-8
tricpe work - none

Friday:
Power clean - 4 x 3
high pulls - none
jamming machine - same as before
1 arm db snatch - done first, 5 x 3 per side

3 day split
Monday:
Lower body strengh
squats
deadlifts
ghr
pull throughs
lunges

Wednesday:
Explosvie lifts
Power clean
Power snatch
Jamming machine
Push press
High pulls

Friday:
Upper body strength
Bench press
incline press
military press
bent-over row
tricep work

i think im gonna go with the 3 day split because its probaly more rest and i want to do speed and agility work on off days also im going to do strongman lifts like tire flipping, sled dragging, sand bag work, farmers walk. so i figure if i do the 3 day training ill have more rest
[/quote]

If you want to use the three day and do stuff other days as well, use the sets/reps I mentioned above as well. The volume may be a little much - pay attention to how you feel and your performance. If you don’t keep improving, drop back a bit on number of sets on the main lifts.

-Dan

3

yeah i could do twice a day training

why wouldn’t you think deadlifts are needed though

4

I have seen a lot of offseason football routines, and for once, this one is full of pretty good exercises. Just a couple of things.

  1. If you can’t clean about 60% of your legitimate deep squat, I would do speed box squats with 60-70% max for about 10 x 3 done in a 10 minute time frame.

Many ballplayers don’t have the technical skill to do enough weight on cleans to really tax the hips. If you are squatting say 315 deep, do between 185-225 for these, and pause briefly on the bench. I still think heavy squatting is important though, and I would not do them on consecutive days.

  1. Deadlifts are best, in my opinion, if you can release the bar from the top position using rubber weights. Don’t just deadlift the weight, but try to heave it high. I would do sets of 3-5 here, but stop when the reps get grindingly slow.

  2. You might want to add some grip and neck work. For grip, I like to wrap a towell around a dumbell handle, and pinch grip the towel, and just lift it off the ground.

  3. Maybe look into some goodmornings also.

  4. Front squats can also be good for building the upper back posture for ball carrying.

  5. I don’t like full cleans all the time because of wrist and shoulder strain, but prefer high pulls in the power rack.

Just some ideas. Overall, its a good program.

5

[quote]fullback41 wrote:
yeah i could do twice a day training

why wouldn’t you think deadlifts are needed though[/quote]

They are - I should have been a little more clear with what I meant about staying with this for a few months…

After a few months, switch the “like” exercises where I marked none. For example, squats with deadlifts or cleans for high pulls. You could do that with the various bench presses if you didn’t want to use too many variants at once as well.

I’ll get back to you on the twice a day thing (too late right now), send me a PM to remind me.

-Dan

6

ok so from the advice givin i put this together i took some things from westside training

Week 1-3

Monday:
squats: work up to 3rm when you can no longer get 3 reps work to 1rm
Speed deadlifts: 5 sets of 3
ghr: 4 sets of 6 reps
lunges: 4 sets of 6 reps
Abdominal work: sit-ups, leg raises, side bends

Wednesday:
Power clean: work up to 3rm when you can no longer get 3 reps work to 1rm
Power snatch: 6 sets of 2
Jamming machine: 5 sets of 5 reps
Push press: 3 sets of 3 reps
Grip work: Dumbbell holds: time sets

Friday:
Bench press: work up to 3rm when you can no longer get 3 reps work to 1rm
Incline press: 5 sets of 5 reps
military press: 3 sets of 3 reps
bent-over row: 5 sets of 5 reps
Neck: Neck harness: 2 sets of 10 reps

Saturday:
Hang clean: 5 sets of 3 reps
1 arm db snatch: 3 sets of 3 reps
Front squats: 5 sets of 5 reps
Good mornings: 4 sets of 6 reps

Weeks 4-6

Monday:
Bench press: work up to 3rm when you can no longer get 3 reps work to 1rm
Incline Db press: 5 sets of 5 reps
lateral/front raises: 3 sets of 10 reps
Pull-ups: 5 sets of 5 reps
Neck: Neck harness: 2 sets of 10 reps

Wednesday:
Power snatch: work up to 3rm when you can no longer get 3 reps work to 1rm
Power Clean: 6 sets of 2
OH squat: 3 sets of 5 reps(new to me)
Push press: 5 sets of 5 reps
Jammer machine: 3 sets of 3 reps
Grip work: Dumbbell holds: time sets

