explosive football training

www.explosivefootballtraining.com

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Introduction Why Explosive Football Training? The Explosive Football Training (EFT) program began over a decade ago when I first began to apply the different methodologies I had learned in textbooks, tapes, articles, from other successful coaches, and from my own experiences. The EFT program is ever-evolving because the game is always changing. Players must constantly become faster, stronger, more explosive and more powerful. This system has been tested and applied to countless athletes over the years. The results have almost always been spectacular. I will say right now, however, that a key component to the program is that you actually follow it ! The system is extremely flexible, but I’ve seen many people change the system so much that even I don’t recognize it…and guess what? They fail. A word about the word “program.” This of the EFT system as more of a template and less of a program. A program is something you find in Muscle and Fitness and will work for less than 20% of the people who try it. A template is a set of guidelines to help you set up a program based on your strengths and weaknesses. At the end of the manual, I will provide you with 3 sample “programs.” You can certainly use these as a starting point. But, you will soon feel comfortable with the system and be able to adapt it to your needs or the needs of your athletes. For those of you who are also enrolled in the On-line Training program, you will have the program constantly tailored to you, ensuring that you continually make progress.

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Work hard, learn the game, and get out there and knock people around! Before we start, I’d like to give thanks to the coaches who helped me in more ways than they’ll ever know. This goes out to my first coach, the NJ Legend, Chuck Donahue. Coach D taught me everything I know about football. He took a 12-year old kid who never put pads on and turned him into an All-Star player in a year. Coach D, thank you for teaching me to love this game and how to be a better person. To Tony Hall, the single most intense person I ever met. Tony, president of the largest Spring Semi Pro Football League in the U.S. taught me the true meaning of intensity. You are your dad were the best coaches a young lineman could have. Football needs more men like you. And, to the lifting coaches, some of whom I’ve never met personally – Louie Simmons, Dave Tate, Charles Staley, Bill Starr, Mel Siff, and Dan John – thanks for educating entire generations of strength athletes. I, and all those who I train, are forever in your debt. -Steve Morris Questions or comments? [email protected]



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Table of Contents Chapter One – Key Terms and The EFT Philosophy…………………………… Chapter Two – Max Effort Training to Build Insane Strength………………….. Chapter 3 – Unleashing the Power of Dynamic Training……………………….. Chapter 4 – Using “Bodybuilding Techniques” Properly for Max Muscle…….. Chapter 5 – Recovery…Ignore it and Lose, Guaranteed!……………………….. Chapter 6 - The 2-Way Conditiong Program……………………………………. Chapter 7 – Using Kettlebells, Sleds, Cars, Sandbags and Rocks to Become Super-Human…………………………………………………………………………… Chapter 8 – The Density Factor for Football……………………………………. Chapter 9 - Putting It All Together, The EFT Template………………………… Chapter 10 – Real World Football Testing…………………………………….. Bonus Chapter – The Hamstring Training Dirty Dozen………………………. Bonus Chapter! – Interview with Josh Henkin, author of Sandbagexercises.com, On Using Sandbags as your Secret Strength and Conditioning Weapon…………. Bonus Chapter! – Complete Exercise Lists for All Aspects of Training ……… Bonus Chapter! – Bare Bones Training, How to Train for Max Results With Minimal Equipment……………………………………………………………………....



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Chapter 1 – Key Terms and the EFT System If you’ve never trained with weights before, don’t know the difference between a

dumbbell and a cowbell, and are feeling a little intimidated, don’t worry. I’m starting

from the basics. All exercises are detailed in the DVD, and key terms will be explained in

this chapter. If you are an experienced trainee, read this section anyway as it’s always

useful to review even the most basic information.

Most of the exercises in this system are performed with a Barbell, Dumbbell or Cables.

However, you could also use Kettlebells, Bands, Sandbags, even Rocks. They are all

tools in your Strength Training Toolbox.

The body is pretty smart. While many coaches will say that barbells are best…or

dumbbells…or cables…the truth is that the body only knows there’s a weight that needs

to be moved. Usually, it’s trying to move the weight off of itself as in a Bench Press.

While different tools hit the muscles differently, and indeed all should be used for

maximum results, the bottom line is that you just need to find a way to make the body

work harder and harder each time you train.

If you are low on equipment, no need to worry. Later in the manual I’ll outline how to

train on little to no equipment. Is this ideal? No, but, it’s better than what most will do in

this situation: Nothing!

Plenty of athletes (myself included) have had to endure periods of inadequate training

equipment. Sometimes you are training alone. Sometimes your school or team just

doesn’t have the money to buy a nice weightroom. This, however, is no excuse. In the



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“Bare Bones Training Report” and the interview with Josh Henkin

(www.sandbagtraining.com) will give you a ton of options on how to get by on very

little. Whether this is a temporary situation or long term, you can still progress without

tons of fancy equipment!



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The Seek-and-Destroy Template and the EFT System

The EFT System is based on the athlete constantly making progress. Constantly breaking

Personal Records (P.R.’s). Constantly rotating exercises to prevent burnout and staleness

and keep the gains coming.

How does EFT do this? Well, first a look at the “Old School” way of doing things.

If you’ve ever read any strength training books written in America, you’ll notice they

typically organize training into “blocks.” Organization of training is called Periodization,

and the old-school method is called “Western Periodization.” This type of training is

separated into 3 or 4 phases and dictated by a percentage chart. If your max bench is

200lbs, and bench day calls for 70% of max, you would need to do 140lbs for however

many reps the program calls for.

It looks something like this:

Block 1 – 4 weeks – Hypertrophy (Muscle Building) Phase (60 –70%)

Week 1 – 5 sets of 10 reps, 3 minutes rest


Week 3 - 3 sets of 10 reps, 3 minutes rest


The goal in this phase is to provide a foundation and build some muscle.

Block 2 – 4 Weeks – Strength Training Phase (75 – 85%)


Week 2 – 5 Sets of 5 reps, 3 minutes rest




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This phase is meant to really push your strength gains through the roof.

Block 3 – 4 Weeks “Power Cycle” (85 – 90%)





This phase is typically centered around the Olympic Lifts, and is meant to make the

athlete explosive.

Block 4 – Peaking Phase (90 – 100%)




This phase is meant to take all your work from the previous 3 Blocks and transform them

into new Personal Records.

When the program is done, your new max lifts are plugged into the percentage charts and

you start all over again.



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Why This Just Doesn’t Work

I’ll admit this type of programming looks impressive. There’s planned blocks, timed rest

periods, even an exact percentage that you should follow for each workout! Then, the

peaking phase ties it all together and you just keep improving year after year, right?

Not even close!

First, no athlete will ever fall into some magic percentage chart. There will be days when

you are feeling great and want to push the weights up more than planned. There will also

be days when you are tired, sore, or just lack the fire necessary to push it past your limits.

On these days, what sense would it make to stick to the prescribed percentage? None.

You will either be leaving a ton of weight on the table on a good day or risk injuring

yourself on your not-so-good days. Percentages have got to be flexible! They can be used

as a general guideline as you’ll see later, but to use them as a rule is foolish and counter-

productive!

Second, this cycle is spread out over 12 weeks. When you get to week 12, how much of

the muscle you gained in weeks 1 – 4 do you think will remain? How about the strength

gained in week’s 5-8? Not very much. Whatever you do not train, you will NOT

maintain! Basically, all the work you put in is for nothing. You will lose much of what

you worked so hard for. As much a 10 to 15% of strength can be lost in a period of a few

weeks!1 And, late in the cycles, the special exercises are dropped, even though these were

the movements that made the athlete strong in the first place.

Consider also that the early stages of this type of planning leaves you severely under-

prepared. The weights are just way too light to produce any sort of results. Louie

Simmons observed:

1 Zatorski, Vladimir, “The Science of Strength Training”



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Recall what I said about the force-velocity curve. In the early stages of the

progressive overload system, the weights are too light, too light even for velocity

work. This can be illustrated by throwing a wiffle ball. No matter how hard you

throw it, it just doesn’t go very far, as compared to, say, a baseball.

Basically, you are training with weights that are way too light for strength, and even too

small for speed work. So what’s the point?

Third, how long can one train the same exercise hard without it losing its effectiveness?

