What kind of training do college football players go through to get so strong?

[jtaz28]

I just don't understand what colleges are doing to these guys. I know two guys who I grew up with that went to play college football and they exploded in like 1-2 years.

Guy 1:
Senior in HS
5'9" ~180lbs.
Bench Max 265

2nd year College
5'9" ~190-195lbs.
Bench 320x4

Guy 2:
Senior in HS
6'1" ~175lbs.
Bench Max 275

2nd year college
6'1" 210lbs.
Reppin like 315x4

I mean I just don't understand how these guys are getting so strong. What are they doing to them?

[GHSmacker]

They live in the weight room...that's how.

Couple that with being fed all the time...and being fed good too.

You got to remember too, these guys just aren't in there working out with their buddy from work or school or something. A lot of times these guys are working out with experienced, acclaimed, professional trainers who's only job is to make them big, strong, fast, and mean.

I know...i've been there.

[SuicideGripMe]

High School = crap food for most, not many good strength coachs, not many schools that into football so motivation is down.

College = opposite. atmosphere, training, everything is much more extreme. College is where they can really weed out weak/bad players.

[jtaz28]

They live in the weight room...that's how.

Couple that with being fed all the time...and being fed good too.

You got to remember too, these guys just aren't in there working out with their buddy from work or school or something. A lot of times these guys are working out with experienced, acclaimed, professional trainers who's only job is to make them big, strong, fast, and mean.

I know...i've been there.

Yeah one of them told me that they were in the gym for 4-5 hours a day and do a lot of heavy movements. But this brings up the question as to how they don't over train?

[CaptainGorgeous]

Yeah one of them told me that they were in the gym for 4-5 hours a day and do a lot of heavy movements. But this brings up the question as to how they don't over train?

Look at the Bulgarian lifting thread in the powerlifting section.

They max out on squats almost every day without overtraining.

With good coaching and nutrition, you can get a lot more done than you think.

[grumble1]

Look at the Bulgarian lifting thread in the powerlifting section.

They max out on squats almost every day without overtraining.

With good coaching and nutrition, you can get a lot more done than you think.

The bulgarians are on steroids, and even then they say that it takes at least a decade to be able to handle the workload.

[Engineer_Guy]

Easy answer. College football is the preliminary into professional football. Every college player is very serious about their game and plays like they want to be in the pros. Not only that but they are coached by better coaches and trainers. They have grown up a bit since high school as well. They are more concerned with their diets. They probably don't even party as much.

Many people don't really find themselves until college.

[bballjoe12]

Guy 1:
Senior in HS
5'9" ~180lbs.
Bench Max 265

2nd year College
5'9" ~190-195lbs.
Bench 320x4

Guy 2:
Senior in HS
6'1" ~175lbs.
Bench Max 275

2nd year college
6'1" 210lbs.
Reppin like 315x4

I mean I just don't understand how these guys are getting so strong. What are they doing to them?

Well I think you answered part of your question. One gained 15 pounds and the other one gained almost 40 pounds. I'm sure that had something to do with their increases in strength.....

[|progress|]

Yeah one of them told me that they were in the gym for 4-5 hours a day and do a lot of heavy movements. But this brings up the question as to how they don't over train?

Simple. They're not in the gym 4-5 hours a day like your friend told you.

Each player has their own specific training program, diet, and supplement program (when I played in the late '90's this was just protein and creatine). Max it took me to finish one of my workouts in college was 1 1/2 hours, and it's a pretty freaking intense 1 1/2 hrs. Lifted 4x per week. Workouts were designed around olympic style lifts, primarily for strength, endurance, & explosion.

[princesoni]

they might be doing HIT , it is the basic yet most effective way to gain strength in bodybuilding, just try it yourself and see difference!

[bigtallox]

they might be doing HIT , it is the basic yet most effective way to gain strength in bodybuilding

HIT to get strong, LOL, way too funny.

[bigtallox]

I just don't understand what colleges are doing to these guys. I know two guys who I grew up with that went to play college football and they exploded in like 1-2 years.

Guy 1:
Senior in HS
5'9" ~180lbs.
Bench Max 265

2nd year College
5'9" ~190-195lbs.
Bench 320x4

Guy 2:
Senior in HS
6'1" ~175lbs.
Bench Max 275

2nd year college
6'1" 210lbs.
Reppin like 315x4

I mean I just don't understand how these guys are getting so strong. What are they doing to them?

Neither example is really all that much of a bench increase for 2 years of training.

[boathead]

Yeah one of them told me that they were in the gym for 4-5 hours a day and do a lot of heavy movements. But this brings up the question as to how they don't over train?

could it be that the prevalent notion around here....train, and then fully recover before hitting it again, is so much bullshiit? the entire athletic world trains with what is called dual factor training (essentially increased frequency of training, and training with accruing fatigue,with de-loads once in awhile.) it's only bodybuilders that seem to hold on to the single factor training mode: work out, then fully recover, and repeat.

prior to the steroid age, even bodybuilders used dual factor training. the aforementioned bulgarian method....westside training, starting strength...madcow...all dual factor training.

the human body, especially for you younger guys, can handle alot more than you might be thinking.

[|progress|]

could it be that the prevalent notion around here....train, and then fully recover before hitting it again, is so much bullshiit? the entire athletic world trains with what is called dual factor training (essentially increased frequency of training, and training with accruing fatigue,with de-loads once in awhile.) it's only bodybuilders that seem to hold on to the single factor training mode: work out, then fully recover, and repeat.

prior to the steroid age, even bodybuilders used dual factor training. the aforementioned bulgarian method....westside training, starting strength...madcow...all dual factor training.

the human body, especially for you younger guys, can handle alot more than you might be thinking.

It's funny you say this, I was watching a show last night on tv called Fight Science: Ultimate Soldiers. It was about the extremes soldiers go through and are still able to function. One guy they had on there was put in a plastic suit, under 240 degree heat lamps, on a treadmill trying to lose 7% of his bodyweight in water. They timed him on a shooting drill, and his time after he was dehydrated was actually 5 seconds faster on all three tries than when he was fresh. It was pretty interesting to see how far they push their bodies and still are able to function.

Just thought it was interesting.

[PSU0622]

they might be doing HIT , it is the basic yet most effective way to gain strength in bodybuilding, just try it yourself and see difference!

That has been Penn States training program for many years now.