The Last Rep
©
More from this issue
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