Running head: MARIETTA COLLEGE FOOTBALL

MARIETTA COLLEGES STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROGRAM

A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree Masters of Education in the Graduate School of Marietta College By Nicholas Joseph Goeser, B.A. ******* Marietta College 2005

Approved By ______________________________ Dr. Bill Bauer Department of Graduate Studies Education

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DEDICATION I would like to dedicate this paper to my family, who have been supportive in everything that I have done. They have allowed me to pursue a profession that I am very passionate about. Without them, I would not be graduating with a Masters Degree from Marietta College. Thank You.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Again I want to thank my family who have been very supportive through my experiences at Marietta College. I want to thank Bill Bauer who has been my advisor and my professor in many of my classes. Without his help, I would not have survived the Masters Program. I would also like to thank Tim Polasek for the University of Stevens Point, Rustin Clewien from Concordia University, and Mark Sipple from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire for getting me the information that I needed to complete this project. Lastly, I want to thank the rest of the coaching staff at Marietta College who have allowed me to be part of the program at Marietta College. They have been patient with me and supportive of getting a Masters Degree from Marietta College.

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ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to explore the gains football players achieve over the spring semester of 2005 at Marietta College. The researcher had the football players tested in bench press, squat, and power clean as soon as the spring semester began of 05. The researcher then put the players through a vigorous semester workout of lifting and running. The players were again tested at the end of the semester in the same lifts. The researcher evaluated the numbers to better understand if the players met their maximum potential. The researcher then compared results with other college football programs that have similar weight lifting programs. The researcher evaluated the Marietta Colleges strength and conditioning program and made changes to enhance the strength program at Marietta College.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract3 Chapters: 1. Introduction....7 Statement of the Problem.8 Purpose and Research Hypothesis...8 Theoretical Perspective9 Definition of Terms10 Delimitations and Limitations of Study.13 2. 3. Review of Literature....14 Method......24 Study Design..24 Procedures..24 Instruments.....33 Preliminary Results....33 Timeline.....33 4. 5. Data Analysis....35 Summary, Recommendations, and Future Implications.42 Summary42 Recommendations..43 Future Implications43

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6. 7.

References.....45 Appendix...47 Appendix A- University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Strength Program...47 Appendix B- University of Wisconsin Stevens Point Strength Program..48 Appendix C- Concordia University Strength Program..49

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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

To be a competitive football team in the NCAA, teams need many different factors to make them successful. A team needs good leadership, needs to take responsibility, and have commitment to their program for them to succeed. Being a dedicated football player involves doing these things on and off the field. A major component in a football team reaching their maximum potential takes place in the off season. For an athlete to reach their full potential as a football player, it takes complete

dedication of the individual. Research proves that a football player is developed in the eight months during the year that they are not involved in the sport. Research proves that Marietta College has developed into one of the better teams in its conference because of its intense lifting program Marietta College has a long history of competitive football teams. Football started at Marietta in 1892, competitors were Ohio State, Wittenberg, and Otterbein in that first year. Marietta College is said to be one of the oldest programs in college football history. Through the years Marietta has had very good teams such as the 1995 team that were 8-1 and bad teams such as the one in 1981 that had a record of 0-9. Currently, Marietta College plays in a very competitive conference the Ohio Athletic

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Conference (OAC), many say that it is the best in Division III. A conference that contains such opponents such as Otterbein, Wilmington, Ohio Northern, Capital, Baldwin-Wallace, John Carroll, Muskingum, Mount Union, and Heidelberg. This study proves the current staff at Marietta College has put together a strength and conditioning program that is very comparable to the top programs in NCAA football. A program that challenges athletes each and every day to be the best college football players that they can be.

Statement of Problem Current research shows that football teams should be well conditioned powerful athletes. But how can you ensure that each athlete reaches their full potential in the weight room? Or what research shows that one program is any better than the rest? This study proves that Marietta College strength and conditioning program does a good job of getting the most out of each and every football player. Past research has not proven how one strength and conditioning program for football is any better than another program. Marietta believes that they have a very good strength and conditioning program. The researcher proves that they do have a good program one that compares similarly to other successful programs. By addressing this problem it will help the strength and conditioning coaches at Marietta have the best program that they can be.

Purpose and Research Questions or Hypothesis Research was done on this topic so Marietta College Football coaches can help change and understand how to improve their strength and conditioning program. Research

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helped them to better understand on how Marietta College compares to other college football programs around America. The researchers intent was to help the coaches develop this program into one of the top teams in Division III football.

Theoretical Perspective The researchers hypothesis is that Marietta College has a very good strength and conditioning program, and it compares very similarly with other college football programs around the U.S. The researcher also believes that there are slight changes that should be made to maximize the strength of each and every football player. The research shows that strength and conditioning at Marietta College will bring them to the next level of competitive division 3 football.

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Definition of Terms NCAA: National Collegiate Athletic Association Strength and Conditioning: The process of developing a player through weight training and speed training. Core Lift: Lift in which one or more of the large muscles groups are needed. Assisted Lift: Lift in which only one small muscle is needed. Medicine Ball: A heavy basketball sized ball that is used in the weight room. Plyometric exercises: refers to activities that enable a muscle to reach maximal force in the shortest possible time. They are exercises that lengthen the muscle to increase speed and stability. Definition of Lifts Power Clean Warm-Up: Shrug thigh, Shrug Shin, Power Clean, Front Squat Use 50% of your power clean max for the weight. Start with a power clean grip standing straight up. Squat down as you roll the bar down your legs. Once you reach the middle of your thigh do a shrug. Repeat this, but this time go to the middle of your shin. After this, do a power clean and finish with a front squat. Do this 3 times in a row for each set. The warm-up consists of 3 sets. Power Clean Warm-Up: Power Clean Dead lift, Power Clean Shrugs Use the same weight you will use for your warm-up set of power cleans. Start in the same stance you would for a power clean and then stand up with the bar. Do this three times in a row for each of the three sets. Next, start in the same stance only this time explode up and end with a shrug. Do this three times in a row for each set. Complex Warm-Up 1: Start with the bar and one ten pound plate on each side. Do six Upright Rows in a row. Next do six Hang Snatch's in a row. After that do six squats with a shoulder press at the top of each squat. The next exercise is six good mornings. Finally, do six bent over rows. This is meant to be done fast and one exercise into the next. 1 Arm Bent Over Row: Put your left hand and left knee on bench, by using dumbbell allow it to hang in your right hand, use an upward movement and pull dumbbell to your chest until your arm is past a 90 degree angle, slowly bring dumbbell back to starting

