In an earlier article, I wrote about making sure you develop the basics when it comes to strength training. Too often, we get caught up in all the bells and whistles of lifting and forget the building blocks. However, once you have mastered the basics and have developed a solid strength base, it’s time to change things up.
In this article, I’ll discuss the different training programs we use here at Charleston Southern and how we move from program to program. It’s very important to give each athlete what they need to get stronger, so I’ll discuss how we individualize our program in a team setting.
When discussing our different training programs, the easiest way to talk is in terms of our off-season football strength and conditioning program. During our off-season, we break things down as much as possible to give the players exactly what they need from our strength training program. During the fall season, we take all of our players through a full training program that focuses on lifting progressions and basic strength development.
We have three different levels that we employ with our football program. Level 1 is for all of the brand new players to our program. Usually mid-year transfers or new walk-ons fall into this category. This program is very much like the program discussed in the previous article. It includes basic body weight exercises with high volume to build the base levels of strength. As time continues, weights are added into the plan, resistance increases, and the volume decreases.
Level 2 is the most commonly used training program with our players. To be able to lift in the level 2 program, the player must either meet the level 2 lifting requirements or the player must have been in our training program for at least two years. The level 2 program uses basic linear periodization with high reps and low weight moving to low reps and high weights.
Level 3 is only for athletes who meet the lifting requirements. This level uses conjugate periodization, which is a combination of max effort, dynamic, and repetition methods. This level is the least used because it requires the player to have high levels of strength and power along with a high commitment to training. If I don’t trust a player, I won’t allow him to move to a different level because the workload in level 3 is intense and must be performed properly and safely.
Using this format basically allows the athlete to get what he needs depending on his current strength training history. Attached are the basic breakdowns of our training programs in an overall format for each different level. Giving the athlete what they need is the job of a strength and conditioning coach. Once I began to implore this programming with my athletes, I’ve seen great results. If you would like more information, please feel free to contact me at tjacobi@csuniv.edu.
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