Complete Book

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Coach Mike Golden

Copyright © 2013 by Coach Golden. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the author. For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to [email protected]. Editing and book composition by E. Pirrung.

Disclaimer The information presented in this book is intended for general informational purposes and cannot answer personal, health-related questions or problems. The information presented here should not be used to diagnose, treat or cure any medical condition or problem. If you are experiencing any health-related problems, please consult your health professional or emergency medical personnel. The information presented here should not be considered medical advice or imply that any personal action should be taken. You should first discuss any physical, lifestyle, and dietary changes with your health or medical professional. In no event shall the author be held liable for any damages, directly or indirectly, resulting from the use of the information contained in this book. Any person relying on any of the information contained in this book or making any use of the information contained here shall do so at his or her own risk.

Dedication/Acknowledgements To my wife, Nicole, my best friend and partner from the start, you have made all the jobs, travels, moves, hours, and highs and lows of this profession all worth it. I could not have picked a better person to be my wife and an unbelievable mother for our children. This could not be possible without you. I love you. To the Golden Horde—Natasha, Tatiana, Sophia, Anastasia, and Magnus—thank you for all your hugs, kisses, and laughter whether we win or lose. There is nothing like coming home to you guys after a long day! Thanks for keeping me grounded. Also, thank you for understanding that daddy’s job is very different from other people's jobs. You are all the best. I love you soooooooooo much! To Ken Fantano, my biggest influence and the smartest strength coach I've ever known, thanks for molding a hard-headed kid into a hard-headed strength coach. Words can't express what you have done for me. Thanks for everything. I would also like to thank all the players, coaches, assistants, interns, and volunteers who have helped me along the way. I can't describe the impact that you have had on me as a coach as well as a person. You have made it all worthwhile. Thank you for showing me that it really isn't the kill but the thrill of the chase.

Introduction As a beginning strength coach, I felt that I knew the basic 'how to do' things but really didn't have any clue as to why I was doing them. When I started in this profession, there were very limited resources on being a strength coach. Personal experience, Powerlifting USA, and talking to guys in the field were pretty much all there was. There wasn't an internet or the free exchange of ideas like there is today. So you put workouts together and went for it! Then coaches around the country (and the one I worked for) started getting smarter and started asking why. Why did we do the things that we did? I didn't have any concrete answers, so I sat down in the off-season and researched the 'why' of everything I did. That was the beginning of this book. Why did I use this exercise? Why did I do this type of running? I examined everything. After a few years when I was lucky enough to have a staff, it started all over again. What was I going to look for in a coach? What were the rules and regulations that I wanted them to adhere to? How could I evaluate them? So the book got bigger. Then it was signee packets, nutritional information, agility drills, lifts, runs, and more, and the book got even bigger. It has taken fifteen years, hundreds of athletes and coaches, and a million rewrites to get this book to where it is today. This book is written as a reference guide for strength coaches. That is the reason why I decided to publish it. I want to help out the guys who don't have the time or resources to put all this together. There aren't any workouts except a simple sample workout for a signee packet. Workouts aren't the focal point of this book; there are plenty of other books out there that cover that subject. This book covers the whys behind the many types of lifting, agility work, speed work, conditioning, staff issues, policies and procedures, and interns. It gives you the information. All you have to do is plug in whatever you want however you want. The whys and hows are covered. There are hundreds of lifts, drills, and runs to choose from. The hard part is done. You supply the fun part. I hope this book helps you in your journey down whatever path you have chosen. Good luck and train to win! Coach Golden

Contents Mission Statement ......................................................................................................................1 Program Philosophy....................................................................................................................2 Strength Training .......................................................................................................................3 Exercise Reference ...................................................................................................................12 Speed, Agility and Quickness ...................................................................................................26 Agility Reference Guide ...........................................................................................................35 Conditioning ..........................................................................................................................132 Long Interval Conditioning Reference Guide ........................................................................137 Short Interval Conditioning Reference Guide .......................................................................156 Warm Ups ..............................................................................................................................177 Exercise Reference Warm Ups ..............................................................................................180 Nutrition .................................................................................................................................186 Strength and Conditioning Policies and Procedures ..............................................................193 Goals ......................................................................................................................................195 Weight Room Rules and Regulations ....................................................................................200 Strength and Conditioning Staff Responsibilities ..................................................................203 Weight Room Policies and Orientation .................................................................................216 Intern Packet ..........................................................................................................................225 Strongman Team Competition Guide ....................................................................................230 Incoming Signee Packet .........................................................................................................245 Sample Menus ........................................................................................................................254

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Mission Statement The mission of a successful strength and conditioning program is to provide a safe, challenging training environment that helps athletes maximize physical potential while minimizing athletic related injuries.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Program Philosophy Proficiency and maximum improvement are attained through diligent and consistent training using the correct program. The program we use now with total conviction came from a multitude of training methods and workout philosophies. It is the product of much thought, the distillation of ideas and principals, and numerous personal and team trials. Everything done here will be improvement oriented. All workouts are designed to make a stronger, faster, and more powerful athlete. This plan has been developed to aid the athlete in being the absolute best that he can be. It is geared for only one thing—success. There are four components that must be adhered to if success is to be obtained—the athlete must want to be successful, he has to believe that he will be successful, he has to expect to be successful, and he must put in hard work. We will give each athlete 100 percent effort every day. We will accept nothing less. It is not enough to be a survivor; each athlete must be a competitor! Every day, in everything that is done, the will to win must overcome the effort to endure. To be a champion, you cannot do things correctly once in a while. You have to do them correctly all the time. To work hard and get better every day should be the motivation. We will train harder and smarter than any of our competition. We will perform smooth, proficient, controlled reps in both running and lifting to build our muscular foundation for increased strength, speed, and power. Strength and speed will increase gradually once the technique has been done satisfactorily. All workouts have been planned to the smallest detail. Nothing is left to chance. These workouts are the blueprint for success. All that is demanded from the athlete is the effort. All reps and sets must be made. Follow the workout instructions to the letter with maximal effort, and we will not be beat. Keep the swords swinging until there are no more heads to roll. Give no quarter. Take no prisoners. There is to be only one pace…all out. There is to be only one direction...forward. — Attila the Hun

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Strength Training

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Training Principles Training the Kinetic Chain Through Core Development The foundation of all power and strength in the human body originates in what is termed the core. The core consists of these muscle groups: the abdominals, obliques, multifidus, quadratus lumborum, spinal erectors, gluteals, hip flexors, upper hamstrings, upper quadriceps, adductors, and abductors. The muscles of the core work to produce the following movements: hip extension, hip flexion, adduction, abduction, abdominal flexion, back extension, torso rotation, and lateral trunk flexion/extension. The human body should be envisioned in three separate kinetic links: the upper body, the lower body, and the core. An athlete will only be as strong as the weakest kinetic link. Any deficiency in strength or flexibility in the core region will give an athlete little chance to maximize his or her athletic potential. The core is the coordination, stabilization, and power center for all groundbased movements. Focusing strength training on developing the core is of great importance. Training the core in the standing position and through ground-based exercises will enhance the athlete’s ability to transfer training to sport performance. Train for Power Power = Work/Time or Power = Force exerted on object and distance that object moves in a given direction/Time Athletic success in recent years has been dominated by speed. The best and most successful teams have been those teams that possess great team speed along with good skill and mental toughness. It is the duty of the strength coach to develop athletic qualities inherent to speed and power sports, especially speed of movement. Increasing speed of movement against external resistance will ultimately result in increased power. By using Olympic-based movements in addition to squats, agility drills, medicine ball throws, and sport-specific speed drills, you can increase an athlete’s potential for force development and power. The Olympic movements—jerk, power clean, power snatch, and their derivatives—are all lifts that exceed velocities greater than 1 meter per second. Thus, these lifts provide the greatest potential to train the central nervous system and develop powerful athletes. Competitive Olympic lifters on average have vertical jumps exceeding 36 inches. They also are among the fastest athletes in 25-meter sprints.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Train Athleticism It is the duty of the strength staff to train athletes for maximal performance in athletic competition. The best performers are often the most athletic. Athleticism can and must be trained. The qualities of a superior athlete are power, speed, strength, agility, flexibility, coordination, kinesthetic awareness, sport-specific condition, rapid reorientation from disorientation, balance, skill expertise, mental toughness, and goal orientation. It is the goal of the strength staff to maximize the athletic potential of each athlete through well organized training programs developed to address team and individual deficiencies. Single Limb Lifts Versus Double Limb Lifts Many sports are acyclic in that athletes are required to change directions and utilize different body positions to play the game efficiently and effectively. Oftentimes, an athlete will be required to transfer weight from one limb to another. To successfully exhibit athleticism, it is important that athletes possess strength, balance, and coordination on one or two limbs to complete sport-specific tasks. Training in a manner that occasionally utilizes one limb at a time allows postural control and core stabilization to come into play. Examples of single limb exercises include single arm snatches, single arm jerks, single leg squats, lunges, step-ups, single arm rows, and single arm bench presses. Efficient, Organized, and Intense Training Sessions There are many training methods utilized to train the world’s elite athletes. The most common traits found in all methods include a high level of organization, a short duration, and high intensity. It is the duty of the strength staff to provide logical, progressive, and safe training protocols for each athlete. Through proper periodization, athletes should be provided programs that are designed on a yearly basis with directives and goals that must be attained at set points throughout the training year. Each year that plan should be evaluated and a new plan for the following year should be developed to increase the athlete’s work capacity. Attitude Teams that lift together are provided an opportunity to develop chemistry, teamwork, and leadership in a competitive environment fostered by the strength staff. Training sessions should be run like sport practice where there is an atmosphere of structure, competitiveness, and common purpose and the strength staff can control the intensity and pace of the workouts in an effort to facilitate positive results. It is the role of the strength and conditioning staff to deal with athletes who do not always possess the “winning attitude.” Any patterns of weakness, such as negative verbal, facial, or body language, must be eliminated from the weight room, as they allow weakness to permeate the team. Although team training sessions are integral to team building, the success of an individual athlete will have much to do with his commitment to excellence and how that athlete deals with time between training sessions. Recovery is one of the most important factors in training. How an ~5~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

athlete deals with habits like sleep, diet, alcohol consumption, drugs, academics, and social life play a huge role in athletic development and success. An athlete with a “winning attitude” will sacrifice. The athlete with a “winning attitude” will also evaluate himself for both physical and skill related weaknesses and engage in extra workouts to fill deficiencies. Training sessions will be developed in order to maximize athletic potential, not to run athletes into the ground. Therefore, athletes should always have the energy and desire to do extra workouts on their own. This allows athletes to develop creativity, individuality, and leadership and take ownership in their own development. The strength coach and/or the sport coach will never “make” an athlete into a champion nor will they prevent an athlete from becoming a champion. It is up to the athlete to decide if he will develop the “winning attitude” and strive to become a champion. Free Weight- and Olympic-Based Training As with any philosophy, there must be a rationale for its implementation. Our strength and conditioning program is based on scientific research, biomechanics, physiology, and logic. Research and experience have provided us the following reasons for free weight- and Olympicbased training. Why free weights?         

Free weights provide for intramuscular coordination and co-contraction inherent in all sport activities. Free weights allow assistant muscle groups to work as stabilizers and synergists. Free weights force athletes to exhibit body control. Free weights teach synchronization of movement. Free weights teach athletes to absorb external forces. Free weights allow for rapid acceleration. Machines eliminate all the above factors and many compel athletes to initiate exercises in vulnerable limb and joint positions. Some machines limit range of motion and place greater stress on adjacent joints (i.e. leg extension). Machines eliminate ground reaction forces, which occur naturally in sport.

Why Olympic movements?    

Olympic movements develop strength, explosiveness, speed, coordination, timing, balance, spatial awareness, and elastic energy simultaneously. Olympic lifts require rapid high force output along with high contraction velocities. Olympic lifts are total body, multi-joint movements involving over 50 percent of the body’s muscle mass. The neuromuscular demands of Olympic lifts transfer to the demands of sports.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

 

Of all types of lifters, Olympic lifters exhibit higher rates of force development and better utilization of stored elastic energy, which is very important in speed and power dominated sports. Olympic lifts have been shown to have a high correlation between the vertical jump and spring acceleration.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength Training The goal of our strength training program is to develop optimal muscular strength and power. Strength is the foundation of all other trained components (power, speed, agility). Proper strength training has two goals—performance enhancement and injury prevention. It must be done in a physiologically sound, safe, purposeful, and productive way. There aren't any secrets or shortcuts for achieving maximum strength gains. A physiologically sound program is one that includes in its design the fundamental principles of training the correct energy system, using the correct rest ratio, and maximizing recovery with proper nutrition and sleeping guidelines. A safe program is designed first and foremost with the execution of properly performed repetitions. Our emphasis for our beginners is focused on how the repetition is performed rather than how much weight is lifted. Every effort should be made to minimize biomechanical loading (bouncing, recoiling) on muscles, joints, and connective tissue and maximize muscular tension. Each repetition should be lifted under control in a deliberate fashion. We also begin to work on the athlete's work capacity and body composition. A purposeful program is one with a training protocol that has a systematic plan of increasing resistance/repetitions that will produce results. Once exercise technique is performed to our satisfaction, the weights begin to increase and the player must perform all the reps prescribed in that workout without assistance. This is where athletes are introduced to both mental and physical pressure. Loads, work capacity, lean body mass, and the number of movement patterns increase. A productive program is one that is designed with the athlete’s best interest in mind. The athlete's inner drive is to be successful, and he is willing to pay the price no matter what it is to succeed on the field. The program is designed to include the latest research, personal trials, team experiences, and common sense. Our goal is to help the athletes achieve their optimal strength potential both in the weight room and on the playing field. Our strength training philosophy incorporates all components of strength training and is not particular to a certain genre. We go with what works and get rid of what doesn’t. We believe that all divisions of strength training (powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, Strongman) have their place and are valuable when used correctly. It is also our belief that combining the various styles provides maximal stimulation to the athlete while keeping the athlete from becoming overtrained, bored, or stale. It makes all weight training sessions a positive rather than negative experience for our athletes.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Program Design Types of Strength Training       

Weightlifting (Olympic movements) Bodybuilding General conditioning Rehabilitation Powerlifting Metabolic (Strongman training) Strength training

Progressive Overload Supernormal stressors should be progressively applied and adequate restoration allowed in order to improve fitness. The quality of both workload and recovery has priority over quantity and is optimized via cyclic increase in training intensity and decrease in volume. Specificity As fitness improves, adaptation becomes increasingly specific to the imposed demands. Generalized tasks should be progressively replaced with specialized ones that dynamically correspond to the biomechanical, coordinative, and metabolic demands of the sport. The exercise menu should be prioritized such that the most functional movements (i.e. those yielding the greatest training/learning effects) are emphasized. Learning and training effects are optimized by making tasks progressively more challenging to control, direct, and stabilize (where appropriate) as well as by increasing workload. Individuality The same method(s) and/or techniques(s) elicit(s) unique responses in each athlete due to genetic differences, training status, and environmental factors. Strength and Conditioning       

Work Capacity Strength Power Speed Flexibility Athletic Movement (sport specificity) Agility

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Selection      

Provide a full range of motion Facilitate eccentric and concentric muscle actions Focus on multiple joints/muscle groups working together in coordination Focus on leg-initiated exercises Provide all types of strength (specific to the demands of the sport) Train movements specific to the sport being trained

Types of Strength      

Absolute strength Absolute strength endurance Strength-speed Strength-speed endurance Speed-strength Speed-strength endurance

Development of Physical Qualities      

Strength Power Speed Flexibility Stamina Specific endurance

Order of Exercise    

Speed movements Strength movements Complimentary movements Specialty movements

Components of Periodization      

Duration Frequency Duration + Frequency = Volume Repetitions Sets Intensity

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Repetition Volume  

Total number of repetitions performed per day/week /month /year Total training period

Zones of Intensity      

50–59%: Warm up 60–69%: Perfect speed qualities and prepare neuromuscular system 70–79%: Develop speed and strength qualities 80–89%: Develop strength and explosive power 90–99%: Develop psychological readiness 100%+ : Maximal strength development

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Exercise Reference

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Upper Body Shoulders

Chest

Dumbbell Front Raises

Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes

Plate Front Raises

Incline Bench Dumbbell Flyes

Barbell Front Raises

Decline Bench Dumbbell Flyes

Band Front Raises

Cable Crossovers (High)

Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Cable Crossovers (Low)

Plate Lateral Raises

Dips

Band Lateral Raises

Bar Push-Ups

Dumbbell Bent Flyes

Plyo Push-Ups

Plate Bent Flyes

D-Ball Push-Ups

Dumbbell Big 60

Clapping Push-Ups

Plate Big 60

Lying Medicine Ball Chest Passes

Plate Karlssens

Push-Up/Row Combo

Dumbbell Karlssens

Swiss Ball Push-Ups (Feet on Ball)

Band Internal Rotations

Swiss Ball Push-Ups (Hands on Ball)

Band External Rotations

Barbell Rack Lock Outs

Dumbbell External Rotations

Axle Rack Lock Outs

Plate External Rotations

Log Rack Lock Outs

Dumbbell Cuff Flyes

Body Weight Dips

Plate Cuff Flyes

Weighted Dips

Band Retractions

Machine Dips

Band Face Pulls Band Standing Y Pull-Aparts Cable Face Pulls Dumbbell Wide Elbow Rows Plate Rotator Cuff Lying Incline–I,Y,T,A,W Dumbbell Rotator Cuff Lying Incline–I,Y,T,A,W Incline Dumbbell Raises Incline Plate Raises Cuban Presses Standing Y Protractions Dumbbell Shrugs Barbell Shrugs Axle Shrugs Cable Shrugs Trap Bar Shrugs

~ 13 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Upper Body Biceps

Triceps

Free Weights

Free Weights

Straight Bar

Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions Lying Straight Bar Triceps Extensions (Skull Crushers)

EZ Bar Barbell

Decline Straight Bar Triceps Extensions

Dumbbell (Dumbbell)

Dumbbell Kickbacks

Dumbbell Hammer Curls

Seated Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Preacher Curls

Seated Overhead Straight Bar Triceps Extensions

Alternating Dumbbell Curls

Single Arm Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

Seated Dumbbell Curls Incline Seated Dumbbell Curls

Body Weight

Incline Seated Alternating Dumbbell Curls

Bench Dips

Single Arm Dumbbell Curls over an Incline Bench

Machine Dips

"21" Curls

Straight Bar Dips Close Grip Bar Push-Ups

Machine or Cable Variation Straight Bar Cable Curls

Machine or Cable Variation

Single Arm Cable Curls

Straight Bar Cable Triceps Pushdowns

EZ Bar Cable Curls

Fat Bar Triceps Pushdowns

Cable Cross-over Curls High

"V" Bar Triceps Pushdowns

Cable Cross-over Curls Low

Rope Triceps Pushdowns

One Arm Isolated Cable Curls

EZ Bar Triceps Pushdowns

Machine Curls

Reverse Grip Straight Bar Pushdowns

Manual Resistance Curls

Reverse Grip EZ Bar Pushdowns

Standing Band Curls

Single Arm Reverse Grip Pushdowns

Single Arm Band Curls

Overhead Rope Triceps Extensions Overhead Straight Bar Triceps Extensions Manual Resistance Triceps Extensions Triceps Pushdowns Using Bands Lying Triceps Extensions Using Bands Standing Triceps Extensions Using Bands

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Upper Body Back

Battling Ropes

Good Mornings

Waves

Reverse Hypers

Alternating Waves

Back Extensions

Little Drummers

Supermans

Inward Circles

Back Extensions on Swiss Ball

Outward Circles

Dumbbell Shrugs

Sidewinders

Barbell Shrugs

Hip to Hips

Axle Shrugs

Push Pull

Cable Shrugs

Seated Waves

Trap Bar Shrugs

Seated Alternating Waves Seated Little Drummers

Med Ball

Seated Inward Circles

Woodchoppers

Seated Outward Circles

Side Throws

Seated Sidewinders

Military Presses

Seated Hip to Hips

Keg Tosses

Seated Push Pulls

Chest Passes Underhands

Grip Strength

Triceps Extensions

Grippers/Crushers

Toss/Runs

Wrist Rotations

Overhead Carries

Wrist Flexions

Medicine Ball Military Press Throws

Wrist Extensions Supine Wrist Curls Prone Wrist Curls Plate Pinches Dumbbell Holds Barbell Holds Farmers Walks Towel Hangs Bar Hangs Wrist Rollers Rice/Sand Bucket Grabs

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Lower Body/Abs Lower Body

Abs

Leg Extensions

Toe Touches

Leg Curls

Plate Toe Touches

Leg Presses

Left-Middle-Right

Dumbbell Calf Raises

Flutter Kicks

Barbell Calf Raises

Sitting Up Flutter Kicks

Safety Bar Calf Raises

Sitting Up Flutter Kicks Plate Hold

Plate Hold Calf Raises

Rev Crunches

Bear Squat Calf Raises

S-L Toe Touches

Leg Press Calf Raises

Crunches

Barbell Romanian Deadlifts

Side Core Bridge

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlifts

Russian Twists

Plate Hold Romanian Deadlifts

Sit n Tucks

Barbell Good Mornings

Leg Raises

Safety Bar Good Mornings

Russian Twists

Plate Hold Good Mornings

Weighted Russian Twists

Reverse Hypers

Bicycles

Weighted Reverse Hypers

Heel Touches

Glute Ham Raises

V-Ups

Weighted Glute Ham Raises

Dumbbell Side Bends

Back Extensions

Barbell Side Bends

Weighted Back Extensions

Cable Side Bends

Hip Adductor Machine

Lying Windshield Wipers

Hip Abductor Machine

Crunches

Hip Flexion Machine

Weighted Crunches

Hip Extension Machine

Side Crunches

Band Pull Throughs

Sit-Ups

Sled Pull Throughs

Decline Sit-Ups

Sled Duck Walks

Heel Touches

Forward Sled Drags

Wide Leg Sit-Ups

Backwards Sled Pulls

Medicine Ball Sit-Ups

Lateral Sled Pulls

Twisting Sit-Ups Push-Up Sit-Ups Lying Leg Raises Lying Alternate Leg Raises Hanging Leg Raises Hanging Twisting Leg Raises Hanging Windshield Wipers

