Structuring Your Offseason Program Part 4: Max Strength Training

Posted July 23, 2012 by Robert Pomazak
Under  • Guest Post

In part one, two and three of structuring your offseason football workouts we focused on building stability and strength and increasing lean body mass. After the first three phases, your body is prepared to handle what will be the highest intensity of lifting in the program.

The purpose is to develop as much muscular strength as possible to increase overall peak performance. Football is a game of strength and beating the man in front of you. This phase of training will give you the edge to “out muscle” your opponent.

This phase will utilize the same full-body routine. Two to three exercises will be used per body part with a focus on maximum intensities (90-100% of max). Sets increase but due to the high intensities, reps will be lowered significantly. Because strength gain is the ultimate goal of this phase, 1-3 rep max loads will be used.

It is essential to have a spotter present during this phase of lifting and never sacrifice technique to make maximum gains. This will help you stay injury free.

Phase 4: Max StrengthTraining

• Reps: 5-1 (Decrease by two reps per week)
• Sets: 4-6
• Percent of Max: 85-100%percent (increase by three to five percent per week on each exercise)
• Frequency: 3 to 4 times per week
• Duration: 3 to 4 weeks
• Exercise Selection: 2 to 3 exercises per muscle group

Day 1

Chest

• Barbell or Dumbbell Bench
• Single Arm Ball Dumbbell Incline Bench

Legs

• Barbell Parallel Squat
• Bulgarian Split Squat

Shoulders

• Dumbbell Push Press
• Dumbbell Reverse Deltoid Fly

Back

• Barbell Bent Over Row
• Weighted Chin ups

Explosive

• Single Arm Dumbbell Snatch
• Plate Cork Screws
• Plate Bear Crawls
• Single Leg Low Hurdle to Low Box Jump

Day 2

Chest

• Single Arm Dumbbell Parallel Close Grip Bench
• Weighted Tempo Pushup

Legs

• Dead Lift
• Goblet Drop Lunge

Shoulders

• Barbell Split Press
• Dumbbell Upright Row

Back

• Single Arm Bent Over Alternating Dumbbell Row
• Single Arm Pull Down

Explosive

• Hang Clean

Core & Reactive

• Medicine Ball Standing Big Circles
• 45 Degree Seated Twists
• Depth Jump to High Box Jump

Day 3

Chest

• Dumbbell or Barbell Incline Bench
• Single Arm Dumbbell Reverse Grip Chest Press

Legs

• Barbell Front Squat
• Single Leg Back Extension

Shoulders

• Side to Side Jack Knife Push Ups
• Dumbbell Scaption to Shrug

Back

• Standing Cable Row to Neck
• Single Arm Horizontal Pull Up

Explosive

• Tire Flips

Core & Reactive

• Standing Medicine Ball Russian Twists
• Weighted Wind Shield Wipers
• Short Hurdle Lateral Jump to Linear High Box Jump