Analysis of College Football S&C Programs

[Moffitt]

Coach -

I was hoping you would be willing to share your thoughts/opinions on 2 off-season college football weight-training programs I was able to look at recently. I'm starting to get involved with the S&C program of a local college (very minor), and so am trying to gather as much data and as many informed opinions as possible.

The Team A workout looks much more straight-forward to me, and seems to roughly follow the Starr model, but I'm a little confused by some of the sequencing of Team B. I wish I had more info on the specifics, such as sets/reps, heavy/light days, etc., but don't have that. For simplicity, I've also excluded the assistance work (chins, weighted situps, etc) b/c it wasn't given in a clear format.

Last, for what it's worth, both of these schools are national-championship level programs that regularly send players to the NFL.

Team A

Mon. - Hang Clean, Squat, Bench Press, Press

Wed. - Hang Snatch, Step-ups, Incline Bench, Clean Pull

Fri. - Power Clean, Squat, Bench Press, Split Jerk


Team B

Mon. - Snatch, Hang Clean, Jerk, Clean Pull, Lunges

Tue. - Squat, Front Squat, Bench Press, Incline Bench, Dumbbell Press

Thur. - Hang Snatch, Power Clean, Split Jerk, Clean Pull

Fri. - Squat, Front Squat, Bench Press, Close-grip Bench, Press


Thank you.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Have you read Practical Programming for Strength Training, 2nd Edition? My thoughts on programming are detailed in this book.

[Moffitt]

I have read the first edition of PPST (and SS and Strong Enough, and have the DVD), and so was hoping to get your thoughts on these 2 particular programs.

Would be a big help.

Thanks very much

[Mark Rippetoe]

These are not programs. They are lists of exercises, some of which should not be grouped together, both of which include some fashionable Olympic weightlifting-type exercises, and neither of which include deadlifts.

[Moffitt]

Anyone else out there have any thoughts? I know Coach isn't too interested here (which is of course perfectly fine), but perhaps maybe some others could share their opinions.

Given where these 2 programs came from, I thought it would be a good topic to merit some serious discussion.

I personally like the Team A routine better, but that may just be b/c it's more straight-forward and familiar to me. The Team B routine seems odd to me for a few reasons, including the amount of heavy olympic lifting done the day before the squat days, as well as adding in front squats on the same day. Also wondering if the Team B routine might be too much.

thanks in advance

[Mark Rippetoe]

We don't know where they came from because you did not tell us. Again, a list of exercises is not a program. But type all you want, guys.

[Ello]

Coach -

I was hoping you would be willing to share your thoughts/opinions on 2 off-season college football weight-training programs I was able to look at recently. I'm starting to get involved with the S&C program of a local college (very minor), and so am trying to gather as much data and as many informed opinions as possible.

The Team A workout looks much more straight-forward to me, and seems to roughly follow the Starr model, but I'm a little confused by some of the sequencing of Team B. I wish I had more info on the specifics, such as sets/reps, heavy/light days, etc., but don't have that. For simplicity, I've also excluded the assistance work (chins, weighted situps, etc) b/c it wasn't given in a clear format.

Last, for what it's worth, both of these schools are national-championship level programs that regularly send players to the NFL.

Team A

Mon. - Hang Clean, Squat, Bench Press, Press

Wed. - Hang Snatch, Step-ups, Incline Bench, Clean Pull

Fri. - Power Clean, Squat, Bench Press, Split Jerk


Team B

Mon. - Snatch, Hang Clean, Jerk, Clean Pull, Lunges

Tue. - Squat, Front Squat, Bench Press, Incline Bench, Dumbbell Press

Thur. - Hang Snatch, Power Clean, Split Jerk, Clean Pull

Fri. - Squat, Front Squat, Bench Press, Close-grip Bench, Press


Thank you.

Where are the sets and reps? What % of your RM are you lifting? How much rest are you taking in between sets?

[bugbomb]

Why not post this under programming? We can tell you that you have not provided enough info there, too.

[Moffitt]

Happy to have this moved to the programming board if that helps.

And yes, I am fully aware that I don't have every detail about these 2 "programs". I've posted what I have, which is the lifting "routines" (better?) of 2 major CF powerhouses that are regular NFL feeder programs. I have the lifts they do, the order they do them, and the days they do them.

Given where they came from, I thought that the admittedly less-than-perfect info would still be interesting enough for some good/serious discussion on a strength board. But if not, we can certainly all go back to more pertinent strength discussions, such as Rip's car, what kind of gun he carries, or perhaps 501st discussion on GOMAD.

[Mark Rippetoe]

The level of detail you have provided us merits exactly the same level of analysis as my car, my pistols, and my favorite food. This is not bb.com and we don't generally engage in the waste of electricity about training unless it makes us or me happy. Speculating about the effectiveness of two lists of exercises allegedly performed in some unknown way by two unidentified university football teams is a waste of electricity, and I am wondering at this point why I am typing this.