| Muscular
Fitness
by Leslie "BJ" Cordova
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of
Notre Dame
Volume 1, Issue 2
March 14, 2003
Introduction
The two main objectives to strength train for football are
to increase performance potential and decrease the risk
of injury. The strength training goals should be to increase
overall muscular strength, to increase muscular endurance,
and to improve efficiency of both anaerobic and aerobic
energy systems. The program should make you fitter, faster,
and stronger. In football, you use all your muscles for
protection and to perform. Therefore, it is necessary to
train every muscle group to develop your full potential.
Many different programs can produce favorable results. The
key is to find the program that works best for the individual
with the given situation.
The following strength training guidelines will help you
to acquire the best gains in the most effective, efficient,
and safest manner. A strength program should be intense
and brief. It is designed to develop your muscular fitness
so that it is compatible to the game of football.
The equipment or methods used are not the key to development.
The intensity and quality of exercise and the frequency
of workouts will determine your success. Remember, you must
provide the dedication and hard work.
Intensity
The
harder you train, the better your response will be. According
to the Overload Principle, in order to increase the strength
of the muscle, it must be stressed -or overloaded- with
a workload that is beyond its present capacity. In regards
to strength training, a high level of intensity is characterized
by performing each exercise to the point of concentric muscular
fatigue or failure (this is the point where you are not
able to lift the weight with proper form. Push through the
burning feeling you experience earlier until the point of
absolute fatigue.) After reaching failure, you can increase
the intensity by doing additional post-fatigue repetitions.
Your options for post-fatigue repetitions are negatives,
regressions, and forced repetitions (described below).
How
to Perform a Rep
1.
Always control the weight.
2. Eliminate fast, jerky movements.
3. Lower the weight in twice the amount of time that it
took to raise it (raise the weight in 2 sec., and lower
it in 4-6 seconds.)
4. Exercise through full range of motion.
5. Train until you reach muscular failure or fatigue.
Repetition
ranges differ depending on the part of the body you are
exercising. For lower body, exercise within a range of 8-15
repetitions. For upper body, exercise within a range between
6-10 repetitions. The weight used should be just enough
so that you fatigue somewhere within these repetition ranges.
How
to Perform a Set
After
you have reached muscular failure, you have the following
options to continue your set:
1.
Negatives: At muscular failure, have a training partner
raise the weight for you. Lower the weight to an 8-second
count. Do around 6 repetitions.
2. Regressions: At muscular failure, stop and reduce the
weight by 25%. Perform another set.
3. Forced Repetitions: At muscular failure, stop and rest
for 5-10 seconds. Have a training partner assist you in
performing 6-8 more repetitions.
Progression
Every
time you work out you should attempt to increase either
the weight you use or the repetitions you perform in relation
to your previous workout. It is extremely important to document
your workouts. Document your weight used and the number
of repetitions performed on your first set. This will serve
as your guide. You will know exactly what weight you used
and how many reps you achieved the last time. You must perform
more the next time you work out. If you attain muscular
fatigue within your repetition range, stay with the same
weight for your next workout but perform more reps. If you
reach the upper limit of your rep range (12 for upper body,
15 for lower body), you must increase your weight by 5%.
 Volume
A
comprehensive strength training program can consist of as
few as 14 exercises during each session. The key is to train
the whole body. If you perform in a combative sport, such
as football, it is important to do 2-4 exercises for your
neck. The neck exercises should be performed somewhere in
the beginning of your workout when you are still relatively
fresh and energetic. Also, it is important to exercise with
a relative sequence. It is important to try to train your
hips/gluteals before you train your upper legs and lower
legs. Also, try to train the muscles of your upper torso
(chest, back, shoulders), followed by arms, abdominals,
and then lower back. The following is a training overview:
Muscles |
#
of Exercises |
Excercise
Options |
Hips |
1 |
Squat,
Lunges, Leg Press,
Adduction/Abduction |
Legs |
2-3 |
Leg
Extension, Leg Curl, Calf Raise |
Chest |
2-3 |
Bench/Incline/Decline,
Dips,
Pushups, Chest Fly, Pec Dec |
Upper
Back |
2-3 |
Underhand
Lat Pulldown, Chins,
Seated Row, Pullover |
Shoulder |
2-3 |
Overhead
Press, Side/Front/Rear
Raise, Upright Row, Shrug,
Internal/External Rotation |
Arms |
2-3 |
Bicep
Curl, Tricep Extension,
Hammer Curl, Tricep Pushdown,
Wrist Flexion/Extension |
Abdominals |
2-3 |
Abdominal
Crunch, Sit-ups, Knee
Ups, Rotary Torso, Side Crunches |
Lower
Back |
1 |
Back
Extension |
Frequency
Your
muscles get stronger after your workout, when they are recovering.
Your muscle tissue is broken after you lift, the recovery
process allows them to rebuild. A time period of usually
48-72 hours is necessary to adequately recover from a strength
workout. Some research indicates that muscle begins to lose
its strength if it isn’t exercised within 96 hours
of its previous workout. It is suggested that you workout
3 times a week on nonconsecutive days during your off-season,
and 2 times a week on nonconsecutive days during your in-season.
Final
Thought
This
is basic information to help guide you through your program.
Use this information and other resources, train hard, keep
good records, use common sense in listening to your body,
and have fun!!! A strong commitment to your strength training
now will only lead to more success in your athletic career
in the future. The results are up to you!
References
•
Brzycki, M. “Maximize Your Training, Insights from
Leading Strength and
Fitness Professionals”, Masters Press.
• Riley, D. “Strength Training by the Experts”,
Human Kinetics.
• Brown, S. and Brzycki, M. “Conditioning for
Basketball”, Masters Press.
Good Luck!!!
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