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position. Make sure you maintain a flat back through the whole exercise. Once down with the right arm, work the left side putting your right hand and right knee on the bench. 1 Arm DB Bench Alt.: Get in same position as normal bench press, bring both dumbbells to your chest, and now press the dumbbell in your right hand to the ceiling. Once you have brought it back down, press the dumbbell in the left hand to the ceiling. Repeat this until you have done the required reps on each arm. 3 Way Delts: A. For your first of the three exercises, start with dumbbells at your side in a standing position, keep arms straight and bring them to a position parallel to the ground straight out in front of you, slowly bring back down to the starting position for each rep. B. Second exercise, keep your arms at your side holding the dumbbells. From this position raise your arms straight out to your side until they are parallel to the ground. Then, bring them back to resting position each set. C. Third exercise, have a slight bend in your knees and push your butt back until your torso is parallel to the ground. From this position, let the dumbbells hang straight down and then pull them straight out to the side, like a reverse fly. To complete each rep bring them back to resting position. Bent Over Rows: Lift is done using a barbell with an overhand grip, Lift weight off ground and bring to a standing position hanging from hands, have a slight bend in your knees and push your butt back. Bring your chest toward the ground until your torso is almost parallel to the ground. Make sure your back remains flat back. Weight should be hanging in front of you. Pull barbell toward bottom of rib cage, and slowly allow it back to starting position. Biceps: Any lift that works the front muscle between the elbow and the shoulder, such lift as a bicep curl. Cuban Press: Start with 10lb. dumbbells hanging to your side in a standing position, first shrug the weight and keep the arms nice and straight, then bring weight up toward body till elbows are parallel to ground and forearms are in a hanging position, next rotate arms so weight is above arms with elbows still at a 90 degree angle, last step is to straighten arms and lift weight above head bringing weight together, repeat same steps on way back down to starting position. You need to hold the shrug during the whole rep. The shrug is the last thing to release at the end of the rep. DB Lying Flies: Start with dumbbell in each hand, start by laying on bench and have arms extended upward with weight together, have a slight bend in your arms and bring weight down to your sides till you get a good stretch in your chest, and return to starting position, it is like hugging a tree

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DB Shoulder Press: This lift is done while sitting down (with no back rest), bring dumbbells up near head so elbows make 90 degree angle, press weight over head and touch at the top, then bring back to starting position. Elbow on Knee Ext. Rot.: Sit on ground and bring one knee up to 90 degree angle, lift is done by resting elbow on inner part of knee and rotating arm from top to bottom with dumbbell in hand. Incline Flies: Lift is done on incline bench, bring arms above head with dumbbell in each arm, have a slight bend in the arms and bring arms down to the side until you feel a good stretch in the chest, return to starting position. Remember it is like hugging a tree. Lying Med. Ball Pops: While lying down, have your partner stand on a bench over the top of you holding a weighted med. Ball. Partner will drop med. Ball from the bench towards your chest. Catch the ball and throw it back. Keep your back and shoulders on the ground and explode through while throwing ball back to partner. Manual Neck: This is a four-way exercise: With your back on a bench, a partner will put resistance on the top of your head and press down. Work your neck by resisting while your partner is pushing down and resist again while you bring your head back up. These same type of movements will be done while lying on your left and right side (working both sides of the neck) and on your stomach (working the back part of the neck). Med. Ball Push-Ups: Do this exercise with any hard covered med. Ball. Place hands on top of the med. ball and lower yourself down as you normally would while doing a pushup. Press back up and lock your arms out, this is one rep. Pause Squat: Do a normal squat, going to parallel or below, and then pause for a 3 count before returning back to the top. This is one rep. Perfect Push-ups: Be in normal push-up position, and lower yourself to the ground. At the bottom of the push-up, hold for a 3 count and then press yourself back up. This is one rep. Power Clean Shrug: Start in power clean position and explode from starting position while shrugging the bar. Straight Bar Shoulder Press: Lower bar to middle of your neck and then press back up while locking out your elbows. Standing External Rotation: Keeping your elbows bent and your arms at 90 degrees, rotate your arms up and down using whatever weight is comfortable. Always keep your elbows bent and your arms at 90 degrees.

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Step-ups: Place the bar on your back in proper squat position. Step up on to a bench or box with one leg and explode your opposite leg towards your chest. Rotate from one leg to another. Triceps: Lift that works the muscle of the back part of the arm between the elbow and the shoulder, such lift as the triceps extension. Upright Row: Take regular bench press bar and grip your hands no more then thumb length apart. Pull bar up towards the top of your chest and the bottom of your chin. While doing this pull your elbows toward the ceiling.

Delimitations and Limitations of the Study Delimitations to this study would be that in previous years most of the testing times of the kids have been analyzed. In the past few semesters data has been collected but no comparisons have been made. Other delimitations are that the researcher is able to get hands on approach to the strength and conditioning program at Marietta College. Limitations to this research are that some of the weight lifting equipment was ruined in a recent flood (September 2004) they experienced. Because of this the lifters needed to move their workout sessions to the recreation center and do not have the equipment that they are usually accustomed to. Another limitation to the study is that Marietta College is a Division III school they do not have all the equipment that maybe a Division I school would have. This limitation may not allow the coaches to specialize in each different muscle group to properly train that area and may not see the kind of results other bigger schools would have. Another limitation to the study would be the athletes themselves. Coaches can not persuade each and every athlete to give maximum effort every time they are in the weight room. They also can not control if athletes are taking care of the bodies, such things as using drugs or drinking alcohol. These things will affect athletic performance in the researchers study.

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CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

As the football season comes to a conclusion, the second phase for a football player begins. For many players it is a time to put on that much needed muscle mass, for others its time to loss a few extra pounds. The off season strength and conditioning programs used at most high school and universities can dramatically change an athlete from one year to another. Many times you will hear the phrase There Is No OffSeason, this is very true in the game of football. Many times the athlete is developed in the eight months of the year they are not involved in the game (Williams 1994). The off season is a time for players to develop the strength and speed that is needed to be a successful football player. Athletes need to believe in strength and conditioning programs for teams to be successful. At the college level, it can be the difference between a successful team and a losing team. Athletes need to dedicate their body by giving it proper nutrition, working hard in the weight room, and working hard in speed and conditioning training to be an above average football player. Research in this paper discusses what it takes for an athlete to take the next step to be the best player that they can be.

