I've had a few weeks to let the winter workouts sink in.  I've looked at numbers, injuries and have had a chance to see the kids go through two helmet practices, one half pad practice and one full pad practice.  That Joe Kenn character is on to something.

Lifting

We didn't have the "perfect" weekly lifting schedule so I adjusted the days how I saw fit.  Our weekly set up looked like this:

  • Monday: Total
  • Tuesday: Upper
  • Thursday: Lower

I did something I don't usually do!  I decided to use their actual maxes to generate their numbers for the first 3 week cycle (General/Hypertrophy).  In the future I won't do this, but it worked out.

We did three weeks of very basic movements to make sure they had a base to work from.  I used the fourth week as a scheduled deload (which I don't usually have to do when I use a 90% training max).  Nonetheless, it went well.  By Week 4 the guys NEEDED a deload.

In this cycle I didn't do much DB work.  Just about everything was done with a barbell with the goal of building a base.

I used what would be considered the Traditional Tier (I might be screwing up the verbiage).

  • Tier 1: Heavy
  • Tier 2: Moderate
  • Tier 3: Light

During the deload week I introduced some of the "new" stuff (Dynamic Effort Squat and the DB work).

After using their actual maxes I used the deload week to go back to their 90% training max.  We deloaded the assistance work, but kept right on rolling with the progression.  This gave me two, 3 week cycles to finish out the winter.

The first three weeks went 75/80/85% followed by 80/85/90% (test week).  I used this for the Squat, Bench and Hang Clean.  We also tracked numbers by hand for the Push Press, Hang Snatch, Front Squat and Incline.  Just to give the guys something to shoot for each week.

During this cycle I continued to use the Traditional Tier for Bench and Hang Clean.   For the Squat I introduced Dynamic Effort work.  You could equate this to the Elite Tier (again, I may be screwing up the words).

I did this because I like to "athlete the lower and bodybuild the upper".  I don't see a huge need for Dynamic Effort work for the Bench.

The daily workouts were set up like this:

Monday

  • Tier 1: Total Foundation - Heavy
  • Tier 2: Lower Supplemental - Light/Speed (DE Squat)
  • Tier 3: Upper Assistance - Volume (I paired Push-ups or Dips and Pull-ups with the DE Squat.  I'm not supposed to do this, but I wanted to get a conditioning effect and teach them to be explosive when they were tired.  We did a set every 30 seconds (15 sets took 7 minutes).

Tuesday

  • Tier 1: Upper Foundation - Heavy (paired w/row)
  • Tier 2: Total Supplemental - Light/Speed (Push Press)
  • Tier 3: Lower Assistance - Volume (BB Reverse Lunge)
  • I did the same thing with the Reverse Lunge as I did with the DE Squat (DB Incline and more Pull-ups - 15 sets in 7 minutes).

Thursday

  • Tier 1: Lower Foundation
  • Tier 2: Upper Supplemental (5x5 at top weight - 20% less than Tuesday)  We preached bar speed using a moderate volume set up.
  • Tier 3: Total Assistance:  This changed every three weeks. We did Hang Snatch, Clean Pulls, Hang Clean Front Squat

I'll write up the actual lifts at the end of this nonsense.

Conditioning

We did general conditioning every Monday (10, 50's).  For the first three weeks we did the same thing on Wednesday.  For the next three weeks we introduced Speed work, specifically, starts.  For the final three weeks we did flying 20's, 30's and 40's.  Really basic.

Fridays were full team conditioning.  The first 3 weeks was competition with general drills (Sled Push, Tire Flip, Bag/Cone Drill).  The next six weeks we did more football specific cone/agility drills.  Again, very basic.

I think I did a pretty good job of making the conditioning mimic what we were trying to accomplish in the weight room.

Changes

Where I did screw up is having faith that the non-scholarship football players would train hard over Christmas break and be prepared.  About Week 3 we started getting some overuse injuries/issues.  Hamstrings, hip flexors, tight backs - the stuff that goes wrong when you're not prepared to work.

I don't do high volume, like most, when they come back from break (time off).  Moving forward, I will reduce volume even more the first week, increase a little the second week and by the third week be at the level I want so we can move on to the next cycle.

The basic set-up will look like this:

  • Cycle 1 : Reconditioning
  • Cycle 2: Volume
  • Cycle 3: Strength

This is kind of what I did, but I think I had too much volume and not enough reconditioning in the first cycle.

I'm going to implement this with summer workouts and see if the changes work.  I know we'll have kids on campus for 9 weeks this summer, so it can be an apples to apples comparison.

Does Joe Kenn Have a Clue?

I absolutely love the program set up.  As I mentioned in my previous article about the Tier System, I used my progression.  I made sure that the set/rep schemes fit with the intentions of each Tier.  I think, for the most part, I got this right.

I am a believer in getting good at lifts, so by nature, I don't have a lot of variety in my lifts.  This is good and bad.  Good because the guys stop getting sore and get really good at the compound lifts.  Bad because in sport there is variety in movement, constantly.

My fix?  Tier 1 (Foundation) never changes.  Tier 2 and 3 will stick around for at least 3 weeks (my normal cycle length).  Tier 4 and 5 changed every 2 weeks.  In the future it will be every 3 weeks (because that's easier for me to keep track of).

I got my constants and found a way to incorporate change/variety and still stick to my basic training principals.

I have incorporated it with the other teams I work with and may incorporate it program wide.  I just don't know it well enough, yet to make that happen.

I'm experimenting with creating a beginner/introductory Tier set-up for all of the freshmen to go through before they get on to the "normal" program.  I do this already, so I just have to figure out how to do it with the Tier principals (might be principles? I'm not checking to see if I used the correct spelling).

