AFM Subscribers Ask with Mike Golden

Mike Golden is the Director of Sports Performance at the University of Massachusetts. He has 18 years of collegiate strength and conditioning experience. Prior to UMass, Golden coached for two seasons at the University of South Florida. He also coached at East Carolina, helping build the Pirates into one of the top programs in Conference USA, winning back to back conference championships under Head Coach Skip Holtz. While at ECU, he also trained first round draft pick Chris Johnson, who recorded the fastest 40-yard dash time in NFL Combine history. Golden has also coached at the University of South Carolina, Connecticut, and his alma mater, Central Connecticut State.

He answers your questions:

How much time do you spend doing the following – farmer’s walks with sand-loaded buckets, flipping tires, pulling tires – and do you feel they are good activities for high school athletes? Nick McGrain, Assistant Coach, Shawnee Mission West High School (KS).

I usually do that type of training once a week. It gives the players something new and competitive. I think it is great for high school players, or athletes at any level. The key is not to worry about how heavy the implement is. Rather, it is the amount of work done in a time period.

For example, if you have a big tire to flip that may be heavy for your athletes, let them buddy flip it together. The reason behind this type of training is that it prevents what I call ‘strength leakage.’ Strength leakage is the strength that is lost from the weight room to the field.  This type of training is a bridge to close that gap.

With so many back and knee issues, what is the best way a high school can screen kids to make sure they are in the best position possible to help prevent injuries while training? Rob Brokaw, Strength and Conditioning Coach, Archbishop Bergan High School (NE)

The best thing to do with young players lifting is to make sure:

1.     Exercise technique is perfect.
2.      The weight is not too heavy.
3.      The player is making all their prescribed reps         themselves.
4.      Keep workouts simple using basic exercises.

Once the players use the proper technique and can handle the weight and reps prescribed, then you can perform more advanced workouts.  The other thing is to really develop their “Tarzan” strength-bodyweight exercises that really prepares them for the field-dips, pull ups, push-ups, etc. If you are getting those back and knee issues, it can probably can be traced back to poor technique or too much weight being lifted.

Is crossfit training good for your high school football players? What are the pros and cons? Marc Salazar, Head Coach, Granite Hills High School (CA).

I think some components of crossfit are good for training a football team, but not all. I think the idea of circuit training is good, especially in the high school setting where time/space/number of athletes is limited. The negatives are the amount of reps performed on highly skilled movements such as the clean, which leads to fatigue and a breakdown in technique, which can lead to injury. 

We do ladders, dots, jump ropes and hurdles as part of our off-season conditioning, agility and speed training. Are there any other drills you would recommend within a limited space? Dave Daniels, Head Coach, Christian Liberty Academy (IL).

You are on the right track. I would add a core/ab station. You could also do various med ball drills, bag drills, and maybe a bodyweight station where they could do push-ups, chins, dips, etc. Also, do some flexibility training, using partner stretches, bands, etc. The possibilities are endless.   

At our school, which is relatively small, many of our athletes play a minimum of two sports and some three. What would be your suggestion for getting athletes stronger while not hindering the season they are in? Bob Molyet, Head Coach, Xavier College Prep (CA).

That is a great problem to have! Multi-sport athletes are fading fast and it is too bad because they get to become more athletic and they get to be in more competitive situations year round. As far as working their strength, I would ask the coach of that season to let you work them out the day after their competition. For example, the day after a basketball game.

This will ensure they are fresh for their game, and force them to work hard the day following a game. Keep the workouts simple, maybe one basic strength or power movement (squats one day, cleans the next) and some big muscle movements like bench, bent rows as you change it up.  This will give you the best of both worlds.

In your opinion, what is the difference between spring and summer workouts based on the sets, reps, and weight percentage lifted? Louis Nightingale, Assistant Coach, Perry High School (KS).

If by spring workouts you mean not during spring football, then I would treat it like summer and get after it as just like the summer – all out. Same reps, percentages, etc. If it is during spring football, then I would start with the percentages low at the beginning (never under 70%) and work up close to 90%. I would only do leg work (squats) maybe once a week if you did not have practice the next day.

Otherwise I would go easy on legs but stay on course with the upper body. Sets and reps should be whatever you want them to be because the players will adapt. Just start slow and work your way up slowly so their bodies can adjust to the stress of workouts and football.

What would be the ideal length for summer lifting/conditioning workouts in order to get players ready for the season but at the same time prevent burn out or increased wear and tear injuries throughout the season? Bryan Gray, Head Coach, East Hall High School (GA).

It depends how much experience your team has. If you have some older players, a little less will be better than more. If they are young and raw, there are not enough hours in a day! 1 to 1-1/2 hours 3-4 times a week will put you in a good timeline. 