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Eating properly is one of the most important parts of an athlete gaining their full potential. A football player should eat from the five main food groups: bread and pasta, fruit, vegetables, milk, and meat. Proper nutrition ensures the body will have the proper energy for maximum output. Protein consumption is essential in the building of muscle mass in athletes. Protein which contains amino acids is what supports growth and muscle maintenance in the body. Athletes should avoid eating fats, sugars, and oils to ensure proper nutrition (Baechle et al, 2000). A problem many college athletes face is their lack of knowledge about proper nutrition. Research shows that many college freshmen believe that eating fast food four or five times a week is perfectly normal. Research also stated, that many freshmen consume many beverages that are unhealthy and are unaware of the negative effects (Jonnalagadda 2001). To ensure that athletes are consuming the right foods and beverages, it is essential for coaches and administrators to properly educate athletes. Being able to properly motivate a student athlete is one of the toughest jobs in coaching. Strength and conditioning coaches need to find a way to motivate players each and every day. Research has shown that by setting goals for your weight lifting program you can challenge these athletes. Goal setting makes an athlete strive for something that they can hopefully achieve. Athletes feel gratification when they can reach their goal and they will continue to work hard to meet their next goal. But for a team to become a great team motivation must come from within each player. Researchers call this intrinsic motivation and this is the single most important thing for an athlete (Baechle et al, 2000). If an athlete is unable to motivate themselves internally, they will never be more than an

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average athlete. Once a team is properly motivated they will then be successful in the weight room. To begin a weight lifting session athletes should always start with some kind of warm-up. Warm-ups are done to get the body moving and gets the blood flowing. They usually will last about 10 to 15 minutes and involve things like jogging, riding bike, and jump roping. Once completed a specific warm-up is suggested, this involves warming-up the muscle groups that will be used on this particular day. Doing something like push-ups on days that bench pressing is to be completed would be a great way to incorporate a specific warm-up (Baechle et al, 2000). When an athlete is properly warmed up the risk of injury has dramatically decreased and they are now ready to begin the strength training program. There are many different ways to train a muscle group depending on the desired outcome. All result in muscle growth, called hypertrophy, which occurs in high intensity weight training were the muscle fibers actually split. Once the fiber splits it then grows resulting in an increase in diameter of the muscle. Training for strength is the first way to train a muscle; this is accomplished by doing high resistance, few repetitions, and having a full recovery period. Training for strength is often used by athletes looking to dramatically increasing their strength such as shot putters, weight lifters, and football players. The second way to train your muscles would be through training for muscle size; this is done by moderate loads, many repetitions, and moderate rest time between. This way of training is done by mostly body builders to increase the muscle size. Muscular endurance is the last way to train the muscles; this is done by using light weight, high repetitions, and little recovery between sets. This endurance training is done

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by athletes that compete in aerobic exercises such as sprinting and jumping (Baechle et al, 2000). When training a football player it is important to train that player to increase their strength, muscle size, and endurance to make them a complete player. Coaches must also factor in what position each player is playing, for example, an offensive lineman should be doing much more strength training than endurance training. While a receiver or cornerback will need to do more endurance training than strength training. This is called position specific weight training program in which the program is developed around the players position, this will be discussed in later chapters. When making a strength and conditioning program for a team, coaches must first decide what the players are trying to accomplish in the weight room. This concept is called specificity, in which coaches develop the program specifically on the players are trying to accomplish. Most sports want to develop power which is the main determinant of performance (Kawamori 2004). Research has proven that most football coaches want their players to increase their size, speed, and strength. Core lifts are the first discussed in developing your athlete. A core lift is a lift that involves using 1 or 2 of the main muscle groups. A lift like the bench press uses the muscles of the chest and the back when done correctly. Core lifts are hard on the body and only one is suggested to be used daily. Core lifts are also sometimes called multi-joint exercises because athletes use more than one joint when demonstrating the exercise. Core lifts are divided into structural lifts and power lifts. Structural lifts are lifts such as the bench press or back squat in which proper form is needed and speed is not. Power exercises involve having speed or explosiveness to complete the lift, such as the power clean or snatch (Baechle et al, 2000). In a recent article researchers compared football players using Olympic style

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lifting to players using traditional lifting. Olympic style lifting involves using explosion to lift the weight such as the power clean, snatch, and push jerks. Traditional lifting involved using common lifts such as bench, squat, and dead lift to train the players. The results indicated that players doing Olympic style lifts improved in squats and 40 times but nothing else (Hoffman 2004). In conclusion, you must incorporate Olympic style lifts and traditional lifts to have a successful program. A lift that does not require using any of the large muscle groups is an assistance lift and only uses smaller muscle groups such as the biceps, triceps, or calf. These are sometimes called single-joint exercises because only one joint is needed (Baechle et al, 2000). Including both of these types of

lifts into a program is the main component in a successful lifting regiment. The next step in developing a weight program is determining a training frequency. A training frequency is how many times a player lifts in a week, or how long each weight lifting session lasts. Many different aspects go into frequency including the sport season, training load, exercise type, and other training you plan on incorporating in an athletes program (Baechle et al, 2000). If an athlete is competing at a high level in the weight room and asked to perform at a high level in speed and agility training it is often very hard to do. A recent study looked at how football players strength changes over the course of a football season. It found that if a player does not lift at a high level over the duration of a season their strength will dramatically decrease (Hoffman 2003). In another recent, article researchers discussed a strength and conditioning program and how the athletes only lift twice a week, one very demanding session and one fairly light session. Research found that through the course of the year this program would lose most of the strength that they developed through the off-season (Wroblewski 1999). It is essential for

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strength coaches to have the players on the right frequency to maintain the strength in the athlete. The next step in program design is making an exercise order. This is very important because athletes need to have their full strength when doing core lifts such as power clean or squat. If an athlete does many assisted lifts first they will have no energy for the very important core lifts. Another important aspect in exercise order is working the different parts of the body. An athlete should not work the same area in consecutive days, if an athlete is going to use their legs one day they should use your upper body the next. It is also important to do lifts that compliment each other. For example, if an athlete is going to work the biceps one day they also need to work the opposite muscle for stability. If the bicep is getting worked but the triceps is not injury will occur (Baechle et al, 2000). The last step that the researcher will talk about when developing a program is training load, repetitions, and volume. The training load is the amount of weight that is put on the bar when doing a certain amount of reps. Repetitions are the number of times and athlete performs the lift that is specified, and volume is the total amount of weight that is lifted over a lifting period (Baechle et al, 2000) . In a recent article they discussed differences in lifting in single repetitions (circuit training) and multi-rep training. This article found that because multiple set training incorporates the volume needed the strength of the athlete always increases (Galvao 2004). All three of these areas are very important to training and maintaining an athlete. For an athlete to increase their strength they need work that muscle by doing few reps with heavy weight and for an athlete to increase endurance they need to do many reps with light weight, liked discussed earlier.

