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AFM Magazine


Preparing for a Pro Career…Part II

by: J.T. Rogan
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(The following is the diary of former University of San Diego running back J.T. Rogan as he prepares for both the NFL Combine and his individual pro day…this is part II of a series)


My training has been met with some resistance as multiple events have obstructed my focus and attention: I visited Indianapolis for the AFC Championship game (in which I was hoping the Chargers would be participants, not unlike the couple that could be seen sporting their LaDainian Tomlinson Jerseys outside of Lucas Oil Stadium on game day) and I had to dedicate some time to running the used textbook store that I started near USD. This called for a lot of travel and not enough quality rest. However, I trained productively throughout the end of January and the month of February will be where the most significant gains are made and kept.

I currently have built my bench press repetition total at 225 lbs. to 13 reps. The bench press work is relentless. After accomplishing 13 reps on the bench press, there are two subsequent sets of maximum reps at 225 lbs. This is then followed by other taxing upper body work like dumbbell bench press, tricep extensions, a seated press machine and some cable work. This course of lifting reinforces the mantra that my trainer/uncle has led me to support: the best way to lift heavier weights is to lift heavier weights. Pardon the oversimplification of the idea but the strength and muscle mass that athletes desire will be best built through strenuous, continuous advancement in weight training.

I have my weight up to 202 lbs. My diet has not been as steady as I would like, but the constant food consumption and weight training has contributed to an improved physique. The strengthening of the core and of the lower body has contributed to the rise in weight. My maximum deadlift is at 485 lbs. and if not for poor form it would probably be 20-40 lbs. higher. The lower back tends to become more involved with the heavier weights as opposed to the use of the legs that limits the maximum lifting amount in the deadlift. I possess trepidation about squatting heavy weights on my surgically repaired knee, but I have squatted a maximum of 425 lbs. The workouts do not have much variation, but their effectiveness is unquestionable. This is my third extended workout period with my uncle.

We go to 24 Hour Fitness and we utilize free weights, racks, and machines. We lift one day per muscle group for repetitions and one day per muscle group for maximum weight. We rotate between legs, shoulders and back and chest and arms. We also lift according to proximity. If the plan was to do dumbbell bench with 90's, 100's and 110's, but the 110's are nowhere to be found, then we're lifting the 115's. Surely it sounds nonsensical, but when you're committed to working as hard as you can and the weight is within the spectrum of possibility, you're winning plain and simple.

My alternative training has incorporated foam rollers, stretching, yoga and basketball. The addition of jumping rope, plyometrics and fast twitch muscle related training will become more of a focus throughout the month. The speed training with Coach Dale Baskett has been gradual and productive. There has been a lot of focus and attention paid to the mechanics of my running form. You cannot build a great building on a poor foundation just as you cannot build a terrific 40-yard dash time on poor fundamentals. I have been working to correct numerous problems with my running form including my inclination to tilt my head upward when I run, my continual closing of my arm angle, and the tightening up of my shoulders, The details of the proper running form with improvements are numerous, but just as there is a best way to maximize strength in a lift or height in a jump, there is a best way to maximize speed in a sprint. We have just begun to refine my start. I have abandoned a lot of my prior notions about running because I find a lot of Coach Baskett's philosophies to be rooted in logic. Formerly, I was tense in my stance as I was trying to explode out of my start. I would then keep a low, driving stride as I gradually rose up to achieve my running form. With Coach Baskett, I am relaxed in the stance only to attempt to explode out of the start and then acquire my running stride earlier in the sprint so as to not limit the hip's stride lengthening capacity. Simply, your muscles respond better when they are relaxed and the quicker that you can get to top speed in the 40-yard dash, the better.

As a footnote, my now 47-year old trainer/uncle continues to taunt me for not being able to lift more weight than him. He recently bench pressed 225 lbs. 20 times. For comparison's sake, NFL linebacker Ray Maualuga from USC, now playing for the Cincinnati Bengals, totaled 23 reps.






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