Not sure the exact context of this; I would HOPE that this was just written by the Head Strength Coach at 'Bama for the sole purpose to “target and sell” to those individuals who subscribe to the “I"m doing the national champions workout so I’m definitely doing what is right” school of thought . I just can’t think this is really what they exactly do.
By the way, anybody see that the Head Strength Coach at 'Bama is making 290,000 this year and 310,000 next?
I think this program is pretty standard. I would not do that under heavy football training but If I was just lifting over the summer with nothing else to do then yeah I would do it and maybe sprint 1x/week… Sorta like defranco does…
Gets the job done. This is fairly common type of workout for football these days. I guess I think of football as collision sport and less of track sport. I think you need to be as physically prepared for impact, not just explosive speed. I bet most of your NFL running backs couldn’t break 4.6 forty after 5-6 years in the league. Need to be able to take a beating in this game and those type of workouts help get you ready.
Speedcoach I totally agree with you about the running backs not breaking 4.6. When I talk to my guys about taking a BEATING especially the offensive skill positions I always tell them yeah you need to be physically ready for a beating but why take a beating ala Barry Sanders? Granted nobody can move like him but still.
Im much less concerned with the weight room with coaches these days and more concerned with what their doing as far as conditioning goes. Weights can be so variable but as long as the emphasis is placed in the right areas, attention is devoted to make sure all work is within the athletes recuperative abilities, and all conditioning is done in the proper bio-energetic environment good things can still happen.
It just so happens that most s and c coaches place their greatest emphasis on the wightroom, and little emphasis on proper speed work. As well as there is a HUGE misunderstanding of bio-energetics with just about every d1 coach ive ever met or seen i.e so much damn lactic work with football players.
Yep lactic, lactic, lactic and more lactic. That was my bitch with Barwis at Michigan. Too much lactic buildup. I don’t even let hockey players do too much of it.
I agree with some of what you say, but let me offer some food for thought:
(keeping this all in the context of Alabama -level of football)
Many strength coaches focus on the weight room because that’s what they believe they know! One does have to be concerned with the rate of force development, in addition to the massive amount of “blunt force trauma” that these backs experience. The body needs to stay strong - or rather deteriorate less quickly - as the season wears on. The weight room is one place where this can happen.
I’m right with you on the lactic acid / energy system topic! It’s amazing that more S&C coaches are clueless of this…I recommend that they get on this site all the time and learn what “tempo” is.
But why work hard to learn at your profession when you can be promoted from video coordinator to strength coach, like at Georgia ?
Wow! Thats awesome! Not really.
Ok video coordinator to S&C coach? Sounds like a kinesiology student who posed as a video coordinator. I actually know a few schools who put that TITLE on them. Not saying that there qualified but just stating what I know