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To test an athlete in a particular area we often used a one rep max which is the maximum amount of weight an athlete can do in a particular lift. Other programs might use a test in which a player lifts a weight as many times as possible which also tests fatigue. An example of this would be the testing administered on NFL players when they compete each year at the combine. Players are tested at a weight of 225lbs and recorded on the maximum amount of repetitions accomplished, this is just another way to find a max (Mayhew 2004). Strength and conditioning coaches are then able to figure out the percentages, repetitions, and volumes that the athletes should be doing to be successful in the programs. The last step or factor that coaches need to consider when developing your program is rest periods and variation. Proper rest periods ensure that the athletes will not get burned out and are able to work that muscle properly. Having some variation in your lifting program ensures that the athletes will get excited about new lifts and compete at a higher level. This also ensures that the athletes will not get burned out by doing the same lifts each and every day. The second part of a good strength and conditioning program is the conditioning part of it. For football players in the off-season it is more important for them to work on plyometrics and speed rather than physical conditioning. In a recent article it was discussed how a simple summer of plyometrics improved the overall team speed which in turn improved the outcome of the following season (Renfro 1999). Speed and agility drills are done to develop a neurological path in the brain. The more times these drills are done the easier they are to do, and the feet become faster (Baechle et al, 2000). Coaches have also developed ways in which to use agility exercises in the weight room. Players

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are required to use swiss balls to develop the muscles of your core (Stanton 2004). Other coaches have players lift weights while standing on one foot, another way to develop the balance and agility of your athletes (Cook 2004). These are all ways to develop an athlete into complete football player, but the athletes need to have the desire to want to get better. By following these steps coaches should now understand what goes into each and every strength and conditioning program. In later chapters, this research will discuss what goes into the strength and conditioning at a small school in Southeast, Ohio. Marietta College has developed a program that is making its way into the top of the Ohio Athletic Conference. This researcher looked at Marietta Colleges program and analyzed what they can do to increase the size, speed, and strength of their football team.

Mariettas Strength and Conditioning Program At Marietta College there is a very serious and intense strength and conditioning program. In the spring semester of school athletes lift four days a week with each session lasting a little over an hour. Involved in each lifting session is a proper warm-up, a high intensity lifting session, plyometric drills, and an abdominal workout: these four things will be involved in each and every lifting session. The warm up is done to get the body moving and gets the blood flowing. Marietta uses a variety of different warm-ups to work on lifting form, work on running form, and get the body properly warmed up. Some examples of warm-ups would be jumping rope, med ball warm-up, hurdle warmup, and a running warm-up. These warm-ups vary every day and are designed to warm up the primary muscle groups that will be used in that lifting session.

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The second aspect of Mariettas lifting session is the high intensity lifting workout. During this session the players will go through there core lifts and the assisted lifts. Two days a week the players will work the upper body and two days a week players will work the lower body. Athletes will never have more than two major lifts per day, and will always have a few assisted lifts to work a major muscle. Every lift is timed so the kids have proper rest time and stay with the rest of their teammates. Each day there are between 8-15 lifts that are being done by the players. The third part of the lifting session is plyometric drills, which is mostly footwork drills. These are such things as dot drills, jump rope, cone jumps, and box jumps. All of these drills are timed and speed is emphasized in each and every drill. Plyometric drills are done to increase foot speed, enhance balance, and work body stability. Plyometric drills are done 3 of the four days after the workouts, while they are given Fridays off to rest the body. The last phase of the lifting session is the abdominal workout. Marietta College incorporates many different abdominal workouts to work the core muscles. Every abdominal workout is used to strength the muscles of the entire abdominal region. Coaches at Marietta College have 10 different abdominal workouts for the players. They are: 1. Legendary Abs: This abdominal workout incorporating knee ups, leg ups, bicycles, hip ups, and side crunches. 2. Med Ball Ladder: This incorporates using a med and working the ball from side to side isolating the oblique.

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3. Plate Abs: This is done by using a plate and using the abdominal muscles to lift the plate above your head. 4. Multiple Abs: Multis are a simple combination of crunches. 5. Timed Abs: Timed abdominals are done by leaning on your sides and then back while keeping your body in a straight line to work your core muscles. 6. Russian Twist: These are very similar to Med Ball ladder, but we will use a plate and keep our arms straight and work the twists very slow. 7. Leg Throws: These are done with a partner. The partner will throw athletes legs to the ground and athlete will then use abs to bring legs back up. 8. Pause abs: Pause abs are simple crunches in which athletes pause on the top of every repetition. 9. Pike abs: These are done by lying flat on the ground and lifting arms and legs up until they touch. 10. The last combination of abdominal workout that is done is knee raises and swiss ball crunches: knee raises are done by hanging from and bar and simply bringing athletes knees to their chest. Swiss ball crunches are done by sitting on the swiss ball and doing simple crunches. At Marietta College coaches believe that working the abdominal muscles are a very important muscle group that needs to be worked every day. Research has proven that increasing the core muscles will increase stability, balance, and strength: which in turn will make better football players.

