| American Football, like many other sports, has a | | | | point stance and perform a maximal 10m sprint) |
| history of coaches with a poor understanding of | | | | Acceleration Work - 6 x 20m (2 or 3 point stance |
| the sport's demands inflicting upon players the | | | | and accelerate through to 20m) |
| necessity to run laps of the pitch, and engage in | | | | Acceleration Work - 2 x 30m (Run from standing |
| other forms of training at odds with the sport's | | | | start to 30m) |
| unique demands. With a constant stop start style | | | | Rest times between sprints should be 2-3 mins |
| to the play, with the average play lasting no | | | | for 10m work, 3-5 min for 20m work, and 4-6 |
| longer than ten seconds, followed by a much | | | | min for 30m work to ensure full recovery is |
| longer rest period, its demands are closer to | | | | attained. |
| traditional sprinting and weight training methods, | | | | The astute reader will notice the sprints are |
| than sports such as Rugby or Boxing, where | | | | combined on a day where the weights pushed will |
| there is a much greater endurance element | | | | be heavy. Depending on the athletes needs, they |
| required. At the same time, the sport has a big | | | | could sprint in the AM and do the weights in the |
| element of lateral mobility and technical | | | | evening or vice versa. Both approaches will work. |
| considerations to consider, absent from pure | | | | The main factor behind placing sprints on the |
| speed or strength sports. | | | | same day as weight training the legs is to allow |
| This article will look at ways to incorporate speed | | | | for greater CNS and muscular recovery. Trying to |
| and strength training methods to assist a player | | | | sprint on separate days (e.g. on Tue) would mean |
| looking to improve his speed/strength during the | | | | the legs still being fatigued from the day before |
| football off-season. Each element will be | | | | and then having less rest before the next weight |
| considered individually. Given the wide range of | | | | session for legs. By contrast, combining weight |
| requirements for the different positions in football, | | | | training with leg work on the same day is |
| this article will focus on training planning for a | | | | something sprint coaches usually recommend. |
| typical week for Linebackers, Backs and Strong | | | | Tuesday |
| Safeties, although the advice is applicable to most | | | | Warmup - 5 min general warmup |
| positions except Kickers and Offensive/Defensive | | | | Mobility Exercises - 10 min |
| Linemen. Even then, many of the elements would | | | | Running Drills - 10 min |
| remain broadly similar for these positions. | | | | Tempo Work 8-10 x 100m @60-70% speed |
| Strength Training | | | | Tempo training is running the distance at a |
| Most American Football players today will already | | | | sub-maximal speed and walking the next 100m. It |
| place a large emphasis on strength training as this | | | | is very important both for active recovery |
| has been emphasized for a comparatively longer | | | | (recovering from the previous day's exertions), |
| time in the sport due to the ever increasing | | | | learning to run in a relaxed manner (many athletes |
| demand for larger and stronger athletes. This | | | | strain too much when sprinting maximally), and |
| does not mean that players should automatically | | | | for overall conditioning and fat loss (the intervals |
| follow the training advice handed out in | | | | being approximately similar when running/walking, |
| bodybuilding magazines, or follow a generic college | | | | as the work/rest time in football and in fat loss |
| training program. Unfortunately, most college | | | | protocols such as Tabata). |
| programs suffer from being overly simplistic due | | | | Wednesday |
| to the need to try to train 40 or 50 athletes at | | | | With another high intensity day scheduled for |
| once in a facility. This type of training leads to the | | | | Thursday, Wednesday is a time to rest and |
| most simple, easy to administer programs being | | | | recuperate. Some mobility and drill work is okay |
| handed out to athletes, rather than the most | | | | for those who need it though. |
| effective. Similarly, athletes who believe | | | | Thursday |
| bodybuilding programs can enhance sports | | | | Warm-up - 5 min general warm-up |
| performance may potentially gain some muscle | | | | Mobility Exercises - 10 min |
| size but at the expense often of relative strength | | | | Running Drills - 10 min |