Most research points to no more than three weeks. After this, the Central Nervous System

(CNS) begins to “burn out.” Using weights in excess of 90% for too long will lead to

deterioration in coordination, which causes form to break down.2

Think of the CNS as your body’s main processing center or operating system. Much like

a computer, if you overload the operating system, the whole organism crashes. The CNS’

role in training was largely ignored for many years, but, as coaches become more aware

of the impact of the brain on the muscle’s ability to function, there has been more focus

on the CNS. Recovery will play a huge part in how often you can train. If the CNS is

under recovered, the muscles will not function properly! Even if your body feels well

rested, if the brain is tired, the weights won’t move! The chapters on dealing with

recovery are at least as important as the training chapters. It is usually overlooked by

most trainees but those who pay attention to recovery will always have a HUGE

advantage.

So, if after about three weeks the CNS is impaired, how do we keep making progress?

First, lets think for a moment about which attributes a player needs to train and develop

in order to become a great player:

2 Simmons, Louie. The Westside Barbell Book of Methods



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Qualities of a

Great Player

Strength -Max

Strength is

foundational

to all other

elements of

training.

Speed - No matter how

strong you

are, if you

aren’t quick,

the game

will fly by

you.

Power - A player must be

able to put their

strength to use

in an explosive environment,

otherwise it’s

wasted. Power,

or

explosiveness, is a must. You

must be able to

convert your

weightroom strength into

useable skill on

the field

Size – Football players are

bigger than

ever. In the

1950’s and 60’s, a 210lb lineman

would’ve been

able to play in

the NFL. Now,

high school running backs

weigh 220.. If a

player isn’t big

enough for his position, in

most cases, he’s

a goner.

Attitude –Football, and

most sports, are more

mental than physical. A

wrong attitude (this ties in strongly to work ethic)

will end your career faster

than any injury ever could.

Football Skill –While this

can’t be addressed

specifically in the

weightroom, there are

elements of the program

that can help. But, playing

the sport will always be the

ultimate way to acquire the skill necessary

to succeed.



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These elements will be discussed several times in this manual because they are of the

utmost importance to developing into a top-flight player.

So, if 6 of the 7 elements are directly trainable in the weight room, how can a coach or

player possibly manage to work all of them at the same time in order to maintain or

progress in each, all without burning out or overtraining?

Train it all: Maintain and Progress Constantly

For the answer, we must turn to powerlifters, specifically, those who follow conjugate

periodization (CP).

Conjugate periodization is based on the Soviet system of planning an athlete’s

preparation. It is the perfect way to train all attributes a football player needs to train, all

in the same time period. Typically, all six of the main elements are trained in a given

week. CP simply means that we are training several elements of the athlete at the same

time.

Another great feature of this style of programming, taken specifically from the

Powerlifting world, is exercise rotation. We’ll touch on this in more detail later in the

manual, but for now let me say that you or your athletes will absolutely not burn out

when exercises are rotated properly.

See, for decades, we’ve had the concept of “specificity” pounded into our collective

heads. If a football player wants a big Squat, then he must Squat and Squat only! Well,

first of all, who cares about a Squat? Yes, it’s a great exercise, but, is it better than a



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Deadlift…or a Front Squat? Do football players only move in one plane of motion? Do

they only use the exact muscles used in Squatting? No, so why put so much effort into

one exercise. (This goes for any exercise, by the way)

The better solution would be to become good in MANY exercises. In the EFT system, we

rotate both our Max Effort (heavy) exercise and our accessory lifts. (Movements like

Romanian Dead Lifts or Rows). These concepts will be explained in the following

chapters.

The ability to build sufficient speed and strength on only a handful of lifts is almost

impossible! One must utilize the entire of arsenal of special assistance moves, which can

be down with heavier weights and more reps than the classic lifts.3

Remember, after about 3 weeks the CNS starts to lose its power. So, the best bet would

be to change exercises often, no less than every three weeks. Not only will recovery be

improved, but you will be able to become good at a larger number of exercises.

Remember, athletes move in multiple planes of motion. To confine them to only the up

and down motion of a Squat or Bench Press, with one type of bar and a fairly narrow set

and rep scheme will do a great disservice to the athlete’s progress on the field!

Accommodation

The response of a biological object to a given constant stimulus decreases over time!

Accommodation is the decrease in response of a biological object to a continued

stimulus. What does that all mean?3 You (biological organism) will get less benefit from

doing the same exercises (continued stimulus) over time. Training must be varied

constantly in regards to Intensity, Density, and Volume.

3 Zatsiorsky, Vladimir. The Science and Practice of Strength Training 3Laputin, Nikolai Petrovich. Managing the Training of Weightlifters



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Back to why EFT is superior:

• Training of Several Elements at Once

• Variability – The ease with which programs can be changed “on the fly” rather than

sticking rigidly to some pre-determined percentage

• Continual Progress – By rotating exercises and rep schemes, one can make progress

each session rather than hitting a wall, as most do in the old-style of training

• Weak-point Training - The ability to change course to correct weaknesses without

throwing the whole system out of whack, as would happen in the old, western

periodization approach!

• Maximum Force Production

• Constant manipulation of Intensity, Volume and Density

Coaches

Coaches: Remember, you are planning the training of your athletes not just for the off season or even one year, but instead for the long term. Keep in mind you will be responsible for developing these players over a 4-year period! Without the ability to change the plan along the way, long-term planning will be useless! Using Western Periodization to plan for longer than a few months is worthless! There are just too many variables.

Some advanced athletes will have to change exercises, especially Max Effort Exercises EVERY week!



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Chapter 2 - Max Effort – The Key to

Building Insane Strength

Let’s start this entire chapter off with one key thought; Maximal Strength is foundational

to all other elements of athleticism.

What does this mean?

Well, basically, the STRONGER you are, the better. More strength =

• More speed

• More Agility

• Better Endurance

• More Explosiveness

• More Muscle

While it’s true that there is training to be done specifically for each of those qualities,

without strength, you are wasting your time.

If you are weak, forget speed training, it will be worthless without the muscular strength

to back it up.

Running through cones for agility? If your legs don’t have the strength to produce the

necessary force, then you can run cones ‘till you drop and you will never be as agile as

possible.



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So, how does one go about building max strength? Well, first you should understand that

strength is developed in two ways:

• Increasing the thickness of the muscle fibers

• Increasing the innervations of the muscle fibers, or improving the coordination of the

muscles in connections with the CNS.4

In general a bigger muscle has the potential to be stronger. Now, you may have heard that

bodybuilders, the biggest lifters on the planet aren’t very strong. While some are quite

strong, this stereotype comes from the fact that many bodybuilders’ strength does NOT

match their size. Why?

The reason lies in the two types of hypertrophy (muscle growth)…

� Sarcoplasmic Hypertrophy - The volume of sarcoplasmic fluid in the muscle cell

increases with no accompanying increase in muscular strength. � Myofibril Hypertrophy - The myofibrils, comprised of the actin and myosin

contractile proteins, increase in number and add to muscular strength as well as an increase in the size of the muscle.

Basically, bodybuilders focus on sarcoplasmic hypertrophy only. Football players need to

use both because we need to be both big and strong. What’s the best way to do this? A

mix of Max Effort and Higher Rep work. First, let’s continue to explore Max Effort

training.

ME training will strengthen both the muscle fibers and the connection between the

muscles and the CNS. The CNS can vary the strength of a muscular contraction by

involving the number of fibers at work and by changing the strength of the impulse sent.3

4 Laputin, Nikolai. Managing the Training of Weightlifters



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ME training allows you to work with near limit weights to build super strength. Weights will range from 90 – 100% of your max for that day. Re-read that. It’s your max for the day, not your all time max. We will refer to this as your training max (TM). Laputin, in Managing the Training of Weightlifters suggests the following: It is advisable that weightlifters execute training lifts with limit

And near limit weights because only these lifts make it possible to

improve the contractile ability of the muscles and perfect the coordination

structure of the central nervous system.