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Lower Body Squat

Squat

Back Squats, Low Bar

Front Squats

Back Squats, High Bar

Front Squats with Bands

Safety Bar Back Squats

Front Squats with Chains

Barbell Speed Squats

Front Squats with Reverse Bands

Safety Bar Speed Squats

Low Box Front Squats

Barbell Speed Squats with Bands

Regular Box Front Squats

Barbell Speed Squats with Chains

High Box Front Squats

Barbell Speed Squats with Reverse Bands

Low Box Front Squats with Bands

Safety Bar Speed Squats with Bands

Low Box Front Squats with Chains

Safety Bar Speed Squats with Chains

Low Box Front Squats with Reverse Bands

Safety Bar Speed Squats with Reverse Bands

Regular Box Front Squats with bands

Bear Speed Squats

Regular Box Front Squats with Chains

Low Box Squats

Regular Box Front Squats with Reverse Bands

Regular Box Squats

High Box Front Squats with Bands

High Box Squats

High Box Front Squats with Chains

Low Box Squats with Bands

High Box Front Squats with Reverse Bands

Low Box Squats with Chains

1/8 Barbell Squats

Low Box Squats with Reverse Bands

1/4 Barbell Squats

Regular Box Squats with Bands

1/2 Barbell Squats

Regular Box Squats with Chains

1/8 Safety Bar Squats

Regular Box Squats with Reverse Bands

1/4 Safety Bar Squats

High Box Squats with Bands

1/2 Safety Bar Squats

High Box Squats with Chains

Zercher Squats

High Box Squats with Reverse Bands

Kneeling Zercher

Low Box Squats with Safety Bar

Zercher Squats with Axle Bar

Regular Box Squats with Safety Bar

Overhead Squats

High Box Squats with Safety Bar

Barbell Single Leg Squats

Low Box Squats with Bar and Bands

Safety Bar Single Leg Squats

Low Box Squats with Safety Bar and Chains

Single Leg Bear Squats

Low Box Squats with Safety Bar and Reverse Bands

Dumbbell Single Leg Squats

Regular Box Squats with Safety Bar and Bands

Barbell Jump Squats

Regular Box Squats with Safety Bar and Chains

Safety Bar Jump Squats

Regular Box Squats with Safety Bar and Reverse Bands

Bear Squat Jumps

High Box Squats with Safety Bar and Bands

Dumbbell Jump Squats

High Box Squats with Safety Bar and Chains

Barbell Split Squats

High Box Squats with Safety Bar and Reverse Bands

Dumbbell Split Squats Safety Bar Split Squat

~ 17 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Lower Body Lunges

Lunges

Dumbbell Stationary Lunges

Safety Bar Stationary Backward Lunges

Dumbbell Walking Lunges

Safety Bar Walking Backward Lunges

Dumbbell Overhead Stationary Lunges

Plate Hold Stationary Backward Lunges

Dumbbell Overhead Walking Lunges

Plate Hold Walking Backward Lunges

Barbell Stationary Lunges

Plate Overhead Stationary Backward Lunges

Barbell Walking Lunges

Plate Overhead Walking Backward Lunges

Barbell Overhead Stationary Lunges

Weighted Vest Stationary Backward Lunges

Barbell Overhead Walking Lunges

Weighted Vest Walking Backward Lunges

Safety Bar Stationary Lunges

Dumbbell Stationary Lateral Lunges

Safety Bar Walking Lunges

Dumbbell Walking Lateral Lunges

Plate Hold Stationary Lunges

Dumbbell Overhead Stationary Lateral Lunges

Plate Hold Walking Lunges

Dumbbell Overhead Walking Lateral Lunges

Plate Overhead Stationary Lunges

Barbell Stationary Lateral Lunges

Plate Overhead Walking Lunges

Barbell Walking Lateral Lunges

Dumbbell Lunge/Step-Up Combo

Barbell Overhead Stationary Lateral Lunges

Barbell Lunge/Step-Up Combo

Barbell Overhead Walking Lateral Lunges

Safety Bar Lunge/Step-Up Combo

Safety Bar Stationary Lateral Lunges

Plate Hold Lunge/Step-Up Combo

Safety Bar Walking Lateral Lunges

Overhead Plate Hold Lunge/Step-Up Combo

Plate Hold Stationary Lateral Lunges

Barbell Overhead Lunge/Step-Up Combo

Plate Hold Walking Lateral Lunges

Dumbbell Overhead Lunge/Step-Up Combo

Plate Overhead Stationary Lateral Lunges

Weighted Vest Stationary Lunges

Plate Overhead Walking Lateral Lunges

Weighted Vest Walking Lunges

Weighted Vest Stationary Lateral Lunges

Weighted Vest Lunge/Step-Up Combo

Weighted Vest Walking Lateral Lunges

Dumbbell Stationary Backward Lunges

Barbell Lunge 3-Way

Dumbbell Walking Backward Lunges

Dumbbell Lunge 3-Way

Dumbbell Overhead Stationary Backward Lunges

Safety Bar Lunge 3-Way

Dumbbell Overhead Walking Backward Lunges

Weighted Vest Lunge 3-Way

Barbell Stationary Backward Lunges Barbell Walking Backward Lunges Barbell Overhead Stationary Backward Lunges Barbell Overhead Walking Backward Lunges

~ 18 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Lower Body Step-Ups

Deadlifts

Body Weight Box Step-Ups

Barbell Deadlifts

Barbell Box Step-Ups

Barbell Sumo Deadlifts

Safety Bar Box Step-Ups

Keg Deadlifts

Dumbbell Box Step-Ups

Axle Bar Deadlifts

Weighted Vest Box Step-Ups

Axle Bar Sumo Deadlifts

Over Head Plate Box Step-Ups

Barbell Rack Deadlifts

Body Weight Explosive Box Step-Ups

Axle Bar Rack Deadlifts

Dumbbell Explosive Box Step-Ups

Barbell Elevated Deadlifts

Barbell Explosive Box Step-Ups

Axle Bar Elevated Deadlifts

Safety Bar Explosive Box Step-Ups Weighted Vest Explosive Box Step-Ups

Leg Presses

Barbell Lateral Box Step-Ups

Single Leg Presses

Safety Bar Lateral Box Step-Ups

Double Leg Presses

Dumbbell Lateral Box Step-Ups

High Rep Presses

Plate Hold Lateral Box Step-Ups Barbell Crossover Box Step-Ups Safety Bar Crossover Box Step-Ups Dumbbell Crossover Box Step-Ups Plate Hold Crossover Box Step-Ups Weighted Vest Crossover Box Step-Ups Barbell Lunge/Box Step-Up Combo Safety Bar Lunge/Box Step-Up Combo Dumbbell Lunge/Box Step-Up Combo Weighted Vest Lunge/Box Step-Up Combo Pause Squats Bear Squats

~ 19 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Upper Body Decline Bench

Back

Barbell Wide Grip Decline Bench

Bent Over Rows

Barbell Close Grip Decline Bench

Reverse Grip Bent over Rows

Barbell Wide Grip Decline Towel or Board Bench

Log Bent over Rows

Barbell Close Grip Decline Towel or Board Bench Presses

Axle Bent over Rows

Barbell Wide Grip Decline Bench Press with Bands

Reverse Grip Axle Rows

Barbell Wide Grip Decline Bench Press with Chains

Single Arm Dumbbell Rows

Barbell Close Grip Decline Bench Press with Bands

Plate Retractions

Barbell Close Grip Decline Bench Press with Chains

Dumbbell Retractions

Barbell Wide Grip Reverse Band Decline Bench Presses

Barbell Upright Rows

Barbell Close Grip Reverse Band Decline Bench Presses

Dumbbell Upright Rows

Barbell Reverse Grip Decline Bench Presses

Alternating Dumbbell Upright Rows

Barbell Reverse Grip Towel or Board Decline Bench Presses

Wide Grip Pulldowns

Barbell Reverse Grip Decline Bench Press with Bands

Close Grip Pulldowns

Barbell Reverse Grip Decline Bench Press with Chains

Reverse Grip Pulldowns

Barbell Reverse Grip Reverse Band Decline Bench Presses

Wide Grip Fat Bar Pulldowns

Dumbbell Decline Bench Press Reverse Grip

Close Grip Fat Bar Pulldowns

Dumbbell Decline Bench Press Alternating

Reverse Grip Fat Bar Pulldowns

Dumbbell Decline Bench Press Reverse Grip Alternating

Barbell Pullovers

Dumbbell Decline Bench Press Combo

Dumbbell Pullovers

Dumbbell Decline Bench Press Combo Reverse Grip

Chin Ups

Axle Bar Wide Grip Decline Bench Presses

Wide Grip Pull-Ups

Axle Bar Close Grip Decline Bench Presses

Medium Grip Pull-Ups

Axle Bar Wide Grip Towel or Board Decline Bench Presses

Close Grip Pull-Ups

Axle Bar Close Grip Towel or Board Decline Bench Presses

Straight Arm Pushdowns

Axle Bar Decline Bench Press Using Bands

Weighted Chin Ups

Axle Bar Decline Bench Press Using Chains

Weighted Wide Grip Pull-Ups

Axle Bar Reverse Band Decline Bench Presses

Weighted Medium Grip Pull-Ups

Axle Bar Reverse Grip Decline Bench Presses

Weighted Close Grip Pull-Ups

Axle Bar Reverse Grip Towel or Board Decline Bench Presses

T-Bar Rows

Axle Bar Reverse Grip Decline Bench Press with Bands Axle Bar Reverse Grip Decline Bench Press with Chains Axle Bar Reverse Grip Reverse Band Decline Bench Presses Log Decline Bench Presses Log Towel Decline Bench Presses Log Decline Bench Press Using Bands Log Decline Bench Press Using Chains Log Reverse Band Decline Bench Presses

~ 20 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Upper Body Flat Bench

Incline Bench

Barbell Wide Grip Bench Presses

Barbell Wide Grip Incline Bench

Barbell Close Grip Bench Presses

Barbell Close Grip Incline Bench

Barbell Wide Grip Towel or Board Bench Presses

Barbell Wide Grip Towel or Board Incline Bench

Barbell Close Grip Towel or Board Bench Presses

Barbell Close Grip Towel or Board Incline Bench

Barbell Wide Grip Bench Presses with Bands

Barbell Wide Grip Incline Bench Presses with Bands

Barbell Wide Grip Bench Presses with Chains

Barbell Wide Grip Incline Bench Presses with Chains

Barbell Close Grip Bench Presses with Bands

Barbell Close Grip Incline Bench Presses with Bands

Barbell Close Grip Bench Presses with Chains

Barbell Close Grip Incline Bench Presses with Chains

Barbell Wide Grip Reverse Band Bench Presses

Barbell Wide Grip Reverse Band Incline Bench Presses

Barbell Close Grip Reverse Band Bench Presses

Barbell Close Grip Reverse Band Incline Bench Presses

Barbell Reverse Grip Towel Bench Presses

Barbell Reverse Grip Incline Bench Presses

Barbell Reverse Grip Bench Presses with Bands

Dumbbell Incline Bench Presses (Close)

Barbell Reverse Grip Bench Presses with Chains

Dumbbell Alternating Incline Bench Presses

Barbell Reverse Grip Reverse Band Bench Presses

Dumbbell Incline Bench Presses Reverse Grip

Dumbbell Bench Presses

Dumbbell Incline Bench Presses Reverse Grip Alternating

Dumbbell Bench Presses Alternating

Dumbbell Incline Bench Presses Combo

Dumbbell Bench Presses Combo

Dumbbell Incline Bench Presses Combo Reverse Grip

Dumbbell Bench Presses on Swiss Ball

Axle Bar Wide Grip Incline Bench Presses

Dumbbell Alternating Bench Presses on Swiss Ball

Axle Bar Close Grip Incline Bench Presses

Dumbbell Combo Bench Presses on Swiss Ball

Axle Bar Incline Bench Presses Using Bands

Axle Bar Wide Grip Bench Presses

Axle Bar Incline Bench Presses Using Chains

Axle Bar Close Grip Bench Presses

Log Incline Bench Presses

Axle Bar Wide Grip Towel or Board Bench Presses

Log Incline Bench Presses Using Bands

Axle Bar Close Grip Towel or Board Bench Presses

Log Incline Bench Presses Using Chains

Axle Bar Bench Presses Using Bands

Log Reverse Band Incline Bench Presses

Axle Bar Bench Presses Using Chains Axle Bar Reverse Band Bench Presses Axle Bar Reverse Grip Bench Presses Axle Bar Reverse Grip Towel Bench Presses Axle Bar Reverse Grip Bench Presses with Bands Axle Bar Reverse Grip Bench Presses with Chains Axle Bar Reverse Grip Reverse Band Bench Presses Log Bench Presses Log Towel Bench Presses Log Bench Presses Using Bands Log Bench Presses Using Chains Log Reverse Band Bench Presses

~ 21 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Upper Body Floor Presses

Shoulder Presses

Wide Grip Barbell Floor Presses

Seated

Close Grip Barbell Floor Presses

Barbell Military Presses

Wide Grip Barbell Floor Presses with Towel or Board

Barbell Behind the Neck Presses

Close Grip Barbell Floor Presses with Towel or Board

Reverse Grip Military Presses

Barbell Reverse Grip Floor Presses

Barbell Military Presses with Bands

Reverse Band Barbell Floor Presses

Barbell Military Presses with Chains

Barbell Floor Presses with Bands

Reverse Band Military Presses

Barbell Floor Presses with Chains

Log Military Presses

Axle Wide Grip Floor Presses

Axle Military Presses

Axle Close Grip Floor Presses

Axle Behind the Neck Military Presses

Axle Wide Grip Floor Presses with Towel or Board

Axle Reverse Grip Military Presses

Axle Close Grip Floor Presses with Towel or Board

Dumbbell Military Presses

Axle Reverse Grip Floor Presses

Dumbbell Military Presses Combo

Axle Floor Presses with Bands

Dumbbell Alternating Military Presses

Axle Floor Presses with Chains

Dumbbell Alternating Reverse Grip Military Presses

Reverse Band Axle Floor Presses

Dumbbell Reverse Grip Military Presses

Log Floor Presses

Dumbbell Reverse Grip Military Presses Combo

Log Floor Presses with Bands

Dumbbell Military Presses on Swiss Ball

Log Floor Presses with Chains

Dumbbell Alternating Military Presses on Swiss Ball

Log Reverse Band Floor Presses Dumbbell Floor Presses Dumbbell Reverse Grip Floor Presses

Dumbbell Military Presses Combo on Swiss Ball

Dumbbell Alternating Floor Presses

Standing Barbell Military Presses

Dumbbell Floor Presses Combo

Standing Barbell Behind the Neck Presses

Dumbbell Reverse Grip Alternating Floor Presses

Standing Reverse Grip Military Presses

Dumbbell Reverse Grip Floor Presses Combo

Barbell Push Presses

Standing

Barbell Push Jerks Machines

Barbell Standing Military With Bands

Smith Machine Flat Bench Presses

Barbell Standing Military Presses with Chains

Smith Machine Incline Bench Presses

Barbell Standing Reverse Band Military Presses

Smith Machine Decline Bench Presses

Dumbbell Standing Military Presses

Hammer Strength Iso Bench Presses

Dumbbell Standing Military Presses Combo

Hammer Strength Incline Iso Bench Presses

Dumbbell Standing Military Presses Alternating

Nautilus Bench Presses Hammer Strength Iso Shoulder Presses Nautilus Shoulder Presses

Reverse Grip Standing Military Presses Viking Presses Stone Presses Standing Log Presses Standing Axle Military Presses ~ 22 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Power Movements Power Movements

Power Movements

Olympic Deadlifts to Knee

Hang Power Cleans from Mid-Thigh

Snatch Deadlifts

Hang Power Cleans from Knees

Muscle Snatches

Hang Power Cleans from Below Knee

Snatch Balance

Power Cleans Off Blocks from Mid-Thigh

Sots Presses

Power Cleans Off Blocks from Knee

Jump Shrugs

Power Cleans Off Blocks from Below Knee

Clean Grip Shrugs

Dumbbell Power Cleans (from All Hangs)

Clean Grip Power Shrugs (Mid-Thigh Pull)

Full Cleans

Snatch Grip Shrugs

Full Hang Cleans from Mid-Thigh

Snatch Grip Power Shrugs (Mid-Thigh Pull)

Full Hang Cleans from Knee

Clean Pulls

Full Hang Cleans from Below Knee

Hang Clean Pulls from Knee

Full Cleans Off Blocks from Mid-Thigh

Hang Clean Pulls from Below Knee

Full Cleans Off Blocks from Knee

Clean Pulls Off Blocks from Mid-Thigh

Full Cleans Off Blocks from Below Knee

Clean Pulls Off Blocks from Knee

Split Cleans (Floor and All Hangs)

Clean Pulls Off Blocks from Below Knee

Power Snatches

Snatch Pulls

Hang Power Snatches from Mid-Thigh

Hang Snatch Pulls from Knee

Hang Power Snatches from Knee

Hang Snatch Pulls from Below Knee

Hang Power Snatches from Below Knee

Snatch Pulls Off Blocks from Mid-Thigh

Power Snatches Off Blocks from Mid-Thigh

Snatch Pulls Off Blocks from Knee

Power Snatches Off Blocks from Knee

Snatch Pulls Off Blocks from Below Knee

Power Cleans Off Blocks from Below Knee

Clean High Pulls

Dumbbell Power Snatches (from All Hangs)

Hang Clean High Pulls from Knee

Full Snatches

Hang Clean High Pulls from Mid-Thigh

Full Hang Snatches from Mid-Thigh

Hang Clean High Pulls from Below Knee

Full Hang Snatches from Knee

Clean High Pulls Off Blocks from Mid-Thigh

Full Hang Snatches from Below Knee

Clean High Pulls Off Blocks from Knee

Full Snatches Off Blocks from Mid-Thigh

Clean High Pulls Off Blocks from Below Knee

Full Snatches Off Blocks from Knee

Snatch High Pulls

Full Snatches Off Blocks from Below Knee

Hang Snatch High Pulls from Knee

Push Jerks

Hang Snatch High Pulls from Mid-Thigh

Split Jerks

Hang Snatch High Pulls from Below Knee

Behind the Neck Jerks

Snatch High Pulls Off Blocks from Mid-Thigh

Clean & Jerks

Snatch High Pulls Off Blocks from Knee

Dumbbell Split Jerks

Snatch High Pulls Off Blocks from Below Knee

Dumbbell Power Jerks

Power Cleans

~ 23 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Strongman/Alternate Training Tire

Kegs

Tire Flips

Deadlifts

Tire Drags

Sumo Lifts

Tire Punches

Tosses

Tire Flip/Hops

Drags

Tire Lines

Carries

Tire Pushes

Hugs

Sledgehammer Overs

Squats

Sledgehammer Sideways

Loads

Tire Flip Lines

Shoulders

Tire Flip You Go/I Go

Presses

Sled

Rope Drills

Sled Pulls

Horses

Sled Drags Forward

Waves

Sled Drags Backward

Drummers

Sled Drags Side/Side

Sidewinders

Heavy Sled Pulls

Little Circles R/L

Harness Sled Pulls

Big Circles R/L

Running Sled Pulls

Conan's Swords

Sled Walks

Military Presses

Pull Throughs

One-Handed Side/Side

Straight Leg Walks

Battles

Duck Walks Sled Tests

Frame

Bench Sleds

Walks

Row Sleds

Runs

Drags+

Deadlifts Shrugs Uphill/Ramps

Wooden Sled 1 Man Pushes 2 Man Pushes Sled Drags Sled Pushes/Drags + Weighted Pushes Weighted Drags Uphill Pushes

~ 24 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference-Strongman/Alternate Training Axle

Various

Tandem Overhead Presses

Stairs

Side/Side Presses

Plate Pushes

Marching

Bar Death

Whistle Presses

Up/Down Chins

Clean and Presses

Medley Events

Military Presses

Sledgehammer/Tire Drags Hand Over Hand Pulls

Log

Prowler

Tandem Overhead Presses

Green Manalishi

Side/Side Presses

Jump Mat Sprints

Marching

Syd's Problems

Whistle Presses

Stack Events

Clean and Presses

Bar/Stadiums

Military Presses

Truck Pushes

Cleans

Rep Challenge

Bent Rows

Hill Sleds Sandbag Challenge

D-Ball

Sandbag Holds

Load High

Plate Carries

Squats

Devils Medley

Lifts

Blackbeard's Challenge

Lunges

Relay Race

Sit-Ups

Truck Push/Sled Drags

Slams

Axle Deadlifts

Tosses

Axle Hell

Stone Loads

Plate Push/Tire Drags

Walks

Dynamax Throw and Runs

Sprints

Sled Load and Drags Prowler/Load/Prowler

Farmers Walk

Zig/Zag Ball Rolls

Walks Runs

Yoke

Deadlifts

Carries

Shrugs

Runs

Uphill/Ramps

Walks (Heavy) Squats

~ 25 ~

Speed, Agility, and Quickness

~ 26 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Speed, Agility, and Quickness Philosophy The purpose of speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ) training is to enhance the development of our player’s game speed. Every player wants to be fast and all coaches want fast players. There are few things more intimidating or demoralizing to an opponent than fast aggressive play that allows them to catch an opponent when he thinks he can’t be caught. SAQ training is implemented through proper training techniques and progressions until it becomes second nature. Speed (linear) is the ability to cover a certain distance in the shortest amount of time possible, agility is the power to move and change direction effectively, and quickness is the power to redirect that speed. All three of these components are interchangeable and must be trained as so. SAQ training is learning to control the body by maintaining balance, coordination, and footing while moving as fast as possible. The athlete must be able to bend and move fluidly on the field of play. We feel that there are eight specific components to increase a player’s game speed. These eight components are trained every session. 

Strength/Power: The stronger and more powerful the muscles become, the more force they can produce. The more force they produce (e.g. leg striking ground while running), the faster the athlete will become. Strong musculature will also help in running more efficiently because the athlete is able to stay in optimal, perfect running technique for a longer period of time.



Footwork: The feet are the beginning of any change of direction. Good solid footwork is the key to controlling the body’s momentum. Fast feet equals fast play.



Agility: The game of football can be summed up as the ability to move in one direction, stop, and accelerate quickly in another direction without loss of speed or control. It is repeated starts and stops. Agility training is a huge part of our overall training program.



Form Run: Perfect run technique is critical to improving speed. Form run training emphasizes proper run technique in a controlled environment in order to correct any imperfections. As the movement is performed correctly over and over, natural running becomes more efficient and the athlete becomes faster.



Starts: Perfect technique coming out of the starting position or sprinter's stance will help the athlete get into the acceleration phase as fast as possible. The faster the athlete gets to the acceleration phase, the faster he gets to top speed. The faster he gets to top speed, the faster the athlete is to winning every play.



Acceleration Phase: This is the time it takes to reach top speed. It is acceleration that gives what some call an ‘extra step’ on opponents during a foot race. Aside from agility, it is one of the most important aspects of any speed development program.

~ 27 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual



Top Speed: Once the acceleration phase is complete, the athlete is considered to be at top speed. Top speed is the maximal speed you can run.



Speed Conditioning: This is the ability to sustain top speed as long as possible.

~ 28 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Speed Essentials Form follows function. When form breaks down, speed will suffer. This section goes into detail explaining how to run with perfect form and how to come out of the start position with force and efficiency. Remember, every second counts. Speed kills! We believe that there are only five was to increase speed: force (strength), stride frequency, stride length, form running, and takeoff (starts). 

Force (Strength): Strength is developed in the weight room and going all out in running drills. If maximum effort is not given during speed drills, the muscles will get used to training at a lower intensity/strength level (e.g. 75 percent). If the body is used to training at 75 percent and 100 percent effort is needed in a game, the body will not know how to respond. It will not be able to produce that extra burst of speed if it has not been trained to do so.



Stride Frequency: Stride frequency is defined as the amount of time it takes to get to the next stride. The faster the next stride can be reached, the more ground is covered in a shorter amount of time, making the athlete faster. This can only be achieved when running form is perfected and the body is strong enough to handle the physical toll it takes to increase speed.



Stride Length: Stride length is defined as the amount of space that is covered from one step to the next. For example, if an athlete’s stride length is 31 inches per stride over 10 yards, 14 reps are completed when running with perfect form. If each stride is increased to 32 inches with perfect running form, the athlete will cover more ground with each step, therefore covering the required distance faster. Again, this can only be achieved when running form is perfected and the body is strong enough to handle the physical toll it takes to increase speed.