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CHAPTER THREE

METHEOD

Study Design Research on this topic was done using a quantitative method of analysis. This method is used to evaluate the numbers to compare and contrast with other college football programs. The research was done by using an excel spread sheet to fill in the numbers in the fall and spring semesters. The numbers will show that the players have made the kind of gains necessary to be a successful football team. Procedures The staff at Marietta College has a very intense workout program. This program is designed to work the muscles of the body to develop the above average football player in the weight room. Below is the outline for the three base lifts over the spring semester and the percentages and volume they will be using. Squat 67% 2 x 8 72% 2 x 8 72% 1 x 8 77% 2 x6 80% 1 x 6 85% 1 x 4 87% 1 x 4 Spring Break Bench 67% 2 x 8 72% 2 x 8 72% 1 x 8 77% 2x6 80% 1 x 6 85% 1 x 4 87% 1 x 4 Spring Break Power Clean 67% 2 x 3 75% 2 x 3 75% 1 x 3 80% 2 x 2 85% 2 x 2 87% 1 x 2 90% 1 x 2 Spring Break

Week 1(Jan. 17-21) Week 2 (Jan. 24 - 28) Week 3(Jan. 31 - Feb. 4) Week 4(Feb. 7 - 11) Week 5(Feb 14 - 18) Week 6(Feb 21 - 25) Week 7(Feb 28 - March 4) Week 8(March 7 - 12)

Unload Week

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Week 9(March 14 - 18) Week 10(March 21 - 25) Week 11(March 28 - April 1) Week 12(April 4 - 8) Week 13(April 11 - 15) Week 14(April 18 -22)

85% 90% 92% 95% 87%

1x5 2x2

85% 90%

1x5 2x3

89% 92%

1x2 1x1

1x2 92% 1 x 2 95% 1 x 1 1x2 95% 1 x 1 97% 1 x 1 1x3 87% 1x3 90% 1 x 2 Testing (Power Clean, Bench, Squat, 40)

Unload Week

The first two weeks of the program is the hypertrophy phase of the lifting program. This entails using repetitions between 8-12, and percentages between 50-75% in the bench, squat, and power clean. This will ensure that the players will have a good base for the rest of their program. The third week is an unload week in which the sets decrease for the body to recover. The next four weeks is the strength part of the program which is designed to do just that, increase the strength in the core lifts. Upon completion, there is a week off for the players to enjoy spring break and give their bodies another week to recover. Finally, athletes will finish with the power phase which is low repetitions with high percentages to get ready for max out week. The final week is the last unload week for the bodies to recover for max out week. Max out week will consist of the lifters running 40 yard dashes, pro agility drills, broad jump, power clean, bench press, and back squat. Currently, the players are lifting four days a week. Below you will find the lifting regiment for each day of the week:

Monday Power Clean Warm-Up 2 x 3 Shrug knee, shin, PC, Front Squat Rack Cleans(4th hole) 50/5 55/5 60/2x5 Back Squat 55/8 60/8 67/2x8

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Step-Ups Good Mornings Glute/Ham 3 way delts lying triceps abs

3x8 each leg 3x10 ss/ med ball kicks 3x10 2x10 3x8 3x8

On Monday players always begin the workout with a med ball warm-up and jumping rope. The med ball warm up is simply done by tossing the ball back and forth with a partner to get the legs and the arms warmed up. Jumping rope is also done to get the body warmed up and increase foot speed of the players. Once the players are properly warmed up lifters will begin the lifting session. The example above is the first week of the lifting session in Mariettas hypertrophy phase. On Monday the workout will be very intense for the lower body. Lifters first start with a power clean warm-up which is designed to work on power clean form and loosening the body up. This lift is designed to work on the shrug part of the lift, the power clean, and last the front squat which is all incorporated in the power clean. After power clean warm-up they will next begin rack cleans. Rack cleans are done to develop proper form of the upper body when doing a clean. Lifters set the arms very high in the rack and do a hang clean off the rack. This lift forces the kids to use the upper body and not all legs, in gaining good power clean form. When doing the rack cleans players should start with light amount of weight and start with the racks very high on your thighs, until good form is developed. As the program develops lower the arms so the kids slowly use more and more of there legs. Once rack cleans are finished lifters will begin the main lift the back squat. The back squat is Mondays main lower body lift, coaches need to emphasize good form and

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getting the proper depth to maximize the lift. The players should be controlled on the way down, then explode the weight up to the starting position. After the back squat, lifters will begin doing step-ups, which are also a lower body lift that emphasizes the legs. When doing a step up lifters will begin by having a box or bench in front of you. With the weight on the shoulders lifters will step onto the bench and drive the opposite knee towards the sky. Lifters will then switch legs each and every rep. After step ups are completed lifters will then begin doing all of the assisted lifts. Lifters first start with good mornings, this is a lift designed to work the lower back, and hamstrings. These are done by putting the weight on your back and with a slight bend in your knees bending at the waist and bringing your chest down toward the ground. Lifters need to arch their backs and emphasize sticking the chest out and not hunch their backs. After good mornings, the next lift is the use of the glute ham machine. This machine emphasizes the use of the hamstrings and buttocks region. The last two lifts are done to give the upper body a little bit of work. Three way delts are done to emphasize the shoulder region and lying triceps are done to work on the triceps. With all the assisted lifts percentages of weights are not on the program, coaches need to emphasize to the players the importance of increasing the amount of weight they do each and every week. If the lifters never increase the amount of weight they put on the bar, they will never make strengths and gains. To finish our Monday lifting session we will do an abdominal workout and plyometric drills. The abdominal workout will be a designated lift from a coach that begins the lifting sessions each day. The abdominal workout will be very intense and the players must be very disciplined when doing the workout. The last thing that the lifters

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will do is their plyometric drills. On Monday, players work on their legs and continue on the theme of a very intense leg day. Coaches ask them to do squat jumps, split jumps, star jumps, tuck jumps, scissors jumps, and box jumps to increase the explosion in the leg region.

Tuesday Overhead Squats Hang Snatch 3x5 Bench Press 55/8 DB Swiss ball incline 3x10 Bent Over Rows Lying flies Cuban Press hammer curls manual neck abs 2x6

60/8

67/2x8

4x8 4x8 2x10 3x8 1x10

On Tuesday lifters have an upper body workout. Lifters will start by warming up doing a hurdle warm-up and leg swings. Coaches will then incorporate a speed ladder to work on foot quickness and running form. Once lifters are properly warmed up and ready to go they will start their lifting programs. The first lift is the overhead squat. The overhead squat is used to work on players balance and stability, the weight used is not critical, but form is. After overhead squat lifters will then begin doing the hang snatch, which is our full body exercise. Form is also essential with this lift, and kids are taken slowly through the lift. On Tuesday the bench press is the major lift that we will be

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performing. Immediately following the bench press is the incline bench press on the swiss ball. The swiss balls only recently began being used by the Marietta coaching staff to enhance core stability of the lifters. Once these two major lifts are accomplished lifters will get into the assisted lifts. Bent over rows, lying flies, cuban press, and hammer curls are upper body lifts that are to be completed immediately after the core lifts. The last lift is work with the neck, in which players will partner up and do neck exercises. Again, to finish the lift players will do an abdominal workout and plyometric drills. On Tuesday, plyometric drills will be used to emphasize foot explosiveness. Such drills as cone hops forward/sideways, box jumps, and ski jumps are done to enhance the explosiveness the feet. Each lifter uses Wednesday as their off day. This day is used for lifters to recover their bodies. Coaches also use this day to let players make up their lift sessions if they happen to miss. It is essential for lifters to have days off between heavy lifting sessions. An overload of lifting could cause muscle fatigue and failure.

