Alternative Training

by: Scott Sinclair
Asst Dir of Strength & Conditioning, University of Central Florida
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Every offseason coaches begin their workouts and conditioning drills in hopes of producing superior athletes for the football field. Many exercises are designed to produce faster, stronger, more explosive athletes and reduce the chance of injury. The list of exercises can be endless and many are very sports specific. The goal is to produce explosive, powerful, fast football players, not bodybuilders, Olympic lifters, or strongmen.

At the University of Central Florida we use a variety of exercises to accomplish these goals. These exercises include the Olympic lifts such as the power clean and snatch. We also train with power lifts such as the bench press and squat. I believe the unique part of our training comes from the alternative training we perform. Through the use of non traditional equipment, such as ropes, tires, sleds, and chains we design exercises that will force the body to be stressed in different planes, angles, and positions. The idea of confusing the body to obtain results and the fact that the sport of football is played in a variety of positions that are constantly changing is the reason we incorporate alternative exercises in our program. At UCF we refer to alternative training as a non-traditional exercise or movement that positions the body in different planes of motion. We also refer to any traditional exercise that uses a wide variety of sets, reps, and intensities as alternative training. Our goal is to provide the athlete with a movement that is functional and very demanding both physically and mentally.

The athlete’s body is an amazing machine that adapts quickly to the stimulus provided. Not only physically, but mentally the body accepts challenges and only improves when stress is placed upon it. When athletes perform the same workout day after day and week after week, they have a tendency to go through the motions. The body doesn’t need to respond, thus progressing, improving, and becoming stronger ends. For this reason our program is constantly changing and alternative exercises, movements, and drills are always being incorporated.

Our offseason training is a typical 4 day split with compound upper body movements on Monday and Thursday. Areas of emphasis are the chest, triceps, shoulders & traps. We also train our Olympic lifts on Monday and Thursday such as the power clean, hang clean, and push press. On Tuesday and Friday we train our legs, back and biceps. We perform a squatting movement, either front or back once a week, and at least two single leg movements per week. Abdominals, lower back, and hip flexors are trained on all four days, with two of those days using some sort of resistance.

As stated earlier our offseason workouts are constantly changing. The exercises, sets, reps, weight, rest periods, etc. are always being adjusted to insure that different stress levels are placed on the athlete. We feel this is important for two reasons. One, the athlete never gets bored with the workout. It is a constant challenge to the athlete both mentally and physically. Second, the game of football is not predictable. Things change during each game, each possession, and each play. A certain offensive play not always will be able to work the same way. As a strength staff we try to tailor our workouts in the same manner. This also keeps our coaching staff at a high level of energy and excitement because they are challenged, as well, to coach different workouts each day and not become a complacent, boring, unexcited strength coach. The monotony and repetitiveness of the same workout and exercises each day is non-existent in our football strength training program. We use alternative training exercises in three different ways during our offseason workouts. We also use alternative training exercises occasionally during in-season workouts as well. One way would be to use an alternative exercise in conjunction with a standard exercise. For example we will perform a bench press and then immediately perform a floor fly (photo #1). We are using a traditional exercise in our program attacking a targeted muscle group and super setting it with an alternative exercise for the same muscle group. Thus combing more muscles, with different movements, in different angles to confuse and stress the body.

Our second way is to use a traditional exercise and add an alternative aspect to it. One of our exercises here is a standard shoulder press. We make it alternative by adding chains and by performing the press by walking with the bar overhead and pressing it at designated places. (photo #2) Another example would be an overhead squat. We use a sandbag instead of the bar to give an alternative unstable aspect to the exercise. This places a tremendous amount of stress, not only on the muscles groups targeted for that day, but the entire body. Our core, posterior chain, grip, shoulder girdle, etc are all being forced to work. Another way to add an alternative aspect to an exercise is to change the intensity and or volume. One of our favorites is squatting for 10 sets in 10 minutes. Here the athlete performs 10 squats and rest for the remaining minute. Once the minute is up the athlete repeats the exercise 9 more times. The longer is takes you to complete the set the shorter rest time you will have.

The final way we use alternative exercises in our training is exclusive alternative training day. This day would include only alternative exercises without traditional exercises involved. Here we would use ropes (photo #3), tire flips, sled pushes, plate pushes (photo #4), bear crawls, and football drive sleds. The exercises are endless, it’s a matter of imagination, creativity, and science that produces new and challenging exercises.

Alternative training provides the athlete with something different, exciting, and challenging. This type of training not only promotes functional football strength, but provides a competitive atmosphere for our athletes as well. Each day we challenge, both mentally and physically, our players to perform the workouts within the demands that the sport of football brings. We feel this is the same challenges that playing the sport of football brings as well. Sow the seeds of alternative training in your workouts and allow the athletes to reap the benefits.

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