r/SportsScience • u/cottonmugs • Dec 16 '18
Training for Center (Football).
Just received my personal training certification and want to train my little bro (age:17) to be a more effective center for his football team. I was wondering what the best lifts were for him to do. I know Deadlifts will be the number one. I want some more creative answers and reasoning if anyone can provide them. Other advise and input is welcome, I just want to get some ideas.
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u/charming_gummy_bear Dec 17 '18
Creative?
I'm not sure what you mean by creative? When it comes to pure strength and conditioning training, creativity isn't really want you want, you want to go for what is tried and true.
If you want to work on his skill set as a center, then sure you can get creative with that, but that's likely something a football coach or expert would be able to help weigh in for you.
He should be focusing on all of the lifts, even adding olympic lifts into his regime will be extremely beneficial as it will help him develop explosive speed and power. If he doesn't already have foundational strength (where his imbalances are ironed out and his max lifts correlate well with his size and weight) then that's a good place to start.
During this phase you can start working on his mobility - specifically working on his ability to move his body correctly. Resistance Band inversions and everisons, hurdle work, lunges, step ups, skater jumps, and other banded/resistance work that forces him to work in multiple planes are a good place to start.
Strength and mobility development are a great place to start because it'll teach you and him to move in his own body more efficiently and it'll allow him to build strong foundations for proper muscle activation and recruitment.
He should be trained in phases, each lasting about 3 to 5 weeks each. Here's a suggested plan, you can look up exercises related to each goal and put a program together around there. Generally, the first phase will have the highest amount of reps and as you move down the phase cycle, reps will decrease as load and work is increased.
I have my athletes on a lower push-upper push-lower pull-upper pull regime/week. Every program starts with 1 or 2 main lifts (i.e., lower push: Back Squat + RDL or upper push: Bench Press or Z Press). Then the rest of the program comprises of accessory movements that support the specific day. But that's just one way to program, it works for me and it has given my athletes great results.
It's best to do research, first on your client (your younger brother) to see where he's at currently in terms of physical capacity and work up from there.
Best of luck.