Thursday Power Clean Warmx3 Up PC Dead lift x 3 PC Shrugs x 3 Power Clean wu/6 50/5 Power Clean Shrugs 80+/3x3 Pause Squats 4x6 RDL's Glute/Hams(hold) Kickbacks DB Shoulder Press Manual Neck 3x10 2x6 3x8 3x10 1x10

60/3

67/2x3

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Abs

On Thursday again there is a very intense lower body workout. Again the warmup begins by doing the hurdle warm-up and some leg swings. Immediately after the warm up lifters will be taken through the ladder drills, today working primarily on foot quickness. Once the lifters are warmed up they will begin the power clean warm-up. This is a simple warm-up that works on the power clean form during the dead lift and the shrug part of the lift. Lifters will then begin their major lift, the power clean. Once finished with the power clean the lifters will begin the power shrug, in which they are shrugging the weight from a power clean position. The last intense lower body exercise for this day is the pause squat. Pause squats are done by doing a nice deep squat and holding it for a three count when the legs are parallel to the ground. Once finished with the pause squats they will do the rest of the assisted lifts. Incorporated in these are RDL, or Romanian Dead Lifts, which work the lower back and legs. Work of the glute ham machine, which is for the hamstring area. Triceps kickbacks with is primarily a triceps exercise. Dumbbell shoulder press which works the shoulder area, and last is manual neck which is a very important lift for football players. Once finished with the lift players will again go through and abdominal workout. Again coaches pick which abdominal workout the lifters will be doing, with variation. At last, the lifters will need to do the plyometrics for the day. Incorporated in the plyometrics for the Thursday workout is more foot quickness drill. Such drills as line hops, dot drills, and four corner drills are used to increase foot speed of the players.

Friday

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Complex Warm-Up x2 UR, HS, Squat + Press, GM, BOR x 6 Push Jerk 4x6 Incline bench 4x8 1 arm DB bench alt. 4x8 1 arm BOR ss DB bench Back Extension Reverse Curls Med. Ball Push-Ups Standing Ext. Rot. Plate hold Abs 4x5 3 x 10 3x8 1xAMAP 2x15 timed

The last workout of the week is the Friday workout. Again this is an intense upper body workout for the second time this week. Players will start with the med ball warm-up and jumping rope to get the blood flowing and loosened up. They will then begin with the complex warm-up and right into the push jerk. The push jerk is the full body exercise that the players need to emphasize in this workout. The incline bench is next immediately followed by the one arm dumbbell bench super setted with one arm bent over row. Incorporating these three lifts gives the lifters a very intense upper body workout. Followed by these lifts they will do their assisted lifts which are back extensions, reverse curls, med ball push-ups, standing external rotations, and finally plate holds. Finally the players will again do an abdominal workout designated by the coaches, and finish with a plyometric drill. On Fridays coaches are often very liberal with plyometric drills and abs at the end of the workouts. Often times coaches let players

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pick which drills to do or dont do any at all. If the kids have work hard all week coaches will possible give them the day off. When lifting there is always a threat of injury with the athletes, and it is the coachs job to limit this occurrence. Coaches at Marietta College every day ensure that the players are warmed up properly. Have the proper spotters when lifting maximum amount of weights, and cooled down and stretched when the lifting session is completed. After the four lifting sessions every week coaches also make it mandatory for the kids to stretch after every workout. Stretching will increase range of motion and limit injuries in the athletes. Coaches reserve five minutes of stretching after each and every lifting session for this reason. Overall, the workout at Marietta College is very intense and strict. Coaches ensure that the players push themselves each and every week. The goal is to increase the weight that the kids do each and every day. But no matter how much coaches are pushing the players, it still rests on the shoulders of the players to be the best lifters they can be. If the players do not have the drive to succeed a successful football team will never happen. Research will take place by the first testing the players when they arrive back from Christmas vacation. The players will be tested in the power clean, bench press, and the back squat as soon as they arrive back from Christmas break. The researcher calculated the mean score of the entire team and compared it to other testing around the same time. The players were then put through a vigorous lifting program in which they lift weights four days a week and run two days a week. The players lift for about an hour

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each day and the running period lasted about an hour also. Below is a chart that was composed during the last lifting period. Squat Adams, Bryan Ansell, Jesse Banks, Anthony Bokat, John Brennan, Joe Brownrigg, Nate
2003 spring 340 360 275 225 320 300 2003 summer 350 360 300 245 355 310 2003 winter baseball 360 300 basketball 345 300 Increase/Decrease 10 25 20 5 0

The researcher again test the players before they leave for summer vacation. The numbers again were calculated to find the gains that the players have made over the spring semester. With these calculations, the researcher compared and contrasted with other successful college programs. Instruments The instruments that will be used in this analysis will entail using things such as a computer, excel spread sheets, and the use of SPSS computer program. Of course, we will be using the weight equipment at Marietta College to perform the lifts and train the kids properly. Research also took place in the recreation center to perform all of the running and conditioning. Computer analysis contained the majority of our research and putting it in a basic spread sheet with a few different graphs. Preliminary Results The preliminary results shows that Marietta College has a successful lifting program one that is very comparable to other successful college football programs. Results in the preliminary phase are that the kids have been working hard and have made some very impressive gains in the weight room. The lifters have been dedicated and have

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done everything asked of them in order to have a successful football team. Research shows how Marietta compares to other successful college football teams. Timeline Jan 12, 13, 14 Jan. 18- April 15 April 20, 21, 22 First Testing Period Mariettas Lifting Program Second Testing Period