I'm also figuring out how to set it up based on the part of the training cycle I'm in (1. Reconditioning 2. Volume 3. Strength).  I have a few ideas, but I haven't completely figured out how to "follow the rules", yet.  I don't want to do it if I have to change the rules.  I may bend the rules, but it has to stay true to the intention of each tier.

Football had a great winter.  Mostly because the guys worked their asses off.  But, I think the change in the organization of workouts and the variety of exercises (from a mental and physical standpoint) played a role in the success.  After all, I am still using my basic progression and the same basic exercises as I've always used.

I'm looking forward to my summer programs.  I'll be using the winter and spring programs to fine tune things.  Total side note: I took extensive notes on each week's workout sheets so I would have some things to go back and look at.  It's impossible to remember all the things you see if you don't write them down.

As promised, here's the basic set up of the first cycle:

Monday

  • Hang Clean: 4x3 (Hang Clean Pro - 5% jumps)
  • Front Squat: 5x5 paired w/
  • Pull-ups: 5x10/5x5 (Line)
  • Clean Pull (Hang): 3x5 (at top weight)
  • DB Single-leg - forward/backward (I let my assistants choose): 2x5 each paired w/
  • Push-ups or Dips: 2x10-20
  • RDL: 3x10 paired w/
  • SB Leg Curls: 2x10
  • Team Abs: 100

Tuesday

  • Bench: 3x5 (3 Set Pro - 10% jumps) paired w/
  • DB or BB ROw: 5x10
  • Hang Snatch: 4x3 (Hang Clean Pro)
  • Deadlift/Trap Bar (Line) Clean Pull (Floor): 5x5
  • Pull-ups or Inverted Row: 5x10
  • Press Variation (Flat, Incline, Overhead) (I let my assistants choose): 3x10
  • Row (I let my assistants choose): 3x10-15
  • DB Clean: 2x5 each
  • Partner Glute Ham: 2x5
  • Team Abs: 100

Thursday

  • Squat: 3x5 (3 Set Pro - 10% jumps)
  • Incline: 5x5
  • Row (I let my assistants choose): 5x10
  • Push Press: 5x3
  • DB Single-leg - lateral (I let my assistants choose): 2x5 each
  • Pull-ups: 5x10/5x5 (Line)
  • RDL: 3x10
  • Straight-leg Single-leg Hip Extension: 2x10 each
  • Team Abs: 100

As I mentioned, I will drop the volume this summer during this phase.  If the kids did 3/4 of what they should've done over break this would've been fine.  That simply doesn't happen, so I have to adjust.

Cycles 2 and 3 (basic set-up)

Monday

  • Hang Clean: 4x3 (3 weeks) 4x3/2/1 (3 weeks)
  • Speed Squat: 5x3 (20% less than top weight of the week)
  • Pull-ups: 5x5
  • Push-ups: 5x10
  • This was a Tri Set.  Sets were done every 30 seconds - 7 minutes total)
  • SA DB Clean (split landing): 2x3 each
  • RDL: 3x15
  • NeckTraps/Upper Back
  • Harness/Plate: 25/25
  • Seated DB Clean: 15-20
  • Shoulder 21's: 1x
  • DB Empty the can: 10-15
  • Abs
  • Plate Sit-ups: 10-15
  • Plate Side Bend: 10-15
  • Plank: 30-60 seconds

Tuesday

  • Bench: 3x5 (3 Set Pro)
  • Row (choice): 5x10
  • Push Press: 5x3 (3 weeks) 5x2 (3 weeks)
  • BB Reverse Lunge: 5x3 each
  • Pull-ups: 5x5
  • DB Incline: 5x10
  • This was a Tri Set.  Sets were done every 30 seconds - 7 minutes total)
  • DB Snatch: 2x5 each
  • Back Extension/GHR Combo: 2x5
  • Neck/Traps/Upper Back
  • Harness/Plate: 25/25
  • BB Shrug: 15-20
  • DB L-Raise: 10-15
  • Pull-aparts: 15-20
  • Team Abs: 100

Friday

  • Squat: 3x5 (3 Set Pro)
  • 3-grip Bench: 6x5 (2 sets with each grip)
  • Row (choice): 6x10
  • Snatch-grip Clean Pull (floor): 4x3
  • DB Lunge to Step-up: 2x3 each
  • Pull-up Game 10/8/6/4/2 - Line 5/4/3/2/1
  • Dip Game 10/8/6/4/2 - Line 5/4/3/2/1
  • PGH: 2x5
  • Neck/Traps/Upper Back
  • Seated DB Upright Row: 15-20
  • Front Plate Raise: 10-15
  • Face Pull to L-Raise: 10-15
  • Abs
  • Hanging Leg Raise: 5-10
  • Rollouts: 10-15
  • GHR Sit-ups: 10-15

You've probably noticed I have my teams do A LOT of work.  I think it's a little too much.  I can see where I need to get more efficient and trim the fat.  As I moved through the new set up I started to drop some of my old habits that may cause some of the inefficiency.

I'm always in a constant process of trimming the fat and stripping everything down to the basics.  Obviously, this isn't basic.  But, having gone through it, taken extensive notes and reviewing it has me with a better understanding of how to manipulate the system.

The good thing is, the football coach doesn't care about much more than moving better and being in decent shape during spring ball.  He'll take the extra size on the guys and lack of true football conditioning because he knows that we'll do a lot more conditioning in the summer.  This leeway is helpful.

I actually met with him right after the winter season and told him I did too much.  He basically said, I don't care.  They look great.

We really did have good results.  I think with the changes I have in mind for the summer will guys feeling even better going into the season.

Time will tell.

I love the Tier System set up and would recommend learning about and understanding it.  even if you don't implement it by the letter the ideas and concepts are sound.  As they say down here, "That dog will hunt."