Form Running: Proper form running is one of the most important factors in developing speed. Speed is fluid and smooth, not reckless and forced. We have broken down running form into two parts: upper body and lower body.



Starts: Improved starts are defined by using the starting position to put the body at the optimum advantage to explode into the first step. The faster out of the gate, the less time it takes to get into proper running form.

Form Run: Upper Body Eyes: The eyes should be looking straight ahead, not looking up or down. Hands: The hands must be relaxed and in a cupped or open position with the thumb placed on the forefinger.

~ 29 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Elbows: The elbows should remain at a 90-degree angle at all times when running. This is to ensure that they are getting the proper rotation and full power from the shoulder joint. Wrist: The inside of the wrist should be turned toward the side of the body. The wrist controls the direction of the elbows, which must be kept in perfect alignment with the side of the body. Shoulders: The shoulders control the rotation of the arms and elbows. They are the legs of the upper body. They must be straight ahead and not dip from side to side when running. Bringing It All Together: When running, hands are slightly cupped with the thumbs on the forefinger. The wrist is pointed in toward the side of the body. The elbows are as close to the sides of the body as possible and at a 90-degree angle. The arms should always rotate from the shoulder joint, not the elbows. When the arms are rotating forward, the hand should come up even with the chin while keeping the elbow at a perfect 90 degrees. When the arms are rotating backward, the hand should get as far back as the back pocket, with the elbows staying again at a perfect 90-degree angle. Balanced, fluid arm movement will create the optimal amount of momentum to be transferred to the lower body and through the ground. Form Run: Lower Body Legs: The legs go through two phases when running—flexion and hyperextension. Flexion is when the knee is lifted off the ground. Hyperextension occurs when the leg is straight and is pushing off the ground. Hyperextension of the back leg is what controls the amount of power generated while sprinting. Knee: The knee is lifted up and forward from the body. Lower Leg: The lower leg triple extends out at the ankle, knee, and hip as the front leg is lifted up and forward. Feet: The feet play a double role in proper running form. When landing, the foot should touch the ground even with the knee pushing the hip forward. Upon landing, the balls of the feet must strike the ground first. Pull the foot down and back under the hip. The ankle must be loose or the heel will strike before the ball of the foot, interfering with power displacement, which will increase deceleration. Form Run Bringing It All Together: Upon starting, the knee drives up and forward. The ball of the foot lands even with the knee, driving it into the ground for a split second. The ankle is loose. The leg is then straightened (hyperextended) with as much force as possible from the ankle, knee, and hip. Upon foot strike, the leg drives back and the arm on that side goes up. The opposite knee lifts up and the arm on that side goes down. These two forces acting against each other create maximum power and stabilize the entire body.

~ 30 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Form Starts: 

Front foot is placed three to six inches behind the starting line.



The hand opposite the front foot should be high on the fingertips and directly on the starting line with the thumb and forefinger parallel to the line.



The other hand is placed on the hip of the forward leg with the elbow pointed up.



The back foot should be even with the front foot heel and should be hip width.



The hips should be slightly above shoulder height.



Shoulders should be slightly ahead of the starting line with the majority of the body weight on the hand.



Eyes should be staring straight down.



Push off with both feet and your first step landing should be no more than six inches from the starting line.



As you drive both feet into the ground, shoot the back arm forward and the front arm backward.

~ 31 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Form Run Drills Butt Kicks: Emphasis: Stride Frequency/Foot Placement Heel to bottom of butt Toes cocked up toward shin Player should land on the balls of their feet Ankle Runs: Emphasis: Foot Placement/Stride Force Quick step no higher than the ankle with a fast bend of the knee Eyes up Toes pointed up toward shin Player should land on the balls of the feet and then pop up as quickly as possible for the next rep Fast arm movement trying to beat steps Bike Walk: Emphasis: Stride Frequency Knee up to 90 degrees Heel should hit butt and then come forward and down once it hits 90 degrees Toes pointed up toward shin Power foot back into the ground Ground contact should occur underneath hips, flat footed Opposite arm opposite leg action, match tempo of leg movement Concentrate on form, slow methodical reps Bike Runs: Emphasis: Stride Frequency/Stride Length/Stride Force Knee up to 90 degrees Heel should hit butt and then come forward and down once it hits 90 degrees Toes pointed up toward shin Power foot back into the ground Ground contact should occur underneath hips, flat footed Opposite arm opposite leg action, match tempo of leg movement Concentrate on form, fast methodical reps A Skip: Emphasis: Stride Force/Stride Frequency/Stride Length Knee to 90 degrees with toes cocked up toward shin Opposite leg extends at ankle, knee, and hip Opposite arm, opposite leg action Maximum force through the ground at contact Violent, fast leg drive

~ 32 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Agility/Strongman Station Guidelines Drill Guidelines 1. All equipment must be set up prior to warm ups. 2. The team is divided into six groups—OL, DL, TE/RB, QB/WR, DB, and LB/Spec. 3. There will be six stations set up in a rectangle shape. Each station will be set up 20 yards apart. 4. Each station will begin when the whistle is blown. 5. The length of each station will vary depending on the training goal for that day. 6. Each station will end when the whistle is blown. 7. When the whistle blows, each group will break down on that station’s keyword. 8. Each group will then have ten seconds including break down to sprint to the next station. 9. Each group will then get a 45-second break to drink and receive instructions for that station. 10. Each group will perform the drills with the emphasis on perfect form and then speed. The goal is to get fast perfect reps, not bad reps where all that is taught is bad mechanics.

Player Guidelines 1. To be quick and explosive, training must be quick and explosive. 2. On stations that require you to race against each other (Competition Carnival), you must be competitive and encourage each other. 3. Run through the line and finish strong. 4. If a cone is knocked over, the drill must start over. 5. Perform the drill correctly, at full speed, and under control. 6. All lines must be touched. Failure to do so will result in repeating the drill. 7. Team issued apparel must be worn.

~ 33 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Drill Station Set-Up Example

Station 1: 4-Cone Drills

Station 4: Rope Drills

Station 2: Agility Drills

Station 5: Bag Drills

Station 3: Bag Drills Station 6: Agility Drills ~ 34 ~

Agility Reference Guide

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Cone Backpedal Backpedal-Sprint-Backpedal Function: To develop acceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two two-point point backpedal stance in between the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, backpedal to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then backpedal through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 36 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Backpedal-Shuffle Shuffle-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, controlled deceleration, coordination, lateral change of direction, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two two-point point backpedal stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, backpedal to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then shuffle to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint through the third cone. Coaching Points: • Face the same direction the entire drill. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 37 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Backpedal-Sprint Sprint-Shuffle Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, controlled deceleration, coordination, lateral change of direction, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two two-point point backpedal stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, backpedal to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint print to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then shuffle huffle through the third cone. Coaching Points: • Face the same direction the entire drill. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 38 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Carioca-Backpedal-Shuffle Function: To develop agility, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, hip flexibility, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1.Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the two start cones. 2.On the coach’s signal, carioca to the first cone. 3.Breakdown and then backpedal to the second cone. 4.Breakdown and then shuffle through the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Face the same direction the entire drill. •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 39 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Carioca-Shuffle Shuffle-Shuffle Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1.Position yourself in a two two-point point ready stance in between the two start cones. 2.On the coach’s signal, ccarioca to the first cone. 3.Breakdown and then shuffle huffle to the second cone. 4.Breakdown and then shuffle huffle through the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Keep feet moving during bbreakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle shuffle, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 40 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Carioca-Shuffle Shuffle-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1.Position yourself in a two two-point point ready stance, in between the two start cones. 2.On the coach’s signal, ccarioca to the first cone. 3.Breakdown and then sshuffle to the second cone. 4.Breakdown and then ssprint through the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Keep feet moving during bbreakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle shuffle, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 41 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Carioca-Sprint Sprint-Carioca Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1.Position yourself in a two two-point point ready stance in between the two start cones. 2.On the coach’s signal, carioca to the first cone. 3.Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4.Breakdown and then ccarioca through the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Keep feet moving during br breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle shuffle, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 42 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Carioca--Sprint-Shuffle Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1.Position yourself in a two two-point ready stance in between the two wo start cones. 2.On the coach’s signal, carioca to the first cone. 3.Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4.Breakdown and then shuffle through the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 43 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Figure 8 Function: To develop acceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1.Position yourself next to the start cone. 2.On the coach’s signal, sprint print to the right side of the middle cone. 3.Change directions and sprint to the left side of the top cone. 4.Circle the top cone clockwise and weave through the cones and sprint through to the finish. Coaching Points: •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, chan change of direction, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 44 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Rag Drill Function: To develop acceleration, controlled deceleration, foot speed, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1.Position yourself in a two two-point point ready stance in between the start cones. 2.On the coach’s signal, sprint to the inside of the first cone. 3.Breakdown, wn, chop your feet clockwise around the cone, and then sprint to the inside of the second cone. 4.Breakdown, chop your feet clockwise around the cone, and hen sprint to the inside of the third cone. 5.Breakdown, chop your feet clockwise around the cone, and then sprint past the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction direction, and foot chop. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 45 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Shuffle-Backpedal-Shuffle Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then backpedal to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then shuffle through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 46 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Shuffle-Backpedal-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance, in between the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then backpedal to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 47 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Shuffle-Carioca-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance, in between the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then carioca to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 48 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Shuffle-Sprint-Backpedal Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two point ready stance, in between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the first cone. 3. Breakdown, then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown, then backpedal through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong, through the last cone!

~ 49 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Shuffle-Sprint-Carioca Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint through the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 50 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Shuffle-Sprint-Shuffle Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint through the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 51 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Sprint-Backpedal Backpedal-Carioca Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two two-point point ready stance in between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint print to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then backpedal ackpedal to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then carioca arioca through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 52 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Sprint-Backpedal Backpedal-Shuffle Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two point ready stance in between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, ssprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then backpedal ackpedal to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then shuffle huffle through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 53 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Sprint-Backpedal-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then backpedal to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 54 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Sprint-Carioca-Backpedal Function: To develop acceleration, agility, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, hip flexibility, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then carioca to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then backpedal through the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Face the same direction the entire drill. •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 55 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Sprint-Shuffle-Backpedal Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, controlled deceleration, coordination, lateral change of direction, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then shuffle to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then backpedal through the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Face the same direction the entire drill. •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 56 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Sprint-Sprint-Carioca Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, controlled deceleration, coordination, lateral change of direction, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then carioca through the third cone. Coaching Points: •Face the same direction the entire drill. •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 57 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Sprint-Sprint-Shuffle Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, controlled deceleration, coordination, lateral change of direction, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then shuffle through the third cone. Coaching Points: •Face the same direction the entire drill. •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 58 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Three-Cone Sprint-Sprint-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, controlled deceleration, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance, in between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint through the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Face the same direction the entire drill. •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 59 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Cone Inside 360 Drill Function: To develop acceleration, controlled deceleration, foot speed, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the inside of the first cone. 3. Breakdown, chop your feet clockwise around the cone, and then sprint to the inside of the second cone. 4.Breakdown, chop your feet clockwise around the cone, and then sprint to the inside of the third cone. 5.Breakdown, chop your feet clockwise around the cone, and then sprint past the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Face the same direction the entire drill. •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 60 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Cone Reverse L Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, controlled deceleration, coordination, lateral change of direction, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point backpedal stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, backpedal to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint back to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then backpedal to the third cone. 5. Breakdown and then sprint past the finish cone. Coaching Points: •Face the same direction the entire drill. •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 61 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Corner Backpedal-Shuffle Shuffle-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, controlled deceleration, coordination, lateral change of direction, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point point backpedal stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, backpedal to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then shuffle to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint through the third cone. Coaching Points: •Face the same direction the entire drill. •Keep feet moving during breakdown. •Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction direction, and backpedal. •Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. •Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 62 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Corner Backpedal-Sprint-Backpedal Function: To develop acceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point backpedal stance in between the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, backpedal to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then backpedal through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 63 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Corner Carioca-Backpedal-Shuffle Function: To develop agility, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, hip flexibility, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, carioca to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then backpedal to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then shuffle through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Face the same direction the entire drill. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 64 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Corner Rag Drill Function: To develop acceleration, controlled deceleration, foot speed, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1.Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the start cones. 2.On the coach’s signal, sprint to the inside of the first cone. 3.Breakdown, chop your feet clockwise around the cone, and then sprint to the inside of the second cone. 4.Breakdown, chop your feet clockwise around the cone, and then sprint to the inside of the third cone. 5.Breakdown, chop your feet clockwise around the cone, and then sprint past the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and foot chop. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 65 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Corner Shuffle-Sprint-Backpedal Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then backpedal through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 66 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Corner Shuffle-Sprint-Shuffle Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then shuffle through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and shuffle. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 67 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Corner Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, controlled deceleration, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance in between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 68 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Corner Sprint-Carioca-Backpedal Function: To develop acceleration, agility, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, hip flexibility, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then carioca to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then backpedal through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Face the same direction the entire drill. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 69 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Corner Sprint-Carioca-Backpedal-Carioca Function: To develop acceleration, agility, change of direction, controlled deceleration, coordination, linear speed, hip flexibility, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then carioca to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then backpedal to the third cone. 5. Breakdown and then carioca past the final cone. Coaching Points: • Face the same direction the entire drill. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 70 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Four-Corner Sprint-Shuffle-Backpedal Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, controlled deceleration, coordination, lateral change of direction, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then shuffle to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then backpedal through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Face the same direction the entire drill. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, shuffle, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 71 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

X Backpedal-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, controlled deceleration, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point backpedal stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, backpedal to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the opposite corner cone. 4. Breakdown and then backpedal to the next cone. 5. Breakdown and then sprint past the opposite corner cone. Coaching Points: • Face the same direction the entire drill. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 72 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

X Sprint-Backpedal Function: To develop acceleration, coordination, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then backpedal to the opposite corner cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint to the third cone. 5. Breakdown and then backpedal past the opposite corner cone. Coaching Points • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and backpedal. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 73 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

X Sprint-Shuffle Left-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, lateral change of direction, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance at the start cone. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the opposite corner cone. 3. Breakdown and then shuffle to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint past the opposite corner cone. Coaching Points • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and shuffle. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 74 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

X Sprint-Shuffle Right-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, lateral change of direction, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance at the start cone. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the opposite corner cone. 3. Breakdown and then shuffle to the second cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint past the opposite corner cone. Coaching Points • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown, change of direction, and shuffle. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 75 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

X Sprint-Sprint Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Breakdown and then sprint to the opposite corner cone. 4. Breakdown and then sprint to the third cone. 5. Breakdown and then sprint past the opposite corner cone. Coaching Points • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 76 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Six-Cone Equilateral Triangle Right Function: To develop acceleration, controlled deceleration, footwork, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the start cone. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the upper right hand cone. 3. Breakdown, pivot left, and then sprint to the upper left hand cone. 4. Breakdown, pivot left, and then sprint past the final cone. Coaching Points • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 77 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Seven-Cone Agility Drill Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the lower right hand corner space. 3. Moving as fast as possible, shuffle in a right outside, left outside pattern in between the cones. 4. Continue through to the end of the cones. 5. When you exit the cones, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Hips should be as low as possible. • Do not touch the cones. • Do not slow down when approaching the cones or changing direction. • Do not click your heels. • Never cross your feet. • Do not plant your outside foot. Hit and go! • Finish strong through the cones! ~ 78 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exit Stage Left Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, coordination, change of direction, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Without slowing or breaking down, sprint around the cone as fast as possible. 4. Sprint to the second cone. 5. Without slowing or breaking down, sprint around the cone as fast as possible. 6. Sprint to the third cone. 7. Without slowing or breaking down, sprint around the cone as fast as possible. 8. Sprint through the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Keep your hips pointing at the cone you’re sprinting to. • Keep your feet and your speed moving as you round the cones. • Keep your hips low when changing direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to the cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone! ~ 79 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exit Stage Right Function: To develop acceleration, body awareness, coordination, change of direction, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Without slowing or breaking down, sprint around the cone as fast as possible. 4. Sprint to the second cone. 5. Without slowing or breaking down, sprint around the cone as fast as possible. 6. Sprint to the third cone. 7. Without slowing or breaking down, sprint around the cone as fast as possible. 8. Sprint through the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Keep your hips pointing at the cone you’re sprinting to. • Keep your feet and your speed moving as you round the cones. • Keep your hips low when changing direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to the cones as possible. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 80 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

L Drill Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled ddeceleration, eceleration, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a three three-point stance at the start cone. 2. On your start, sprint to the first cone and touch the line with your right hand. 3. Turn and then sprint to the start and touch the line with your right hand. 4. Turn and sprint just past the cone and speed cut to the right. 5. Accelerate to the next cone. 6. Go under and then around the second cone (180 degrees). 7. Sprint back to the cone, one, speed cut to the left left, and accelerate through the finish. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during all your turns. • Keep hips low during change of direction and turns. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Stay as close to cones as possib possible and do not round your turns. • Finish strong through the cones! ~ 81 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Pro Agility Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a three point stance, with your righ rightt hand on the line in front of you. 2. On your movement, if your right hand is down, sprint to the right side and touch the line with your right hand. 3. Turn and then sprint to the left side and touch the left line with your left hand. 4. Turn and then sprint past the middle cone. Coaching Points: • Touch the line with the same hand of the direction that you are going. • Keep hips low during hand touch and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • You should never turn your back to the coach timing. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 82 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Sideline Drill Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, body control, lateral movement, deceleration, and acceleration. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing straight ahead. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint towards the first cone. 3. Plant your left foot to the outside of the cone and sprint to the second cone. 4. Rounding the second cone, sprint to the third cone. 5. Plant your left foot to the outside of the cone and sprint down the sideline inside the last cone. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the cones during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the cones. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 83 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Weave Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Start in your position stance. 2. On the whistle, weave at a 45-degree angle for 5 yards at full speed. 3. After you hit the cone, stop your feet and then sprint straight ahead to the next cone. 4. Continue doing three reps to the right and then three reps to the left. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during all your turns. • Keep hips low during change of direction and turns. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Stay as close to cones as possible and do not round your turns. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 84 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Five-Cone Drill Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Start in your position stance. 2. On the whistle, backpedal 10 yards. 3. After you hit the cone, stop your feet and then sprint straight ahead to the next cone. 4. At the inside cone, plant with right foot and then sprint to the next cone. 5. At third cone, plant with left foot and then sprint through the finish. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during all your turns. • Keep hips low during change of direction and turns. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Stay as close to cones as possible and do not round your turns. • Make sure not to chop your feet but lean into the turns maintaining full speed. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 85 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

M-Cone Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, backpedal to the first cone. 3. Without slowing or breaking down, turn and sprint around the second cone. 4. Without slowing or breaking down, turn and backpedal to the third cone. 5. Without slowing or breaking down, turn and sprint through the last cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during all your turns. • Keep hips low during change of direction and turns. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Stay as close to cones as possible and do not round your turns. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 86 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Stargate Drill Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. 3. Sprint over the bags to the second cone. 4. Follow the coach’s commands for the reaction portion of the drill, shuffling right or left on his hands commands. 5. On his signal, turn and sprint back over the bags and around the first cone toward the third. 6. Sprint around the third cone. 7. Sprint around the fourth cone, turn, and sprint through the last cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during all your turns. • Keep hips low during change of direction and turns. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Stay as close to cones as possible and do not round your turns. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 87 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Gate Drill Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance between the two start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the first cone. Sprint around the second cone. 3. Sprint over the bags to the third cone. 4. Turn and sprint back over the bags and around the second cone toward the fourth cone. 5. Sprint around the fourth cone. 6. Sprint through the last cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during all your turns. • Keep hips low during change of direction and turns. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Stay as close to cones as possible and do not round your turns. • Finish strong through the cones! ~ 88 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

T-Drill Function: To develop acceleration, controlled deceleration, lateral movement, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the start cone. 2. On the coach's signal, sprint to the middle cone. 3. At the middle cone, breakdown and then shuffle to the right. 4. Touch the right cone and then shuffle all the way to the far left-hand cone. 5. Touch the far left-hand cone and then shuffle to the middle cone. 6. Touch the middle cone and then backpedal all the way through the start cone! Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during drill. • Perform acceleration and deceleration quickly. • Keep hips square. • Do not touch the cones. • Do not click your heels. • Never cross your feet. • Finish strong through the cone! ~ 89 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Triangle Drill Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, linear speed, lateral speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance facing the start cone. 2. On the coach's signal, shuffle to your right toward the second cone. 3. Breakdown at the second cone and then sprint straight ahead to the third cone. 4. Breakdown at the third cone and then backpedal all the way through the finish cone. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during all your turns. • Keep hips low during change of direction and turns. • Changes of direction should be sharp and as close to cones as possible. • Stay as close to cones as possible and do not round your turns. • Keep hips square. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 90 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

“S” Turns Function: To develop acceleration, body lean, and non-linear speed. Method: 1. Start in a two-point stance on the goal line. 2. On the whistle, sprint 40 yards full speed, leaning into the turns. 3. Every 10 yards, offset the cones by 1 yard. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during all your turns. • Keep hips low during change of direction and turns. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Stay as close to cones as possible and do not round your turns. • Make sure not to chop your feet but lean into the turns maintaining full speed. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 91 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Sixty-Yard Shuttle Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, linear speed, and quickness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a three-point stance with your right hand on the line. 2. On your start, sprint 5 yards and touch the line with your right hand. 3. Turn and then sprint back to the start and touch the line with your right hand. 4. Turn and sprint 10 yards and touch the line with your right hand. 5. Turn and then sprint back to the start and touch the line with your right hand. 6. Turn and sprint 15 yards and touch the line with your right hand. 7. Turn and then sprint back through the start, accelerating through the finish line. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during all your turns. • Keep hips low during change of direction and turns. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Stay as close to cones as possible and do not round your turns. • Finish strong through the cones! ~ 92 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Backpedal/Drive Function: To develop acceleration, change of direction, controlled deceleration, linear speed, quickness, and reaction time. Method: 1. Start in your position stance. 2. On the whistle, backpedal 10 yards at full speed. 3. After you hit the cone, stop your feet and then sprint to the next cone. 4. Continue doing three reps to the right and then three reps to the left. Coaching Points: • Keep feet moving during all your turns. • Keep hips low during change of direction and turns. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Stay as close to cones as possible and do not round your turns. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 93 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag Drill One in Each Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, and knee action. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the bags. 3. With a high knee action, step over the bags into each open space, alternating feet (right/left) into every other space. 4. Continue through to the end of the bags. 5. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 94 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag Drill Two in Each Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the bags. 3. With a high knee action, move as fast as possible over the bags. 4. Land in the open spaces between the bags in a right, left, right, left pattern. 5. Continue through to the end of the bags. 6. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 95 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag Drill Forward Shuffle Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two two- point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the upper left hand corner space. 3. Moving as fast as possible, shuffle in a left outside, right outside pattern. 4. Continue through to the end of the bags. 5. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Do not click your heels • Never cross your feet. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 96 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag W Drill Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two two-point point ready stance behind the start cones facing right. 2. On the coach’s signal, backpedal to the left past the first bag. 3. Sprint straight forward in between the bag and then backpedal edal to the opposite side past the bag. 4. Repeat 5. Continue through to the end of the bags. 6. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Drop your hips at every change of direction. • Finish strong through the cones! ~ 97 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag Drill Shuffle Left Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing right. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the bags. 3. With a high knee action, step laterally with both feet into each open space. 4. Continue through to the end of the bags. 5. When you hit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Do not cross your feet • Do not click your heels • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 98 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag Drill Shuffle Right Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing left. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the bags. 3. With a high knee action, step laterally with both feet into each open space. 4. Continue through to the end of the bags. 5. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not cross your feet. • Do not click your heels. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 99 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Wheel Drill Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and acceleration. Method: 1. Position yourself in a four-point stance on your hands and feet facing the finish bag with your hands on the ground in the middle of the bags and your feet in between the bags. 2. Moving in a clockwise direction, go over the bags chopping with your feet. 3. Go all the way around back to the start position and then get up sprint over the finish bag. Coaching points: • Do not cross your feet. • Do not click your heels. • Do not touch the bags. • Do not let your hands leave the ground. • Do not let your knees touch the ground. • Keep your head up. • Move quickly. • Finish strong through the bag!