When the season ends, how much time off do you give your athletes before they start off-season training? How many days a week do they train during the off-season? Doug Heslip, Instructor, Green Bay Packers/USA Football Coaching School

Our players get almost 3 ½ weeks off following the season because we have that much time off in-between semesters. I like them to take two weeks off, then start some simple basic workouts on their own until they return to campus. We train five days a week in the off-season, four in the weight room and one day dedicated to speed and flexibility work only. We do agilities and conditioning after lifting on the other four days.

We work out four times a week during the summer. When/how much speed development work do you recommend during that time. Also, what are the most important lifts in your view for football players? Nathan Blankenship, Head Football Coach, West Point Beemer High School (NE).

Different aspects of speed development can be worked every day – strength, flexibility, form running, etc. As far as actual sprint work, I would go twice a week. That will give those sprinting muscles time to recover and not place undue stress on them. Longer conditioning such as 100’s, gassers, etc. can be done on the other days. I think the most important lifts for football are squats (at least to parallel), cleans done the right way (no reverse curls), deadlifts and close grip incline bench. 
   
There is a lot of conversation about how up-tempo teams should be training in the weight room, How should we accommodate our training as an up-tempo team and during what time of year should we be doing this? Justin Penner, Head Coach, Western Dubuque High School (IA).

One of the best ways to operate up tempo training in the weight room is to cut down on rest periods and make players do a ‘you go, I go’ workout where one guy is done, next guy is up and then repeat it. I would stay away from this on big lifts like the squat, but everything else should be a go. You will notice the weight they are lifting will go down at first, but once they get in better shape they will meet and exceed where they were before. This type of training for an up tempo team should be done year round.

With all of the programs like BFS, cross-fit, and every other coach charging for their program, which program would you recommend that challenges the football player year-round? Derrick Minor, Head Coach, Rockingham County High School (NC).

The one that works for you! Finding a workout that you, your staff and your players believe in is the best one. It does not have to have a fancy name – just one that works. If you would like to contact me I can help you put together a plan to fit your needs.

Do you believe in individualized programs for your players? That is, a program just for quarterbacks, skilled players, and linemen. Or is a skilled vs. unskilled program work better? Or, can one program fit all positions? Anthony Earl Walker, Head Coach, Waverly High School (MI).

We do use different workouts for different positions, but it is all frosting on the cake.  Everyone except our quarterbacks have the same base level strength program (the cake) and then we add position specific/individual specific to that plan (the frosting). Everyone can get better using the same fundamentally sound program. Just add things that you think will fit and benefit those positions. It may only be one exercise. The only group that does not do the same base workout is our quarterbacks who are on a totally separate plan.

What is your stance on a specific off-season conditioning program? Which would athletes benefit more from – a general all-purpose off-season or an off-season that incorporates specific training? Ector Lopez, Running Backs Coach, Midland High School (TX).

I think you can benefit from both actually. I would split your off season in half. If you have 8 weeks, I would take the first 4 weeks and do a general all-purpose workout. Then, for the following 4 weeks I would start making it more specific for football. This will keep the players fresher and the workouts more exciting. 

A lot of high schools in our area do a series of mat drills in the off-season, particularly during the winter. Would it be more beneficial to perform these team workouts in the summer since it will lead right into fall camp? Aaron Cavin, Quarterbacks Coach, Clarke Central High School (GA).

There is no real right or wrong answer here. Most schools do mat drills in the winter because they are a good way to get in shape indoors due to weather concerns. You can do a lot more conditioning in the summer when the weather is better, but some mat room drills during the summer would be great too. There’s never a bad time for those!

What is the best method of training for athletes that are always “in season” and still give them time to recover and relax? We’re at a small school and many of our athletes play multiple sports. Scott Pethtel, Assistant Football Coach and Strength and Conditioning Coach, Brookstone School, Columbus (GA).

The best time for a multi-sport athlete to workout would be after a game or the day after a game. Even getting in two workouts a week would help, especially because of the extra conditioning they are getting. Some pro hockey and baseball players lift right after their games because they play so many and know they have to get one in.

How is the best way to implement weight training to enhance an athlete’s speed, quickness, and change of direction acceleration? Fred Moncloa, Assistant Coach, San Elizario High School (TX).

The best way for weight training to enhance a player’s speed, quickness and change of direction is to make sure all lifts are done in a full range of motion with perfect form, adding weight to get them stronger.  Remember, weight training helps with speed because athletes can produce more force on ground contact if they get stronger, and with full range of motion, it will help their flexibility. Everything else has to be done with agility drills, sprint drills, conditioning drills, etc. p