A Complete Summer Conditioning Program

Each program has different goals when it comes to strength and conditioning training during the winter months and then in the summer:

Winter
•  Conditioning is not a focal point.
•  Time to develop size and strength.
•  Fine tune mechanics and speed and agility (linear and deceleration).

Summer
•  Learn to carry the new weight.
•  Develop max strength and peak power.
•  Prepare the athlete to deal with the extremes of fall camp.

Four Day Split

June
•  Monday - Linear speed/plyos/compete.
•  Tuesday - Team conditioning.
•  Thursday - Programmed agilities/plyos/compete.
•  Friday - Team conditioning (for four quarters).

July
•  Monday - Linear speed/plyos/reactive compete.
•  Tuesday - Team conditioning metabolic specific.
•  Thursday - Reactive agilities/plyos.
•  Friday - Offense/Defense position specific conditioning.

June Linear Speed/Plyos/Compete (Sample)

Monday
•  Dynamic Warm-Ups
•  50% Falling Start
•  Arm Swing Progression
•  Ankle Pops
•  75% Falling Start
•  90% Build Ups at 30 yards
•  3 Hop and Hold
•  Push-Up Start Progression
•  Competitive Push-Up Starts

June Programmed Agilities/Plyos Compete (Sample)

Thursday
•  Dynamic Warm-Up
•  Lateral Starts with a Pause
•  Programmed Agilities: 357, T-test, Pro Agility, W-Weave
•  Competitive Programmed Agilities

Running With Purpose
•  The average play lasts 5-7seconds
•  Average rest in between plays – 32 seconds
•  ATP-CP-12s of max effort fast glycolysis - after 12-30’s
•  Ability to Recover and Reproduce the Same or Similar Performance

June Metabolic Specific Condo
                         GT:       RI:
•  Bout 50’s                 6s           25s (Bigs-45yds, Big Skill-                          
                                                        50 yds, Skill-55 yds)
•  Bout 100’s              15s         45s (Bigs-90yds, Big Skill-
                                                           100 yds, Skill-110 yds)
•   Flash Shuttles         8,9,10,11s          30s(45 yard shuttle)
•   Jingle Jangles          8,9,10.5s            30s (60 yard shuttles)
•   ½ Gassers                17,18, 20s         45s (Across the Field and Back)
June Conditioning Phase

•   June Conditioning Is Not As Football Specific as it is Metabolic Specific (work to rest ratios).
•   Maximizing Your Conditioning Session (Goal of your conditioning sessions is not only to make goal times but to get repeated effort from your athletes).
•   Getting Rid of Goal Times Base Reps on Effort.
•   Team 60’s- 6 reps (4:30)/10 reps (7:30) - Four Groups. When the one group finishes, a whistle is blown and the next group goes so if a player is sandbagging the drill, then he is jeopardizing the group making the goal time.
•   Team 50’s- 6 reps (4:00).
•   Team 40’s- 4 reps (2:00)/6 reps (3:00).
•   Competitive Conditioning Sessions- matching position groups with each other and counting the number of wins or losses and posting them.

July Linear Speed/Plyos/Compete

•   Dynamic Warm-Up
•   Percentage Runs
•   Split Jumps
•   Partner Resisted Falling Starts
•   Competitive Ground Starts
•   Competitive Break Away Position Starts
•   July Reactive Agilities/Plyos/Compete
•   Dynamic Warm-Up
•   Lateral Skate Hops or Bounds
•   % Cuts
•   Breakaway Lateral Position Chasers
•   Reactive Agilities

July Conditioning Phase

•   Acclimate the athlete to the demands of camp
•   Metabolic Specific and Position Specific D mands

Position Specific Demands

•   Skill Position Specific Needs (6 cone drills and very similar to individual time at practice). The first thing that seems to happen to the skill positions at camp are injuries to the hip flexors and hamstrings. This has helped reduce those injuries).

•   Rest Ratios - Go From 30s to 25s.

•   OL (Primarily pushing against another 300 pounder, so we do 4-6 bouts of prowler pushes for two quarters of conditioning and the other two quarters  are get offs on a hill and sand bag resisted kick slides).

•   DL (We do two quarters of 4-6 bouts of prowler pushes for two quarters, the third quarter is bullet pattern drills run by a coach - similar to hoop drills – and the fourth quarter is resisted hill work).

•   Big Skill (We do two quarters of 6 cone drills run by coaches, very similar to individual time at practice. Then we will do two quarters of prowler pushes in 4-6 bouts with 30 second rest intervals).

•   Our four quarters of conditioning normally starts with six plays a quarter and we progress to 12 plays a quarter to finish the summer conditioning program.

About the Author: Antoine Sharp is now in his fourth season as the football strength and conditioning coach at Kent State University. He previously coached at the University of Arkansas. Sharp played at both Florida and Louisville and received his Bachelor’s Degree from Louisville in 2005.