This was advised for Olympic Weightlifters, but it applies to all athletes. If, you were to stick to the classic 3 sets of 10 program that so many magazines preach, you would be wasting your time. Is 3 x 10 worthless? No, it actually has a ton of useful applications. However, when building raw, brute strength, 10 reps is just too many. You need to prepare the body to produce maximum force (power and strength) and to be able to do it in a hurry! When you fire off that line, the guy across from you is not going to wait for you to apply force…you better knock him out before he takes you out. Strength’s Effect on Speed I get tons of emails from coaches and players asking about every speed-training device under the sun. Parachutes, cones, hurdles, towing devices, and special shoes and usually the subject at hand. While all these devices have their place, the truth is, the best way to increase speed is by increasing strength. You must increase Max Strength, which will also increase Relative Strength (how strong you are for your bodyweight), which will increase speed. Mel Siff, PhD, author of Supertraining, considered by most to be the Bible of strength training texts, wrote this about increasing speed training:

To increase speed it is necessary to increase the magnitude or duration of the

force applied (or both), or decrease the mass of the body. However, for practical

purposes, not all of these possibilities can be achieved in human movement. The



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athlete is unable to decrease the mass of his body or an item of standard athletic

apparatus, or increase the duration of t (time) of a given movement. However, it is

possible to increase the time of a movement of limited amplitude only by

decreasing its speed, which is nonsense. Consequently, only one recourse

remains, namely to increase strength. Maximum strength is the main factor

determining speed of movement!

In layman’s terms: Get stronger to get faster!

Author’s Note: During my football career, I had the great pleasure of

playing with and against several guys with NFL experience…either they were in NFL camps, played a season or two, or just played specials in the

pros.

I’m often asked what it was like…were these guys just unstoppable? Was

their technique just out of this world?

Actually, no. I’ve seen better technique on guys who, frankly, weren’t

that good.

I will say that, without a doubt, the biggest difference between these

guys and everyone else was their explosiveness and power! These guys

(all over 300lbs) absolutely FLEW off the ball. They were Powerlifter

Strong with the explosion of an Olympic Sprinter.

Next time someone tells you to concentrate on cone drills and forget the weights, remember this story.



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How to Apply Max Effort Methods to Your

Program Remember, the goal here is to lift your max for that day. Obviously, if your max squat is 500lbs,

you can’t continually squat that amount week in and week out. As Louie Simmons has written,

“Our maximum effort system is much like the Bulgarian model. Regardless of our trainability,

we max out. It might not be an all-time record, but it’s all you’re capable of on that day.”

You may work up to about 480 for a solid single or double. The key is to strain against

the weight for about 2-3 seconds, applying maximum force to the bar.

So, before we get into the actual application of the ME methods, remember the following:

� Exercises will rotate often, usually every 1-3 weeks (every week for advanced lifters)

� Use weights in excess of 90% of your max

� You will work up to a maximum single or double…this will typically take 5-7 sets to

accomplish (explained in detail below)

� You MUST apply maximum force to the bar!

Rotating Exercises

As stated earlier, you must rotate exercises often to

prevent burning out. But, what exactly does this

mean?



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Well, lets use the Bench Press as an example. Most programs would simply have you

bench heavy for 12 – 16 weeks.

But, as we’ve seen, this is extremely ineffective. After week 3 or 4, your progress will

start to backslide…especially if you have more than a year of experience.

To prevent this, we simply do the bench press and similar exercises, changing them ever

1 – 3 weeks, depending on experience level. A good example of this would be:

Weeks 1 – 3: Bench press

Weeks 4 – 6: Incline press

Weeks 7 – 9: DB Bench

Weeks 10 –12: DB Incline

Weeks 13-15: Close Grip Bench

As you can see, the exercises are similar, hitting many of the same muscles, but all from

different angles, with different grips and different bars. The possibilities are pretty much

endless. For the bench alone you could easily come up with 15 exercises, such as:

1. Bench

2. Incline

3. DB Bench

4. DB Incline

5. CG Bench

6. 2-Board Bench Press

7. 3-Board Bench Press

8. Bench Press Lockouts

9. Incline Lockouts

10. CG Incline

11. Bottoms-Up Bench



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12. Incline with Chains

13. Bench with Chains

14. Reverse Band Bench

15. Reverse Band Incline

Looking at the list, you can easily start to think of even more! Get creative. Use thick

bars, thick DB’s, bands, chains, weight releasers…the possibilities are endless.

Now, should anyone have any excuse for sticking to bench only? It’s just lazy or

uninformed coaching.

How do you “work up” to your max sets? This will be covered in greater detail in the

“Sample Programs” chapters. But, a quick example would look like this.

If your max single in the bench is 200lbs and you plan on working up to a heavy double.

Your sets might look like this:

Set 1: Bar x 5

Set 2: 95 x 5

Set 3: 135 x 3

Set 4: 150 x 2

Set 5: 170 x 2

Set 6: 180 x 2

Set 7: 185-190 x 2 (this will depend on how you feel)

On an exercise like Squats or Deadlifts, you may need more or less warm-up sets,

depending on your strength level.

But, you must experiment and see what works for you!



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Chapter 3: Harnessing the Power of

Dynamic Training to Become Super

Explosive! We learned in the first chapter that we must be strong. Maximum strength is foundational

to all other aspects of strength and athletic ability. With Max Effort training, you are

constantly hitting personal records, pushing your strength higher and higher in a

multitude of exercises.

One of the criticisms of weight-training for football and athletics over the years was that

while it would make you much stronger, it would make you tight and slow. Muscle

Bound was the term that was popular with those in the anti-weight training camp.

As I said earlier, if you use the old Western-style, with its emphasis on improper

bodybuilding methods, this criticism can come true. You must find bridges between

weightroom power and athletic power.

Dynamic Training, sometimes called Dynamic Effort, is one of the best bridges to

transferring strength into skill.

Dynamic Methods

Using Plyometrics and jumping exercise is a form of DT, and is an excellent way to build

explosive strength. However, some over-rely on Plyos and jumping. Dynamic strength

must be built in the weightroom as well as while jumping.



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Louie Simmons, owner of Westside Barbell, and the man who put together the Westside

Barbell Method, writes:

Jumping exercises and/or plyometrics cause the fastest rate of explosive strength

because as resistance is lessened, the motion time becomes shorter. This is caused

by a sudden eccentric stretch of the muscles and connective tissue preceding a

voluntary effort. Of course, the faster the eccentric [lowering] phase, the faster the

concentric [lifting, or raising] phase through an increase in kinetic energy. How

can this be accomplished with a barbell?

Explosive strength can be developed by using moderate resistance with maximum

speed. This is the dynamic method. Two simple training methods to accompany

the dynamic method are the box squat for squatting and pulling strength and the

floor press with dumbbells or a barbell. For both exercises, after the eccentric

phase, many of the muscles are in a relaxed state. This is followed by any

explosive concentric motion. This will increase the rate of force development

(RFD). We also find that maximum concentric work also increases RFD. With the

use of extremely heavy weights, bar velocity may be slow, but nevertheless,

overcoming a large load dynamically causes a fast RFD.

Many have taken this to mean that simply lifting light weights quickly will build great

speed. However, this is mistaken because of the body’s natural protection

mechanism…as you near lockout, your antagonists (muscles opposite of the ones being

worked, i.e., the triceps and biceps) will contract causing a slowing effect on the bar. This

is done to prevent joint injuries.



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Note: You should be applying maximum force to the bar no matter what the weight is.

Although when doing a heavy exercise the bar will move slower, the intent to move it

quickly is very important.

Now, the whole point of Dynamic Training is to transfer power. This is done by lifting

sub-maximum weights at maximum speeds. But, how can this be done if the body want’s

to slow down the movement as it nears completion?

Accommodating Resistance

Accommodating Resistance is simply using training devices that will actually make the

weight “heavier” as you reach lockout, thus circumventing the problem of slowing down

near lockout. Zatsiorsiky, in the Science and Practice of Strength Training, defines

accommodating resistance as using special means to accommodate resistance throughout

the entire range of motion rather than a specific point. Two of the most popular methods

of accomplishing this are using chains or bands.

Bands are probably the superior method. However, for beginners, or those who have

experience but are new to this type of training, I would stick to using chains only until

you become familiar with the process.

There are two problems with using only bar weight when doing Dynamic Training. One,

as we mentioned, is that the bar will naturally decelerate as you near completion. The

other is that we are strongest near lockout. That’s why you see guys who only squat down

a few inches lift way more than a guy who squats the full range of motion. Typically, we

are weakest at the bottom, or middle-bottom of a lift, and then very strong at the top.

There’s a huge problem with this:

• Often we are under-training the muscles in certain positions, many of them positions

that are very near to those used in football. Muscles are active over a relatively short

ROM and usually maximum muscle activity occurs near the top end of a movement.



