IronLion: your football workout

[Zander1983]

Ok, I've decided to take the plunge and train to play some football next year.

I'm adapting your off-season football working to my own requirements (dictated by available equipment, abilities and what I like )... How does this look exercise-wise? Now I need to get a set/rep scheme sorted out... any ideas re: periodization? I'd appreciate any help

Monday AM (heavy and hard)
Warm-up: Overhead Squat
Squats
Front Squats
Single Leg Squats
SLDs
Weighted Abs
GHR (floor, negatives)

PM (light and explosive)
Bench Press
Incline Bench Press
Close-grip Towel Press
Explosive Pushups
Rotator Complex

Tuesday
Warm-up: Overhead Squat, Front Squats, Drop Squats
High Pulls (clean-grip)
Hang Cleans
Rack Deadlift (clean-grip)
Towel Pullups
Plate Raises
Hammer Curls
Bicep Curls

Thursday AM (light and explosive)
Squats
Overhead Lunges
Step Ups
GMs (wide stance)
Jump Squats
GHR (floor, negatives)
Abs: Bicycles, Russian Twists, Spread Eagle Situps

PM (heavy and hard)
Bench Press
Pin Press
Skull Crushers
Static Holds
Face Pulls (bent-over row style, barbell)

Friday
Warm-up: Overhead Squat, Front Squats, Drop Squats
High Pulls (snatch-grip)
Hang Snatch
Rack Deadlift (snatch-grip)
Wide-grip Pullups
Plate Raises
Hammer Curls
Bicep Curls

 

[revexrevex]

Zander, I think he recommends starting with sets of 10 reps, and slowly lower the reps and increase the weight over weeks. Also be very very very careful about not overtraining on this. Do maybe 2 sets max of each exercise, and not to failure. But I guess IL has better input on this than me. Other than that its an awesome program!

 

[revexrevex]

^

 

[DrBones]

bump

 

[BigBadBootyDaddy29]

I've used this program with a lot of success. What is key to this and a lot of other really good football specific workouts is not going to failure at your workouts. Workouts like this, anything Bill Starr style, nebraska's workout, Miami's workout, and really anything designed by a good strength coach for football will look like total insanity and a 1 way ticket to overtraining to people unfamiliar with sport-specific training.

You want to use periodization. Cycle your training. You can't go max effort with everything or you will be shot after the Tuesday workout, if you can even complete the Tues session period. In programs for football you want to train your body to perform at it's best over the course of an entire game. Most games between 2 teams close in ability and coaching come down to the 4th quarter, and at that point the better conditioned one will win. When your body is spent, all your training will take over. You need to keep this in mind. Even when I am working in a 1-3 rep range I always like to kep something in the tank.

I noticed a lot of guys who post videos will get comments to the effect that they could have done more or it looked fast or easy, but that is the point of training, to train your body, not totally demolish it so that you need 2 weeks off from working out after a few weeks of training.

You may already know all this, but I just wanted to post it for anyone else who may read this thread to help get the idea across. I had a coach in college who was a big Bill Starr fanatic, and he converted me into one too. A lot of people think his programs are suicide, but it is only because they don't understand what the yare designed for and how to structure set/rep/load schemes.

 

[IronLion]

BBBD29 is totally right....the reason for a lot of this stuff is so that you will build anaerobic endurance. In other words you will be able to perform maximally even when fatigued, at least that is the goal.

BTW i don't know how many times I have to look at my screen name before I realize it is aimed at me....lol

Zander the way my strength coach periodized was to start the core compound moves at 3 sets of 12 reps. This would gradually decrease every week until we hit 3 sets of 4. The thing is that the sets of 12 are necessary in football because you need a certain range of muscular endurance. Most of the accesory lifts were in the 3x6 2x8 range.

I just put together a more sport specific westside split if you want to have a look at that. I'll post it tonight

 

[Zander1983]

BigBadBootyDaddy29, thanks for that. I'm familiar with not going to failure. I haven't for a few months now, in fact

I just put together a more sport specific westside split if you want to have a look at that. I'll post it tonight

Sounds good. Looking forward to checking it out. Afterall, I'm not sure which way I want to take my training initially...