Our off-season lifting program resutls:

[Sven Draconian]

After persistant badgering, criticism and overall nagging I finally got to change the teams lifting program this season (I'm heading into my 5th year as an assistant). I could not put in the true novice program because of a handful of obstancles, but I did what I could.

Some obstacles:
1) The kids had to high bar squat with a manta ray. This was handed down from the AD and HC who didn't want to deal with the complaints, "injury" risk of doing a proper lowbar squat and letting the bar rest on the players "neck". Any and all evidence about the risk of the manta-ray, superiority of the low-bar ect ect was on deaf ears.

2) Several players are lifting in the schools glorified grab-ass weight lifting class.

3) We had to use a trap bar to deadlift because of equipment issues and a very effective salesman that convinced to school to use them. Basically, they were paid for and they were getting used.

4) Wednesday had to be a light day for "safety issues" of squatting heavy that many days a week. They did 3x5 at 80% and or box squats (again, that damn salesman).

Here's what the kids did:
Squat 3 days a week (even if Wednesday was a light day).
Alternate Bench/Press.
Alternate Cleans/Deads
Do some GHR (to make up for the trap bar).

Everything 3x5, cleans 5x3.

Every kid was given a spreadsheet to record the lifts, with instructions for adding weight at the bottom. Fill out the sheet every lift. Rocket science I know, but only about half the kids managed to do it correctly.

The results have been very promising.
-We have around 7 kids capable of squatting 300 pounds to depth (3 of them at a bodyweight of 200 or lower).
- We have about 7 kids benching 225 (mostly different kids).
-We had 5 (ish) player trap-bar deadliftig over 500, one kid pulled 635.
- Cleans are tougher to measure, because of form issues. We changed over to the Hi-Pull (must pull the bar to the nipple). This was an explosive pull from the floor, not a standing row.
- Presses are also tough to measure, because the little bastards won't stop cheating. I choose to use all my asshole on the squat and deadlift, so they get away with a little push pressing.

[Mark Rippetoe]

You've got a fairly bastardized version of the program here. But even a little honest work goes a long way, as you can see. Chip away at them, and maybe by late 2020 the administration will be out of your way.

[Beau Bryant]

After persistant badgering, criticism and overall nagging I finally got to change the teams lifting program this season (I'm heading into my 5th year as an assistant). I could not put in the true novice program because of a handful of obstancles, but I did what I could.

Some obstacles:
1) The kids had to high bar squat with a manta ray. This was handed down from the AD and HC who didn't want to deal with the complaints, "injury" risk of doing a proper lowbar squat and letting the bar rest on the players "neck". Any and all evidence about the risk of the manta-ray, superiority of the low-bar ect ect was on deaf ears.

2) Several players are lifting in the schools glorified grab-ass weight lifting class.

3) We had to use a trap bar to deadlift because of equipment issues and a very effective salesman that convinced to school to use them. Basically, they were paid for and they were getting used.

4) Wednesday had to be a light day for "safety issues" of squatting heavy that many days a week. They did 3x5 at 80% and or box squats (again, that damn salesman).

Here's what the kids did:
Squat 3 days a week (even if Wednesday was a light day).
Alternate Bench/Press.
Alternate Cleans/Deads
Do some GHR (to make up for the trap bar).

Everything 3x5, cleans 5x3.

Every kid was given a spreadsheet to record the lifts, with instructions for adding weight at the bottom. Fill out the sheet every lift. Rocket science I know, but only about half the kids managed to do it correctly.

The results have been very promising.
-We have around 7 kids capable of squatting 300 pounds to depth (3 of them at a bodyweight of 200 or lower).
- We have about 7 kids benching 225 (mostly different kids).
-We had 5 (ish) player trap-bar deadliftig over 500, one kid pulled 635.
- Cleans are tougher to measure, because of form issues. We changed over to the Hi-Pull (must pull the bar to the nipple). This was an explosive pull from the floor, not a standing row.
- Presses are also tough to measure, because the little bastards won't stop cheating. I choose to use all my asshole on the squat and deadlift, so they get away with a little push pressing.

Good for you in doing what you can.

I have my own place and the kids come to me so I have more control over the situation but the results are obvious. I place them on SS, they show up 3 times a week, they mostly eat the way I tell them because I yell at them every Monday/Wednesday/and Friday (and they are paying a little money) and they get stronger. It's amazing the recovery a 16 year old has and some of the things I have witnessed are really eye opening. I wish I would have been shown this when I was 16.

This will be the second season in a row I will send a football player back to their school and he will be the strongest kid at their combine by far. I will have a 15/16 year old squat 400 by the start of this football season and another 17 year old squat very close to 400 or possibly more at a bodyweight of 190 or so. The amazing thing? I have not had one coach come to my facility to talk to me yet. And I have offered to offer help any way I can at their school.

Keep up the work and one day those kids will be very happy they had the opportunity to train with you.