| and speed going down, as well as a decrease in | | | | Start Work - 6 x 10m (Practice a 3 point or 2 |
| joint mobility if emphasising single joint exercises. | | | | point stance and perform a maximal 10m sprint) |
| Additionally, bodybuilding programs' emphasis on | | | | Acceleration - 3 x 20m |
| training to failure and exhaustive work on individual | | | | Acceleration - 3 x 30m |
| muscle groups will lead to less energy being | | | | Top Speed - 3 x 50m |
| available for the high intensity, explosive work | | | | Thursday's sprint training session is partnered with |
| which football demands. | | | | a relatively low load, explosive lifting weight |
| Split Training vs Whole Body Training | | | | training day. The sprint distances complement the |
| Most players will often follow a typical bodybuilding | | | | weights by being of a greater distance and speed. |
| protocol where individual muscle groups are | | | | This is the day when the football player will work |
| trained once per week with very high volume. | | | | his maximum speed but we keep acceleration |
| Unfortunately, while this may work under certain | | | | work in, albeit at a reduced volume, as |
| circumstances for bodybuilders, football players | | | | acceleration is a very important factor for football |
| cannot afford to adopt this method. Most | | | | as well as helping to warmup the body for the |
| significantly, this method of training makes it very | | | | top speed work. Rest times can be up to 10min |
| difficult to integrate training with the demands of | | | | long for the top speed sprints. The work |
| improving other elements vital to success in | | | | conducted has to be of a high quality with full |
| football. For example, many bodybuilders will train | | | | muscular and CNS recovery between sprints the |
| back, quadriceps, hamstrings on separate days. | | | | aim of the athlete. |
| This will mean for most of the time players will | | | | Friday |
| have insufficient energy to perform their other | | | | Tempo Work - 8-10 x 100m |
| drills, sprint work etc due to excess muscular | | | | This day is a repeat of Tuesday |
| fatigue. Furthermore, split training will mean the | | | | Saturday |
| central nervous system is always under stress | | | | Warm-up - 5 min general warm-up |
| from constantly performing high intensity activity | | | | Mobility Exercises - 10 min |
| leading to impaired recovery and ability to | | | | Running Drills - 10 min |
| perform other drills outside the gym with the | | | | Start Work - 4 x 10m (Practice a 3 point or 2 |
| required intensity. | | | | point stance and perform a maximal 10m sprint) |
| This leaves two options. The first is to adopt a | | | | Acceleration - 3 x 20m |
| lower/upper body split and the second is to adopt | | | | Acceleration - 2 x 30m |
| a full body training program. Both options have | | | | Top Speed - 2 x 50m |
| their advocates. Splitting the body into lower | | | | Top Speed - 2 x 60m |
| upper will mean legs get trained twice a week | | | | Saturday is the day when we should be at our |
| meaning five days are left for rest. By only | | | | freshest. There is no weight training prior to |
| training legs on those two days, a greater volume | | | | training and we are furthest removed from the |
| of work can be performed on training days | | | | draining effects of the heavy weight training |
| compared to a typical whole body approach | | | | conducted on Monday and Tuesday. There is a |
| consisting of hitting the weights on a Monday, | | | | greater emphasis on top speed work this time |
| Wednesday, Friday basis, where because of the | | | | with an increase in the distance up to 60m. This |
| increased frequency and need to train upper body | | | | should be the time the athlete is setting his best |
| as well, leg training volume would need to be | | | | times. |
| reduced. | | | | Sunday |
| Depending on the athlete's needs an upper/lower | | | | Rest |
| split is usually more useful for increasing strength | | | | Going Past a Week |
| and muscle size as many will struggle to maintain | | | | At this point it should be pointed out that the |
| the intensity needed for a long, whole body | | | | approach given is for a sample training week in |
| training workout. A sample lower/upper body split | | | | the off-season. Strength and speed training should |
| would be as follows: | | | | still be periodized as normal. A favored approach |
| Sample Strength Training Split | | | | of many programs is to gradually increase training |
| Monday | | | | volume and intensity before incorporating a week |