~ 100 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Stair Step Left Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cone. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint forward toward the first bag. 3. With a high knee action, step left over the bag with both feet. 4. Moving as fast as possible, step over the next bag. 5. With a high knee action, step left over the bag with both feet. 6. Repeat. Continue through to the end. 7. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching or going over the bags. • Never cross your feet. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 101 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Stair Step Right Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cone. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint forward toward the first bag. 3. With a high knee action, step right over the bag with both feet. 4. Moving as fast as possible, step over the next bag. 5. With a high knee action, step right over the bag with both feet. 6. Repeat. Continue through to the end. 7. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching or going over the bags. • Never cross your feet. • Finish strong through the last cone!

~ 102 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag Drill Crab Function: To develop foot speed, hand speed, and hip flexibility. Method: 1. Position yourself in a four-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, crab to the upper right hand corner space. 3. Moving as fast as possible, crab in a right outside, left outside pattern. 4. Continue through to the end of the bags. 5. When you exit the bags, stand up and sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Do not touch the bags. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Never cross your feet. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 103 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag Square Drill Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, and hip movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing straight ahead. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the outside of the bag. 3. Cut and sprint to the left in between the bags, with your hips square. 4. When you clear the bag, cut and sprint to the right in between the bags with your hips square. 5. Repeat. 6. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not slow down when changing direction. • Keep hips square • Finish strong through the cones! ~ 104 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag Drill Two-Foot Hop in Each Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, jumping ability, and knee action. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the bags. 3. Jump over the bags. 4. As soon as you touch the ground, explode over the next bag. 5. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Always keep knees in front while jumping. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 105 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag Drill Shuffle and Go Left Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing right. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the bags. 3. With a high knee action, step laterally with both feet into each open space. 4. Continue through to the third bag and then turn and sprint forward. 5. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not cross your feet. • Do not click your heels. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Finish strong through the cones! ~ 106 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Bag Drill Shuffle and Go Right Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing left. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the bags. 3. With a high knee action, step laterally with both feet into each open space. 4. Continue through to the third bag and then turn and sprint forward. 5. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not cross your feet. • Do not click your heels. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 107 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Lateral Quick Hops Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing right. 2. Quick hop over the first bag with both feet. 3. Step back and hop over the next with both feet. 4. Step up and repeat. 5. Repeat two bags forward and one bag back. 6. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Drop your hips at every change of direction. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 108 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rabbit Killer Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing right. 2. On the coach’s signal, step over with your left foot followed by your right. 3. Step over the next bag with your left again followed by your right. 4. Then step over the previous back with your right followed by your left. 5. Repeat two bags forward and one bag back. 6. When you exit the bags, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points: • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the bags during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the bags. • Drop your hips at every change of direction. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 109 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill One in Each Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, and knee action. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. With a high knee action, step into each open space (right foot/right side, left foot /left side). 4. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 5. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 110 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill One in Every Other Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, and knee action. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. With a high knee action, step into every other space (right foot/right side, left foot/left side). 4. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 5. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 111 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill Shuffle Left Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing right. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the ropes. 3. With a high knee action, step laterally with both feet into each open space. 4. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 5. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 112 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill Shuffle Right Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing left. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the ropes. 3. With a high knee action, step laterally with both feet into each open space. 4. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 5. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 113 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill Two in Each Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. With a high knee action, step with both feet into the lower left corner space. 4. Moving as fast as possible, move in a right, up, left, up, pattern. 5. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 6. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Never cross your feet. • Finish strong through the cones! ~ 114 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill Two in Every Other Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. With a high knee action, step with both feet into the lower left corner space. 4. Moving as fast as possible, move in an upward diagonal pattern. 5. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 6. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Never cross your feet. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 115 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill W Right Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing left. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the ropes. 3. With a high knee action, step with both feet into the lower left corner space. 4. Moving as fast as possible, move in a downward diagonal, upward diagonal pattern. 5. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 6. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 116 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill W Left Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones facing right. 2. On the coach’s signal, shuffle to the ropes. 3. With a high knee action, step with both feet into the lower left corner space. 4. Moving as fast as possible, move in an upward diagonal, downward diagonal pattern. 5. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 6. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 117 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill Outside Shuffle Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. With a high knee action, step with both feet into the lower left corner space. 4. Moving as fast as possible, move in a right, outside, left, left, outside pattern. 5. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 6. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Never cross your feet. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 118 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill S Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, knee action, and lateral movement. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. With a high knee action, step with both feet into the lower left corner space. 4. Open hips to the right, turn body 90 degrees and step right foot first into the next space. 5. Continue to weave through to the ropes in a “S” pattern. 6. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • First step should always be with the foot closest to the desired direction. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 119 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill Two-Foot Hop Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, jumping ability, and knee action. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. Jump forward into each open space. 4. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 5. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Always keep knees in front while jumping. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 120 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill Two-Foot Hop Diagonal Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, jumping ability, and knee action. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. Jump forward and diagonally into each open space. 4. Continue through to the end of the ropes. 5. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Always keep knees in front while jumping. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 121 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill Two-Foot Hop In Each Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, jumping ability, and knee action. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. Jump forward into the lower left corner space 4. Jump laterally to the right. 5. Continue alternating jumps forward and laterally through to the end of the ropes. 6. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Always keep knees in front while jumping. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 122 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill Left Foot Hop Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, jumping ability, and knee action. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. Using left foot, jump forward into first open space. 4. Continue through the ropes using only left foot for both jumps and landings. 5. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 123 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rope Drill Right Foot Hop Function: To develop footwork, foot speed, jumping ability, and knee action. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point ready stance behind the start cones. 2. On the coach’s signal, sprint to the ropes. 3. Using right foot jump forward into first open space. 4. Continue through the ropes using only right foot for both jumps and landings. 5. When you exit the ropes, sprint past the finish cones. Coaching Points • Feet should keep moving during entire drill. • Knees should be kept high. • Do not touch the ropes during the drill. • Do not slow down when approaching the ropes. • Finish strong through the cones!

~ 124 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Suicides (5/10) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, change of direction, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint to the 5-yard line. 4. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the goal line. 5. Touch the goal line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the 10-yard line. 6. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the goal line. 7. This is an effort drill.

Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Accelerate quickly following change of direction. • Finish strong through the line!

~ 125 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Suicides (5/10/15) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, change of direction, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line with your right hand on the line. 2. On the whistle, sprint to the 5-yard line. 3. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the goal line. 4. Touch the goal line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the 10-yard line. 5. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the goal line. 6. Touch the goal line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the 15-yard line. 7. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the goal line. Coaching Points: • Keep hips low during breakdown and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Accelerate quickly following change of direction. • Finish strong through the line!

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Suicides (5/10/15/20) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, change of direction, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint to the 5-yard line. 4. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the goal line. 5. Touch the goal line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the 10-yard line. 6. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the goal line. 7. Touch the goal line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the 15-yard line. 8. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the goal line. 9. Touch the goal line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the 20-yard line. 10.Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the goal line. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Accelerate quickly following change of direction. • Finish strong through the line! ~ 127 ~

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Tempo Runs (Five Yards) Function: To develop quickness, change of direction, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Line up groups 10 yards apart in front of each other. 2. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the line. 3. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 4. On the second whistle, sprint 5 yards touching the line with your right hand. Then sprint back through the start line. 5. The second whistle is the first whistle for the group in front of you and they put their hand on the line. Blow the whistle again and they take off and the third group puts their hand down. Repeat this for as many groups that you have. 6. This is a drill based on tempo and effort. Coaching Points: • Get your hand down on the line as fast as possible following the whistle. • Do not leave early. • Touch the line. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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Tempo Runs (Ten Yards) Function: To develop quickness, change of direction, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Line up groups 15 yards apart in front of each other. 2. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the line. 3. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 4. On the second whistle, sprint 10 yards, touching the line with your right hand. Then sprint back through the start line. 5. The second whistle is the first whistle for the group in front of you and they put their hand on the line. Blow the whistle again and they take off and the third group puts their hand down. Repeat this for as many groups that you have. 6. This is a drill based on tempo and effort. Coaching Points: • Get your hand down on the line as fast as possible following the whistle. • Do not leave early. • Touch the line. • Arms and legs working together. • Finish strong through the line!

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Tempo Runs (Fifteen Yards) Function: To develop quickness, change of direction, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Line up groups 20 yards apart in front of each other. 2. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the line. 3. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 4. On the second whistle, sprint 15 yards, touching the line with your right hand. Then sprint back through the start line. 5. The second whistle is the first whistle for the group in front of you and they put their hand on the line. Blow the whistle again and they take off and the third group puts their hand down. Repeat this for as many groups that you have. 6. This is an drill based on tempo and effort. Coaching Points: • Get your hand down on the line as fast as possible following the whistle. • Do not leave early. • Touch the line. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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Get-up and Go’s Function: To develop quickness, change of direction, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself behind the goal line either sitting (forward/backward), lying down (forward/backward), push-up position, or sideways. 2. On the whistle, get up and go as fast as you can and sprint through the designated line (5, 10, 15 yards). 3. Take your time once past the line throttling down. 4. This is a drill based on effort. Coaching Points: • Move as fast as possible from whatever direction you start in. • Do not leave early. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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Conditioning

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Conditioning Philosophy The objective of a conditioning program is to optimally prepare the athlete’s energy systems and muscular/joint structures to meet the physical demands of a championship season. The purpose of conditioning is to allow the athlete to recover faster from high intensity work (plays, practice reps) and sustain great effort rep after rep, play after play. It is also important to understand that the conditioning done in the off-season will help develop a more efficient aerobic/metabolic foundation. This will allow faster recovery, getting the athlete into game shape more quickly. Our goal is to reduce the level of fatigue experienced by competing at a maximal level and conditioning is task-specific. An athlete can be in maximal running shape but sub-maximal game shape. Contrary to popular opinion, no amount of running, bounding, or hill sprints will prepare the body for the task specific demands of football. It is not until practice and eventually playing the game that the conditioning necessary to play at a consistent high level is achieved. We have taken into consideration the physiological demands of the sport and the physical toll that it accumulates on the body. Football is a series of maximal efforts lasting 4–8 seconds in duration. This is followed by a rest interval of anywhere between 10–60 seconds. This is an average of a 1:4 work to rest ratio. This ratio makes football not only an anaerobic-based sport but an alactic-based sport as well. Alactic means that lactic acid (muscle waste) should not accumulate due to the longer rest time given between plays. We have also found that the demands for the “hurry up” offense prevalent in today’s game decreases the rest time between plays. This increases the build-up of lactic acid. That is why the aerobic system base has to be developed. The common misconception of football being predominately anaerobic is not true. The tired, dogmatic approach of only training one energy system in either short, interval bursts (anaerobic system) or long, controlled runs (aerobic system) is setting the athlete up for failure. Both systems must be optimally trained. Choosing to neglect off-season conditioning is not recommended. Coming into camp deconditioned and not acclimated to the heat will only prolong the time it takes to attain the level of football shape necessary to proficiently practice. There will be and should be situations where fatigue will be a direct result of maximal effort, but if fatigue is a result of a poor conditioning level, you deserve what you get!

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Conditioning Components General Physical Preparation (GPP): This type of training involves exercises designed to enhance the athlete’s general, non-specific work capacity. It should engage different activities to develop increased levels of physical conditioning whether that is endurance, strength, speed, or flexibility. It is an excellent way to work on weak points and develop a resistance to lactic acid onset (lactic acid rapidly drops power output and accelerates total body fatigue). GPP General Goals: 

Increase work capacity



Increase lactic threshold

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Increase mobility

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Increase overall fitness

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Decrease body fat

Long Interval Conditioning (Aerobic): We establish aerobic capacity by doing longer/intermediate runs (400s/200s/100s). This type of training involves low intensity/high duration exercise that lasts approximately 20 seconds to 1 minute with a 1:3 work to rest ratio. This type of workout stresses the aerobic system. Rarely is football ever aerobic. Aerobic fitness does help build the football recovery system by supplying oxygen to the demanded muscles. It allows the muscles to perform harder and longer, giving us a foundation in which to train our other energy systems, and allows the athlete to put forth maximal effort longer than those only developed anaerobically. Long Interval Conditioning General Goals: 

Develop aerobic capacity



Improve recovery

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Increase overall fitness

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Decrease body fat

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Stimulate oxygen transport system

Short Interval Conditioning (Anaerobic): Once our aerobic base has been established, the focus then switches to developing our anaerobic capacity. This type of training involves high intensity/low duration exercise that lasts 0–10 seconds maximum (100s/60s/40s/agilities) with ~ 134 ~

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short (30 seconds or less) recovery time. This simulates the average football play and recovery pattern. Short Interval Conditioning General Goals: 

Decrease recovery times



Develop max effort endurance

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Increase mobility

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Sustain speed

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Stimulate the central nervous system under duress

Position-Specific Preparation (Metabolic): This type of training mimics game play. More football specific movements are done as close to game like situations as possible. The work/rest intervals are exactly the same as a game. Position-Specific Preparation General Goals: 

Power output at highest level



Volume peaks

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Work capacity at highest level

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Game ready

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Conditioning Guidelines The team will be broken up into three groups: Skill (WR/DB/RB), mid (DE/LB/TE/ QB/K), and linemen. Linemen positions will go first, followed by mids, and then skill. Conditioning is an all-out effort with minimal rest in between reps. The only rest position that is allowed during conditioning or any other drills is hands down on your sides or your hands on your hips. No one is allowed to change groups without prior approval of the strength staff. Any missed time will result in that player running his missed reps immediately following that workout. If there is a mental error (didn’t touch the line, left early, etc.) that group will start that rep over. For all conditioning drills, the format for the start will be as follows: 

Players will line up behind the lines according to their groups (skill, mid, line).



On the first whistle, the first group will take a three-point stance with hands on the line.

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On the second whistle, the first group will sprint the distance being performed for the day.



This will be repeated for the last two groups and repeated at the opposite end.

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Long Interval Conditioning Reference Guide

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

100s Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goalline. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint through the opposite goal line. 4. Times are: line, 17 seconds; mids, 15 seconds; and skill, 14 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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110s Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goalline. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint through the back of the opposite end zone. 4. Times are: line, 19 seconds; mids, 17 seconds; and skill, 16 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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200s Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, controlled deceleration, change of direction, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint to the opposite goal line. 4. Touch the goal line with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the start line. 5. Times are: line, 36 seconds; mids, 32 seconds; and skill, 28 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Accelerate quickly following change of direction. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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300s Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, change of direction, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, run up the sideline to the cone on the goal line. 4. Go around the cone and run across the goal line to the cone on the opposite sideline. 5. Go around the cone and run down the sideline to the cone on the opposite goal line. 6. Go around the cone and run across the goal line and run through the cone on the opposite sideline. 7. Times are: line, 63 seconds; mids, 57 seconds; and skill, 55 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Keep hips low during breakdown and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Finish strong through the line!

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Goal Posts Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, competitiveness, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at a goalpost. 2. At the whistle, run to the cone in the front corner of the end zone. 3. Run around the cone and sprint down the sideline to the cone in the front end of the opposite end zone. 4. Run around the cone through the goalpost. 5. Repeat the same drill on the opposite side at the same time. 6. This drill is based on effort and competitive drive. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the goalpost!

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Three-Quarters Gasser Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the sideline. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint to the opposite sideline. 4. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint toward the start line. 5. Touch the start line with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the opposite line. 6. Times are: line, 30 seconds; mids, 28 seconds; and skill 27 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Accelerate quickly following change of direction. • Finish strong through the line!

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Full Gasser Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the sideline. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint to the opposite sideline. 4. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint toward the start line. 5. Touch the start line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the opposite sideline. 6. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the start line. 7. Times are: line, 45 seconds; mids, 40 seconds; and skill, 35 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Accelerate quickly following change of direction. • Finish strong through the line! ~ 144 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Ladder Gasser Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. All starts begin the same. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the sideline. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the sideline. 2. Set 1: On the second whistle, sprint to the opposite sideline. 3. Set 2: On the second whistle, sprint to the opposite sideline. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the start line. 4. Set 3: On the second whistle, sprint to the opposite sideline. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the opposite sideline. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the start line. 5. Set 4: On the second whistle, sprint to the opposite sideline. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the opposite sideline. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the opposite sideline. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the start line. 6. Times are: Set 1 Line 10/Mid 09/Skill 08; Set 2 Line 20/Mid 18/Skill 17; Set 3 Line 34/Mid 32/Skill 31; Set 4 Line 46/Mid 41/Skill 38. 7. Rest ends when last group crosses the line for each set and then the one group begins immediately. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Accelerate quickly following change of direction. • Finish strong through the line! ~ 145 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

100-Yard Sprint Ladder Function: To develop acceleration and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1.Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2.On the whistle, sprint 100 yards. Rest/walk to the 20-yard line. 3.On the whistle from the 20, sprint 80 yards through the goal line. 4.On the whistle from the goal line, sprint 60 yards. Rest/walk to the 40-yard line. 5.On the whistle from the 40-yard line, sprint through the goal line. 6.On the whistle from the goal line, sprint 20 yards. Rest/walk to the 10-yard line. 7.On the whistle from the 10-yard line, sprint through the goal line. 8.Repeat Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the line!

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

300-Yard Shuttle Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint to the 50-yard line. 4. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint toward the goal line. 5. Touch the goal line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the 50-yard line. 6. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint toward the goal line. 7. Touch the goal line with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the 50-yard line. 8. Touch the line with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the goal line. 9. Times are: line, 60 seconds; mids, 58 seconds; and skill, 57 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Keep hips low during breakdown and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Accelerate quickly following change of direction. • Finish strong through the line! ~ 147 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Sideline Interval Sprints Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the sideline between the goal line and the 5-yard line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint to the opposite sideline. 4. Touch the sideline with your right foot and jog back between the 5- and 10-yard line to the opposite sideline. 5. Touch the that sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint to the following sideline in between the 10- and 15-yard line. 6. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and jog back to the opposite sideline in between the 15- and 20-yard line. 7. Continue this every 5 yards until you reach the opposite end zone. 8. This drill is based on effort. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep hips low during breakdown and change of direction. • Changes of direction should be sharp. • Accelerate quickly following change of direction. • Finish strong through the line! ~ 148 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Suicide King Function: To develop acceleration and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the 50-yard line. 2. On the whistle, sprint to the home team's 40-yard line (10 yards/rest 10 seconds). 3. On the whistle, sprint to the away team's 40-yard line (20 yards/rest 20 seconds). 4. On the whistle, sprint to the home team's 30-yard line (30 yards/rest 30 seconds). 5. On the whistle, sprint to the away team's 30-yard line (40 yards/rest 40 seconds). 6. On the whistle, sprint to the home team's 20-yard line (50 yards/rest 50 seconds). 7. On the whistle, sprint to the away team's 20-yard line (60 yards/rest 60 seconds). 8. On the whistle, sprint to the home team's 10-yard line (70 yards/rest 70 seconds). 9. On the whistle, sprint to the away team's 10-yard line (80 yards/rest 80 seconds). 10. On the whistle, sprint to the home team's goal line (90 yards/rest 90 seconds). 11. On the whistle, sprint to the away team's goal line (100 yards/finished). Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the line! ~ 149 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Stadiums (One Section) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, knee bend, quick feet, stride frequency, and Cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the stairs. 2. On the whistle, run up to the top of the stands, touching every step with both feet. 3. Turn and jog across the top of the stands to the nearest stairway. 4. Jog down that stairway. 5. At the bottom, turn and jog back to where you started. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Chest up. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the last step!

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Stadiums (One Side) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, knee bend, quick feet, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the stairs. 2. On the whistle, run up to the top of the stands, touching every step with both feet. 3. Turn and jog across the top of the stands to the nearest stairway. 4. Jog down that stairway. 5. At the bottom, turn and jog across to the next stairway. 6. Run up to the top of the stands, touching every step with both feet. 7. Repeat until you reach the last stairwell. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Chest up. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the last step! ~ 151 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Stadiums (Both Sides) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, knee bend, quick feet, stride frequency and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the stairs. 2. On the whistle, run up to the top of the stands, touching every step with both feet. 3. Turn and jog across the top of the stands to the nearest stairway. 4. Jog down that stairway. 5. At the bottom, turn and jog across to the next stairway. 6. Run up to the top of the stands, touching every step with both feet. 7. Repeat until you reach the last stairwell. 8. Jog across to the other side of the stadium and then repeat. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Chest up. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the last step! ~ 152 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Ramps Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride frequency, stride length, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the ramps. 2. On the whistle, run up the ramps, crossing over so you are always going up. 3. Keep going until you reach the top. 4. Jog down. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the last step!

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Stairs and Ramps Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, knee bend, quick feet, stride frequency, stride length, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the stairs. 2. On the whistle, run up the required number of stairs, touching every other step with one foot. 3. When you reach the top, sprint across and run down the first ramp to the bottom. 4. Sprint across to the second ramp and sprint to the top. 5. Sprint across to the stairwell and jog down the stairs. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Keep the chest up. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the last step!

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Hills Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, knee bend, quick feet, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the stairs. 2. On the whistle, sprint up to the top of hill. 3. Walk down. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Keep the chest up. • Accelerate quickly.

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Short Interval Conditioning Reference Guide

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Sprints (20 Yards) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in your perfect sprint start position. 2. On the whistle, sprint through the 20-yard line. 3. Do not stop fast; take the following 40 yards to slow down. 4. This is a full effort drill. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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Sprints (40 Yards) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in your perfect sprint start position. 2. On the whistle, sprint through the 40-yard line. 3. Do not stop fast; take the following 60 yards to slow down. 4. Times are: line, 4:80–5:20 seconds; mids, 4:40–4:80 seconds; and skill 4:30–4:50 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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Sprints (60 Yards) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in your perfect sprint start position. 2. On the whistle, sprint through the 60-yard line. 3. Do not stop fast; take the following 40 yards to slow down. 4. Times are: line, 09 seconds; mids, 08 seconds; and skill, 07 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Hash Sprints Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the sideline. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint to the second hash mark. 4. After you cross the hash mark, throttle down to the far sideline. 5. This is an effort drill. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the hash mark!

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Hash to Hash Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the sideline. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, jog to the first hash mark. 4. When you hit the hash mark, sprint to the far hash mark. 5. After you cross the hash mark, throttle down to the far sideline. 6. This is an effort drill. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the hash mark!