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• To under train the top of a movement, i.e., the squat, would be leaving a huge amount

of force “on the table.” When running, we typically drive off of a knee angle that is

similar to running. If we are under-training this portion of the squat, we are asking for

trouble…not only in decreased speed, but also potential injuries!

Using bands or chains will not only lead to bigger numbers in the weightroom, but it will

also lead to more sport-efficient motor patterns by teaching the body to continue

accelerating rather than decelerating as you reach the strongest part of the lift.

Because of the increased resistance as you near completion, the bands will actually

decelerate the bar. This works in your favor because you now have to work harder to

accelerate and can avoid the body’s natural protective mechanism safely.

Speed, Bands, Chains, and Explosive Strength

Bands and chains, used dynamically, help you develop all of the important types of

strength. We’ve already covered limit strength in the Max Effort Chapter, here are some

key others for football players:

• Speed Strength: The ability to overcome resistance with a high speed muscular

contraction.

• Starting Strength: Ability to “fire” off as many motor units as possible

simultaneously. Box Squats with chains will build tremendous starting strength. You

would need a great deal of starting strength in the Deadlift or when sprinting out of

your stance.

• Explosive Strength: Ability to display significant tension in a minimal amount of

time. A Power Clean is a great example of explosive strength. So would the “thrust”

you display when bringing the hips in a block or tackle.



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Max Effort training works on your max or absolute strength. You must have enough max

strength or all of your other training for speed will be worthless!

Use dynamic effort training as a compliment to your ME work.

How to Apply Dynamic Training to Your Program The powerlifters at Westside Barbell, under the coaching of Louie Simmons popularized Dynamic Effort training in the West. They’ve used a day of Dynamic Upper and one Dynamic Lower to lift some of the biggest weights in history. The roster of 500 and 600lb benchers, 800+lb squatters, and record holders is amazing. Can these same methods be applied to football players with similar results? After all, we are training for football not powerlifting. While it’s true that we are not training for a powerlifting meet (though I do encourage all of you to enter powerlifting, Olympic Weightlifting, or strongman competitions in the off-season), we are training with many of the same goals in mind…be as strong and as explosive as possible! Some modifications are made to DE training when applied to athletes. Dynamic Effort work is not suited to beginners. An athlete should have a few months of heavy, consistent training under their belt before starting on DE work. Once ready, an athlete should use Dynamic work once per week, about 3 days after the ME session. So, if you did ME Lower on Monday, do your speed work on Thursday. Use a variety of movements including: • Box Squats • Box Front Squats • Speed Deadlifts • Snatch Pulls • Jumps of all kinds (onto boxes, long-jumps, vertical jumps, etc.) Remember to use bands or chains when possible. Most of this info applies to the lower body, but what about the top half?



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Throwin Blows Like Tyson…or Glass Joe? We spend a lot of time talking about speed in football, but it’s usually about running speed and agility. However, hand speed is largely ignored. So many guys can run fast or lift a lot of weights but deliver a blow like Glass Joe!

Face it, if you hit like a bitch, you will get beaten, especially if you play on the line. You MUST be able to smack the shit out of someone. This goes for CB’s too, and WR’s. On that first play of the game, you have to throw a shot like you are trying to knock that guy out. Much like there’s a lot of guys who can Squat the friggin weightroom, yet can’t get out of their own way; there’s even more guys who can bench a ton but have zero hand speed. Enter Dynamic Training The answer is to do speed work for the upper body. While many in the Powerlifting world have debated the effects of speed work on their bench, I feel it’s extremely useful to football players (and most other athletes)…especially once they have a decent amount of strength built up. Dynamic or Speed training involves lifting a sub-max weight for maximum speed, with strictly timed rest periods. You will need to add either chains or bands to the bar so that you do not decelerate towards lockout. For benching, use 40-50% of a 1RM with a method of accommodating resistance, i.e. bands or chains. Do 8 – 9 sets of 3 reps. Keep the rest at 1 minute between sets.



29

Do your speed work as the main exercise on your second upper body day, in place of your Rep Day. I recommend you use DE Upper training in blocks throughout the year rather than using it all the time. DE training also serves as a nice change from the high reps sets you will be doing on your Rep days.

Dynamic Effort Guidelines • For benching, use 40-50% of a 1RM with a method of accommodating

resistance, i.e. bands or chains. • For squatting, use 50-60% with a method of accommodating resistance. Bands

or chains must always be used to greatly reduce the deceleration phase.

• For squatting: 10-12 sets of 2 reps. • For benching: 8-9 sets of 3 reps.

• For deadlifting: 6-10 sets of 1 rep after squatting.

Must Reads:

Simmons, Louie. The Westside Barbell Book of Methods

Chu, Donald. Jumping Into Plyometrics



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Chapter 4 – Using Bodybuilding Methods

Properly to Make Huge, Functional Gains I am not in any way encouraging football players to start training like Bodybuilders. How

many careers have been either cut short or never realized their potential because of

improper applications of bodybuilding-style training?

Is Bodybuilding Evil?

Bodybuilding methods have been thoroughly vilified by strength coaches over the

years…and with good reason. So many young players get their training information from

magazines like Flex or Muscle & Fitness. These magazines feature huge, drugged-up

bodybuilders and the programs they supposedly follow. The programs are as fake as the

drug-induced muscle. The volume is off the charts, with little attention paid to athletic

skill or flexibility.

This, combined with the younger player’s drive to want to do bench, curls and abs (the

beach muscles), has given coaches headaches for years.

One of the main problems with the typical bodybuilding style workout is that many sets

are taken to failure. There is even an entire training system devoted to taking one main

set to failure (H.I.T). The belief is that only those last few reps are worthwhile, so all sets

must be taken to absolute failure.

This is faulty logic for many reasons.

1. Sets can never really be taken to absolute failure: Fatigue effects from

different types of muscular work are specific, thus an athlete who is too tired



32

to repeat the same exercise, say, a bench press, may still be able to perform

another in good form, i.e. push-ups.5

2. It is completely unnecessary for you to become completely exhausted in a

workout; strength gains are greater when you are not tired

3. Pushing to exhaustion will burn out your CNS and force you to cut volume in

future training sessions.

Using the Rep Method Properly

Powerlifters have used higher rep bodybuilding schemes for quite some time. This would

seem counter-intuitive because the powerlifter is concerned with strength. But, most

powerlifters need a certain amount of mass to gain better leverages (the bigger your chest

and back, the less distance the bar needs to be pushed in the Bench, thus increasing the

amount of weight used). Also, the bigger lifters need to keep large amounts of muscle

mass to “fit” into their weight classes.

So, how have powerlifters figured out how to use higher rep schemes without losing

strength or burning out their CNS?

Leave a Few “In the Tank”

The answer is actually pretty simple. They began to cycle exercises often, sometimes

every session, and they learned to leave a few reps “in the tank.” This simply means that

5 Zatorski, Vladimir. The Science and Practice of Strength Training.



33

if you are capable of doing 9 reps, you do 8. The last rep is hard, but you aren’t straining

so much that you are fatiguing the CNS.

The best way to gauge this is to pick a weight and start doing reps. On your last rep it

should be hard, but not impossible and you might be able to do another rep, but you leave

it alone.

Advantages to Using the Rep Method

There are several advantages to using higher reps for some exercises:

• Higher reps can induce substrate uptake so that nutrients are partitioned into

the lean “compartments” of the body and away from the fat ones.

• Induce metabolite build-up and ion transport

• Bring blood and nutrients to the muscles, which can aid in growth and

recovery

• Add lean body mass. The higher reps are great for those who need to put on

weight to play their position.

Can you gain significant size by only using low reps? Yes, to a point. Even if you

concentrated on reps of 4 and below and ate a diet consisting of high-quality protein and

calories, you would gain. But, if you wish to accelerate the process and get even bigger,

then the Rep Method will work wonders for you.

That being said, you MUST combine this with the ME training or you risk becoming big

and weak…and there is nothing sadder than a big, weak football player.

So how do you add the rep method to your program in an intelligent manner?



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Volume, Density and the Rule of 24

When it comes to gauging volume for muscle gains, I like to use the “rule of 24” as my

base. Basically, the rule of 24 means that the product of your sets and reps will come out

to 24 total. For example, 3 x 8.