| Squats 4 x 4-6 | | | | of reduced volume and intensity to allow for |
| Romanian Deadlifts 4 x 4-6 | | | | supercompensation and CNS recovery to take |
| Step Ups 2 x 8 | | | | place. A 3/1 split of hard training followed by an |
| Pullthroughs 2 x 8 | | | | easier "unloading" week will help promote |
| Ab Rollouts 2 x 8 | | | | continued improvements rather than trying to |
| Tuesday | | | | constantly add weight/sets/sprints to the |
| Incline Bench Press 4 x 4 | | | | program which will only lead to stagnation. |
| Hang Cleans 3 x 3 | | | | At the same time, other exercises and techniques |
| Shoulder Press 2 x 6 | | | | will usually be incorporated to provide the athlete's |
| Pullups 2 x 6 | | | | body with new challenges but the overall goal |
| Tricep Extensions 2 x 8 | | | | should remain the same which is to increase |
| Barbell Curls 2 x 8 | | | | strength and speed over the long haul. Although it |
| Thursday | | | | will be easy for a beginner to make rapid |
| Power Cleans 5 x 3 | | | | improvements in both strength and speed |
| Snatch Grip Deadlifts 3 x 5 | | | | following a structure such as that outlined, at |
| One Legged Squats 2 x 6 | | | | some point it is likely that either the weights or |
| Glute Ham Raise 2 x 8 | | | | the speed work will have to be reduced in volume |
| Hanging Leg Raises 2 x 10 | | | | (although not intensity) and maintained so that the |
| Friday | | | | other quality being work can be emphasized. |
| Close Grip Bench Press 3 x 5 | | | | Most 100m sprinters will usually go from a |
| Pullups 3 x 5 | | | | program where strength increases are |
| Incline Dumbell Press 2 x 8 | | | | emphasized in winter to one where weight training |
| Seated Row Machine 2 x 8 | | | | is restricted to maintenance only so that full |
| Tricep Extensions 2 x 12 | | | | attention can be devoted to maximal speed work |
| Dumbell Curls 2 x 12 | | | | during the summer months. |
| Speed Training | | | | Of course, for American Football players, they |
| Speed training for football players needs to | | | | may have a differing view on which element |
| consider the fact that football sprints are usually | | | | needs emphasizing but the fact remains that |
| of much shorter duration than sprinting in track | | | | given that neither strength or speed |
| and field events. At the same time the body | | | | improvements in-season are realistic, the player |
| mechanics of football players will be different to | | | | should look at his off-season training program and |
| those you see in top class sprinters. | | | | consider which variable he needs to work on the |
| Having said that, a speed training program for | | | | most. Then, he can perform a greater or lesser |
| football players will have a large degree of overlap | | | | amount of speed or strength work as deemed |
| with that of Olympic athletes but with a limited | | | | appropriate by him and his coaching staff. For a |
| requirement for the type of speed endurance | | | | strong athlete with limited speed this would mean |
| work performed by sprinters during the summer | | | | reducing the volume of his weight work on his |
| track season. Instead a football program should | | | | training days and training speed first in the training |
| primarily emphasise acceleration techniques with a | | | | day, when the CNS and muscular system is |
| smaller component of top speed work so that for | | | | freshest. On the other hand, a weak, fast athlete |
| the rare occasions that a full sprint is required, the | | | | may wish to perform a limited amount of speed |
| player is able to maintain his top speed for longer. | | | | work and increase his weight training volume so |
| Although there are many differing views on how | | | | that he can bring up his strength levels quicker. |
| to train speed, the approach used by Charlie | | | | Other Factors |
| Francis[i] is one which works well for integrating | | | | Many other factors beyond how the athlete |
| the other aspects of football training. | | | | structures his training are important including |
| Speed Training Template for Off-Season | | | | mobility drills, nutritional support, supplementation, |
| Monday | | | | recovery and regeneration techniques, and |
| Warmup - 5 min general warmup | | | | technical work. Although these are beyond the |
| Mobility Exercises - 10 min | | | | scope of this article, each element should be |
| Running Drills - 10 min | | | | implemented carefully. Please check the other |
| Start Work - 6 x 10m (Practise a 3 point or 2 | | | | articles at this site for further reading. |