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Interval Sprints Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, controlled deceleration, change of speed, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle jog to the 20-yard line. 4. Once you cross the 20-yard line, take off and sprint to the 40-yard line. 5. Once you cross the 40-yard line, slow back down to a jog for the next 20 yards. 6. After jogging for 20 yards., sprint the next 20 yards. 7. After sprinting 20 yards, slow back down to a jog for the next 20 yards into the end zone. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Keep feet moving during breakdown. • Accelerate quickly following change of speed. • Finish strong through the line!

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Striders Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, change of speed, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle run 25 yards at about 50% of top speed. 4. Once you cross the 25-yard line, increase to 75% of top speed for the next 25 yards. 5. Once you cross the 50-yard line, you should hit top speed and keep it for the next 25 yards. 6. After sprinting top speed for 25 yards, slow back down to a jog for the next 25 yards into the end zone. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Accelerate quickly following change of speed. • Arms and legs should work together.

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Flying 10s Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, and stride frequency. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the goal line. 3. On the whistle, slowly build up to full speed at the 30-yard line. 4. Once top speed is hit at 30 yards, sprint at top speed for 10 yards. 5. After you sprint 10 yards at full speed, throttle down using the remaining 60 yards to slow down. 6. Do not stop fast. 7. This is an effort drill. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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Flying 20s Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, and stride frequency. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the goal line. 3. On the whistle, slowly build up to full speed at the 30-yard line. 4. Once top speed is hit at 30 yards, sprint at top speed for 20 yards. 5. After you sprint 20 yards at full speed, throttle down using the remaining 50 yards to slow down. 6. Do not stop fast. 7. This is a full effort drill. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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Flying 30s Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, and stride frequency. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the goal line. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the goal line. 3. On the whistle, slowly build up to full speed at the 30-yard line. 4. Once top speed is hit at 30 yards, sprint at top speed for 30 yards. 5. After you sprint 30 yards at full speed, throttle down using the remaining 40 yards to slow down. 6. Do not stop fast. 7. This is a full effort drill. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Finish strong through the line!

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Quarter Gasser Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the sideline. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint through the opposite sideline. 4. Times are: line, 09 seconds; mids, 08 seconds; and skill, 07 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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Half Gasser Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, stride length, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the sideline. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint to the opposite sideline. 4. Touch the sideline with your right foot, turn, and sprint through the start line. 5. Times are: line, 19 seconds; mids, 16 seconds; and skill, 15 seconds. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Finish strong through the line!

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40-Yard Conditioning Test Function: To test speed endurance. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance behind the sideline. 2. On the first whistle, put your right hand on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint 40 yards. 4. A third whistle will be blown indicating that the time for that rep is over. 5. The rep does not count for anyone not fully past the finish line after the third whistle or if your hand does not touch the line at the first whistle. 6. Take your time slowing down; use the rest of the field if needed. Do not stop fast. 7. After the line runs, the rest clock starts. After 40 seconds, rest. Skill group begins again and the process is repeated for 15 reps. 8. After 15 reps, there is a 3-minute rest period. At the conclusion of the rest period, the final 15 reps are performed. 9. Times are: line (5.2–5.6 seconds), mids (4.8–5.2 seconds), and skill (4.4–4.8 seconds) .

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Four-Quarter Test 1st Quarter, 6 X 100 yards 1. Start behind goal line. 2. On the first whistle, hand down on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint 100 yards. 4. Times are: line, 17 seconds; mids , 15 seconds; skill, 14 seconds. All get 16 seconds rest. 5. Rest 60 seconds. 2nd Quarter, 10 X 60 yards 1. Start behind goal line. 2. On the first whistle, hand down on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint 60 yards. 4. Times are: line, 09 seconds; mids, 08 seconds; and skill, 07 seconds. All get 10 seconds rest Halftime Rest 2 minutes. Second half continues on the next page.

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Four-Quarter Test 3rd Quarter, 6 X 80 yards 1. Start behind goal line. 2. On the first whistle, hand down on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint 80 yards. 4. Times are: line, 13 seconds; mids, 12 seconds; and skill, 11 seconds. All get 18 seconds rest. 5. Rest 60 seconds. 4th Quarter, 15 X 40 yards 1. Start behind goal line. 2. On the first whistle, hand down on the line. 3. On the second whistle, sprint 40 yards. 4. Times are: line, 07 seconds; mids, 06 seconds; and skill, 05 seconds. All get 24 seconds rest. Test is complete.

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Stairs (One Every Step) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, knee bend, quick feet, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the stairs. 2. On the whistle, run up the required number of stairs, touching each step with one foot. 3. Walk down. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Keep the chest up. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the last step!

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Stairs (Two Feet Every Step) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, knee bend, quick feet, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the stairs. 2. On the whistle, run up the required number of stairs, touching every step with both feet. 3. Walk down. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Keep the chest up. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the last step!

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Stairs (Every Other Step) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, knee bend, quick feet, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the stairs. 2. On the whistle, run up the required number of stairs, touching every other step with one foot. 3. Walk down. Coaching Points: • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Keep the chest up. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the last step!

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Stairs (Bunny Hop) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, knee bend, quick feet, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the stairs. 2. On the whistle, hop up the required number of stairs, touching every step with both feet. 3. Walk down. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Keep the chest up. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the last step!

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Stairs (Bunny Hop Every Other) Function: To develop acceleration, linear speed, knee bend, quick feet, stride frequency, and cardiovascular fitness. Method: 1. Position yourself in a two-point stance at the bottom of the stairs. 2. On the whistle, hop up the required number of stairs, touching every other step with both feet. 3. Walk down. Coaching Points: • Keep perfect run form when sprinting. • Arms and legs should work together. • Keep feet moving as fast as possible. • Keep the chest up. • Accelerate quickly. • Finish strong through the last step!

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Warm Ups

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Warm-Up Philosophy Football forces the body into awkward and unnatural positions. The way the body handles these situations is one of the keys to remaining healthy and making or not making the play. Warm ups must be taken seriously. Through proper warm ups, training, and cool downs, the chance of making plays increases and the chance of injuries decreases. Prior to every training session, whether it is strength training, conditioning, or agility drills, a complete warm up must be done. The goal of all warm-up sessions is to increase body temperature and prepare the major joints and muscles for strenuous activity throughout their full range of motion. Improving full range of motion can reduce the chance of muscle tears, ligament strains, and injuries to connective tissue. Once full range of motion has been reached, the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints will be more efficient, allowing the body to adapt more quickly to various situations. Current research demonstrates that strength training through a full range of motion can lead to increases in joint flexibility. No athlete will begin workouts or games or be stretched unless he is in at least a light sweat. Our warmup drills are all interchangeable and can be used in any combination to achieve the desired effect. They are broken down into three components: dynamic warm ups, dynamic flexibility, and static flexibility. Dynamic Warm Ups: Dynamic warm ups will help improve mobility on and off the field. There are basically hundreds of exercises that we use in our dynamic warm ups. It is an excellent time to work on speed drills, central nervous system stimulation, or any mobility issues that the athlete may have. It aids in the increase of speed, power, agility, quickness, and strength and mentally prepares the athlete for the task at hand. Dynamic Flexibility: Dynamic flexibility is stretching through movement. Flexibility plays an important role in a person’s ability to be a great athlete. Movement throughout the full range of motion must be effortless during competition. With a variety of drills, we can warm up individual muscle groups through their full range of motion, pinpointing any area that an athlete may want to focus on. We use a variety of bands and/or partner stretches for this task. These are done either following a warm up prior to an exercise session or as a cool down following activity. Static Flexibility (Stretching): Stretching is joint-specific, and every major joint structure must be stretched regularly in order to maximize the effects of a flexibility program. With a variety of stretches, we can warm up individual muscle groups through their full range of motion. Static flexibility (stretching) is done either following a warm up prior to an exercise session or as a cool down following activity. Static Flexibility (Stretching) Points of Emphasis: 

Always complete all dynamic warm ups or workout sessions prior to stretching.



Remain relaxed while stretching.

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Begin all stretches slowly. Ease into position, hold for a count, and ease back out of the stretch.

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Hold all stretches for 10–20 seconds.

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Do not bounce. This can cause injury and prevent flexibility development by not allowing the muscle to relax.

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Exercise Reference Warm Ups

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Exercise Reference: Warm Ups Movement Drills High Knee Crossovers High Knees High Knees Reps Butt Kicks Butt Kick Reps Power Skips Speed Skaters Fast Feet Backward High Knees Knee Hugs Knee Hugs Tempo High Knees Backward Butt Kicks Backward Straight Leg Straight Leg Tempo Up and Out Hurdle Walks Forward Ankle Walks Ankle Runs Ankle Runs Reps Bike Walks Bike Runs Backpedals Backward Runs Low Backpedals Spidermans Carioca Quick Feet Carioca High-Knee Carioca Inchworms

Movement Drills Starts Wideout/Go Get up/Go R Side/Go L Side/Go On Back/Go Sitting/Go Backward Sitting/Go Shuffles/Go Ali Shuffles/Go Backpedals/Turn/Go Jumping Jacks/Go Slalom/Go Crab Walks Bear Crawls Ickey Shuffles Jog Runs Sprints 2 Leg Hops 1 Leg Hops Shuffles Low Shuffle/Touch Lunges Lunge with Twists Backward Lunges Backward Lunges with Reach Dead Legs R Dead Legs L Alternate Dead Legs

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Exercise Reference: Warm Ups Speed Ladder 1 in Each 2 in Each Ali Shuffles Hopscotch Jumping Jacks Ickey Shuffles Lateral Shuffles Slalom 2 In/2 Out Trail Leg Whip Lead Leg Whip Dead Legs R/L 360 Ickey Shuffles Fast Feet Backward 1 in Each 2 in Each Hopscotch Jumping Jacks Ickey Shuffles Slalom 2 In/2 Out

Dots Side/Side V Down/Back Down/Back Wide Down/Back Turn Nordic Track Figure 8s Twists Slalom Tape Drill Up/Back Side/Side Ali Shuffles Corner/Corner Clockwise Counterclockwise Hurdles 1 in Each 2 in Each Straight Leg Over/Under Under Shuffles Sideways Backward 1 in Each 2 in Each

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Exercise Reference: Warm Ups Mini Hurdles High Knees 1 in Each 2 in Each Fast Feet Dead Legs R Dead Legs L Ickey Shuffles Shuffles 2 Leg Hops 1 Leg Hops Tuck Jumps Cardio Elliptical Stairmaster Treadmill Bike Jog Jump Rope

Speed Essentials Starts Bike Walks Bike Runs Ankle Walks Ankle Runs Dead Legs R Dead Legs L Alternate Dead Legs Backward Runs Jumps Box Jumps Cone Jumps Bench Jumps Tuck Jumps Lunge Jumps Squat Jumps Broad Jumps Single Leg Line

Static Stretch Cobra Mecca

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Exercise Reference: Warm Ups Dynamic Stretch (In Place) Arm Circles Twists Windmills Lunges Lateral Lunges Reverse Lunges Good Mornings Squats Lunge Hops Scorpions Iron Crosses Spidermans Jumping Jacks Mt. Climbers Burpees Up/Downs Wideouts Jump Rope 1/4 Eagles Inchworms Hip Circuit Hip Abduction Straight/Bent Rotate Forward Rotate Backward Follow Through On Back Double Leg Bridges Single Leg Bridges Single Leg Swings

Bands Face Pulls Low Rows Y's Front Raises Side Lateral Shoulder Extensions Internal Rotations External Rotations Pulldowns Circles F/B Curls Triceps Extensions Straight Leg Butterflies Low Back Line Drills Hand Walks/Push-Ups Push-Ups Push-Ups/Catches Hand Speed Hand Hops Speed Skaters Figure Skaters (Pause) Single Leg Hops Hops Hopscotch Stair Drills Side Stair Drills Nordic Track Lunges Split Lunges

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Exercise Reference: Warm Ups Bar Complex Squats Front Squats Clean & Presses Military Presses Front Raises Curls Upright Rows Shrugs RDLs Bent Rows Lunges Overhead Squats French Presses Curl/Presses Side Lunges

Platform Drills Hand Walks/Push-Ups Push-Ups Push-Ups/Catches Hand Speed Hand Hops Speed Skaters Figure Skaters (Pause) Single Leg Hops Hops Hopscotch Stair Drills Side Stair Drills Nordic Track Lunges Split Lunges

Medicine Ball Woodchoppers Side Throws Military Presses Keg Tosses Chest Passes Underhand Triceps Extensions Toss/Runs Overhead Carries

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Nutrition

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Nutrition Philosophy Physical development is a comprehensive effort that does not stop once the athlete leaves the weight room or the practice field. A sound nutrition plan is one of the most vital aspects of training. Nutrition is a controllable factor that will enhance performance and it is essential to helping athletes maximize their potential. Before knowing what to eat and why, it is vital to understand what is taking place during the training process to value the importance of a proper nutrition program. The stimuli (exercise) exposed to the athlete in the weight room or on the field is simply a stressor. Growth and recovery take place after the stressor is completed and the body is trying to adapt to the new stimuli. Failure to recover fast enough or adequately enough results in delayed development and plateaus in strength gains. Nutrition is the key player in accelerating recovery and growth. Catabolic and Anabolic An athlete’s body is either in a catabolic (survival) or anabolic (performance) state. A catabolic (survival) state means the body is relying on itself for fuel due to an inadequate intake of calories and must actually process (eat) its own most nutrient dense tissue muscle. In a catabolic state, it is impossible for muscular growth/fat burning to take place. An anabolic (performance) state means that an adequate outside source of calories is provided, and the body can begin to build new muscle tissue and get rid of surplus fat. It is also important to note that nutritional habits (timing and quality of food consumption) will determine which state the athlete is in. Some of the benefits of being in the performance mode are improved body composition, increased muscle mass, decreased likelihood of injuries, increased energy, faster strength gains, and faster recovery from intense training sessions. Keys to Being in the Anabolic (Performance) Stage 

Eating five to six times per day

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Eating more calories than burned (gaining weight, building muscle)

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Eating nutrient heavy foods rather than empty calories (foods that provide little nutritional value)

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Eating enough protein (as much protein as possible is not necessarily best; the body can only process 15–20 grams of protein every 3–4 hours)

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Staying hydrated (dehydration slows all processes down and puts muscles at risk for pulls and strains)

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Eating carbohydrates (carbs are the body’s source of energy)

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Macronutrients and Micronutrients There are six basic nutrients in food. The six basic nutrients are divided into two groups— macronutrients and micronutrients. Macronutrients are composed of proteins, carbohydrates, fat, and water. Micronutrients are composed of vitamins and minerals. Macronutrients Protein: Protein is primarily used to rebuild and repair muscle tissue. Protein is not a primary source of fuel like carbohydrates and fats. Protein is broken down and used in the body in the form of amino acids. General guidelines recommend that at least 20 percent of your diet comes in the form of protein. Good sources of protein come from lean meats, fish, and chicken. It is a misconception that increasing protein consumption will increase muscle mass. Increased muscle mass is attained first through hard work during training and then with properly timed and portioned protein and carb consumption. Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are the primary fuel source of the body. They include sugars, starches, and fiber. They are used as fuels in two ways. They are broken down into glucose, which is fuel used immediately by the body. The rest of the “carbs” are stored by the body in the form of glycogen and it is used as fuel for later time. General guidelines are to keep about 65 percent of your diet in the form of carbohydrates. Consuming too many carbohydrates leave the body with nowhere to store them and results in a slowed metabolism and increased body fat. Fat: Fat is a source of energy that is not efficiently used by the body. Fats are broken down and used as a fuel source during prolonged durations of exercise. If your body is not burning fat for fuel, it is stored in the body for later use if necessary. There are two basic types of fat—saturated and unsaturated fat. Saturated fat comes from many dairy products and fried foods. Unsaturated fats are the so called “good” fats that you get from many different oils including fish oil and olive oil. Some fat is necessary and essential for the body. General guidelines are to keep about 15 percent of your diet in the form of fats. Water/Hydration: Water is a very vital component to nutrition. Water makes up about 50–55 percent of your total body weight. It plays a part in carrying nutrients to the cells, carrying waste away from your cells, and helping to regulate normal cell function. Water also plays a major role in the regulation of body heat through your sweat. Sweating is how the body cools itself and keeps it at its normal temperature. Being properly hydrated will eliminate the risk of dehydration and other medical problems that come with it. This act of nutrient delivery and waste removal also aids in weight loss and weight gain. Hydration is referred to as taking in adequate amounts of water to maintain the body and keep it functioning at normal levels. Dehydration is defined as the excessive loss of bodily fluid, particularly the removal or loss of water. Dehydration can result when there is a large loss of water weight. It has been stated that a 3 percent weight loss leads to impaired performance, a 5 percent loss results in some signs of heat exhaustion, and a 7 percent loss may produce hallucinations and put an individual in the danger zone for a possible heat stroke. Thirst and dehydration do not correlate with one another. Being thirsty is often the response of already being dehydrated. Recommended daily intake of water without exercise is to consume a minimum of eight, 8-oz. glasses of water per day. For athletes, this is not enough to stay hydrated and still perform at a high level. Most athletes lose about 1–3 pounds of fluid from sweat per hour during competition. To properly monitor the loss of fluids, an athlete should weigh himself before ~ 188 ~

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and after a practice/workout. What is lost must be replaced but that does not mean only drink after the practice or competition. It is necessary to drink before, during, and after the competition or workout to ensure proper hydration and performance. Water is not the only beverage that will help replace what is lost from those workouts or competitions. It is also recommended to drink some type of sports drink such as Powerade or Gatorade to help replenish the proper nutrients lost during competition. The sodium found in these drinks also helps athletes retain the water they are drinking. Through years on the field at some point, all of us have probably come across another athlete who has suffered from extreme dehydration or another medical condition from not being properly hydrated. Those athletes did not suffer from those conditions because they were not a good athlete but because they were not properly hydrated. It is the athlete’s responsibility to ensure that he maintains a proper level of hydration to continue to perform at an elite level. Micronutrients The micronutrients consist of vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are not used as energy, but keep the body in check and regulate all the processes associated with how the body functions. The use of a daily multivitamin will serve as a security blanket to ensure that you are receiving the proper nutrition to keep it functioning at its highest potential. Post-Workout Nutrition: Post-workout nutrition is vital to the recovery process. What to take and when to take it are two important factors that will speed up recovery and get the body ready for the next workout. The half hour following exercise is critical for maximizing the effects of the recovery plan. Immediately replacing fluids is extremely important because of the electrolytes (sodium and potassium) lost during exercise. Any post-exercise nutrition plan should include sources of sodium and potassium. Sodium (salt) is found in foods such as pretzels, soup, crackers, and potato chips along with drinks such as Powerade or Gatorade. Potassium is found in fruits and vegetables such as potatoes, bananas, and orange juice along with drinks such as Powerade or Gatorade. Carbohydrates should be consumed within two hours of exercise to shorten recovery time and make it more complete. Protein intake is also important post-exercise because it repairs muscle damage received during workouts or contact practices. Fats should not be included in the post-workout meal because it slows the absorption of carbohydrates and proteins. Body Composition: Body composition is the relationship of lean muscle mass to fat mass. This is very important and is something serious athletes need to be concerned with. The scale is not the only factor that determines how fit an athlete is. There is a major difference between an athlete weighing 225 pounds with 10 percent body fat and an athlete weighing 225 pounds with 20 percent body fat. In simple terms, the athlete with 10 percent body fat has 23 more pounds of muscle than the one with 20 percent body fat, therefore allowing him to be faster and stronger upon impact, two elements critical to any position on the field. Proper nutrition, training, and hydration will improve your overall body composition.

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Average NFL Body Composition by Position O-Line Less than 22% D-Line 18–20% TE/LB/QB/Spec 12–16% TB 9–12% DB/WR 6–10%

Weight Gain: Many athletes are interested in gaining weight. This can only be done through a proper strength training regimen and specific nutritional habits. In order to gain weight, you must consume more calories than you burn or expend each day. To do this, you must know how many calories you burn on a daily basis. From this total, design an eating plan in which calorie intake exceeds your daily expenditure. The addition of 400–500 calories per day above your daily requirement adds about one pound per week. The key is to ensure that the weight gained is lean muscle mass, not fat. Gaining more than a pound per week results in increases in body fat, and strength training will use extra calories to stimulate growth. Weight Loss: Bigger is not always better. Excess body fat restricts speed of movement. In order for many to perform at their optimal level, a loss of weight is necessary. It is important that one understands that fat is an athlete’s worst enemy. Weight loss is a tricky situation. Many overweight people have developed a lifestyle around eating, and in order to lose weight, there has to be a lifestyle change. The method for weight loss is similar to that for weight gain. First, the amount of calories needed to maintain a specific body weight needs to be calculated. A 500–1000 calorie deficit in daily intake will result in a loss of 1–2 pounds per week. A slow reduction in body fat over an 8- to 10-week span is the key. Rapid weight loss could result in a loss of muscle tissue. Weight Loss Tips 

Cut back on “empty" carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, candy, juices, chips, and desserts from your diet. Eating an excess of “empty” carbs causes a spike in insulin. Your body has trouble burning fat when your insulin levels are elevated.

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Consume more protein. One of the most important aspects of a healthy fat loss nutrition plan is making sure you’re consuming enough quality protein. Studies show the anabolic effects of intense training are increased by a high protein diet.

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Limit fat intake to 20 percent of your total daily calories.

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Keep alcohol to a minimum. Alcohol is loaded with carbohydrates and empty calories.

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Drink plenty of water. Healthy muscle is comprised of more than 70 percent water. Water is also an essential transport mechanism for a vast array of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates. It serves an important role in all cellular activity. If your water intake is low, your ability to transport nutrients becomes compromised.

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Keys to Healthful Eating Variety: There isn't any one magic food. Each food offers special nutrients. Oranges provide vitamin C and carbohydrates but not iron and protein. Beef offers iron and protein but not vitamin C or carbohydrates. Moderation: Even chips and cookies, in moderation, can fit into a well-balanced diet. For example, to compensate for a greasy sausage biscuit for breakfast, select a low fat turkey sandwich for lunch. Although no one food is a junk food, too many nutrient poor selections can accumulate into a junk food diet. Wholesomeness: Choose natural or lightly processed foods as often as possible. For example, an athlete should eat whole wheat rather than white bread, apples rather than apple juice, and baked potatoes rather than potato chips. Just make sure that at every meal you have something from the four major food groups—dairy products, fruits and vegetables, meats and proteins, and grains and cereals. Fast Food: Fast food is a popular part of American cuisine. The problem with these food chains is that they are designed to make food fast and usually result in a poor choice for nutrient rich food. Most of these foods are usually fried and loaded with high concentrations of salt. These foods are appealing but are poor choices when it comes to eating. As an athlete, you need to try and make the right choices if your options are limited and choose the foods that will most benefit you and your body for performance. See the chapter 'Sample Menus.'