You can use the rule as a basic guide, it’s not a hard and fast rule. Sometimes you may

come in under 24 reps, and you will often do way more than 24. But, this should be your

aim, especially in the beginning.

You can get to 24 reps in several ways:

• 3 x 8

• 8 x 3

• 4 x 6

• 6 x 4

• 5 x 5 (yes, it’s 25 but the idea is the same)

• 2 x 12

• 12 x 2

Mix it up. Remember, this is the rep portion of the program, so, while 12 sets of doubles

is fine, it’s not idea. 12 x 2 would be great for a heavy day but not so great for a rep

session.

I’ve found that the best results come from 3 – 5 sets of 5 – 8 reps.



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Density

There is a full chapter on density later in this manual but I’ll outline the basics of using

density as a training tool for getting bigger.

Density is simply the amount of work you perform in a certain amount of time. So, if you

were doing curls and you set a timer for 15 minutes. If you are using 100-lbs and you end

up with 40 total reps, the next session you would try to do more than 40. If you can

manage 42 reps, then you have increased your density.

You also could set the timer for 12 minutes and try to get the same 40 reps. You would

still have increased density by performing the same amount of work, but in less time.

If you have been following regular rep ranges for a while, use a density period to break

out of any plateau.

An easy way to set this up would be to pick your rep upper body exercise and set the

timer. We’ll say you are using DB Bench with 50lbers. Set the clock for 15 minutes and

get to work.

The sets will vary. You may start off with sets of 10 and end with singles as the period

draws to a close.

The next session, simply beat the reps. When you do, add weight or reduce the amount of

time.

This is a great way to manage fatigue and to up the volume while still using a respectable

weight. If you want to learn more about how to apply density to your training, please

check out Charles Staley’s EDT Guide



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Max Rep Sets I give all credit to Super Coach Joe DeFranco on this one. Joe popularized using a Max Rep exercise on the Repetition Upper day. Joe found that sometimes, for some of his hard gainer types…usually very skinny guys, the standard 24 reps just wasn’t enough to pack on the lbs! So he started using sets with maximum reps as the main exercise on the Rep Upper day. Now, when I say max reps, I do NOT mean sets taken to failure. While these sets will be very high (20+ reps) they are not taken to failure. Usually, you will leave one or two in the tank on the first and second set and go all out on the last. Some object to this kind of training, insisting that it is a strength endurance exercise. Yes, this is true. But, we are only using it for one exercise, once per week. And, the purpose is to induce as much muscle building damage as possible. For those who have real trouble gaining or even those who don’t but want to go to the next level, these max reps sets can really push the muscle gains through the roof. By doing this rather extreme reps scheme in addition to eating a solid diet of high quality protein, you are ensuring that you will continually grow new muscle and build new strength.

Timed Sets This is a wicked twist on both high rep and density focused training. This concept was introduced by Louie Simmons in one of his articles. Take an exercise like the DB Incline. Pick a fairly heavy weight, something you might be able to do for 8. Then sent a timer for 2 minutes and start pressing! You will not press continually because you will need to rest along the way, but, you keep the rest periods to a minimum as you try to cram as many reps as possible into this 2-minute period! Your set may look like this…8, rest, 5, 4, 5, 3, 1,1,1. Then, you rest for 3 minutes and go again. Two of these blocks is plenty! Next time around you try to beat your total. It’s simple and brutally effective!



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Key Points

• Use Higher-reps for muscle building and recovery

• High rep sets are used for accessory and supplemental exercises, NOT, for your main

strength exercises.

• Use the Rule of 24 as your base

• Use some of the more extreme methods like Timed sets to break plateaus and gain

new muscle • How to integrate the Rep Method into your program will be detailed in full in

“Putting it all Together”



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Chapter 5 – Recovery…Ignore it and Lose,

Guaranteed! It’s a boring topic, I know. Recovery. It’s been written about a thousand times, yet it is

still probably the most misunderstood and underutilized training tool on the planet. Most

of us have no trouble convincing ourselves to buy a new rack, a new Squat DVD, or

whatever training gear we think will give us that next edge. We read all the latest training

articles, plan our workouts; how many sets, and reps, Max Effort work, Dynamic Effort

work…should we do more rep work or more speed work. However, how many people

put that type of effort into planning their recovery? Not too many judged by what I’ve

seen in my 14 years of training experience.

A few years back I almost bought into the theory that was being floated that damn near

every lifter was suffering from the dreaded “over-training.” Almost. I soon realized that

most people weren’t over-trained, they were UNDER recovered. James Loehr, one of the

greatest sports psychologists of all time talks about making “waves” in training. “Without

recovery, stress is all there is. Stress becomes linear, constant, unremitting. Linear stress

eventually means overtraining, increasing weakness, and poor performance…Recovery

must occur at all three levels – physical, mental, and emotional. Recovery often simply

means rest. When you rest, you temporarily break episodes of stress and allow energy to

be restored.” One waves up with activities like lifting or running, and waves down with

recovery methods.

Take some time to plan out your recovery methods (RMs) and when you will use them

and I guarantee that you will see tremendous progress. Some of my favorite RMs:

Sleep

If talking about recovery is boring, then talking about sleep must be mind numbing. But

again, how many lifters do you know (yourself included) who walk around in a sleep



40

deficit? Look around at your co-workers or fellow students tomorrow and you’ll probably

see some seriously tired people.

Lack of sleep hinders brain performance. If the brain is under-performing, then you can be sure your CNS isn’t up to par. And, as we’ve all learned, if the CNS is down, your muscles will not respond properly! After only one night of sleep depravation (less than 6hrs sleep), mental and physical performance begins to decline. This is painfully evident when a football player practices or plays a game while sleep deprived…it can get ugly! How much is needed? The standard suggestion is 7 – 8 hours. If, however, you’ve been chronically sleep deprived, you may need to spend several weeks “paying down” your sleep debt.

The easiest way to do this is to simply sleep more. Add an hour at night and a nap, even 15 minutes, as often as possible. Eventually, you will be back to “normal” and you can go back to the suggested 7 – 8 hours per night. Some quick tips for getting the best sleep for your recovery buck: • Try to get 8 hours of sleep per night and nap during the day when you can. I admit, I could never take naps until about a year ago. I was on lunch break and needed to rest a bit. I put on a meditation tape and for whatever reason; I was sleeping in about 30 seconds. I repeated the experiment the next day…same result. Soon my 15minute nap became a staple of my RMs. • Find a meditation CD, sleep tape, white noise record, whatever works…I don’t care if

you have to use your 8-track, get to sleep! • Keep your bedroom as dark as possible! Cover LCD screens, put heavy drapes over

the window. • Wear a sleep mask. As someone who always had trouble falling asleep, I found wearing a sleep mask helped tremendously. • If you need to turn to the prescription drugs, proceed with extreme caution! Some

drugs are thought to interfere with REM sleep. So, while you may sleep more, you are lacking the most important stage of the sleep cycle!

• Try melatonin, ZMA, or even the old warm milk and turkey cocktail. The key is, find

something that works.



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Epsom Salt/Sea Salt Baths

John Paul Catanzaro did a great job outlining the benefits of Epsom salt baths on

EliteFTS.com a while back. How many guys actually followed his advice though? I know

it seems a little fem to do this, but it works.

This is nothing new, my grandmother told me about the benefits of Epsom salt baths way

back when I first started lifting. She didn’t know why they worked, she just knew they

did. The high magnesium content in Epsom salt baths facilitates the removal of acids

through the skin. Add about two cups to your bath water along with a handful of Sea

Salts. Go to Bath and Bodyworks, they’ll have about a thousand bath time/relaxation

powders, potions and lotions to choose from. You can also look for a bath “T-bag,” no

joke. It looks like a giant T-bag that you put in the bathtub. They’re usually made up of

chamomile, lavender, magnesium, and various other “relaxants.”

A few months back I had a Max Effort lower day planned. My back was tight and so

were my hamstrings from sitting in the car too long. I decided to do a quick bath

combined with a 15minute nap. It worked like gangbusters hit a 15lb P.R. in the deadlift

that evening.

The baths work well the after training and the next day as well. Combine with some light

stretching and a nap and you got yourself recovery soup!

