Give Them What They Need
By
Tobias J. Jacobi
In an earlier
article, I wrote about making sure
you develop the basics when it comes to strength training. Too often, we get
caught up in all the bells and whistles of lifting and forget the building
blocks. However, once you have mastered the basics and have developed a solid
strength base, it’s time to change things up.
In this article, I’ll discuss the different training programs we use here at
Charleston Southern and how we move from program to program. It’s very important
to give each athlete what they need to get stronger, so I’ll discuss how we
individualize our program in a team setting.
When discussing our different training programs, the easiest way to talk is
in terms of our off-season football strength and conditioning program. During
our off-season, we break things down as much as possible to give the players
exactly what they need from our strength training program. During the fall
season, we take all of our players through a full training program that focuses
on lifting progressions and basic strength development.
We have three different levels that we employ with our football program.
Level 1 is for all of the brand new players to our program. Usually mid-year
transfers or new walk-ons fall into this category. This program is very much
like the program discussed in the previous article. It includes basic body
weight exercises with high volume to build the base levels of strength. As time
continues, weights are added into the plan, resistance increases, and the volume
decreases.
Level 2 is the most commonly used training program with our players. To be
able to lift in the level 2 program, the player must either meet the level 2
lifting requirements or the player must have been in our training program for at
least two years. The level 2 program uses basic linear periodization with high
reps and low weight moving to low reps and high weights.
Level 3 is only for athletes who meet the lifting requirements. This level
uses conjugate periodization, which is a combination of max effort, dynamic, and
repetition methods. This level is the least used because it requires the player
to have high levels of strength and power along with a high commitment to
training. If I don’t trust a player, I won’t allow him to move to a different
level because the workload in level 3 is intense and must be performed properly
and safely.
Below is the basic level to level requirements by position.
Using this format basically allows the athlete to get what he needs depending
on his current strength training history. Attached are the basic breakdowns of
our training programs in an overall format for each different level. Giving the
athlete what they need is the job of a strength and conditioning coach. Once I
began to implore this programming with my athletes, I’ve seen great results. If
you would like more information, please feel free to contact me at
tjacobi@csuniv.edu.
Elite Fitness Systems strives to be a recognized leader in the strength
training industry by providing the highest quality strength training products
and services while providing the highest level of customer service in the
industry. For the best training equipment, information, and accessories, visit
us at www.EliteFTS.com.