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Ten Quick Performance Nutrition Tips Prepare meals ahead of time Eat enough calories Recovery plan—have one Frequent meals—eat them Overeat fruits and vegetables Rehydrate Muscle needs protein A quick snack is better than no meal Never skip meals Calories are your friend Energy needs carbohydrates

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Strength and Conditioning Policies and Procedures

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Introduction This policy and procedure manual will outline all aspects of the strength and conditioning program. It covers what is expected of all strength staff members, coaches, and athletes. It encompasses all our training principles and philosophies and the goals of this program. Mission Statement The mission of a successful strength and conditioning program is to provide a safe, challenging training environment that helps athletes maximize their physical potential while minimizing athletic-related injuries. Vision Statement We will be known as the top strength and conditioning program in the country. This will be a place that athletes and coaches around the country will know as the cutting edge of athletic development. We will make the most out of every athlete who trains with us.

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Goals

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Goals 1. Our objective is to design and administer strength, speed, agility, flexibility, aerobic, anaerobic and plyometric training programs that decrease the likelihood of athletic injuries and improve athletic performance.        

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Identify specific injuries or limitations among athletes. Ensure programs are individualized to their specific sport. Educate the athletes and coaches on the role of proper nutrition and recovery. Watch for signs of overtraining. Provide proper warm up and cool down time prior to all team lifting and running sessions. Keep a chronological log of each athlete’s development throughout his or her collegiate career. Have a member of the strength staff monitor all lifting and running sessions to ensure proper technique in all phases of training. Prescribe appropriate training volumes, rest periods, frequencies, and load resistances, based on the demands of the athletes' sport and goals of the team coaches and players. Develop individual programs to account for biomechanical and physiological differences among individual athletes, taking into account sport, age, gender, training status, physical limitations, and past injuries. Use various strength training methods and modes. Apply principles of exercise sequence to ensure the desired training outcomes.

2. We will instruct athletes in how to execute all training exercises safely and correctly, thus obtaining the desired results.          

Train all staff members to teach technique in the same progressive manner. Provide correct teaching on how to perform every lift and exercise. Provide safety equipment when needed. Provide audio visual aids when needed to assist in the teaching process. Don't subject athletes to heavier loads until proper exercise form is achieved. Take every athlete through a weight room orientation. Make a video on proper exercise technique available to all incoming athletes. Instruct all athletes on the proper use of spotting on all resistance exercises. Ensure that collars are used on all free weight exercises. Report any defective or broken equipment immediately to the strength staff and don't use it until it is fixed or replaced.

3. We will promote commitment and teamwork among strength staff, athletes, coaches, and administrators.   

Establish mutual respect. Hold monthly or bi-monthly meetings with appropriate athletic department staff members to discuss issues or concerns. Have an open door policy at all times. ~ 196 ~

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    

Realize and understand the athlete’s concerns outside the weight room. Provide team meetings when needed. Follow the chain of command when a problem arises (assistant to assistant, assistant to head, head to head). Ensure all department members are on the same page regarding training goals and outcomes. Promote goals/reward achievements for all sports in a manner that they are universally recognized.

4. We will develop a working relationship, establish rapport with, and ensure open lines of communication with the coaching staffs of all teams.     

Provide phone numbers and email addresses of all coaches involved with each specific team to all athletes. Ensure that all means of communication are used. Hold monthly meetings with each individual coach to discuss issues regarding his or her specific team. Provide evaluations to each coach concerning the progress of his or her team. Involve strength staff members in the annual planning of all training activities (staff meetings).

5. We will develop a working relationship, establish rapport with, and ensure open lines of communication with the training staff.     

Have written documentation for what an athlete is cleared and not cleared to do prior to any aspect of the training process. Keep trainers abreast of any injuries or problems concerning the athletes under our care. Work hand in hand in developing and implementing goals for rehabilitation. Have quarterly in-service sessions pertaining to every aspect of our athletes' health (strength training, heat-related illness, supplementation). Send daily injury reports to strength staff pertaining to their teams.

6. We will develop a working relationship, establish rapport with, and ensure open lines of communication with administration.    

Hold monthly meetings with appropriate members of administration to discuss concerns. Have an open door policy regarding both administration and strength staff. Ensure that all means of communication are used. Keep administration abreast of any special goals met or athletic achievement.

7. We will develop a working relationship, establish rapport with, and ensure open lines of communication with the state high school coaching staffs.    

Ensure that all means of communication are used. Provide seminars and camps for all high school coaches. Have an open door policy between strength staff and high school coaches. Have staff members speak at local high schools or clinics. ~ 197 ~

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 

Have a specific liaison between the strength staff and the high school coaches. Have audio visual aids on technique training available for all high school coaches.

8. We will establish guidelines for all strength staff members.   

Require staff members to adhere to the training guidelines established by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA) at all times. Ensure that all staff members are knowledgeable and active in program design and implementation. Encourage staff members to acquire other certifications and/or degrees to broaden the scope of the strength training profession (e.g. NSCA, ACSM, USAW).

9. We will ensure that all strength staff members are certified by CSCCA.   

Assist staff with the certification process. Provide study materials and practicum sessions for those employees not already certified. Sponsor all uncertified staff members in the CSCCA mentoring program.

10. We will attend annual conferences as a staff.       

Hold periodic staff in-services discussing new information and current trends obtained from conferences, literature, clinics, and videos. Look to improve any aspect of motivation, goals, and challenges to keep both staff and athletes fresh and motivated. Hold an annual strength, speed, and agility camp. Hold an annual cookout for all strength staff and their families. Use rewards as motivation for athletes (T-shirts, record boards, plaques). Provide support for staff members who are concerned with athletes' training progress. Provide the services that will meet each team’s individual training needs.

11. We will create and maintain a quality physical environment with enhanced resources and a stateof-the-art weight training facility.          

Have a daily, monthly, and yearly maintenance log with staff responsibilities. Have a daily, monthly, and yearly cleaning log with staff responsibilities. Establish an environment conducive to maximum performance. Provide adequate hours of operation. Have the weight room arranged to maximize organization and expedite the training process. Invest in new equipment annually. Ensure that all athletes and coaches are aware of their training schedules. Establish and maintain record boards. Acquire and maintain good functional equipment. Have enough storage space for weights and accessories.

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12. We will educate athletes on the importance of good nutrition and supplementation and their role in health and performance.       

Hold nutrition/supplementation seminars in conjunction with training staff for all athletes and coaches. Have nutritional information available to all athletes, coaches, and trainers. Keep an open line of communication between the athlete, strength staff, training staff, and nutritionist. Educate athletes and coaches on the use, abuse, and effects of performance-enhancing substances. Provide proper and legal (NCAA compliant) supplements. Educate athletes, coaches, trainers, and administrators on relevant NCAA, legal, and university policies pertaining to performance-enhancing substances. Provide literature concerning the legality and side effects of ergogenic aids.

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Weight Room Rules and Regulations

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Rules and Regulations 1. The weight room is intended for intercollegiate athletes and their coaches. 2. Others (e.g. athletic administration, support staff) may only use the weight room with the permission of the head strength and conditioning coach and the completion of a waiver form. 3. All strength staff members (head, full-time, part-time, assistants, graduate assistants, volunteers, interns, and student help) will be treated with respect at all times. Any violation of this rule will be cause for immediate expulsion from the weight room, and the athlete may not return until he or she meets with the head strength coach and a member of the athlete’s coaching staff. 4. All athletes must complete a weight room orientation prior to the start of their training as well as understand and comply with all weight room rules, regulations, and policies. 5. All athletes must complete a weight room orientation contract form. 6. Athletes will wear only workout gear as assigned by the strength and conditioning staff. Athletes will wear only gear representing their institution with no other school’s gear or logo permitted. 7. Workout attire can't be altered (e.g. sleeves cut) unless cleared by the strength staff. 8. Athletes will not be allowed to wear hats, wave caps, or bandanas in the weight room. 9. Athletes will not be allowed to have cell phones in the weight room. They should either be left in the locker room or in the athlete's car. 10. There will be no jewelry, gold teeth, earrings, or taped ears. External body piercings that are visible must be removed. 11. Athletes' workout times will be assigned according to their classes, tutorials, and seasonal team schedules. If a conflict arises, the athlete should notify the strength staff at least one hour prior to his or her assigned time so that arrangements can be made for the athlete to workout with an alternate group for that day. 12. A member of the strength staff will monitor all lifting and running sessions. 13. Athletes will be taught the proper way to spot for every exercise. They will not be allowed to lift without a spotter at any time with any exercise unless otherwise noted. 14. Athletes will be taught how to perform every exercise that we will use in the weight room. We will never sacrifice form for weight at any time! The strength staff will pick your weights to ensure that the exercise will be performed in a smooth, controlled manner. 15. Athletes must complete the workout assigned by the strength staff. No personal training or workouts from outside the strength staff will be permitted. ~ 201 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

16. Any injury must be reported to the strength staff immediately. 17. If an athlete has any injuries, he or she must have a weight room injury form from the trainers outlining what movements should be avoided, what limitations the athlete has, and what he or she is cleared to do. 18. Collars will be used on every free weight exercise. 19. Free weights will be moved from the racks to the bar only. Weights will never be propped against equipment or laid on the floor during training sessions. 20. All bars will be stripped immediately after use. All weights will be put away in the proper order on designated racks. 21. Dumbbells will be returned to the rack in the proper order, and athletes will never be allowed to drop or toss the weights during training sessions. 22. Athletes must report any defective or broken equipment to the strength staff immediately and this equipment will not be used until it is fixed or replaced. 23. Spitting in or defacing the facility will not be tolerated and will result in immediate expulsion. 24. Horseplay by the athletes will not be tolerated. 25. The strength staff will control the radio. Upperclassmen will be allowed to choose music if preapproved by the strength staff. The strength staff will control the volume. Any music containing inappropriate lyrics or curse words will not be tolerated. 26. MP3 players are allowed on the cardiovascular equipment only. 27. Food, drinks, gum, tobacco, and toothpicks are not permitted in the weight room. 28. Athletes will follow instructions given by the strength staff at all times. 29. Any abuse of equipment, supplements, or recovery drinks will not be tolerated and may be cause for the removal of that product for your team. 30. Failure to follow any of the policies could result in a loss of weight room privileges. 31. All athletes who want to be taped must be taped prior to any workouts. 32. All shoes must be tied prior to any workouts.

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Strength and Conditioning Staff Responsibilities

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength Staff Coaching Philosophy 1. Teach: It’s all about teaching. The athletes can and will get better if the coach is a good teacher. The players will respond and get better if teaching not just talk. 2. Keep meetings efficient: Be organized in the weight room. Don’t waste time! When teaching progressions, use the dry-erase boards, over head projectors, manuals, video, and computers. You must keep the coaches and athletes stimulated! 3. Be organized on the field: The key is can “you” coach on the field? Be able to take it from the weight room to the field. 4. Pay attention to detail: Stress the little things. Be exact not sort of. 5. Be demanding: Your athletes will accept it if you're a good teacher and they see that they are getting better. 6. Be accountable as a strength and conditioning coach: Be accountable not only to the head strength coach but to your fellow strength coaches as well. We can’t be a winning strength and conditioning program if each coach is not carrying his or her weight. 7. Accept corrective criticism from the head strength and conditioning coach: Do not be thin-skinned when it comes to technique or coaching style. Don’t make excuses. 8. Stay positive: Athletes are a reflection of their coach. Seasons can be long and tough at times, but stay positive. Negative or bored coaches are unacceptable. Training is fun when everyone is working together. 9. Be honest with your players: Don’t BS them! Tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. 10. Have a passion for coaching: Look forward to coming to work. Have the desire to always improve as a coach. Don’t become complacent or punch the clock. 11. Be mentally prepared: Concentrate and prepare each day during the week. It starts when you walk in the building. 12. Be fundamentally sound: Lifting and running are a series of individual techniques. 13. Hustle: You can’t beat it. It is a mindset. Workouts will change from time to time, but one thing that will never change is hustle. 14. Be consistent: Don’t be up and down. Be consistent day in and day out and week in and week out. Be a coach who your athletes and fellow coaches can count on. 15. Be disciplined: Take pride in doing the little things. Be on time. ~ 204 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

16. Trust your athletes: Coaches coach, players play, and administrators administrate. Everyone must do his part to help the team win. 17. Have team unity: Work as a team. Don't be selfish and put the team first. Everyone does not have to be best buddies, but appreciate and respect your co-workers.

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Strength and Conditioning Coaches Performance Standards All strength and conditioning coaches (head, assistant, full-time, part-time, graduate assistant, intern, and volunteer) will be evaluated in these eight areas:        

Do you care about what you do? Can you be trusted to do your job? Are you committed to your job, the school, the athletes, and other staff members? Do you work hard? How well do you teach? How smart do you work? How well do you work within a team? What is your rapport with the athletes and other staff members?

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength Staff Responsibilities Head Strength Coach Responsibilities 1. Teach my staff exactly what I want them to do and what I expect of them and then trust them to go do it. 2. Be loyal to my staff. 3. Hold weekly staff meetings to discuss the upcoming week, issues, problems, or concerns. 4. Assist staff members in program design and implementation. 5. Have monthly in-services for all staff members to keep everyone up-to-date on the latest strength and conditioning issues. 6. Have an open door policy with my staff and listen to all ideas or suggestions that they may have. 7. Make staff education a top priority by using clinics and educational materials to make us better coaches. 8. Inform my staff of what is expected of them, where they need to be, and when they need to be there. 9. Instruct athletes in the safe and correct execution of strength, speed, flexibility, aerobic, anaerobic, and plyometric exercises in order to obtain the desired results. 10. Provide instruction in safe and effective spotting procedures to ensure the maximum effect of the exercise and the safety of the athlete. 11. Establish policies and procedures for the athletes in the form of written staff procedures to facilitate the day-to-day operation of the weight room. 12. Administer basic life support and other first aid procedures to weight room users in need of immediate care. 13. Possess equipment maintenance skills to provide a safe training environment. 14. Know proper procedures in designing weight room facilities to most effectively utilize the space and time allotted and reduce the potential for injury. 15. Understand muscle physiology, human anatomy, energy systems, and adaptations in order to design appropriate training programs that limit injuries and enhance performance. 16. Possess knowledge of performance-enhancing substances and be able to recognize symptoms of their use and provide clear evidence to athletes on effects, risks, and appropriate alternatives. ~ 207 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

17. Communicate effective approaches in implementing sport psychology and motivation techniques to enhance training and performance. 18. Recognize nutritional factors (including vitamins and minerals) that affect health and performance and provide appropriate nutritional counseling. 19. Recognize symptoms and behaviors associated with eating disorders and utilize physical performance evaluations and observations. 20. Generate income and budget available funds for maintenance and improvement of the facility. 21. Effectively and properly motivate athletes to achieve maximum potential in their respective sports. 22. Define job responsibilities and manage subordinates. 23. Work and communicate with other coaches in the athletic department. 24. Develop and monitor the facility’s safety inspection, cleaning, and maintenance programs. 25. Select new equipment and properly install new equipment, with staff assistance, according to the manufacturer’s installation instructions. 26. Travel with sports teams and provide remote site strength training and flexibility programs, including pre-game stretching. 27. Close facilities temporarily if unsafe conditions warrant the action. 28. Maintain a strength library for professional improvement and the training of others.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Assistant Strength Coach Responsibilities 1. Must be willing to work hard. 2. Must be committed to the job. 3. Must be a good teacher. 4. Must be willing to learn. 5. Must be open-minded to new ideas and techniques. 6. Must be competitive. 7. Must exhibit pride in himself, the teams, the school, and the profession. 8. Must be able to lead by example. 9. Must trust the head strength coach and he must be able to trust them. 10. Must believe in what we are doing as a staff. 11. Must have open communication between all staff members in and out of strength and conditioning. 12. Must look and act professional at all times. 13. Must be loyal to the staff, the school, and the head strength coach 14. Must supervise the weight room during assigned times. 15. Must enforce weight room policies and rules. 16. Must maintain and clean the weight room and its equipment. 17. Must anticipate potential risks of injury and take measures to remove them and alert participants to them. 18. Must provide spots for free weight lifts and teach proper lifting technique. 19. Must assist in the testing of athletes, computation of results, and evaluation of individual athletes. 20. Must attend all required meetings. 21. Must perform any duties assigned by the head strength coach or other strength staff members. 22. Must effectively and properly motivate athletes to achieve their maximum potential in all areas of performance.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Volunteer Assistant, Student Assistant, and Graduate Assistant Strength Coach Responsibilities 1. Must be willing to work hard. 2. Must be committed to the job. 3. Must be a good teacher. 4. Must be willing to learn. 5. Must be open-minded to new ideas and techniques. 6. Must be competitive. 7. Must exhibit pride in himself, the teams, the school, and the profession. 8. Must be able to lead by example. 9. Must trust the head strength coach and he must be able to trust them. 10. Must believe in what we are doing as a staff. 11. Must have open communication between all staff members in and out of strength and conditioning. 12. Must look and act professional at all times. 13. Must be loyal to the staff, the school, and the head strength coach 14. Must supervise the weight room during assigned times. 15. Must enforce weight room policies and rules. 16. Must maintain and clean the weight room and its equipment. 17. Must anticipate potential risks of injury and take measures to remove them and alert participants to them. 18. Must provide spots for free weight lifts and teach proper lifting technique. 19. Must assist in the testing of athletes, computation of results, and evaluation of individual athletes. 20. Must attend all required meetings. 21. Must perform any duties assigned by the head strength coach or other strength staff members. 22. Must effectively and properly motivate athletes to achieve their maximum potential in all areas of performance. ~ 210 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Coach Evaluation Form Rating Scale: 1 = Excellent 2 = Good 3 = Fair 4 = Poor 5 = Unsatisfactory Name:_____________________________ 1. Do you care about what you do? 1 2 3 4 5 2. Can you be trusted to do your job? 1 2 3 4 5 3. Are you committed to your job, the school, athletes, and other staff members? 1 2 3 4 5 4. How hard do you work? 1 2 3 4 5 5. How well do you teach? 1 2 3 4 5 6. How smart do you work? 1 2 3 4 5 7. How well do you work within a team? 1 2 3 4 5 What is your rapport with athletes and other staff members? 1 2 3 4 5 Comments/Suggestions: ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Head Strength Coach_________________________ Assistant Strength Coach______________________

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Evaluation Form Rating Scale: 1 = Excellent 2 = Good 3 = Fair 4 = Poor 5 = Unsatisfactory Name:_____________________________ 1. Do you care about what you do? 1 2 3 4 5 2. Can you be trusted to do your job? 1 2 3 4 5 3. Are you committed to your job, the school, athletes, and other staff members? 1 2 3 4 5 4. How hard do you work? 1 2 3 4 5 5. How well do you teach? 1 2 3 4 5 6. How smart do you work? 1 2 3 4 5 7. How well do you work within a team? 1 2 3 4 5 8. What is your rapport with athletes and other staff members? 1 2 3 4 5 Comments/Suggestions: ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Assistant Strength Coach_________________________ Head Strength Coach____________________________

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Maintenance Log Daily Maintenance

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thurs Fri

Sat

Sun

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thurs Fri

Sat

Sun

Date Disinfect pads Disinfect cardio equipment Sweep floors Rack all dumbbells in proper order Strip all bars of weights Arrange free weights on racks in proper order

Weekly Maintenance (Friday) Date Mop floors Wipe down equipment (metal) Clean mirrors Wipe down/clean all bars Lubricate all moving parts Service all equipment (e.g. tighten bolts) Check pads for wear areas Clean offices Clean cardio equipment

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Incident Report Name: __________________ Where: _________________

Date: _________________ Time: _________________

Strength Coach Present: _________________________ Head Strength Coach Notified: Y/N Trainers Notified: Y/N Summary of Events: ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________ Signature: ________________________ Date: ____________________

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Injury Status Form Athlete: _____________________

Date: __________________

Sport: ________________________

Injury: ______________________

Cleared to Do: ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Not Cleared to Do: ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Next Doctor Appointment: _______________________________ Goals for Next Doctor Appointment: ________________________________________ Rehabilitation Schedule: _______________________________________________ Trainers: _____________________________________ Athlete: _____________________________________ Strength Coach: _______________________________

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Weight Room Policies and Orientation

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Policy for Recognized Users of the Varsity Weight Room The varsity weight room may be used by all intercollegiate athletes and coaches. This weight room may not be used by anyone participating in any club sports or the general student population. All athletes must be accompanied by a strength coach while using the weight room. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE. The athletes must be supervised AT ALL TIMES. Failure to abide by this policy could be cause for termination of weight room privileges and the sport coach will be notified. Any visitors must sign a weight room waiver and abide by the rules within. Failure to do so will result in the loss of weight room privileges for that visitor. Any former athlete playing or seeking a professional career may use the weight room at the discretion of the head strength coach. Any professional athlete may use the weight room with the permission of the head strength coach.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Weight Room Orientation This packet contains everything you will need to know pertaining to the use of the weight room. It covers all rules, regulations, core techniques, and information needed to provide you with safe, effective workouts. Please look over this packet carefully and understand fully that failure to comply with any of these rules could result in the loss of weight room privileges. We are looking forward to making you the best athlete that you can possibly be and taking you places you never thought you could go. Train to win. ____________________ Head Strength Coach ____________________ Assistant Strength Coach ____________________ Assistant Strength Coach ____________________ Assistant Strength Coach ____________________ Assistant Strength Coach

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Weight Room Orientation Checklist 1. ___ Rules and regulations 2. ___ Taught proper storage of weights and dumbbells 3. ___ Taught squat, clean, and bench technique 4. ___ Machine orientation 5. ___ Location of exits 6. ___ Proper trash disposal 7. ___ Proper workout card storage 8. ___ Spotting techniques 9. ___ Emergency procedures 10. ___ Water fountain hygiene 11. ___ Proper collar use 12. ___ Equipment storage (belts, ropes, ladders, collars) 13. ___ Cardiovascular equipment orientation

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Weight Room Rules and Regulations 1. The weight room is intended for intercollegiate athletes and their coaches. 2. Others (e.g. athletic administration, support staff) may only use the weight room with the permission of the head strength and conditioning coach and the completion of a waiver form. 3. All strength staff members (head, full-time, part-time, assistants, graduate assistants, volunteers, interns, and student help) will be treated with respect at all times. Any violation of this rule will be cause for immediate expulsion from the weight room, and the athlete may not return until he or she meets with the head strength coach and a member of the athlete’s coaching staff. 4. All athletes must complete a weight room orientation prior to the start of training and must understand and comply with all weight room rules, regulations, and policies. 5. All athletes must complete a weight room orientation contract form. 6. Athletes will wear only workout gear as assigned by the strength and conditioning staff. Athletes will wear only gear representing their institution. No other school’s gear or logo is permitted. 7. Athletes will not be allowed to wear hats, wave caps, or bandanas in the weight room. 8. Athletes will not be allowed to have cell phones in the weight room. They must either be left in the locker room or in the athlete's vehicle. 9. There will be no jewelry, gold teeth, earrings, or taped ears. External body piercings that are visible must be removed. 10. Athletes workout times will be assigned according to their classes, tutorials, and seasonal team schedules. If a conflict arises, the athlete must notify the strength staff at least one hour prior to the assigned time so that arrangements can be made for the athlete to workout with an alternate group for that day. 11. A member of the strength staff will monitor all lifting and running sessions. 12. Athletes will be taught the proper way to spot for every exercise. They will not be allowed to lift without a spotter at any time with any exercise unless otherwise noted. 13. Athletes will be taught how to perform every exercise that we will use in the weight room. We will never sacrifice form for weight at any time! The strength staff will pick your weights to ensure that the exercises will be performed in a smooth, controlled manner. 14. Athletes must complete the workout assigned by the strength staff. No personal training or workouts from outside the strength staff will be permitted. 15. Any injury must be reported to the strength staff immediately. ~ 220 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

16. If an athlete has any injuries, he or she must have a weight room injury form from the trainers outlining what movements should be avoided, what limitations the athlete has, and what the athlete is cleared to do. 17. Collars will be used on every free weight exercise. 18. Free weights will be moved from the racks to the bar only. Weights will never be propped against equipment or placed on the floor during training sessions. 19. All bars will be stripped immediately after use. All weights will be put away in the proper order on designated racks. 20. Dumbbells will be returned to the rack in the proper order, and athletes will never be allowed to drop or toss the weights during training sessions. 21. Athletes must report any defective or broken equipment to the strength staff immediately. This equipment will not be used until it is fixed or replaced. 22. Spitting in or defacing the facility will not be tolerated and will result in immediate expulsion. 23. Horseplay by the athletes will not be tolerated. 24. The strength staff will control the radio. Upperclassmen will be allowed to play any “clean” music of their choice per prior approval of the strength staff. Any music containing inappropriate lyrics or curse words will not be tolerated. The strength staff will control the volume. 25. IPods are allowed on the cardiovascular equipment only. 26. Food, drinks, gum, tobacco, and toothpicks are not permitted in the weight room. 27. Athletes will follow instructions given by the strength staff at all times. 28. Any abuse of equipment, supplements, or recovery drinks will not be tolerated and may be cause for the removal of that product for your team. 29. Failure to follow any of the policies could result in a loss of weight room privileges.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Weight Room Orientation Contract Form I, _____________________________, have read all the weight room policies, rules, and regulations and hereby agree to follow them. I also acknowledge that failure to comply with these policies may result in a loss of weight room privileges. Sign: ___________________________ Print Name:______________________ Date: ___________________________

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Waiver Release Form I, ___________________________, in consideration of being permitted access to and the use of certain athletic facilities of the Athletic Department, do, for myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, hereby waive and release any officials, agents, and employees of, and from any and every nature, which I now have or may hereafter acquire arising from or by reason of any bodily injury or death that may occur in connection with my use of such athletic facilities whether by negligence or not. I understand and acknowledge that my use of the athletic facilities is solely at my own risk, and I assume full responsibility therefore. I hereby further declare that I am physically sound and that I have received approval from a licensed medical physician to participate in and make use of the athletic facilities. I further state that I have carefully read the foregoing release, that I understand the contents hereof, and that I have executed this release voluntarily. Signature:_____________________________ Print Name:_____________________________ Date:_____________________________ If student is under 18 years of age: Parent /Guardian Signature:____________________________ Date:____________________________

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Testing Procedures and Standards Testing procedures will be specific to each individual sport. Testing will be based on the strength and sport coach’s recommendations. We will also assist various sport coaches in designing and implementing test procedures. The strength and conditioning staff will be available for all aspects of testing. All testing will be performed in the safest manner possible, using the best equipment and procedures. Each individual sport will have its own standards for goal setting and achievement. Outstanding performances will be rewarded according to each individual team’s standards. Testing criteria 

Testing will be broken down into groups.