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CHAPTER FOUR

DATA ANALYSIS

Data Analysis Collecting the data for Mariettas strength and conditioning program was taken by the coaches during a three day time period beginning April 20 and ending April 22 compared to the beginning test dates of January 12-14. Football players were tested in the bench press, back squat, power clean, 40 yard dash, pro agility drill, and broad jump. All of these tests are charted and recorded for further evaluation. Only the bench press, power clean, and back squat was used in the current analysis. The researcher looked at is how the bench press, power clean, and back squat compare to other successful college football teams. The first program that is compared is from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. Stevens Point has had a very successful football team for the past ten years. Stevens Point is often found at the top of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference winning three of the last six conference championships. The lifting program that is done at Stevens Point is very similar to the program done at Marietta College (See Appendix). Stevens Point does many of the same lifts, with the same amount of reps. They have a proper warm-up to get the blood flowing which also incorporates proper

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form for some of the lifts. They use the medicine ball quite frequently which is a great way to work the core of the body. Stevens Point does a great job of always starting with the core lifts and ending with assisted lifts. Stevens Point also ends with an abdominal workout at the end to finish each lift, just like Marietta College. Differences in the program at Stevens Point would be lifters lift their upper bodies on Monday and Thursday and lower body on Tuesday and Friday the opposite of Marietta College. Stevens Point also does some different sets and reps with their core lifting in the first few weeks of the program. Lifters do many sets, few reps, and at a low weight to build a good base for their kids. This is just a different way to build a base compared to the program at Marietta College. The University of Wisconsin Stevens Point has a very good lifting program one that is very similar to Marietta Colleges. At Concordia University in Sheboygan, Wisconsin they have a long tradition of very good football players and very good athletes. Concordia has had winning football teams throughout the 90s and 00s, in the last two years they have a combined record of 17-4. Concordia University has a very different program from Marietta College, but here are the similarities. First, like all the other programs two days are spent working the lower body and two days are spent working the upper body. Concordia always starts with a warm-up, does the intense lift, and finish with plyometrics and an abdominal workout. Concordia always starts with high rep lifts to again build a good base for the lifting program. There are many more differences in this program than similarities. In the program of Concordia University they use many more Olympic style lifts. Lifts such as push jerks, split jerks, and hang snatches are much of the program. While these lifts are very

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good for developing explosion and power they are also very injury prone. Many programs believe that the risks of these lifts outweigh the benefits. Other differences include the amount of lifting sessions, many times during this program they lift as much as 5 times a week. The last difference in the Concordia lifting program is the amount of sets in the program. Many times during the workout players are asked to do 6-8 sets on core lifts. This can be very hard on the body if not trained properly. Concordia has a very successful program that works great for their program. They have had a lot of success with their athletes and they should continue this program because they are successful. This program could be risky for teams that are not familiar with this lifting style, but it works out great for Concordia University. The last lifting program evaluated is from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire who also plays in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. They are also a very competitive school in that conference and have won championships in 1998 and 2001. Again, Eau Claire has a very similar lifting program to Marietta College. A reason for this is many of the coaches at Marietta College previously worked at Wisconsin EauClaire. The researcher will utilize his experiences with this program from Eau Claire in analyzing how the programs differ and how they can be improved. This research will tell which the stronger program is and how they can be changed to develop the best strength and conditioning program for available. The program at Eau Claire is very organized and easy to understand (See Appendix). Athletes do lower body workouts on Monday and Thursday and upper body on Tuesday and Fridays. The program always begins with a warm-up such as riding bike, jumping rope, or using the speed ladder. After this warm-up is completed athletes

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will immediately begin the workout. The workout incorporates many of the same lifts that Marietta College does. The program incorporates the bench press, power clean and squat during every weeks lift. Eau Claire starts with high reps for all the lifts which is also like Marietta Colleges as program progresses the reps will decrease. On each day Eau Claire has between 10-15 lifts that are completed on each day. The program then ends with an abdominal workout, a short plyometric workout, and some cardiovascular conditioning. The Eau Claire workout is very well organized, and easy to understand which makes it very appealing to college athletes. Eau Claires workout differs from Mariettas in a few different aspects. First, athletes do not start with a warm-up that involves developing the form of another lift. In Mariettas warm-up they incorporate a warm-up while working on the proper form of the power clean. By doing this kind of warm-up lifters are incorporating two different lifts into one, saving time and energy. Another difference in the workouts is the short emphasis that is put on plyometric drills. Eau Claire has only a few different plyometric drills that are done each day, were at Marietta College they put a great emphasis on foot speed and plyometric drills. Marietta believes that a great football player will be developed through intense workouts in plyometrics. Eau Claire also sets aside time to do cardio vascular training at the end of the workouts, were at Marietta College they do not do that. At Marietta they believe that during the off-season it is more important to work on foot speed, balance, and stability. Eau Claire also does not incorporate the use of swiss balls in the workout, while Marietta does. Marietta coaching staff believes that working the core of the football player makes a better athlete. The last difference in the schools is the way the lifts are run. At Eau Claire coaches do not take the players through

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each and every lift. Each lift group is required to check in then athletes are instructed to lift with the other players. At Marietta College there is always a coach that takes the players through the lifting session. This ensures that players get the proper rest time, are doing the lifts properly, and stay together while lifting. Below is a chart that looks at the differences between to very competitive football programs. The top six lifts are from Marietta College and the bottom six are from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.
Descriptive Statistics N Preback postback prebench postbenc prepower pospower prebackec postbackec prebenchec postbenchec prepowerec postpowerec Valid N (listwise) 48 48 48 48 48 48 45 45 45 45 45 45 32 Minimum 218.00 245.00 155.00 200.00 145.00 170.00 220.00 265.00 175.00 205.00 165.00 190.00 Maximum 474.00 477.00 370.00 360.00 305.00 305.00 450.00 500.00 325.00 365.00 295.00 340.00 Mean 312.7917 348.4792 240.9375 257.3958 218.7500 232.9167 352.8889 392.8889 257.8889 281.0000 249.2444 260.3333 Std. Deviation 52.95038 52.06869 39.71516 36.21728 32.24738 28.43120 44.22937 48.84448 31.32471 33.50034 31.98377 30.27150

Each lift is broken down to better compare the different lifts for each school. At Marietta College there were 48 athletes that were tested in the three lifting categories. At Eau Claire there were 45 athletes that were tested in the three different lifts.
Descriptive Statistics N Preback postback Valid N (listwise) 48 48 48 Minimum 218.00 245.00 Maximum 474.00 477.00 Mean 312.7917 348.4792 Std. Deviation 52.95038 52.06869

The first lift that is analyzed is the back squat at Marietta College. . The mean of the first testing session is 312 pounds and the mean of the second testing session was 348

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pounds. This concludes that during the spring session of lifting at Marietta College the athletes gained an average of 36 pounds on the back squat.

