Strength Training for Linemen

Patrick McHenry MA, CSCS*D Ponderosa High School

What is the ULTIMATE job of a Linemen?

ALLOWS OTHERS TO DO THEIR JOB! FOUNDATION OF THE TEAM Protection 1st line of defense

Many more aspects to their job.

Bigger sometimes overweight /obese

patch kids in little league cannot catch ball not as fast as the others do not have good footwork

What is the PERCEPTION of a linemen?

Not as athletic

COULD NOT BE FARTHER FROM THE TRUTH

Critical Areas of Development

Lower Body Train the Nervous System Foot Quickness Acceleration Doyle

Areas of Focus
Strength:
Lower body to maintain pad level accelerate/ decelerate Upper body to punch Rotational Grip strength

Hand Speed:

Infighting Punching at different areas / angles

Footwork

1st & 2nd step Move lateral, backward, arch quick

Flexibility :
Hip / knee / ankle Allows for triple joint extension

Balance:
Shoulders back/ not leaning too for forward Head up, weight evenly distributed Right / left

How Do we Develop this?

Lifting
Agility Plyometrics Strongman Training

Critical Areas of Correction

Flexibility Torso Strength Posterior Shoulder Posterior Chain

Doyle

Do not allow your athletes to develop poor technique.

Smaller gains in that exercise Less transfer to other performance activities (i.e. Specificity) Increased likelihood that the athlete will never develop good technique Increase injury potential
Stone, M.H. NSCA Sports Performance Enhancement Consortium

If an athlete cannot execute a squat properly, the solution is not to find an alternative movement but to correct the problem. Doyle

Lifting
Strength in / off season & early preseason Power in late preseason & in season / playoffs Multi joint Ground based Vary Stances
Stable / staggered

Rotational Grip Strength

Strength
Sets: 3-6 Reps: 4-8 80-100% 1 rm Bench, squat, incline, military, clean

POWER
Defined: The rate at which work is performed Komi 2003 Power is the capacity to do a given amount of work as rapidly as possible OShea 1995

Why develop POWER

Power development is paramount to optimal neuromuscular function
et.al 2000

Kraemer

A powerful athlete has explosive strength, exceptional acceleration, and speed.

OShea 1995

Power
Power = work time Sets: 3-5 Reps: 3-5 50-80% 1 rm
(Do not move slow)

Cleans, pulls from floor, bottom squats, front squats, close grip bench, DB bench, scoops, jammer complex, push press, overhead squats, drop cleans, body weight

Variation of Exercises
The more exercises performed the greater variety and stimulus to the system. Torcolacci 1993

One way to alternate the program is to do a different exercise to develop the same muscle Yessis 1981

Bottom Squat

Drop Cleans

Jammer Complex
Both arms Single arm Alt single arm L/R Alt single arm double L/R, L/R (R/L,R/L) Split squat Alt Arm
(three types of stances, stable / staggered / one leg)

Stable Stance

Staggered Stance

POSTERIOR CHAIN

Ultimate GYM
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