Post Workout Nutrition

I suppose the new trend is peri-workout nutrition and I feel this is a great idea. A great

post workout recovery drink is vital! Legendary Strength Coach Bill Starr wrote about

the benefits of PWO nutrition way back in his classic book, “The Strongest Shall

Survive.” “European researchers found that if their athletes ingest protein, preferably in

liquid form, in less than 30 minutes after exercise, their recovery rate is three times faster

than if they wait past this time period.” This was written over 30 years ago, yet some



42

people still haven’t caught on. Get a good recovery drink; sip it before, during and after

training.

In its most basic form, training and recovery are basically the tearing down and building

back up of muscle. So while some guys still insist on pounding away for hours in the gym

thinking that’s when the muscle is built, they are just flat out wrong.

All of your weightroom sessions should be completed in 45 minutes – 1 hour, warm-up

included. If you can’t, you are either taking way too much time between sets or just

fooling around. Testosterone levels drop off after about 45 minutes, so training much past

that point is useless.

Drinking your post work out shake before during and after lifting ensures that you will

have a steady supply of nutrients flowing through you, helping you recover, and get

bigger and stronger. There’s several quality shakes on the market. Biotest’s Surge,

Cytosport Gainer, and Prograde’s Workout stand out.

If you are short on funds, a simple whey protein shake mixed with Gatorade powder will

help tremendously. An ideal low-cost PWO Shake will contain protein and carbs in

ample amounts. And, the more simple the carb the better. While various types of sugars

are usually off limits, during the PWO window they can help shuttle insulin, a powerful

growth hormone, into the muscles. Dextrose, found in Gatorade, will help a great deal.

Note, always mix your PWO shake in water. Milk proteins are slower digesting, which is fine for most of the day, but in the PWO period, you want the protein in you as quickly as possible!



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Conditioning and Extra Workouts

This is so simple that it defies logic that more people don’t do it: Walk more. Don’t jog,

walk. For a 200+lb lifter, walking is a good, calorie burning, blood moving activity that

won’t sap strength or eat muscle. If you wanna be a hard-ass, walk with a vest. How

long? 20-40 minutes would be a good start. Walking is boring? Get an iPod or a dog and

get over it.

Louie Simmons has been writing about extra workouts for years. The one that worked

best for me has always been sled/prowler work. You can put in a good, solid effort but

not get sore because of the lack of eccentric work. If you are doing this for recovery, go

light. No need to be a hero on the sled. If you want to do this for conditioning there’s

endless options…put some weight on it and walk, put a little less and sprint. It’s not

rocket science.

Foam Rolling/Massage

I admit that I thought foam rollers were B.S. for a long time. That is, until I tried one. For

10 bucks, I bought a little piece of foam that totally transformed the way I felt.

Somewhere along the line I got jacked up! After about two weeks of rolling 4

times/week, I felt amazing. My flexibility was back, my joints didn’t hurt, and sometimes

it was a major energy booster. I’m not sure why, and I’ve been unable to find any

research backing this up, but if I was tired and/or tight, a good 10minute session on the

foam roller was like a shot of espresso. Maybe it moved the blood around. Maybe it just

loosened my muscles up. Either way I only care that it worked and continues to work.



44

If you are rather large or just don’t seem to get any relief from a traditional roller, go to

Home Depot and get yourself a big piece of PVC. The pipe is good at getting into places

that the roller can miss (hamstrings, for example).

Massage is a luxury, no doubt. If you can afford it, get it as often as possible. Even if it’s

once a month. There’s been some debate about whether or not massage actually reduces

recovery time. Those who say it doesn’t are missing the point. It’s more about the

relaxation than anything else. If nothing else, for one hour you are free of any troubles

and have someone rubbing you. Sounds like a worthwhile investment to me.

Now, if you are really hurting, you might want to seek out a pain-relief massage therapist

or and Active Release Technique (ART) practitioner. This type of deep-tissue massage is

NOT relaxing. Actually, it can be painful at times. In my own case, Swedish massage is a

waste. There’s too much muscle to even feel it, so I instead turn to the pain-relief people.

They are great at getting deep into the muscle belly and breaking up knots and any scar

tissue. I honestly thought my shoulders were done with benching until I started this

program…now I’m fine and back to being able to answer the ol’ “wadda ya bench”

question.

We’ve all heard of the athlete who was damn near finished, who then went to get ART

done and made a huge comeback. It can be expensive, but if you are injured, it’s worth

the investment. You can learn more about ART at http://www.activerelease.com

Meditation

Don’t run away. I’m not asking you to convert to Buddhism. But, even the most simple

forms of mediation (closing your eyes and saying “in and out” as your breath) will work

wonders. You may find that you fall asleep while doing this. Great! Don’t worry about it,

just means you are tired. Fifteen minutes of just letting go of your thoughts/troubles/baby

momma drama, etc. will help your mind relax and let your body recover. Recovery is



45

about making “waves.” Every time you add a stress (training, work, life) you need to

balance that wave with some sort of recovery measure.

Scientists have been able to measure the changes in a person before, during and after

meditation.

Brain scans have shown that there are actual shifts in the brain due to meditation. Brain

waves in the right frontal cortex, which is the area of our brain prone to stress, move to

the left frontal cortex, which is the calmer area of our brain. Incidentally the brain scans

have also shown that in the area of our brain that processes fear, activity is significantly

decreased.

One study showed that, “With 6 months of meditation, athletes had less increase in the

CD8+ suppressor T cell response to strenuous physical stress, improving the immune

system's helper to suppressor cell ratio.” If that’s not reason enough to meditate, I don’t

know what is! More benefits of meditation:

-A possible shift toward fat burning

-Improved carbohydrate metabolism

-Reduced Cortisol Levels

There’s a million meditation CD’s out there. Try a few and see what you like. If you are

worried about any religious connotations, seek out a “sports” relaxation CD. Use the

relaxation CD and find other things that relax you. Maybe a comedy CD or a mindless

popcorn flick. It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you feel relieved whilst doing it.

Nutrition and Supplementation

While the subject of nutrition and supplementation can and has filled up entire libraries of

books, I’ll briefly touch on the importance of protein here. A basic understanding of

nutrition can go a long way in helping you or your athletes recover.



46

Protein – It’s been called by some “The athlete’s best friend.” Other’s have blamed it

for kidney failure and kidney stones. What’s the truth? Do athletes really need high

protein intakes? How much is enough? Why is protein more important than carbs or fats?

Protein is the building block of muscle (muscle is essentially protein and water). Without

enough of the building block, you are not going to grow. Protein is an essential nutrient,

without it, you would be in for a slew of health problems.

How much is enough? That’s debatable, but as a hard training athlete, you should be

aiming for 1gram of protein per LB of bodyweight. So, if you weight 200lbs, eat

200g/protein. Remember, this is just your starting point. During football camp, you many

need to increase the amount. And, during an off week, you can bring it down a bit. Don’t

go to the extreme on either end…eating 5g/lb is not going to make you any bigger; there

is a point of diminishing returns. If you stick to 1 – 1.5g/lb, you will be way ahead of the

competition.

Where can you find high-quality protein? Well, whey protein scores highest in use-ability

in the body. But, whey is best used as a supplement, not as your base.

Foods like eggs, milk, cheese, chicken, turkey, pork, duck, beef, fish, buffalo, venison,

cottage cheese, yogurt, and even foods like natural peanut butter are great sources of

protein.

Coaches: Never assume your athletes know anything about

nutrition. Most will have learned little snipets about proper eating

through their parents, the media, or muscle mags. They might know

terms like protein, but never assume they will understand how to

put that information to use. It would be a wise move to spend some

time each week discussing their diets.



47

When you base your meals around getting a good portion of protein foods, meeting your

daily requirement is not very difficult, especially if you supplement with protein shakes.

While we’re on the subject of supplements, please understand that supplements are just

that….they supplement your meals. They are not a magic bullet. No one protein

supplement is going to turn you into a hulk or the MVP of the Super Bowl. If you want to

try protein supplements, find one that you can afford and tastes good. It’s that simple.

Don’t fall for the bells and whistles and the sales hype. Just get a good, quality whey or

milk protein and you will be fine.

I still think the nutrition chapters of “The Strongest Shall Survive” are excellent. Starr

gives vitamin and mineral recommendations that seem to be a bit of over-kill, but that’s

not the point. If you get key vitamins and minerals into your system right after training,

vitamins C, D, A and calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium come to mind, you

will recover faster.

The topics of fats, EFA’s, carbs, proteins and vitamins and minerals have had a multitude

of books written about them. It is a subject that is way too in depth for this manual. I

strong suggest you read the books in the “Recommended Reading” section at the end of

this chapter.

