As an ex-collegiate football player, competitive power lifter, and a strength coordinator, you can bet the farm that I have walked down some long roads and driven the superhighway of training. Become a power athlete by following these guidelines!

There are many paths to the same road. You've all heard this at one time or another. And it still applies to allot of things, especially when it comes to developing a training program for your specific sport. As an ex-collegiate football player, competitive power lifter, and a strength coordinator, you can bet the farm that I have walked down some long roads and driven the superhighway of training.

While working as a strength coach, I have designed countless routines that involve weight training exercises, plyometrics, agility drills, speed development techniques, and stretching exercises for hundreds of athletes.

Have you ever wondered where all the different forms of training routines came from? Well, you should. I mean, just how did these lifting and sport specific schemes come into play? Where did I get the basis to design and implement all the sport specific programs I've used as a strength coach? Were did you and others like me?

"Most programs' came from old weight lifters and
old-time sport coaches, a few decades ago."
These individuals new that there had to be a way to maximize performance in themselves and the athletes they where training. This work was acquired after years of exploring, analyzing and developing all the physical and mental goals needed in any given sport.

The programs implemented on athletes are based on the needs and goals from their sport specific endeavors. Such as a shot-putter, who needs explosive hip strength and upper body power; a football player, who acquires overall body strength and special agility and speed drills; a volleyball player may need specific plyometric drills to develop jumping ability, adding agility and conditioning work too.

In an effort to be up-to-date, with current trends in sport mastery, and pumping iron, some of you might get carried away with training routines extrapolated from the latest scientific and laboratory rat studies. No, not your local gym rat, but the laboratory rat.

You know, the rat that goes around and around the wheel? Well, that little rat can run as fast as it's little heart desires. But, the next rat study doesn't mean I am going to improve my sport specific goals. The only labs conducting muscle research back in the 60's and 70's where in the gyms and on the field of competition with human's as the laboratory rats!


A Top Strength Program Is Developed


A sport player was lifting weights, unbeknown by his coach, to maximize his individual sport performance. During this time lifting weights was considered to be not good for sports. Soon other sport player's noticed, particularly the football team.

When they asked their fellow classmate to help them, he did so in private. The football coaches noticed a remarkable difference on how their players were performing on the field and asked what they were all doing. Upon revealing their secrets, the football coaches then asked this other sport athlete if he could help the whole team.

Players' Were Performing Better.
Soon, the whole football team was cranking on the weights, getting stronger, bigger, and quicker. The University of Nebraska's strength and conditioning programs were developed. Go Big Red! Ooops, sorry got carried away. That individual was Boyd Eply, long-time head strength coach for the Nebraska athletic programs.

Coach Eply is also the founder of the National Strength and Conditioning Association, an organization devoted to developing athletes and the Strength Coach.


How To Develop Your Own Program


In a state-of-the-art world of athletic training, wasting your time and energy are merely on consideration; so too is the potential for injury. Add to that the many sport-specific systems and you have nothing short of physical - if not mental and emotional - gridlock.

If you start with a well-designed program, which you can modify, from time-to-time, to suite your body type, and goals, sport progress will quickly ensue.


Planning Your Workouts:


First, begin with a conservative program that is both challenging and achievable. Whether you are participating in three different sports or focusing on just one, your program design for strength training, agility drills, and speed development should be planed 6-8 weeks in advance prior to each season.

Your routine should be so structured that the same workout is performed. And you can modify the general program if your response to the routine is different from uncontrollable factors over the course of the year.

Don't make your sets and reps so difficult that you bomb out early in the workout and get discouraged, or worst, you get weaker. Set up your program so that you can modify it slightly after three to four weeks. Basically, after every three to four weeks you want to adjust your program and do lighter lifting called a re-cycle.

"The key is to make small, consistent gains."

Choose The Right Exercises:


Each exercise should be based on what is called multi-joint movements. These are exercises that involve more then one-muscle group. Some of these exercises are the Bench Press, Squat, Power Clean, Snatch, Hip-Sled and Bent-Over Bar Row. Just to name a select few.

The right exercises, your technique, and order of training are all very important in performing your routine properly and obtaining positive gains from your workout. Basically, bicep curls are not going to make you a better athlete, so you should stop performing all those arm exercises... You know who you are.


Rather, you should set up a workout based on your athletic needs, and the sport(s) you are involved in. This four-day-a-week program is a model to give you an idea to base your routine:

Monday

Hang Clean
Lat-Pull downs
Squats
Leg Curls
Leg Extensions
Bicep Curls
Tuesday

Bench Press
Incline Press
Shoulder Press
Triceps Extensions
Neck
Sit-ups
Thursday

Same As Monday.
Friday

Same As Tuesday.