All players will be informed about the date and time of the testing.



Testing will fall on the same workout day as that lift. If we train the bench press every Monday, we will test the bench on Monday.



Form must be consistent with that of training.



All attempts will be judged by members of the strength staff. The word of the strength staff is final.



Each player will only get three attempts at each lift following warm ups.



All warm ups and attempts will be approved by the weight room staff.

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Intern Packet

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Intern Checklist 

Fill out human resources paperwork to obtain parking pass.



Fill out official intern paperwork.



Give all internship information to the university.



Direct all questions to the internship supervisor.



Receive a policies and procedures manual.



Sign off on policies and procedures manual.



Do not in any way fraternize with the athletes



Understand all internship responsibilities for daily cleaning, daily responsibilities, weekly responsibilities, and internship projects.



Do not enter offices.



Use only assigned locker room.



Report all injuries to any full-time staff member.

Weekly Internship Projects As assigned by strength staff. Semester Project As assigned by strength staff

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Daily Intern Coaching Responsibilities 

Set up work stations 30 minutes before every workout.



Set up field 30 minutes before every workout.



Get the chalk bins ready.



Break down the weight room immediately following the workouts.



Break down the entire field following the workouts.



Get post-workout shakes ready.



Check for any broken equipment.



Assist with weigh-ins.



Set up field pre-practice (cones, bands, foam rollers).



Take athletes through pre-practice and game day stretching.



Maintain a daily maintenance log.



Perform any other duty assigned by any full-time strength coach or head intern.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Weight Room Maintenance Log Daily

MON

TUES

Straighten all platforms Straighten all plates Straighten all bumper plates Spray and disinfect all pads Spray and disinfect all medicine balls Plates free and clean of chalk Organize all medicine balls Spray and clean mirrors Arrange jump pads Heavy medicine balls all in order Lat pulldowns ready to use Arrange all dumbbells logo up All benches evenly spaced All clips on racks in order (6 each) Disinfect cardio equipment All bands stored away Sweep floors Mop floors Stock fridge Stock supplements Clean and disinfect bar area Run dishwasher Dirty towels to equipment room Replace ALL trash Towels folded and ready to use Check hydration station (product/Co2) Chains in correct place All metal clear of chalk

~ 228 ~

WED

THURS

FRI

SAT

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Weight Room Maintenance Log Friday Duties Spray and clean metal frames Disinfect railings Vacuum around/between racks Check all pulleys/cables Check all rubber handles Check cleaning supplies Clean and polish wood platforms Pull all cardio/clean and mop Disinfect all bands/foam rollers Remove all dumbbells/spray and clean racks Inventory supplements Check all pads for tears/rips Little things list

~ 229 ~

Strongman Team Competition Guide

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strongman Team Competition Guide The Strongman Team competition is held to build team unity, competitiveness, and leadership. Overview The Strongman Team competition is held at the completion of the first summer session. The strength staff divides up the team into ten teams of ten, trying to make the teams as even as possible. No one is left out, and everyone contributes to the win or the loss. The strength staff then picks captains for each team. The events are then held, and the team with the most points wins. A highlight film is then made of the competition to be shown during camp. Awards There will be one, large trophy that will stay in the weight room. The winning team gets a picture plaque with their team in a picture taken with the Strongman trophy and strength staff. The second place team gets a pair of socks, and third place gets a new mouthpiece. All competitors will receive a Strongman T-shirt with 'Strongman Team' printed on the back. Strength staff will also receive an opposite colored T-shirt with 'Strongman Team Staff' printed on the back. Both T-shirts will have a logo for that year’s competition on the front. Captain’s Responsibilities The number one rule of this competition is that every person on each team must participate in an event. The captains are in charge of making sure that each person on the team participates and keeping track of which event each player will compete in. No one can participate in more than one drill unless the team has fewer than ten players due to injury or other circumstances and needs someone to make up for the missing person. Captains are also responsible for attending each event and telling the recorders whose team (captain) their athletes are on. The recorders will then put in where they place on their scorecard and get the results to the master scorekeeper so that they can record them on the master score sheet. Various Event Examples Devils Medley: At the sound of a whistle, a competitor picks up a 100-lb keg and carries it the width of the field over the opposing sideline. The competitor then picks up a 100-lb medicine ball and gets back across the start line as fast as possible. There is a five-minute warm up. Equipment needed: Five, 100-lb kegs; 5, 100-lb medicine balls; 5 stopwatches; 5 timers; and a recorder. Expeditors at next event. Log Press: A log is loaded and pressed overhead as many times as possible in one minute. The log must touch the chest and the elbows must be locked out at the end of each rep for the lift to count. Five competitors go at once. There is a five-minute warm up.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Equipment needed: Five logs; 10, 35-lb plates; 5 stopwatches; 5 counters; and a recorder. Expeditors at next event. Draft Harness Pull: A sled is loaded up with 300 lbs and hitched to a competitor. The competitor runs 50 yards. The fastest time wins. The whole sled must start behind the start line and must cross over the finish line. There is a five-minute warm up. Equipment needed: Five sleds; 15, 100-lb plates; 5 stopwatches; 5 timers; and a recorder. Expeditors at next event. Relay Race 2 X 400: One team member runs 400 meters and then hands a baton to his teammate to run another 400 meters. The fastest time wins. Five teams can run at once. There is a fiveminute warm up. Equipment needed: Five stopwatches, 5 timers, a recorder, and 5 batons. Expeditors at next event. Farmers Walk: At the sound of the whistle, take a 175-lb farmers; handle in each hand and take off. The competitor must go the width of the field, go around a cone, and get back past the start line as fast as possible. There is a five-minute warm up. Equipment needed: Five stopwatches; 10 farmers' handles; 5 rolls of tape; 20, 45-lb plates; 20, 35-lb plates; 5 timers; and a recorder. Expeditors at next event. Sled Push: A competitor has his hands on the sled, which is behind the goal line. At the whistle, the competitor runs as fast as possible over 100 yards to the opposite goal line. The fastest time wins. Five teams go at once. There is a five-minute warm up. Equipment needed: Five sleds, 5 stopwatches, 5 timers, and a recorder. Expeditors at next event. Sled Medley: A sled is placed at the 50-yard line facing the goal line. A 50-lb sandbag is on the ground at the goal line. At the whistle, the competitor grabs the sandbag, sprints, and deposits it on to the sled. He then grabs the rope and drags the sled backward until the entire sled is over the goal line. The fastest time wins. Five teams go at once. There is a five-minute warm up. Equipment needed: Five sleds, 5 sandbags, 5 stopwatches, 5 timers, and a recorder. Expeditors at next event. Weight Stack: Five various items are placed in a painted box on the field. Fifteen yards down field is another painted box. At the whistle, the competitor grabs a weight, sprints down the field, and deposits the items into the box. He repeats this process until all five items are loaded. If any of the items are outside the box, the clock does not stop until it is inside the box. The fastest time wins. Five teams go at once. There is a five-minute warm up. Equipment needed: Five, 55-lb plates; 5, 45-lb plates; 5, 35-lb plates; 5, 25-lb plates; 5, 20-lb sandbags; 5 stopwatches; 5 timers; and a recorder. Expeditors at next event. ~ 232 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Ultimate Challenge: The competitor starts on the goal line under the yoke. At the whistle, he picks up the yoke and takes it 15 yards down field. Then he gets out and flips a tire five times. He then sprints over five bags to the wooden sled. He pushes the wooden sled 15 yards to the Prowler. He pushes the Prowler 15 yards to the rack carry. He carries the rack 15 yards and then log rolls into the end zone. When he reaches the end zone, he has to sprint 100 yards, go around the cone, and get back to the yoke where he loads three, 100-lb medicine balls over the bar. The clock stops when the last ball hits the ground. The fastest time wins. Two teams go at once. There is a five-minute warm up. Equipment needed: Two yokes; 4, 100-lb plates; 2, 200-lb tires; 10 agility bags; 2 wooden sleds; 2 Prowlers; 2 racks; 2, 55-lb plates; 2, 35-lb plates; 8, 25-lb plates; 6, 100-lb medicine balls; 12 cones; 2 stopwatches; 2 timers; and a recorder. Point System First place, 10 points Second place, 9 points Third place, 8 points Fourth place, 7 points Fifth place, 6 points Sixth place, 5 points Seventh place, 4 points Eighth place, 3 points Ninth place, 2 points Tenth place, 1 point

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Schedule of Events (Example) Flex Event 1: Log press, farmers' walk warm ups Event 2: Farmers' walk, sled push warm ups Event 3: Sled push, draft harness pull warm ups Event 4: Draft harness pull, devil's medley warm ups Event 5: Devil's medley, 4 X 200 warm ups Event 6: 4 X 200, sled medley warm ups Event 7: Sled medley, weight stack warm ups Event 8: Weight stack, ultimate challenge warm ups Event 9: Ultimate challenge

~ 234 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Log Press

Team Name

Reps

~ 235 ~

Place

Points

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Farmers' Walk

Team Name

Time

~ 236 ~

Place

Points

Sled Push

Team Name

Time

~ 237 ~

Place

Points

Draft Harness Pull

Team Name

Time

~ 238 ~

Place

Points

Devil's Medley

Team Name

Time

~ 239 ~

Place

Points

2 X 400

Team Name

Time

~ 240 ~

Place

Points

Sled Medley

Team Name

Time

~ 241 ~

Place

Points

Weight Stack

Team Name

Time

~ 242 ~

Place

Points

Ultimate Challenge

Team Name

Time

~ 243 ~

Place

Points

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strongman Master Score Sheet Team

Event

Points

Team

Log Press Farmers' Walk Sled Medley 2 X 400 Weight Stack Devil's Medley Draft Harness Pull Sled Push Ultimate Challenge Total Team

Event

Event

Points

Total Team

Points

Points

Total Team

Event

Points

Log Press Farmers' Walk Sled Medley 2 X 400 Weight Stack Devil's Medley Draft Harness Pull Sled Push Ultimate Challenge

Total

Total Event

Points

Team

Log Press Farmers' Walk Sled Medley 2 X 400 Weight Stack Devil's Medley Draft Harness Pull Sled Push Ultimate Challenge Total

Event Log Press Farmers' Walk Sled Medley 2 X 400 Weight Stack Devil's Medley Draft Harness Pull Sled Push Ultimate Challenge

Log Press Farmers' Walk Sled Medley 2 X 400 Weight Stack Devil's Medley Draft Harness Pull Sled Push Ultimate Challenge Team

Points

Log Press Farmers' Walk Sled Medley 2 X 400 Weight Stack Devil's Medley Draft Harness Pull Sled Push Ultimate Challenge

Log Press Farmers' Walk Sled Medley 2 X 400 Weight Stack Devil's Medley Draft Harness Pull Sled Push Ultimate Challenge Total Team

Event

Event Log Press Farmers' Walk Sled Medley 2 X 400 Weight Stack Devil's Medley Draft Harness Pull Sled Push Ultimate Challenge

Total

~ 244 ~

Points

Incoming Signee Packet

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Program Philosophy Proficiency and maximum improvement are attained through diligent and consistent training on the right program. The program we now use with total conviction came from a multitude of training methods and workout philosophies. It is the product of much thought, distillation of ideas and principals, and numerous personal and team trials. Everything done here will be improvement-oriented. All workouts are designed to make a stronger, faster, and more powerful athlete. This plan has been developed to aid the athlete to be the absolute best that he can be. It is geared for only one thing—success. There are four components that must be adhered to if success is to be obtained—the athlete must want to be successful, he has to believe that he will be successful, he has to expect to be successful, and he has to work hard. We will give each athlete 100 percent effort every day. We will accept nothing less. It is not enough to be a survivor. Each athlete must be a competitor! Every day in everything that is done, the will to win must overcome the effort to endure. To be a champion, you can't do things correctly once in a while. You have to do them correctly all the time. The motivation should be to work hard and get better every day. We will train harder and smarter than any of our competition. We will perform smooth, proficient, controlled reps in both running and lifting to build our muscular foundation for increased strength, speed, and power. Strength and speed will increase gradually once the technique has been performed satisfactorily. All workouts have been planned to the smallest detail. Nothing is left to chance. These workouts are the blueprint for success; all that is demanded from the athlete is the effort. All reps and sets must be made. Follow the workout instructions to the letter with maximal effort, and we will not be beat. Keep the swords swinging until there are no more heads to roll. Give no quarter. Take no prisoners. There is to be only one pace…all out. There is to be only one direction...forward. — Attila the Hun

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Strength Training Philosophy The goal of our strength training program is to develop optimal muscular strength and power. Strength is the foundation of all other trained components (e.g. power, speed, and agility). Proper strength training has two goals—performance enhancement and injury prevention. It must be done in a physiologically sound, safe, purposeful, and productive way. There aren't any secrets or shortcuts to achieving maximum strength gains. A physiologically sound program is one that includes in its design the fundamental principles of training the correct energy system, using the correct rest ratio, and maximizing recovery with proper nutrition and sleeping guidelines. A safe program is designed first and foremost with the execution of properly performed repetitions. Our emphasis for our beginners is focused on how the repetition is performed rather than how much weight is lifted. Every effort should be made to minimize biomechanical loading (e.g. bouncing, recoiling) on muscles, joints, and connective tissue and to maximize muscular tension. Each repetition should be lifted under control in a deliberate fashion. We also begin to work on the athlete's work capacity and body composition. A purposeful program is one with a training protocol that has a systematic plan of increasing resistance/repetitions that will produce results. Once exercise technique is performed to our satisfaction, the weights begin to increase, and the player must perform all the reps prescribed in that workout without assistance. This is where athletes are introduced to both mental and physical pressure. Loads, work capacity, lean body mass, and the number of movement patterns increase. A productive program is one that is designed with the athlete’s best interest in mind. The athlete's inner drive is to be successful, and he is willing to pay the price no matter what it is to help him succeed on the field. It is designed with the latest research, personal trials, team experiences, and common sense. Our goal is to help the athletes achieve their optimal strength potential both in the weight room and on the playing field. Our strength training philosophy incorporates all components of strength training and is not particular to a certain genre. We go with what works and we get rid of what doesn’t. We believe that all divisions of strength training (e.g. powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, Strongman) have their place and are valuable when used correctly. It is also our belief that combining the various styles provides maximal stimulation to the athlete while keeping him from becoming overtrained, bored, or stale. It makes all weight training sessions a positive rather than negative experience for all our athletes.

~ 247 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Speed, Agility, and Quickness Philosophy The purpose of speed, agility, and quickness (SAQ) training is to enhance the development of our player’s game speed. Every player wants to be fast, and all coaches want fast players. There are few things more intimidating or demoralizing to an opponent than fast aggressive play that allows them to catch an opponent when he thinks he can’t be caught. SAQ training is implemented through proper training techniques and progressions until it becomes second nature. Speed (linear) is the ability to cover a certain distance in the shortest amount of time possible. Agility is the power to move and change direction effectively, and quickness is the power to redirect that speed. All three of these components are interchangeable and must be trained as so. SAQ training is learning to control the body by maintaining balance, coordination, and footing while moving as fast as possible. The athlete must be able to bend and move fluidly on the field of play. We feel that there are eight specific components to increase a player’s game speed. These eight components are trained every session. 

Strength/Power: The stronger and more powerful the muscles become, the more force they can produce. The more force they produce (e.g. leg striking ground while running), the faster the athlete will become. Strong musculature will also help in running more efficiently because the athlete is able to stay in optimal, perfect running technique for a longer period of time.



Footwork: The feet are the beginning of any change of direction. Good solid footwork is the key to controlling the body’s momentum. Fast feet equals fast play.



Agility: The game of football can be summed up as the ability to move in one direction, stop, and accelerate quickly in another direction without loss of speed or control. It is repeated starts and stops. Agility training is a huge part of our overall training program.



Form Run: Perfect run technique is critical to improving speed. Form run training emphasizes proper run technique in a controlled environment in order to correct any imperfections. As the movement is performed correctly over and over, natural running becomes more efficient and the athlete becomes faster.



Starts: Perfect technique coming out of the starting position or sprinter's stance will help the athlete get into the acceleration phase as fast as possible. The faster the athlete gets to the acceleration phase, the faster he gets to top speed. The faster he gets to top speed, the faster the athlete is to winning every play.

~ 248 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual



Acceleration Phase: This is the time it takes to reach top speed. It is acceleration that gives what some call an ‘extra step’ on opponents during a foot race. Aside from agility, it is one of the most important aspects of any speed development program.



Top Speed: Once the acceleration phase is complete, the athlete is considered to be at top speed. Top speed is the maximal speed you can run.



Speed Conditioning: This is the ability to sustain top speed as long as possible.

Speed Essentials Form follows function. When form breaks down, speed will suffer. This section goes into detail explaining how to run with perfect form and how to come out of the start position with force and efficiency. Remember, every second counts. Speed kills! We believe that there are only five was to increase speed: force (strength), stride frequency, stride length, form running, and takeoff (starts). 

Force (Strength): Strength is developed in the weight room and going all out in running drills. If maximum effort is not given during speed drills, the muscles will get used to training at a lower intensity/strength level (e.g. 75 percent). If the body is used to training at 75 percent and 100 percent effort is needed in a game, the body will not know how to respond. It will not be able to produce that extra burst of speed if it has not been trained to do so.



Stride Frequency: Stride frequency is defined as the amount of time it takes to get to the next stride. The faster the next stride can be reached, the more ground is covered in a shorter amount of time, making the athlete faster. This can only be achieved when running form is perfected and the body is strong enough to handle the physical toll it takes to increase speed.



Stride Length: Stride length is defined as the amount of space that is covered from one step to the next. For example, if an athlete’s stride length is 31 inches per stride over 10 yards, 14 reps are completed when running with perfect form. If each stride is increased to 32 inches with perfect running form, the athlete will cover more ground with each step, therefore covering the required distance faster. Again, this can only be achieved when running form is perfected and the body is strong enough to handle the physical toll it takes to increase speed.



Form Running: Proper form running is one of the most important factors in developing speed. Speed is fluid and smooth, not reckless and forced. We have broken down running form into two parts: upper body and lower body.



Starts: Improved starts are defined by using the starting position to put the body at the optimum advantage to explode into the first step. The faster out of the gate, the less time it takes to get into proper running form. ~ 249 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Conditioning Philosophy The objective of a conditioning program is to optimally prepare the athlete’s energy systems and muscular/joint structures to meet the physical demands of a championship season. The purpose of conditioning is to allow the athlete to recover faster from high intensity work (e.g. plays, practice reps) and sustain great effort rep after rep, play after play. It is also important to understand that the conditioning done in the off-season will help develop a more efficient aerobic/metabolic foundation. This will allow faster recovery and will get the athlete into game shape more quickly. Our goal is to reduce the level of fatigue experienced by competing at a maximal level, and conditioning is task-specific. An athlete can be in maximal running shape but sub-maximal game shape. Contrary to popular opinion, no amount of running, bounding, or hill sprints will prepare the body for the task-specific demands of football. It is not until practice and eventually playing the game that the conditioning necessary to play at a consistent high level is achieved. We have taken into consideration the physiological demands of the sport and the physical toll that it accumulates on the body. Football is a series of maximal efforts lasting 4–8 seconds in duration. This is followed by a rest interval of anywhere between 10–60 seconds. This is an average of a 1:4 work to rest ratio. This ratio makes football not only an anaerobic-based sport but an alactic-based sport as well. Alactic means that lactic acid (muscle waste) should not accumulate due to the longer rest time given between plays. We have also found that the demands for the “hurry up” offense prevalent in today’s game decreases the rest time between plays. This increases the build-up of lactic acid. That is why the aerobic system base has to be developed. The common misconception of football being predominately anaerobic is not true. The tired, dogmatic approach of only training one energy system in either short, interval bursts (anaerobic system) or long, controlled runs (aerobic system) is setting the athlete up for failure. Both systems must be optimally trained. Choosing to neglect off-season conditioning is not recommended. Coming into camp deconditioned and not acclimated to the heat will only prolong the time it takes to attain the level of football shape necessary to proficiently practice. There will be and should be situations where fatigue will be a direct result of maximal effort, but if fatigue is a result of a poor conditioning level, you deserve what you get!