Friday:
Dead lifts: work up to 3rm when you can no longer get 3 reps work to 1rm
speed box squats: 5 sets of 3
Pull-throughs: 4 sets of 6 reps
Split squats: 4 sets of 6 reps
Abdominal work: sit-ups, leg raises, side bends

Saturday:
1 arm db snatch: 5 sets of 3 reps
Hang clean: 3 sets of 3 reps
Speed Bench Press: 8 sets of 3 reps
Seated behind the neck press: 4 sets of 6 reps

then ill start the cycle over again with week one

im still not sure how to really set up a running/GPP day’s

what do you all think of this
thanks for the help

7

It looks pretty good. There are only a few changes I would make with what you have set up:

First, working to a 1RM on every main exercise every day is a little bit dangerous and very taxing on recovery systems. I would rotate around which day you work to a 1RM, doing one per week - for instance, 1 week work to a 1RM one day on bench, the next week a 1RM on squat, etc. using a 5-6 RM on these lifts on weeks you aren’t maxing them.

I’d also include a little more scapular retractor and lower trap work (facepulls, prone shrugs, something like that) on days where you’re pushing a lot just to be on the safe side. No harm in putting in 5 extra minutes to keep the shoulder girdle healthy.

As far as running/GPP days - I’d have two different days to simply alternate between. On one day, do some strongman training (tire flip for 100feet, keg carry or toss, a few stones if you have some around) for 20 minutes and then jog at MOST one mile. On the other day, one where your legs aren’t feeling too taxed, run Tabata style sprints after doing some agility work. Some pushups/chinups too just to get blood flowing through the upper body, nothing taxing.

Hope this helps,

Dan

8

I wouldnt max on the power snatch or clean every week. And i would also add in speed box squats on the saturdays. If you did wish to max out on cleans and snatches more often i would do this.

Week 1- power snatch
Week 2- power snatches off boxes
Week 3- hang power snatch

And similar for the cleans. Between power cleans and snatches and speed box squats, u should become very explosive.

9

im not gonna work up to 1rm’s anymore i found squat programs and clean programs and im gonna use the set/rep/presentage given from those it all looks like this now

Monday:
Squat cycle
Week 1-3: 50% 3x10(+5-10lbs per week)
Week 4-6: 65% 3x8
Week 7-9: 80% 5x5
Week 10-12: 90% 5x3
Speed deadlifts: 5 sets of 3
GHR: 4 sets of 6 reps
Lunges: 4 sets of 6 reps
Abdominal work: sit-ups, leg raises, side bends

Wednesday:
Clean cycle
Week 1: 60% 5x3
Week 2: 70% 4x3
Week 3: 80% 3x3
Week 4: 60% 5x3
Week 5: 90% 3x3
Power snatch: 6 sets of 2 reps
Jamming machine: 5 sets of 5 reps
Push press: 3 sets of 3 reps
Front Squats: 3 sets of 5 reps
Grip work: Dumbbell holds: time sets

Friday:
Bench Cycle
Week 1: 50% 8x3
Week 2: 60% 7x3
Week 3: 70% 6x3
Week 4: 80% 5x3
Week 5: 90% 4x3
Week 6: 95% 3x3
Incline press: 5 sets of 5 reps
Military press: 3 sets of 3 reps
Bent-over row: 5 sets of 5 reps
Neck: Neck harness: 2 sets of 10 reps

Saturday:
Dead lift cycle
Week 1-3: 50% 3x10(add 5-10lbs each week)
Week 4-6: 65% 3x8
Week 7-9: 80% 5x5
Week 10-12: 90% 5x3
Hang clean: 5 sets of 3 reps
1 arm db snatch: 3 sets of 3 reps
Speed box squats squats: 8 sets of 2 reps
Good mornings: 4 sets of 6 reps

Tuesdays:
Strongman Lifts
Tire flips
Sled dragging
Keg tossing

Thursdays:
Aglity
sprints
ligh plyo’s

i only added regual deadlifts because im looking to compete in powerlifting sometime this spring.

thanks for your help

10

No prob - looks like a solid progression. Best of luck in your training.

-Dan