WHEN IT COMES TO creating a strength program that benefits football players, it’s always best to start with the basics. The foundation of any strength program is repetition. It is how each rep is performed that determines the quality and productivity of each exercise.

As a general rule, each rep should take about 4 seconds; 2 seconds to raise it and 2 seconds to lower it. Some experts believe a rep should take 6 seconds; 2 seconds to raise and 4 seconds to lower it. When lowering weight, muscles can handle a greater load.

We suggest players try the “2-4 technique.” Players should raise the weight at a speed that allows only that specific muscle to perform the work. Pause momentarily while the muscle is in the contracted position. If there is no bounce or recoil, assume that they’ve minimized or eliminated the momentum.

Some coaches believe that the only way to train is to train explosively. But if your athlete can raise the weight extremely fast, then the weight is too light to stimulate maximum gains, or he’s using momentum to assist in the lift.

Observe a competitive powerlifter attempting to bench press a heavy amount of weight. The powerlifter will pause momentarily with the bar touching his chest, then raise the bar as fast as he can. The bar will move in a smooth and controlled manner. In a power clean lift, the athlete will initiate the movement with muscle, but momentum eventually takes over as he throws the bar in the air and jumps to get under it.

How Many Reps?
The number of reps means a lot. Your player’s goal is to build the largest, strongest muscles that genetics allow. An athlete should perform between 8 and 12 reps during most exercises.

If only a few heavy reps are performed, they will not have enough time to activate a high percentage of all the muscle fibers available.

Performing a one-rep max will only utilize a limited number of muscle fibers, leaving your players vulnerable to injury. Remember that weight training is not an exact science and some athletes may have to use a higher number of reps than others. Performing only a few heavy reps is dangerous, time-consuming and not specific to the muscular needs of an athlete.

Your athletes should use a system of sets, reps, weights and exercises tailored to their individual needs. Work to give each athlete the same opportunity to become as strong as possible.

Some specific physiological and biochemical advantages allow certain athletes to lift more weight and add more muscle than others. This is one of the reasons you should never compare the strength index of one player to another.

How Much Weight?
To generate maximum gains, it is important to select the correct load. Finding this weight for each exercise may require trial and error.

When considering weight load keep this in mind:
* The size of the muscle: An athlete can lift more weight with a big muscle (chest) than with a smaller muscle (biceps).

* The number of muscles involved: The more muscles involved, the more weight a player can move. For example, the squat, which utilizes the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings and hops, will move more weight than leg extensions which require just the quads.

* Where they are in the moment: Just because a player lifted 450 pounds on Tuesday, doesn’t mean he’ll have the same success on Friday. The player may be tired from studying all night, a social activity or may not have fully recovered from the last workout.

How Many Sets?
A player can gain strength by performing 1 set or 10 sets. Being as efficient as possible should be the goal. Base your protocols on 3 to 4 sets per workout. More sets won’t mean reaching a goal any faster and the risk of injury increases with the higher number of sets.

How Much Rest?
The rest interval between sets influences the amount of weight lifted during the workout. The rest interval should allow the body a chance to recover from the set, but not allow the player’s heart rate to drop close to its normal resting rate. Keep in mind that as your player’s fitness level increases, the rest interval may decrease.

Mind-Set Of A Champion
Stress to your players that it is up to them to make sure that they are prepared to play. Coaches can help a player, but they can’t watch them every second of every day.

They need to know that guys like the late, great Walter Payton, Eddie George and Tony Boselli never had to be told to work harder. It comes with having the desire to play like a champion. Tell your athletes “A chain is only as strong as it weakest link. Don’t be the weak link on the team.”