~ 250 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Warm-Up Philosophy Football forces the body into awkward and unnatural positions. The way the body handles these situations is one of the keys to remaining healthy and making or not making the play. Warm ups must be taken seriously. Through proper warm ups, training, and cool downs, the chance of making plays increases and the chance of injuries decreases. Prior to every training session, whether it is strength training, conditioning, or agility drills, a complete warm up must be done. The goal of all warm-up sessions is to increase body temperature and prepare the major joints and muscles for strenuous activity throughout their full range of motion. Improving full range of motion can reduce the chance of muscle tears, ligament strains, and injuries to connective tissue. Once full range of motion has been reached, the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and joints will be more efficient, allowing the body to adapt more quickly to various situations. Current research demonstrates that strength training through a full range of motion can lead to increases in joint flexibility. No athlete will begin workouts or games or be stretched unless he is in at least a light sweat. Our warm-up drills are all interchangeable and can be used in any combination to achieve the desired effect. They are broken down into three components: dynamic warm ups, dynamic flexibility, and static flexibility. Dynamic Warm Ups: Dynamic warm ups will help improve mobility on and off the field. There are basically hundreds of exercises that we use in our dynamic warm ups. It is an excellent time to work on speed drills, central nervous system stimulation, or any mobility issues that the athlete may have. It aids in the increase of speed, power, agility, quickness, and strength and mentally prepares the athlete for the task at hand. Dynamic Flexibility: Dynamic flexibility is stretching through movement. Flexibility plays an important role in a person’s ability to be a great athlete. Movement throughout the full range of motion must be effortless during competition. With a variety of drills, we can warm up individual muscle groups through their full range of motion, pinpointing any area that an athlete may want to focus on. We use a variety of bands and/or partner stretches for this task. These are done either following a warm up prior to an exercise session or as a cool down following activity. Static Flexibility (Stretching): Stretching is joint-specific, and every major joint structure must be stretched regularly in order to maximize the effects of a flexibility program. With a variety of stretches, we can warm up individual muscle groups through their full range of motion. Static flexibility (stretching) is done either following a warm up prior to an exercise session or as a cool down following activity. Static Flexibility (Stretching) Points of Emphasis: 

Always complete all dynamic warm ups or workout sessions prior to stretching.



Remain relaxed while stretching. ~ 251 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual



Do not stretch the muscle into a position of pain. The stretch should be slightly uncomfortable but bearable.



Begin all stretches slowly. Ease into position, hold for a count, and ease back out of the stretch.



Hold all stretches for 10–20 seconds.



Do not bounce. This can cause injury and prevent flexibility development by not allowing the muscle to relax.

~ 252 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Nutrition Philosophy Physical development is a comprehensive effort that does not stop once the athlete leaves the weight room or the practice field. A sound nutrition plan is one of the most vital aspects of training. Nutrition is a controllable factor that will enhance performance and it is essential to helping athletes maximize their potential. Before knowing what to eat and why, it is vital to understand what is taking place during the training process to value the importance of a proper nutrition program. The stimuli (exercise) exposed to the athlete in the weight room or on the field is simply a stressor. Growth and recovery take place after the stressor is completed and the body is trying to adapt to the new stimuli. Failure to recover fast enough or adequately enough results in delayed development and plateaus in strength gains. Nutrition is the key player in accelerating recovery and growth. Catabolic and Anabolic An athlete’s body is either in a catabolic (survival) or anabolic (performance) state. A catabolic (survival) state means the body is relying on itself for fuel due to an inadequate intake of calories and must actually process (eat) its own most nutrient dense tissue muscle. In a catabolic state, it is impossible for muscular growth/fat burning to take place. An anabolic (performance) state means that an adequate outside source of calories is provided, and the body can begin to build new muscle tissue and get rid of surplus fat. It is also important to note that nutritional habits (timing and quality of food consumption) will determine which state the athlete is in. Some of the benefits of being in the performance mode are improved body composition, increased muscle mass, decreased likelihood of injuries, increased energy, faster strength gains, and faster recovery from intense training sessions. Keys to Being in the Anabolic (Performance) Stage 

Eating five to six times per day



Eating more calories than burned (gaining weight, building muscle)



Eating nutrient heavy foods rather than empty calories (foods that provide little nutritional value)



Eating enough protein (as much protein as possible is not necessarily best; the body can only process 15–20 grams of protein every 3–4 hours)



Staying hydrated (dehydration slows all processes down and puts muscles at risk for pulls and strains)



Eating carbohydrates (carbs are the body’s source of energy)

~ 253 ~

Sample Menus

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Some Healthier Fast Food Choices It is unrealistic to think that athletes are going to avoid fast food. It is better to eat at a fast food restaurant than it is to not eat at all. Here are the healthier food choices at some of the more popular fast food restaurants: Arby's

Calories

Fat (g)

% Fat

Protein (g)

Carb (g)

Baked Potato, Plain

240

2

7.5

6

50

Grilled Chicken Caesar

230

8

30

33

8

Light Grilled Chicken

280

5

17

23

33

Light Roast Chicken Deluxe

260

5

17

23

33

Light Roast Turkey Deluxe

260

5

17

23

33

Roast Chicken Salad

160

2.5

13

20

15

Grilled Chicken Salad

210

4.5

19

30

14

Garden Salad

70

1

7

4

14

Side Salad

25

0

0

2

5

Meal 1: Light roast chicken deluxe with baked potato, side salad Meal 2: Light grilled chicken, garden salad, baked potato Burger King

Calories

Fat (g)

% Fat

Protein (g)

Carb (g)

BK Broiler Chicken Sandwich (No Mayo)

267

8

27

22

25

Frozen Yogurt, Vanilla

120

3

22.5

2

20

Frozen Yogurt, Chocolate

130

3

20.8

3

21

Salad, Chunky Chicken

142

4

25.4

20

8

Side Salad

25

0

0

1

5

Meal 1: Chicken sandwich, side salad, frozen yogurt Meal 2: Chunky chicken salad, side salad, frozen yogurt

~ 255 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Chick-fil-A

Calories

Fat (g)

% Fat

Protein (g)

Carb (g)

Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich

280

7

21

25

29

Chargrilled Chicken Club Sandwich

360

13

30

30

31

Hearty Breast of Chicken Soup

100

1.5

10

9

13

Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad

180

6

33

23

8

Spicy Chicken Cool Wrap

390

7

17

31

51

Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap

390

7

17

31

53

Meal 1: Chargrilled chicken club sandwich, hearty breast of chicken soup Meal 2: Chargrilled chicken sandwich, chargrilled chicken garden salad Dunkin' Donuts

Calories

Fat (g)

% Fat

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)

Reduced Fat Blueberry Muffin

450

12

24

8

77

Bagel, Cinnamon 'N Raisin

340

3.5

9

11

69

Bagel, Everything

360

2.5

6

12

67

Bagel, Garlic

360

2.5

6

12

68

Bagel, Onion

350

4

10

12

66

Calories

Fat (g)

% Fat

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)

English Muffin

140

2

10

4

25

Chicken McGrill without mayo

340

7

19

26

45

Egg McMuffin

300

12

20

18

30

Hamburger

280

10

32

12

35

Southwest Chicken Salad (grilled)

270

9

30

30

30

Meal 1: Everything bagel Meal 2: Reduced fat blueberry muffin, garlic bagel McDonald's

~ 256 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Meal 1: Hamburger, chicken salad Meal 2: Southwest chicken salad, chicken McGrill without mayo KFC

Calories

Fat (g)

% Fat

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)

Original Recipe, Whole Wing

140

10

15

9

5

Original Recipe, Drumstick

140

9

13

13

4

Original Recipe, Thigh

250

18

28

16

6

Extra Crispy, Whole Wing

220

15

23

10

10

Extra Crispy, Drumstick

195

12

19

15

7

Hot & Spicy, Whole Wing

210

25

23

10

9

Hot & Spicy, Drumstick

175

10

17

13

9

Original Recipe Sandwich without sauce

360

13

20

29

21

Triple Crunch Sandwich without sauce

390

15

23

25

29

Triple Crunch Zinger Sandwich without sauce

390

15

23

25

36

Tender Roast Sandwich with sauce

350

15

23

32

26

Tender Roast Sandwich without sauce

270

5

8

31

23

Honey BBQ Flavored Sandwich

310

6

19

28

37

Colonels Crispy Strips, 3 pcs

300

16

24

26

18

Spicy Crispy Strips, 3 pcs

335

15

22

25

23

Honey BBQ Strips, 3 pcs

377

15

23

27

33

Blazin Strips, 3 pcs

315

16

25

26

21

Mashed Potatoes w/Gravy

120

6

9

1

17

Potato Wedges

280

13

20

5

28

Macaroni and Cheese

180

8

12

7

21

Corn on the Cob

150

1.5

3

5

35

BBQ Baked Beans

190

3

5

6

33

Cole Slaw

232

13.5

21

2

26

Meal 1: Triple crunch sandwich without sauce, mashed potatoes with gravy, corn on the cob ~ 257 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Meal 2: Tender roast sandwich without sauce, mac n 'cheese, BBQ baked beans *Subway (All Without Cheese)

Calories

Fat (g)

% Fat

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)

6" Steak & Cheese

362

13

32

23

41

6" Honey Mustard Turkey with Cucumber

275

3.5

12

22

42

*6" Ham Sub

261

4.5

15

17

39

*6" Roast Beef

264

4.5

15

18

39

*6" Roasted Chicken Breast

311

6

16

25

40

*6" Subway Club®

294

5

15

22

40

*6" Turkey Breast

254

3.5

12

16

39

*6" Turkey Breast with Ham

267

4.5

15

18

40

*6" Veggie Delight

200

2.5

11

7

37

Calories

Fat (g)

% Fat

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)

Bean Burrito

380

12

28.9

13

55

Grilled Chicken Burrito

410

15

32.9

50

17

Grilled Steak Soft Taco

170

5

10

11

21

Chicken Enchirito

240

5

8

15

32

Meal 1: Six-inch turkey breast, baked chips Meal 2: Six-inch roast beef, baked chips Taco Bell

Meal 1: Grilled chicken tacos, bean burrito Meal 2: Grilled chicken burrito, chicken enchrito

~ 258 ~

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Wendy's

Calories

Fat (g)

% Fat

Protein (g)

Carbs (g)

Jr. Hamburger

270

9

30

14

34

Grilled Chicken Sandwich

300

7

20

24

36

Chili, Large

310

10

29

23

32

Chili, Small

210

7

28

15

21

Baked Potato, Plain

310

0

0

7

72

Baked Potato, Broccoli & Cheese

470

14

27

9

80

Baked Potato, Sour Cream & Chives

370

5

14

7

72

Meal 1: Grilled chicken sandwich, small chili Meal 2: Large chili, baked potato with sour cream and chives

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Strength and Conditioning Running and Lifting Program Here is your eight-week lifting and running program. Each day is carefully outlined to prepare you to get in the best possible shape. Be sure and follow the program to its entirety. All lifting should be performed first and if possible immediately followed by the running for the day. Before any running, be sure to follow the flex page for a proper warm up. This will allow your muscles to be ready, preventing injury and allowing you to train at full speed. All lifting should be done using perfect form. Weight is not important at this stage of your training. Perfect form accompanied by small increases in weight will better prepare your body for the rigors of strength and conditioning at the collegiate level. Following the warm-up sets, all sets should be performed using a weight that will allow you to complete all the required reps using perfect form. It may take you some time to determine exactly where you are supposed to be in terms of the weight used. It is better to start lower and work your way up than to go too heavy and work your way back down. Too much weight too fast will hinder overall development. If all sets and reps are successfully completed with the weight being used, you should increase the weight in the following week. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Good luck!

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Warm Up Week 1–8

Monday Speed Ladder (Pick 6), Dot Drills (Pick 3)

Speed Ladder One in Each Two in Each Jumping Jacks Backward Jacks Ali Shuffle Icky Shuffle (Forward/Backward) Hops (Single & Double) Side Shuffle (Right/Left)

Tuesday Dynamic Warm Up X 20 yards (Pick 10)

Thursday Speed Ladder (Pick 6), Dot Drills (Pick 3)

Friday Dynamic Warm Up X 20 yards (Pick 10)

Dynamic Warm-Up

Dot Drill Side-to-side V Down Down and Back Slalom Down, Reverse, Back

High Knees Side Shuffle Butt Kicks Straight Leg Back Pedal Cairoca

Dead Leg Cycle Run Form Quick Feet Turn and Go Get-Up and Go Jumping Jacks

Touch All

Backward Run A-Skip B-Skip

Crab Walk Bear Crawl Ankle Run

Agility Stations (Examples) Bags Ropes Cones 4 Cones Field Drills *Use your imagination. Pick drills that will make you better and players can strive for the perfect rep.

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Week

1

2

3

4

Monday Warm Up (see above) Overhead Squat 3 X 5 Jump Shrug 4 X 3 Squat 4 X 6 Walking Lunge 3 X 24 Steps Dumbbell Row 4 X 8 Lat Pull-down 4 X 10 Bar Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125 Warm Up (see above) Overhead Squat 3 X 5 Jump Shrug 4 X 3 Squat 4 X 6 Walking Lunge 3 X 24 steps Dumbbell Row 4 X 8 Lat Pulldown 4 X 10 Bar Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125 Warm Up (see above) Overhead Squat 3 X 5 Jump Shrug 4 X 3 Squat 4 X 4 Walking Weighted Lunge 3 X 24 steps Dumbbell Row 4 X 8 Lat Pulldown 4 X 10 Bar Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125 Warm Up (see above) Overhead Squat 3 X 5 Jump Shrug 4 X 3 Squat 4 X 4 Walking Weighted Lunge 3 X 24 steps Dumbbell Row 4 X 8 Lat Pulldown 4 X 10 Bar Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125

Weeks 1–4 Lifting Tuesday Warm Up (see above) Push Press 5 X 3 Bench Press 4 X 6 Retractions 3 X 10 Incline Dumbbell 4 X 6 Side Lateral, Front Raise 2 X 10 Triceps Pushdowns 4 X 12 Abs X 125

Thursday Warm Up (see above) Power Shrug 4 X 5 Front Squat 4 X 6 RDL 3 X 8 Reverse Hyper 3 X 10 Bent Row 4 X 8 Dumbbell Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125

Friday Warm Up (see above) Military Press 3 X 4 Incline Bench 3 X 8 Shrugs 3 X 12 Upright Row 3 X 10 Nose Breakers 4 X 7 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Push Press 5 X 3 Bench Press 4 X 6 Retractions 3 X 10 Incline Dumbbell 4 X 6 Side Lateral, Front Raise 2 X 10 Triceps Pushdowns 4 X 12 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Power Shrug 4x5 Front Squat 4x6 RDL 3x8 Reverse Hyper 3x10 Bent Row 4x8 Dumbbell Curls 3x12 Abs x125

Warm Up (see above) Military Press 3x4 Incline Bench 3x8 Shrugs 3x12 Upright Row 3x10 Nose Breakers 4x7 Abs x125

Warm Up (see above) Push Press 4 X 4 Bench Press 4 X 4 Retractions 3 X 10 Incline Dumbbell 4 X 6 Side Lateral, Front Raise 2 X 10 Triceps Pushdowns 4 X 12 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Power Shrug 3x5 Front Squat 4x4 RDL 3x8 Reverse Hyper 3x10 Bent Row 4x8 Dumbbell Curls 3x12 Abs x125

Warm Up (see above Military Press 3x4 Incline Bench 3x6 Shrugs 3x12 Upright Row 3x10 Nose Breakers 4x7 Shrugs 3x15 Abs x125

Warm Up (see above) Push Press 4 X 4 Bench Press 4 X 4 Retractions 3 X 10 Incline Dumbbell 4 X 6 Side Lateral, Front Raise 2 X 10 Triceps Pushdowns 4 X 12 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Power Shrug 3 X 5 Front Squat 4 X 4 RDL 3 X 8 Reverse Hyper 3 X 10 Bent Row 4 X 8 Dumbbell Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above. Military Press 3 X 4 Incline Bench 3 X 6 Shrugs 3 X 12 Upright Row 3 X 10 Nose Breakers 4 X 7 Shrugs 3 X 15 Abs X 125

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Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Week

5

6

7

8

Monday Warm Up (see above) Overhead Squat 3 X 5 Jump Shrug 4 X 3 (explosive) Squat 8 X 3 GHR 3 X 10 Dumbbell Row 4 X 8 Medium-Grip Lat Pull 4 X8 Bar Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125 Warm Up (see above) Overhead Squat 3 X 5 Jump Shrug 4 X 3 (explosive) Squat 6 X 3 GHR 3 X 10 Dumbbell Row 4 X 8 Medium-Grip Lat Pull 4 X8 Bar Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125 Warm Up (see above) Overhead Squat 3 X 5 Jump Shrug 4 X 3 (explosive) Squat 4 X 3 GHR 3 X 10 Dumbbell Row 4 X 8 Medium-Grip Lat Pull 4 X8 Bar Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125 Warm Up (see above) Overhead Squat 3 X 5 Jump Shrug 4 X 3 (explosive) Squat 3 X 3 GHR 3 X 10 Dumbbell Row 4 X 8 Medium-Grip Lat Pull 4 X8 Bar Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125

Weeks 5–8 Lifting Tuesday Warm Up (see above) Push Press 4 X 4 Bench Press 8 X 3 Retractions 3 X 10 Incline Dumbbell 4 X 6 Side Lateral, Front Raise 2 X 10 Dips X 30 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Push Press 4 X 4 Bench Press 6 X 3 Retractions 3 X 10 Incline Dumbbell 4 X 4 Side Lateral, Front Raise 2 X 10 Dips X 30 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Power Shrug 3 X 5 Front Squat 3 X 6 Overhead Step-Ups 3 X8 Reverse Hyper 3 X 10 Bent Row 4 X 6 Dumbbell Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Push Press 4 X 4 Bench Press 4 X 3 Retractions 3 X 10 Incline Dumbbell 4 X 4 Side Lateral, Front Raise 2 X 10 Dips X 30 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Power Shrug 3 X 5 Front Squat 3 X 5 Overhead Step-Ups 3 X8 Reverse Hyper 3 X 10 Bent Row 4 X 6 Dumbbell Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125

Friday Warm Up (see above) Dumbbell Military 3 X4 Speed Bench 4 X 4 (-100 lbs from Tues.) Upright Row 3 X 10 Nose Breakers 4 X 7 Shrugs 3 X 15 Abs X 125 Warm Up (see above) Dumbbell Military 3 X4 Speed Bench 4 X 4 (-100 lbs from Tues.) Upright Row 3 X 10 Nose Breakers 4 X 7 Shrugs 3 X 15 Abs X 125 Warm Up (see above) Dumbbell Military 3 X4 Speed Bench 4 X 4 (-100 lbs from Tues.) Upright Row 3 X 10 Nose Breakers 4 X 7 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Push Press 4 X 4 Bench Press 3 X 3 Retractions 3 X 10 Incline Dumbbell 4 X 4 Side Lateral, Front Raise 2 X 10 Dips X 30 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Power Shrug 3 X 5 Front Squat 3 X 4 Overhead Step-Ups 3 X8 Reverse Hyper 3 X 10 Bent Row 4 X 6 Dumbbell Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125

Warm Up (see above) Dumbbell Military 3 X4 Speed Bench 4 X 4 (-100 lbs from Tues.) Upright Row 3 X 10 Nose Breakers 4 X 7 Abs X 125

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Thursday Warm Up (see above) Power Shrug 3 X 5 Front Squat 3 X 7 Overhead Step-Ups 3 X8 Reverse Hyper 3 X 10 Bent Row 4 X 8 Dumbbell Curls 3 X 12 Abs X 125

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Week 1

2

3

4

Monday Warm Up 4 X 200 yd (1:45 rest) :37 Line :35 Mid :32 Skill Cool Down (Stretch) Warm Up 5 X 200 yd (1:45 rest) :37 Line 6 X 200 yd (1:45 rest) :35 Mid :32 Skill Cool Down (Stretch) Warm Up 5 X 200 yd (1:45 rest) :37 Line 6 X 200 yd (1:45 rest) :35 Mid :32 Skill Cool Down (Stretch) Warm Up 10 X 100 yd (:35 rest) :18 Line :16 Mid :14 Skill Cool Down (Stretch)

Weeks 1–4 Running Tuesday Thursday Warm Up Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 4 X 200 yd (1:45 rest) 6) :45 Line Work :90, Rest :60 :40 Mid station :35 Skill Cool Down (Stretch) Cool Down (Stretch)

Friday Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 station Cool Down (Stretch)

Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 station Cool Down (Stretch)

Warm Up 4 X 200 yd (1:45 rest) :42 Line :47 Mid :32 Skill Cool Down (Stretch)

Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 station Cool Down (Stretch)

Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 station 4 ½ Gassers :19 Line :17 Mid :15 Skill Cool Down (Stretch) Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 6 ½ Gassers :19 Line :17 Mid :15 Skill Cool Down (Stretch)

Warm Up 2 X 200 yd (1:45 rest) :42 Line :47 Mid :32 Skill 4 X 100 yd (:35 rest) :18 Line :16 Mid :14 Skill Cool Down (Stretch) Warm Up 6 X 100 yd (:35 rest) :18 Line :16 Mid :14 Skill 4 X 60 yd (Effort) Cool Down (Stretch)

Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 station Cool Down (Stretch)

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Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 station Cool Down (Stretch)

Blueprint for Success: A Strength & Conditioning Coach's Manual

Week 5

6

Monday Warm Up 8 X 100 yd :17 Line :15 Mid :13 Skill 6 X 60 yd :09 Line :08 Mid :07 Skill Cool Down (Stretch) Warm Up 6 X 100 yd :17 Line :15 Mid :13 Skill 10 X 60 yd :09 Line :08 Mid :07 Skill Cool Down (Stretch)

7

Warm Up 14 X 60 yd :09 Line :08 Mid :07 Skill Cool Down (Stretch)

8

Warm Up 10 X 100 yd :17 Line :15 Mid :13 Skill Cool Down (Stretch)

Weeks 5–8 Running Tuesday Thursday Warm Up Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) 4 X 100 yd Work :90, Rest :60 :17 Line 12 ¼ Gassers :15 Mid :09 Line :13 Skill :08 Mid 10 X 60 yd :07 Skill :09 Line Cool Down (Stretch) :08 Mid :07 Skill Cool Down (Stretch) Warm Up Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) 2 X 100 yd Work :90, Rest :60 :17 Line 12 ¼ Gassers :15 Mid :09 Line :13 Skill :08 Mid 10 X 60 yd :07 Skill :09 Line Cool Down (Stretch) :08 Mid :07 Skill 4 X 40 yd (Effort) Cool Down (Stretch) Warm Up Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) 8 X 60yd Work :90, Rest :60 :09 Line 14 ¼ Gassers :08 Mid :09 Line :07 Skill :08 Mid 8 X 40yd (Effort) :07 Skill Cool Down (Stretch) Cool Down (Stretch) Warm Up Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) 4 X 60 yd Work :90, Rest :60 :09 Line station :08 Mid 14 ¼ Gassers :07 Skill :09 Line 4 X 40 yd (Effort) :08 Mid Cool Down (Stretch) :07 Skill Cool Down (Stretch)

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Friday Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 station Cool Down (Stretch)

Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 station Cool Down (Stretch)

Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 station Cool Down (Stretch)

Warm Up Agility Stations (Pick 6) Work :90, Rest :60 station Cool Down (Stretch)