FOOTBALL STRENGTH & SPEED

FEET & COURAGE BOYS, FEET & COURAGE

 1. Comments Remember this: You need to lift weights, do your sprints etc. However, don't

forget you play football and you need to practice your craft. We all watch the NFL Combine and see players posting great scores that allows them to rise up the draft board. "Great upside" as they say. And I say, "Not very often." You might be a WR that runs a 4.4 but if you can't run a route, or catch the ball, or take a hit the 4.4 means "doodly squat". Brady Quinn benched 24 x 225 and the draft gurus went crazy. I wonder what Joe Montana benched? Quinn may turn out to be a great QB but it will have nothing to do with his bench.

Programs: There are many different approaches that work. Olympic Lifts or no Olympic Lifts; Powerlifting squats or Front Squats; Strongman, Kettlebells etc. etc. If you're doing things with your Bodyweight, an Olympic Bar, Barbells, Dumbbells or Pulleys you're on the right track.

Templates: At one time I had my strength programs on this site. I've removed them. You should always be careful when taking a template from another coach and applying it to your team. When a coach puts a strength & speed program on paper it's much like a playbook on paper. It can't include all the adjustments he makes on a yearly, monthly, weekly & daily basis. Ex: If a coach is new to the team he may have to make up for deficiencies in the previous program.

Plyometrics: They have great value. I have included them in programs for the past 26 years. However, in many situations they are simply overdone. Plyos have gone from being a part of athletes programs to the point where in many cases they are the athletes training program. Dumb!

Medball & Strongman: Same comment as for Plyos. Olympic Lifts: Be sure you know the modern style of cleans. Don't use the

old style that looked like an upright row. Following a Plan: Have a plan but don't be a slave to the plan. You might be

scheduled for a 5RM day but feel great. Go after your 1RM that day instead. Or maybe the template says 1RM and you have nothing. Rep out, stretch and go home. Or just go home. All coaching plans require sound science and all coaching plans require the "art of coaching" to be successful.

 2. Periodization/Plan  Summer Program 10-12 weeks prior to Training Camp Here's some splits I've used over the past 25 years or so. Use whichever one works best for you.

Linemen Option 1 Linemen Option 2

M Speed: Total distance = 200 ydsStrength: Lower Body M Strength: Lower Body

Football Position Skills

T Football: Individual Position SkillsTempo: Total distance = 500 yds T Football: Individual Position Skills

Tempo: Total distance = 750 yds

WSpeed: Total distance = 300-400 ydsStrength: Upper Body

W Speed: Total distance = 200 ydsStrength: Upper Body

TH Football: Individual Position SkillsTempo: Total distance = 750 yds TH Football: Individual Position Skills

Tempo: Total distance = 500 ydsF Strength: Total Body

 F Speed: Total distance = 300-400

yds

Strength: Total Body

SAT Football: Individual Position SkillsTempo: Total distance = 1000 yds SAT Football: Individual Position Skills

Tempo: Total distance = 1000 ydsSUN OFF SUN OFF

Note: Pushing trucks, flipping tires, pulling sleds are good on the 1000 yd Tempo days. Reduce the total distance of Tempo Runs or eliminate them completely on this day depending on what you have done. After pushing the truck around the parking lot for awhile some of our guys would rather just puke than run any Tempos 

Backs Option 1 Backs Option 2

MSpeed: Total Distance = 450-600 ydsStrength: Upper Body

MSpeed: Total Distance = 300-450 ydsFootball: individual; 7 on 7

T Football: individual; 7 on 7Tempo: Total Distance = 0-900 yds T Strength: Upper Body

Tempo: Total Distance = 0-900 yds

WSpeed: Total Distance = 300-450 yds 

W Football: individual; 7 on 7 

THFootball: individual; 7 on 7Tempo: Total Distance = 0-1200 yds

THSpeed: Total Distance = 450-600 yds 

FFootball: Individual Position SkillsStrength: Total Body - maintenance

FFootball: Individual Position SkillsStrength: Total Body - maintenance

SAT Football: Individual Position SkillsTempo: 1500-1800 yds SAT Football: Individual Position Skills

Tempo: 1500-1800 ydsSUN OFF SUN OFF

   3. Speed & Conditioning Principles & Explanation When I first started planning speed programs for football in 1979 I leaned heavily on the Soviet Review of Sport by Michael Yessis. Later, when Charlie Francis' programs and principles were available I began applying anything Charlie had to say. I recommend you make use of his website and the products that he has available. Charlie Francis.com