De-loads and Time Off Of all the advice I’ve given in this article, this is the hardest one for me to follow. For

most of us, training is our version of fun. Yea, it’s tough but we all love it. So, it can be

very hard to back off from time to time. A lot of coaches recommend de-loading every 4th

week. It’s a good rule of thumb. In my own case, I just know when to back off. It

typically happens after 5 or 6 weeks. Jim Wendler wrote an easy to follow de-loading

guide.



48

Basically, every few weeks you drop your Max Effort work but continue with your

accessory work. Or keep your ME but drop the accessories. You could also drop rep

work for the week. There’s many different ways to do it, so experimentation is the best

route.

What about a full week off? These are necessary every so often. For me, a de-load is

usually more productive than a full week off, but, I still take them. The only thing I do

during a week off is some stretching and walking. Sometimes I’ll combine a week off

with a diet break. It’s a great relief psychologically and physiologically. Don’t worry

about gaining weight during this time, if you can gain significant weight in this one week,

then you are doing some serious eating.

“Scoring” Your Recovery

Much like a check-book, you must keep your stress (work) and recovery in balance.

This is actually rather simple if you use some form of a scoring system.

Nutritional Points

• 2 points for a good Breakfast

• 1 point for two small meals

• 1 point for lunch and dinner

Sleep

• 2 points for 8+ hours

• 3 points for 9 or more hours

• -1 point for each hour less than 8

• 1 point for a nap

Relationships, Alone, and “Play” Time

• 1 point for a good, positive day

• 0 points for a bad or negative day



49

• 2 points for free time to relax, not focused on school, football, training or any other

stressors

• 1 point for “play” time. Games, socializing, watching a movie or listening to music.

Training and Stress Factors

Stress isn’t always a bad thing. Training stress leads to positive gains in strength and

muscle…if you have proper recovery. Remember that stress can be mental or physical.

Stress isn’t always as simple as something you worked hard at…here’s a short list of

some common stress factors:

Weightlifting

Running/Conditioning

School (tests, homework, social problems)

Relationship problems

Family conflicts

Over/under-eating

Lack of Sleep



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Scoring Your Stressors

Training Intensity, 1 – 4 points.

• If it’s a light session, something like just a warm up and some stretching, a

“1” would fit. If, however, it’s a real beast, you set 3 PR’s and feel like

sleeping after, then better score it a “4.” There’s obviously some room to work

with here and you’ll get better at scoring as you become more experienced.

Outside stresses:

• 1 point for a high school work load

• 1 point for any missed meals (that’s 1pt each)

• 1 point for family/friend issues that are causing you anxiety

No simply add up both factors, stress points and recovery points. Breaking even is worst-

case scenario. You should be shooting for a 2-point “plus” in the recovery column.

Recommended Reading:

James Loeher. The New Toughness Training for Sports

Starr, Bill. “The Strongest Shall Survive.”

Erasmus, Udo. Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill

T-Mag.com, nutrition article Archive

7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs by John M. Berardi



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Lowery, Dr. Lonnie. Meditation for Muscle. http://www.t-

nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_diet_nutrition_bodyb

uilding/meditation_for_muscle



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Chapter 6: The Two-Way Conditioning System “Alright, after yous’ are done stretchin’, take two laps around the field and meet at the

goal post.” For a minute, I thought I had gone back in time, to a field in the 40’s…but, I

checked my helmet and it had a facemask and I soon realized that I actually heard a

football coach say those words on a cold, hard field in 2004. Looking past the fact that

the coach had his guys stretching before warming up, I couldn’t believe this guy had

football players running distance! Football (and weightlifting) is a series of short, intense

bursts. I’ve played the game for over a decade and coached have been a strength coach

for over 10 years now, and can honestly say that I’ve never run a mile in a game. Not

even a half-mile. So why are some coaches still demanding their players run for distance?

I don’t know…my best guess is that that’s how their coaches did it 30 years ago. Doesn’t

matter really, it’s ineffective and counterproductive no matter where they learned it.

Conditioning aerobically is horrible for football players (and all other anaerobic sports)!



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Football and the weightroom have shared a strong bond for many years thanks to

coaches like Bill Starr. As I said earlier, both are anaerobic, requiring short intense bursts

of power and strength. The notion that either of these groups of athletes should run for

distance came from the aerobics craze. Athletes were convinced that in order to “get in

shape” or lose fat , they needed to do aerobic exercise. Well, not only are aerobics terrible

for conditioning, they are not great for fat loss either!

Compare the physiques of a sprinter and a marathon runner. The sprinter looks like a

linebacker…lean, powerful, well muscled. The marathon runner? Well, you couldn’t

scrape enough muscle off of him to fill a thimble.

The building an “aerobic base” argument is pure rubbish. To quote Tudor Bompa, “ “A

linebacker performs like a bulldozer in a game…mowing people down in short bursts. To

have that athlete perform long distance running is blasphemy!”

Football players are loaded with fast-twitch muscle fibers…the muscle that makes you

fast and explosive. Running distance will actually have a negative effect on the fast-

twitch fibers, which will only hurt your playing skills.

Yes, obviously some methods will last longer than 3-5 seconds. Some may even last 45

seconds. Remember, conditioning is about mental toughness as well.

As coaches and players, we must remember how we actually perform in a game…we

sprint, jump, push, pull, squat and jump, fall and get up into a sprint…it’s chaos! While

the average play lasts only three-seconds, there are plays that are much longer…and we

all know that we don’t always get the full 45seconds off in between plays.

The goal I’ve always had for my players and myself was to be able to play both sides of

the ball, even if it wasn’t necessary. Frankly, if you are training correctly, you should be

able to step onto the field at any point during the year and be able to play at a reasonably

high level!



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After all, what is the role of all of this conditioning work? To prepare you for a game.

This is done in the weightroom by building strength, speed, power, and toughness. It’s

also done by using football-friendly conditioning methods to prepare the body to do all

the things we do on the field…run, jump, block, push, pull, etc.

We must build our entire notion of conditioning around these concepts

• We can and should be prepared for anything at any time!

• The majority of our conditioning work should be fairly football specific

• The goal is to be in “game shape” at all times

• Get into game shape by conditioning in a way that simulates playing the sport

as much as possible

There are countless methods to achieving these goals. I will lay out some of my favorites.

Choose several of them, mix it up….get creative. There really is no shortage of ways to

get into game shape.

Metabolic Conditioning

I first heard about this type of training being used at the University of Nebraska. It’s

simple, fun, and easy to implement but also brutally effective.

You will run up to 5 sets of 10 sprints of varying length. The sprints will be position-

specific, i.e., revivers will run Pass Routes. A “set” would look something like this:

1. 10-yd Out

2. 40-yd Fly

3. 15-yd Post



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4. 5-yd Slant

5. 20-yd PK

6. 10-yd Drag

7. 40-yd Fly

8. 15-yd Stop

9. 10-yd Hitch

10. 40-yd Stop & Go

Obviously, you will use your own terminology for your routes. This can be mixed up

over the 5 sets.

� When setting up your sets, think of all the different ways you run during a game. � Try to make each set as different as possible…remember we are trying to simulate a

game Now, while this system would be ok on it’s own, there is a twist that really sets it apart: • You must have someone throw the ball to you! I noticed that when guys would just run the routes, there was a huge tendency to

decelerate toward the end of the sprint. This not only leads to sub-par conditioning but it

creates very bad habits! And, frankly, it becomes just another set of wind-sprints without

the pass being thrown.

But, when you have a QB throw the ball, suddenly the Wideouts (or Tight Ends) come

alive. Now they are chasing down balls, getting timing down, learning to move their

bodies through space and getting more work in with actually catching the ball (a pretty

critical element to football)

You can involve more players as well. Use defensive backs to cover your WRs. If

possible, use two WRs and two Corners.



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A CB will do sets similar to what he does in the game…backpedal, backpedal and turn,

run the routes of a WR. So, why not have him do it live and condition two (or four!)

players at once?

This can be used with RB’s and LB’s as well.

So, what about lineman?

