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The Last Rep

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The strength and conditioning industry has gone from being an afterthought in most football programs to being the cornerstone of any championship foundation in just the past 20 years.

Men like Kim Wood, Boyd Epley, Dan Riley, Joe Juraszek and John Dunn have carved a path of knowledge and success – sometimes thru trial-and-error – for all those to follow.

American Football Monthly recently sat down with six of the top strength and conditioning coaches from around the country to get their thoughts on some of the top issues concerning the industry:

How valuable is an in-season strength and conditioning program?

“We are in the injury prevention mode at all times, especially during the season. We do all of our squats during the season on a safety-squat bar. I believe this takes a lot of stress off the lower back and knee. Also, you don’t tend to get as tight in the groin. If a guy squats a heavy load and then goes to practice – sometimes he can get groin strains.” – Ben Pollard, Alabama

“In-season is the time of the year where it is important to maintain our strength, speed and agility that we gained in the off-season. This will help us perform better on game day. We will not stop at that. If an athlete can increase their power during the season, then we will encourage them to do so.” – Charlie Dudley, Southern Miss

“An in-season program is very important. In fact, it is critical to your team being able to finish at the end of the year. We train position specific year-round.” – Rob Glass, Florida

“A good in-season program is crucial. I believe you must keep your volume down and reps low. But you can still push some weights. Our goal is to be stronger at the end of the game and at the end of the season. You can still keep the muscles strong without doing a ton of reps.” – Scott Bennett, Wyoming

What is the major goal associated with an off-season program?

“We address several things: 1) strength and explosive power; 2) speed; 3) agility and flexibility; 4) muscle endurance; 5) mental toughness.” – Rob Glass, Florida

“Our big thing is consistency. We lift three times per week with one designed to act as a flush workout (lighter intensity, more volume, higher reps).” – Mickey Marotti, Notre Dame

“Our program is very much strength-oriented. We are in here four times a week. We squat some weight every day (lunge, step-up or straight bar, front squat, back squat). Our goal is to develop great hip flexibility and leg strength. We lift explosively three days a week (snaps, box cleans, cleans).” – Ben Pollard, Alabama

How do you motivate your players?

“We schedule an extremely rigid ‘work’ schedule. Our athletes have to schedule an appointment just like a doctors visit. If they don’t stick to that visit, then I am on them. No one comes in late or misses without letting me know ahead of time – accountability applies in the weight room. I am harder on our superstars. I want a walk-on freshman to see how hard I am on a starting senior. I play no favorites.” – Charlie Dudley, Southern Miss

“Your staff has to be motivated ... if we as coaches do not approach our job with enthusiasm and excitement, then we can not expect the same from our athletes. If we don’t want to be at the gym to teach, then why should they want to be there to learn?” – Ben Pollard, Alabama

“You must find your athlete’s ‘hot’ button, because everyone is different. You must build relationships with your players to discover what their ‘hot’ buttons are.” – Rob Glass, Florida

“You have to convince the players that preparation will help them succeed.” – Scott Bennett, Wyoming

What is pre-habilitation?

“We certainly take every precaution in developing muscles through structured and specific exercises. These injury prevention measures provide each athlete with their best chance of optimum on-field performance and safety.” – Jeff Madden, Texas

“Pre-hab is a cute word for being prepared ...” – Scott Bennett, Wyoming

What role has strength and conditioning played in the football industry?

“Strength and conditioning programs enhance the strength of the muscles and also the strength of the tendons. This helps prevent muscles from injury and helps injured muscles recover faster. Strength and conditioning has made the biggest contribution to the sport of football in the last 30 years.” – Charlie Dudley, Southern Miss

What were we thinking?

“At one point, I did not think that a football player could get strong enough. I had a nose guard that went from 600-pound squat to a 650-pound squat and he did not become a better football player.” – Scott Bennett, Wyoming

“The focus used to be on how strong we could get an athlete instead of bridging the gap between strength and athleticism.” – Mickey Marotti, Notre Dame

What are some common deficiencies regarding incoming freshmen in the weight room?

“I don’t believe that there is any one thing, however, I believe that high school athletes should probably create more balance between quadricep and hamstring training.” – Jeff Madden, Texas

“Core strength is the biggest deficiency. The injury of the millennia is the lower back. Kids don’t work anymore, like bailing hay, shoveling dirt, etc. ... kids don’t even play football in the backyard; they get together to play Madden 2003 on Playstation. The lack of hip flexibility and core strength is the most common weakness. It is not that difficult a program to address, even at the high school level.” – Scott Bennett, Wyoming

“The most common deficiency for incoming athletes is their core strength. Incoming freshmen are much bigger and stronger, but they are weak in the lower back and abdominals. The core is vital because it is the link between an athletes upper and lower body.” – Rob Glass, Florida

“Squatting technique is important. I believe that we try to push these young athletes to be stronger, but sometimes that sacrifices good techniques. Places have relied more on machine weights than free weights, so skill development and technique is crucial. Simple running techniques are also important. Even at our level, only about 30 percent have good running mechanics, such as arm movements, toe positioning and cycling the legs through. You’d be surprised how many scholarship athletes do not run well.” – Ben Pollard, Alabama






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