Building a program that helps maximize your performance on the football field is a lot like building the house of your dreams. In both cases, a solid foundation must be the base in which all other aspects are built upon. Follow this simple rule and you will have laid the groundwork for optimal performance that can be built and improved upon for your entire career. Get ahead of yourself, and you can plan on dealing with frustrating plateaus and sub-optimal performances.

Lets take a closer look at the building blocks that have proven to develop speed, explosive power, and athletic performance. Focus on mastering the following foundational exercises and you will be rewarded come game day.

Level 1: These should not be a surprise to anyone. They are staples in most football programs

for good reason. If you have been stuck on any of the following exercises for a while, I would strongly suggest that you review your technique. It is very common for a first time client at our facility to make a couple technical adjustments and add 10 lbs to these lifts on day one.

All level one goals are based on body weight. Relative body strength is truly the foundation in which all other athletic qualities are built.

Squat / deadlift variations: A good starting goal is a 1RM in the squat or deadlift at a load that represents 2x the athletes body weight. We have seen steady improvements in speed at our facility as athletes approach these numbers.

Power clean: A 1RM in this lift at 1.3 – 1.5 x the athletes body weight is a great foundational start. This ensures that our strength is being transferred to power.

Bench press: 1.5 x body weight in this lift is our first foundational goal.

These are just our foundational starting numbers. If you have already achieved these, great! Continue to improve upon your foundation. Please don’t get caught up in only chasing numbers though. Only perfect technique will transfer to the field.

Level 2: Exercises in this section will have a wide variety of performance benefits. Put a significant amount of effort here and you can expect better acceleration, injury reduction, and improved level 1 lifts.

Single leg lower body lifts: Performed correctly, exercises of this nature will help make the hip/knee more stable, correct right to left imbalances, and improve acceleration. These include all step up, split squat, & lunge variations.

Pull-up variations: getting strong in the pulling exercises will help balance out and keep the shoulder joint healthy. Also, keep in mind that strength in the shoulder girdle can play a role in up to 10% of your acceleration and vertical jump.

Posterior chain work: Direct work for the low back, glutes, and hamstrings will not only improve explosive power and acceleration, but will help balance out the lower body from front to back. When balanced, you are much less likely to sustain non-trauma lower body injuries.

Upper body DB work: In my opinion this may be more important than the traditional bench press. You get the same training effect, as well as the added benefit of shoulder stability and right to left balance. More times than not, improved strength in the DB press leads to better numbers in the traditional bench press.

Level 3: If you have laid the groundwork on levels 1 & 2, these exercises will help put the finishing touches on a very well rounded program.

Rowing variations: Putting in work with rowing movements will help add size to the torso to better take and deliver hits. They will also help keep the shoulder healthy which is always a big concern for football players.

Jumping & plyometric variations: Single & double leg box jumps, hurdle jumps, hops, skips, and bounds are all good tools to help teach the body to utilize elastic energy and transfer strength to explosive power. That means better acceleration, agility, and bone jarring hits.

Strongman lifts: Tire flips, keg tosses, and log presses are all great ways to develop highly transferable football strength. While heavy farmers walks and yolk carries will challenge your core like nothing you can get in a gym. Want to really test your metal? Set them up in a conditioning medley and enjoy.

The take home message here is that the better your foundation, the higher your peak will be. Put the majority of your efforts into the level 1 & 2 exercises, use level 3′s to round out your program, and expect to be rewarded for your efforts. Time to set your foundational goals and get to work. Best of luck in your training endeavors.

Brian graduated from the University of Kansas in 1998, with a bachelors of science degree in Exercise Science. He then attained his strength and condition certification through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In 2000, Brian earned the head trainer position at Lawrence Athletic Club, where he was in charge of educating new employees in the basics of personal training and strength coaching. In 2001, he moved to Denver, Colorado where he began studying and interning under the world renown strength coach Charles Poliquin, as well as local NFL combine preparation specialist, Jim Warren. In 2002, Brian founded Next Level Performance to finally put his education and experience into practice, producing two collegiate All-Americans in the first year of operation. In addition, Brian has served as a performance based seminar speaker, consulted for individual NBA off-season training programs, is Poliquin theory 1 and 2 certified, and has amassed thousands of hours of research time in the exercise science field.

By Brian_C_Powers