Descriptive Statistics N prebackec postbackec Valid N (listwise) 45 45 45 Minimum 220.00 265.00 Maximum 450.00 500.00 Mean 352.8889 392.8889 Std. Deviation 44.22937 48.84448

Eau Claire had a mean score of 352 during the first testing period, and a mean score of 392 during the second testing period. This concludes that athletes improved by an average of 40 pounds during the spring semester.
Descriptive Statistics N prebench postbenc Valid N (listwise) 48 48 48 Minimum 155.00 200.00 Maximum 370.00 360.00 Mean 240.9375 257.3958 Std. Deviation 39.71516 36.21728

The bench press is the second lift that is compared between the two programs. At Marietta College the mean score for the spring semester is 240 pounds, and the mean score is 257 during the second testing period. Analysis shows that players gained an average of 17 pounds on the bench press.
Descriptive Statistics N prebenchec postbenchec Valid N (listwise) 45 45 45 Minimum 175.00 205.00 Maximum 325.00 365.00 Mean 257.8889 281.0000 Std. Deviation 31.32471 33.50034

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At Eau Claire they have a mean score of 257 pounds during the first testing period, and a test score of 281 pounds during a second testing period. Results show that for the bench press they have an average gain of 24 pounds.
Descriptive Statistics N prepower pospower Valid N (listwise) 48 48 48 Minimum 145.00 170.00 Maximum 305.00 305.00 Mean 218.7500 232.9167 Std. Deviation 32.24738 28.43120

The last lift that is analyzed is the power clean. At Marietta College the mean score is 218 pounds when tested the first time, and 232 pounds after the athletes were taken thought the spring workouts. Results are there is an increase of 14 pounds in the power clean.
Descriptive Statistics N prepowerec postpowerec Valid N (listwise) 45 45 45 Minimum 165.00 190.00 Maximum 295.00 340.00 Mean 249.2444 260.3333 Std. Deviation 31.98377 30.27150

Eau Claires lifting program has a mean score of 249 pounds during that first testing period and a mean score of 260 pounds after the second testing period. Results show that there is an increase of 11 pounds over the duration of the spring semester.

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CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, RECOMMENDATIONS, AND FUTURE IMPLICATIONS

Summary The results show that Eau Claire and Marietta are very successful in their gains in the weight room. Results also show that Eau Claire has larger gains in the bench press and back squat while Marietta College has larger gains in the power clean. Marietta College coaching staff will take these results and change the program slightly to develop an improvement in the bench press and back squat. Results also have shown that Eau Claire overall has a stronger team than Marietta College a reason that they have had successful college football teams while Marietta College has struggled. As Marietta College continues to work hard in the weight room and take the information that was gained through this research the program will continue to develop into one of the top programs in Division III football. Injuries were also another aspect that was not expected in this research. This year in Division III football teams are allowed to have spring practices on the football field. Because of this issue many injuries occurred on the football field hindering the results of the lifting program. There were many players that were unable to perform every lift

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every day and many players that were not able to test out. This is something that should be taken into account with any lifting program. Both Marietta College and Eau Claire have very successful lifting programs. Both programs have developed into top programs in their respected conferences, and strength and conditioning clearly has something to do with it. Research has shown that both programs have had successful gains at there school and if these team continue on the same paths both programs will continue to be successful.

Recommendations Recommendations to the program at Marietta College would be to incorporate more reps to the first few weeks of the lifting program. This will give the players a better base to continue in the program for the bench press and back squat. The researcher would also recommend that Marietta College incorporate some different lifts into the program. Lifts that Eau Claire has proven to be successful in their program, lifts such as bench pauses and light squats on upper body days. Also, with the high risk of injuries on the football field it would be nice if no practice was allowed and the off-season is just used for the development of the strength program. At the Division III level no pads are allowed and practice seems like a waste of time.

Future Implication For someone replicating this study there are a few implications that should be taken into account. First, researcher should separate lifters into age groups. Many times freshmen will see much larger gains than upper classman because they never have been

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involved in intense lifting programs. Teams that have much younger teams will see larger jumps than teams with mostly upper classman. Other implications would also be analyzing the complete program when doing this research. Much more research should have been done on other lifts and also on the running program. To be a successful football team there needs to be strength and speed on the football field. More analysis on the speed development of a program should be analyzed.

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REFERENCES

Galvao, D., & Taaffe, D. (2004). Single- vs. multiple-set resistance training: recent developments in the controversy. Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 18(3), 660-667. Wroblewski, G. (1999). Training camp and in-season strength and conditioning for football. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 21(5), 59-64. Williams, P. (1994). Weight training for football: there is no off-season. 1994 National Strength and Conditioning Association, , 10-13. Kawamori, N., & Haff, G. (2004). The optimal training load for the development of muscular power. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(3), 675-684. Hoffman, J., Cooper J., Wendell M., and Kang, J. (2004). Comparison of Olympic vs. Traditional power lifting training programs in football players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(1), 129-135. Jonnalagadda, S., Rosenbloom, C., & Skinner R. (2001). Dietary practices, attitudes, and physiological status of collegiate freshman football players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 15(4), 507-513. Hoffman, J., & Kang, J. (2003). Strength changes during an in-season resistance-training program for football. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 17(1), 109114. Mayhew, J., Jacques J., Ware J., Chapman, P., Bemben, M., Ward T., and Slovak J., (2004). Anthropometric dimensions do not enhance one repetition maximum

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prediction from the nfl-225 test in college and Conditioning Research, 18(3), 572-578.

football players. Journal of Strength

Baechle, T., & Earle, R. (Eds.). (2000). Essentials of strength training and conditioning. 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Massey, D., Vincent J., Maneval M., Moore, M., and Johnson J.T., (2004). An analysis of full range of motion vs. partial range of motion training in the development of strength in untrained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(3), 518-521. Stanton, R., Reaburn, P., & Humphries B. (2004). The effect of short-term swiss ball training on core stability and running economy. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18(3), 522-528. Cook, B. (2003). Combining exercises for football agility. National Strength and Conditioning Association, 25(3), 45-47. Renfro, G. (1999). Summer plyometric training for football and its effect on speed and agility. National Strength and Conditioning Association, 21(3), 42-44.

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For additional information on the three programs researched. Please contact this author at goesern@marietta.edu

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