The issue with lineman is that they don’t typically run long sprints. Yes, occasionally

they will get up-field, but the majority of time is spent pushing against an external

resistance (the big guy across from him) While I will detail more lineman-specific drills

in a bit, let me encourage you to allow them to do something similar to their pass-

catching brethren. Encourage good habits (come out of the stance low, hit, good

footwork) but let them go out and catch a pass. Have a D-lineman hold a blocking shield,

have the OL fire off, stay low, block and drive for a few yards then release to catch the

big TD…you know they’re all just waiting for the day the coach calls the ol’Tackle-

eligible!

Prowler/Sled Work for Lineman Have a lineman line up in front of the high bars on the Prowler and sprint/push it. He can

deliver a punch if you like or he can fit and then drive. Keep the distance short, 5 –

10yds. The load should be medium-heavy. This is all about power. If he lets his hips rise

for even a second, the sled will slow. If he doesn’t keep his feet moving, the sled will

slow.



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Again, this can be done for 5 sets of 10 “sprints.” Vary the distance, the angle, have them

work on swinging the hips…again, get creative! Use this time to both condition and

improve skills.

Work/Rest Ratios



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• Start off with a “Walk-back” intensity on the sprints…run, walk back, sprint again

• Use two minutes between sets

• As you become more proficient, you can run back, much like you would in a Two-

Minute Drill

Other Methods of Conditioning

Some more traditional methods can be used in addition to MET Conditioning. Here are a

few to get you started…

400’s

I admit, I hate running 400’s. They start hard and stay hard, but, they are amazingly

effective for both conditioning and fat loss. Now, I hear some of you saying “well, we

never run a 400 in a game either!” True, but 400’s are used as a mental toughening

exercise as much as a physical one. They should NOT be the base of your conditioning

program.

A major reason to use them is for guys who need to drop some bodyfat and lean out.

Up & Backs

This is an extremely simple drill that can be used when you are short on time and/or

space. They will condition and strengthen your legs and lungs.



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Mark off 25-yards, sprint up, then immediately backpedal to the starting line. Then, sprint

forward again and repeat the process 5 x’s, up and back.

You should sprint about ¾ speed up and ½ speed back.

Keep the hips low during the backpedal.

Rest about 2 minutes then repeat. 3-5 Sets should be sufficient.

Keep in mind, conditioning doesn’t have to be limited to running. Here are some ways to

use weights, sleds and other implements to get into great condition.

Kettlebells, Prowlers, and Odd-objects for Superior Athletic Conditioning

Note: The following originally appeared in the StaleyTraining.com Newsletter

If you’re an athlete and you are sick of running for conditioning, please raise your hand.

Ok, all of you? Good. I have a solution for you that’s not only fun and different, but it

actually works!

I’ve written articles on conditioning for football players and power athletes, and yes, they

involved running. Running isn’t evil (though 400’s are slightly demonic). Running, or

sprinting, I should say, is actually necessary. But most coaches rely on running way too

much.



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First a Mini-Rant

I played football for 12 years. From high school through college and up to the Minor

Leagues. I’ve coached on the mini and high school level. If I see one more football coach

making his players jog, I will not be held responsible for what I do! Why on Earth would

anyone want big, strong, power athletes doing an exercise that is slow, muscle-eating,

and counter-productive? I don’t know, but I’ve seen it at every level. Right now I walk

around at 245lbs. When I played I was anywhere from 250 – 280…and I was considered

undersized. So, what senses does it make to have several guys, weighing 220 – 370lbs

doing a repetitive motion like jogging…with each agonizing step sending shock-waves of

pain through their knees, ankles and hips? Right, none. I really believe that some coaches

do this just because that’s the way they were coached. Tudor Bompa said it best, and I’m

paraphrasing here, “Linebackers are like bulldozers, mowing down everything in their

path for 3-5 seconds. To have this kind of athlete run 3 miles is blasphemy!”

A Better Way

While some considerations must be given to the specificity of your sport, for example a

football play lasts 3-5 seconds while a wrestling match can go up to 6 minutes, there is

something to be said for General Preparedness. The duration of the conditioning

movement must be considered, but the execution is more important.

Kettlebells

Everyone here at Staley Training is more than familiar with the benefits of high-rep

Kettlebell work so I won’t rehash it. However, K-bells can be used by football players

(and other short-duration power athletes) quite effectively. Simply use heavier ‘bells (the

88 and 106 would be perfect). Here are some ways I’ve used K-bells alone to condition

myself and some of my athletes:



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K-bell Throw and Retrieve Having more than one ‘bell helps, but it can be done with one. Simply pick a way to

throw it...overhead, forward, sideways, whatever works for you, and then sprint to where

it lands and do it again. I find this helps with coordination while tired and keeping the

athlete able to produce power even while fatigued. This can be done in bursts, i.e. 3

throws/sprints, followed by 30-45secs rest, then repeat.

K-Bell Snatch and Prowler Combo

Get in a good, solid athletic stance, snatch or clean a heavy K-bell for 3-5 reps, drop it,

and start pushing the Prowler. I’d keep the distance fairly short, maybe 20yds, and the

weight medium-heavy. If you don’t have a Prowler, any kind of sled will do fine. But, if

you want to really take it to the next level, get a Prowler…it’s the closest thing I’ve found

to pushing an actual opponent, even better than blocking sleds.



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Do this combo 3-5 times and build up. I’d put a 15-minute cap on any session. Remember

that this is very concentrated work.

K-Bell, Sled, Farmers Walk Medley

This little trio seems to work best on wrestlers, but anyone can use it. Talk about a fat

loss blast! A few of these will have you melting body fat like crazy.

Any K-bell exercise will do, Snatch it, Clean it, Swing it, then sprint with the sled, stop

and immediately pick up the Farmers bars and walk them back to the start. Please, do not

take this move lightly, it can be truly brutal. It will take some experimenting to get the

right weight combo, but once you find it, you be happy (?) you did.

You can use sandbags instead of Farmers Bars, or heavy dumbbells. Doesn’t really

matter, as long as it’s heavy and you are carrying it.

One Arm K-bell Over Head Walk

This is a very general move, but it will make your “core” solid as a rock. An athlete needs

to be able to use the muscles of their trunk while in motion and this is one of the best

moves to teach that skill. Clean and Press a moderately heavy ‘bell and take a walk. It’s

that simple.

Depending where you are in the season (pre, during, off), different methods of

implementation will work with these movements. If it’s the off-season, pick one or two

and do it on a day separate from your sprinting. Or, you could add one of these as a

finisher after your weightroom session.



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Pre-season you can push it a bit more. Maybe pick two and do them as finishers and add

another on your sprinting day. Remember, go into your season in better condition than

anyone else and you will win most battles!

In-season can be tricky. Usually you have some formal conditioning with the team that

you must do. If so, experiment with what works. If you are a football player, the day after

a game might work well as a place to do one of these movements, but don’t go crazy with

it. Remember, just playing/practicing your sport is the best conditioning of all…a fact

that’s all too often forgotten.

Games

Games are such an underrated method of conditioning. No one ever said that conditioning

had to be boring and tedious!

You could easily use the MET Conditioning outlined earlier and turn it into a friendly 2 v

2 or even 7 v 7 game. No tackling or flags needed…where you catch the ball, you are

down. 10 plays to get to the endzone. Those are just suggestions, again, you have to get

creative. Keep it fun!

Flag football games offer a great opportunity to both condition and re-enforce football

skills. Don’t allow the game to get sloppy…no lunging or outrageous plays. Run around,

get low, get into a good hitting position, get in a good stance, block and stay low…but

have fun.

Why the emphasis on fun? Well, football is a game. It’s supposed to be fun! If the

training sessions are boring no one will want to do them. And, while not every player will

always want to train, damn-near everyone will want to quit if the training is just plain

dull.



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Games can also help with building team-work. It gets the players used to working

together, helping each other out and helping each other through the rough patches that

will come up in every game. It’s important to build this team “togetherness” early and re-

enforce it often. I’m all for motivational speakers and inspiring movies…but nothing can

replace hands-on team building and games allow for real-life situations in which to do

this.

Also, games will allow the players to work much harder than they ever would during a

traditional conditioning session. Think about it, you are told you have to run 10 – 40’s

and 5 – 100’s. It’s daunting and you start counting down on each sprint, just wanting it to

be over.

Now, contrast that with a flag game or 7 v 7 session. Now, you are running endless

sprints, catching, blocking, “tackling,” jumping. The volume of work is tremendous, yet

no one complains. Why? Because it’s fun!



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