high school football summer workouts

[MeatZatk]

Hey all. I have the opportunity to help with a local football team and I'd like to run the weight room over the summer. Just curious on your thoughts of how I could get the most out of all the different position players (ie qb's and wr's working together-more reps, linemen-lower reps). Anyone work with high school teams before I could sure use some pointers. Thanks in advance.

 

[P-funk]

In general making sure they are strong in a variety of differet rep ranges (all position players that is) will be beneficial because optimal strength is being strong all over...not just in higher rep ranges (endurance) or lower rep ranges (strength). Undulating periodization could really help you here as it will help the kids work with a variety of rep ranges over a number of weeks.

I would probably use a 3 day total body routine and really focus on hammering form. Then, as practice starts i would drop it to 2 days a week. Also, make sure you are using compound movements as the bulk of your program. Some sort of dynamic stretching and mobility work can also be benefical as it will teach the kids how to warm up their bodies and prepare for movement before games, before weight training, before practice or as a resorative measure on off training days. Teaching them some static stretching (and possibly SMF if you have foam rollers) will help them stay limber and help to combat soreness which can be a problem if they are weight training one day and then do position specific drills the next.

Do you know anyting about low level plyometrics? I say low level because most high schoolers are going to lack the strength in their hips and lower bodies to do anything that is really advanced (depth jumps, intense bounding). However, some low level plyometrics will help to teach them reactive strength, how to absorb and apply force, as well as help them be more explosive and powerful. Just remeber that plyos aren't for conditioning. There is a lot of force transfer going on there and using them as a conditioning tool can possibly lead to injury as they fatigue and try and apply mazimal force. Start them slow with easy low level plyos (like hops in place) and on a low end of touches per training session (say 60-80 toe touches per session) and slowly progress them as the offseason goes on. If you are using the plyos on days were they are weight training it would be best to set up the training day like this:

warm up- general (3-5min of jogging)
warm up- dynaic (mobility drills to loosen up hip and shoulder girdles)
low level plyos- 60-80 touches
resistance training
cool down- stretching (static and SMF)



hope that helps.

 

[Caesar]

Do the kids a favor and educate them on diet. Maybe write up a packet for them so they can refer to it when they make food choices. It's amazing how many kids simply think "protein makes you big." Get them rolling on basic ideas of the glycemic idex, good fat sources, protein/fat/carb ratios, basic physiological principles of weight gain/loss, and calorire expendature. High schools kids would be amazed how quick their gains could be by eating correctly. Also, try to help them set individual goals and hold them accountable. Kids don't have the strong mentality that most of the bodybuilders on this website do. If they are pushed, they'll respond. I say this because my high school probably lost out on a state title because they couldn't utilize their skills because they didn't have to progress over 4 years in the weight room that should have been a given. Good luck.

 

[CowPimp]

To add on the what P-funk said, I would throw in some injury prevention exercises.

Rotator cuff work, particularly external rotator work, is very beneficial at helping to prevent shoulder injuries and maintain the integrity of their shoulder joint in general. Also, make sure to balance your pressing and pulling movements and use a variety of movement planes to further aid in preventing imbalances.

Work on a variety of planes with the lower body as well. The frontal plane is very important; an example being lateral lunges. This helps to improve hip, knee, and ankle stability as well as improve hip abductor/adductor strength. Movements like this will also transfer well once the players start doing agility work.

I also feel that some level of unbalanced training, whether it be the implement or the surface, is valuable for prehabilitation work. Lately I have been doing squats or push-ups on unstable surfaces to promote stability in my shoulders, ankles, and knees.

Unilateral movements are very important. Don't neglect unilateral squats, lunges, step-ups, etc. This further helps aid in injury prevention by promoting lateral knee stability and such, but as well it is very functional for an athlete to be strong during this type of exercise.