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Strength Report – Maine’s Winter Strength & Conditioning Program, Part II – February and March

by: Dan Nichol
Speed, Strength, and Conditioning Coach, University of Maine
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February Training

February training concentrates on speed development and maximum strength training. We implement our speed development program on Mondays and Thursdays which are divided into linear and lateral PAL mechanics training. Linear speed is performed on Monday and lateral speed on Thursday of each week.

Linear and lateral speed development exercises progress from mechanics to acceleration to top speed. We will utilize a distance of 10-20 yards for acceleration drills. Agility drills are also incorporated into our lateral speed day and Saturday team competitions. The agility drills consist of program agility (cone drills), reactive agility (reacting to another player), and competitive agility drills (competing against another player and following the same sequence). Saturday team workouts include players being organized into their drafted teams competing against each other in four separate stations. We have six Saturday team workouts prior to the start of spring football and teams are matched up each week in all four drills. There are two sets of drills:

Workouts 1-3

Station 1 Hoop chaser - 10 seconds (1 Rabbit/1 Fox).
Station 2 Star drill - five cones are aligned in the shape of a star with tennis balls on top of the cones with a milk crate in the middle of the grid.  Athletes will spring to each cone and pick up the ball and return it to the milk crate.

Station 3 L drill.
Station 4 Box chaser (1 Rabbit/1 Fox) - Ten-yard box with one cone at 1.5 yards inside the box for the starting point of the Fox. Rabbit and Fox begin on the same side, but opposite corners with the rabbit lying on the stomach and the fox facing at 45 degrees toward the outside of the corner cone. On the rabbit’s movement, the fox needs to sprint and touch the rabbit before getting through to the cones.

Workouts 4-6

Station 1 Sled push race - 100 lbs. x 10 yards.
Station 2 Reaction pro agility.
Station 3 Illinois drill.
Station 4 Hoop chaser.

After the completion of the stations, teams will compete in a team event. At the end of the competition, if two teams are tied, we go back to the stations for the tie-breaker.  Training the competitive aspect year-round is beneficial for the mental performance component.

February training in the weight room consists of four days and concentrates on maximum strength training. Each group is programmed individually.

Advanced Group Inside Cluster Training is a combination of maximum strength, speed strength, and tempo training with a given workout. The load varies from 50-85 percent of one RM. During the first two weeks, maximum strength training sets are performed with sets of five repetitions at 80 percent of the one RM and are followed by speed sets. Speed sets are performed with bands at 50 percent of the one RM for three-five sets of two repetitions. On the final week of February, the inside cluster is performed as follows: 

Set 1 - 65% x 5 - Rest 2 minutes.
Set 2 - 80% x 5 - Rest 3 minutes.
Set 3 - 85% x 2 - Rest 30 seconds.
Set 4 - 85% x 2 - Rest 30 seconds.
Sets 5-7 - 50% with bands x 2 - 30 seconds rest between each.
Set 8 - 60% Tempo 4/1/X x failure.

Transition Group - Performs a modified Russian squat and bench routine. The program utilizes 80 percent of the one RM in both the squat and bench press. The volume is increased each week by one repetition for each set.
Week 1 - 80% 6 sets of 3 repetitions with 3 minutes rest.
Week 2 - 80% 6 sets of 4 repetitions with 3 minutes rest.
Week 3 - 80% 6 sets of 5 repetitions with 3 minutes rest.
1st Year - 4-5 sets of 5 repetitions building up to a 3-5 RM prior to spring break.

Monday Training

Explosive - Hang clean.
Pair 1 - Horizontal push plus posterior chain.
Pair 2 - Horizontal pull plus triceps.
Postwork - Posterior chain exercises (3).

Tuesday Training

Explosive - DB snatch.
Lower body push - Squat.
Pair 1 - Posterior chain and single arm vert. push.
Pair 2 - Vertical pull plus slideboard lunge circuit.
Tri-set - Grip plus neck plus posterior shoulder.
Postwork - Abdominal/Low Back Exercises (3).

Thursday Training

Explosive - Jerk.
Single Leg Push - 1 leg bench squat.
Horizontal Push - Speed Bench - Oscillated isolated with chains.

The oscillated isolated method on the bench press is performed by bringing the bar 1/4 of the way down and back to extension and then performing a full repetition as fast as possible.

Pair 1 - Posterior chain-combination plus horizontal pull.
Pair 2 - Posterior chain-straight leg hip extension plus pull plus neck.
Postwork - Posterior shoulder.

Friday Training

Explosive - Plyometrics (hurdle hop, box jump, single leg hurdle hop).
Lower body push - speed squat.
Pair 1 - Vertical pull plus lateral squat.
Triset - Posterior chain plus landmine plus scapula/thoracic.
Pair 2 - Posterior chain plus rotator cuff exercises.
Postwork - Hip girdle - abduction plus adduction.

March Training

The goal of March training is to prepare for maximum strength and performance testing. Our advanced and transition groups utilize a cluster method of training to prepare the body to handle heavier loads. Cluster training involves utilizing a load of between 85-90 percent of the 1RM for one repetition at a time with 20-30 seconds rest between each. During the two weeks of training, we do cluster 5’s for two sets at 85 percent of the 1RM in week one and cluster 3s for two sets at 88 percent and 90 percent of the 1RM in week two. Our first year athletes concentrate on complex training on the bench and squat exercises. The first year athletes perform complex training with the bench and squat by performing both upper and lower body explosive movements after each set. We implement complex training to activate high levels of neuromuscular activation combined with an explosive movement.

Bench Press plus Medicine Ball Chest Pass - Athlete performs a set of three repetitions on the bench and then performs a medicine ball chest pass against the wall with no rest in between.

Squat plus Vertical Jump - Athlete performs a set of three repetitions on the squat and then performs a vertical jump with no rest in between.

We will test in the hand clean, squat, and bench press utilizing 96 percent of the 1RM for a 1-3RM. We do not perform a 1RM testing routine because of the increased risk of injury. We will utilize 96 percent of the 1RM because we know it is a load the athlete can handle and if they perform two repetitions or more, we will see a gain in strength and power. Our performance indicators that we evaluate are the pro agility test, 10-yard dash, 40-yard dash, standing long jump, and vertical jump.  During a testing period, it is critical we create a great atmosphere with a high level of energy and enthusiasm throughout the weight room. As strength coaches, we communicate with the athletes that it is their stage and their time to perform but we must be on a high alert for any safety concerns.

About the Author:  Dan Nichol is currently in his fourth season as Director of Speed, Strength, and Conditioning at the University of Maine. He previously was the assistant strength coach at Dartmouth College.






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