Football Combine Training

I was honored when Ray and his agent contacted me about preparing him for his pro day. This was going to be a unique undertaking though, as Ray was going to be finishing the final quarter of his Masters’ program at LA Tech in Ruston, Louisiana while I would be living in Orange County, CA. The combine/pro day prep process is so involved that not being able to interact with the athlete on a daily basis requires a unique athlete who can be disciplined and understand their body and the training process.

Successful combine/pro day preparation hinges upon a well struck balance between…

Alactic Speed Work-Max velocity sprint work and acceleration work done with full recoveries. I am shocked about the lack of true speed work that most college football players have done in their training career. Often when I ask them, “what kind of speed work did you do at school?” I am often met with a response like 110s or Gassers. Max velocity sprint work in the 30-60yd range is the fastest speed that the human body can reach and will have a significant carryover to strength development. Remember when organizing an athlete’s training that ‘weights follow speed’, not just in a chronological sense (you should always sprint before lifting) but also from the standpoint of if you have a great day sprinting and jumping (ie. Hitting PRs) you should reduce the workload of weights for that day to avoid ‘overflowing your cup’.

Ray running a 4.53 40yd dash at his Pro Day…

Jump Training-Developing linear and vertical power in jumping drills will not only improve your performance in the broad jump and vertical jump, it will also dramatically improve your abilities in the 10yd portion of the 40yd dash and change of direction drills. Jumps, particularly shock training like depth jumps, need to be used strategically as they present a tremendous stimulus to the body from both a speed and strength standpoint.

Ray jumping 37.5″ in the vertical at his Pro Day…

Change of Direction Work-Efficency of movement in the 3 cone drill, pro agility shuttle and for skill players the 60yd shuttle, coupled with the power/speed developed by sprinting will lead your athletes to have great success in these drills which make up about 1/3 of the testing done at the combine/pro day. These drills do not need to be trained at maximal intensity often, as the bulk of the performance gains in them will come from improved mechanics and increased alactic power and strength. , upper body maximal strength/lactic capacity training, submaximal lower body strength training and well managed recovery work via soft tissue work and aerobic capacity development.

Chad breaking down Ray’s pro agility and 3 cone drill techniques during training using the Coach’s Eye…

Upper Body Weights-For an athlete with sufficient strength levels, abilities in the 225 rep test is mostly a measure of lactic capacity of the pressing muscles. Athlete’s who can bench in the low to mid 400 pound range will experience a wide variety of performance in the 225 test due to their varying lactic capacities. Athlete’s in this range of pressing strength and beyond should focus most of their upper body training energy towards development of lactic capacity which we achieve through high rep sets at varying intensities, rest pause set and reduced ranges of motion to increase rep abilities. Athlete’s in these strength ranges do not need to put much attention towards maximal upper body strength development, as the impact this will have on their rep performance is outweighed by the stress it will place on their central nervous system. The capacity of the CNS is finite and needs to be reserved for the more important sprinting and jumping drills.

Lower Body Weights-The stimulus provided to the body through maximal speed sprinting and high intensity jumping drills is very significant and supersedes the need for high intensity lower body weights. As I mentioned before, the capacity of the CNS is finite and it needs to be reserved for sprinting and jumping. Weights in the 55-80% range for lower body exercises will be more than sufficient, when coupled with  speed/power drills, to increase the athlete’s maximal force production, all the while not detracting from the energy they have to put forth to the more important sprinting and jumping. The means utilized in lower body training sessions (front squat, back squat, box squat, belt squat) isn’t critical, just choose something that the athlete can execute with a high level of proficiency and produce a solid output on. I do suggest avoiding deadlift variations though, while they are great for improving ground contact forces, they are much more taxing to the CNS than squatting variations.

Aerobic Development/Restorative Work-Aerobic development work done via tempo drills (running, running in water, stationary bike, etc) are an important part of the training process that will enhance fitness, improve recovery and help accelerate fat loss. Tempo runs (60/120yds for linemen, 80/160yds for big skill players and 100/200yds for small skill players at 60-75% intensity) are a must in a properly organized speed program that will allow your athletes to improve their technique and fitness, while facilitating recovery between intensive speed sessions. Doing these sessions in the pool (by doing high knees in place at 60-75% intensity) will also have therapeutic properties to the body. It is critical that you maintain the same pace and effort throughout all these reps to ensure the drills are having their desired effect. If the first rep of a 100yd tempo run is competed in 13 seconds and that represents a 7 RPE by your athlete, then the last rep of 100yd tempo runs needs to also be done in 13 seconds at a 7 RPE.

Ray’s training week was constructed as such…

Monday-Max Speed Work/Jumps/Lower Body Weights

Tuesday-Aerobic Capacity Development/Lactic Capacity Upper Body Weights

Wednesday-Change of Direction Drills/Jumps

Thursday-Restoration Work

Friday-Acceleration Work/Jumps/Lower Body Weights

Saturday-Aerobic Capacity Development/Upper Body Weights

Sunday-Off

This type of weekly organization will allow your athlete’s to properly recover between intensive sprinting sessions and give the necessary attention towards each critical component of their training. It is also likely necessary that your athlete’s perform football drills during this time, these will be best utilized on your speed/COD days, after your speed/COD work. Obviously you will need to consider the volume of running that is done in the drills when calculating total speed volume.

Ray posted great results at his pro day. Coming in a 5’8” 194 pounds, running a 4.53 40yd dash, 4.13 pro agility shuttle, 6.83 3 cone drill, 37.5” vertical, 9’11.5” broad jump and a massive 27 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

Chad breaking down Ray’s 40yd dash start technique using Coach’s Eye…

Check out all 13 weeks of Ray’s training plan leading up to his Pro Day at Louisiana Tech!!

Block 1-Weeks 1 to 3

This block was directed at building up Ray’s work capacity in sprinting, as he had not done much since the end of his season. That is why we utilized all sled or hill sprints, to limit his output capabilities and thus his potential for hamstring injury, while developing special strength in the sprinting muscles. The jumps up hill are done to also reduce Ray’s output capabilities, while also giving his joints time to acclimate to the new higher training load.

Throughout the training, the lower body weights are given percentage ranges, and need to be adjusted on how the athlete feels. Focusing on moving the weights explosively through a full range of motion. Do not feel the need to work at the top end of the given percentage range because you think you need to lift heavier or ‘work harder’. There is no squat rack at the combine/pro day, your lower body weights are a facilitator and enhancer of your performance on the field in sprinting and jumping tests.

Block 2-Weeks 4 to 6

This block began to address more max speed work on Day 1 and relegating acceleration work to Day 5. We are now utilizing multiple jumps for distance on flat ground. These type of jumps are a great way to develop explosive strength and reactive/elastic strength at the same time, in my opinion making them far superior to box jump variations.

Block 3-Weeks 7 to 9

Block 3 sees the introduction of flying sprints, which will greatly enhance the athlete’s top speed abilities through the use of longer distances with a submaximal lead in and maximal speed section. These are the fastest you will be able to run and thus will place a great stress on the hamstrings. At any point if you feel a twinge/tightness/etc in your hamstrings you need to shut down your training for the day. Ensure that you are thoroughly warmed up before beginning your sprinting.

 Block 4-Week 13 (Peak)

During the final week of Block 3, Ray suffered a slight hamstring pull. So during this peak phase we had to make an adjustment to his running. High knees done with maximal intensity, from the standpoint of trying to do as many foot contacts as possible over a given distance-not traveling forward at a fast rate, are a good replacement stimulus for sprinting for athlete’s with hamstring injuries.