QUESTION:

Coach:

I just got an invite for a high school "combine" testing day at the local university. It is in 5 and a half weeks and I really have not done anything but lift since the football season ended in December.

My question is pretty simple: What can I do in the month or so that I have to prepare to get the best scores possible in the 40, the pro agility shuttle and the bench test?

Signed,

Bryan

P.S.- I play offensive line and split time between tackle and guard this past year. I am 6 foot 3 inches and weigh about 280 now. When I played this year, my weight was 275. My best squat is 400 and my best bench is 345. I can power clean 225 for a double.

ANSWER:

Dear Bryan,

Most of the high school "combine" testing protocols deal with the following tests: Vertical Jump Long Jump (Many do not even test this exercise) Bench Press for Reps with 185 40 yard sprint 5-10-5 (pro agility shuttle)

As you can see, the vert, long jump and 40 yard sprint are all heavily dependent on your ability to produce maximum force in the shortest period of time (which in itself is a simplified working definition for POWER).

The best way to improve your ability to generate strength and speed at the same time (another working definition for the term POWER) is to train in a manner that allows you to efficiently engage and utilize your central nervous system and musculoskeletal systems (collectively termed the NEUROMUSCULAR system).

The best way to increase your ability to produce force quickly (rate of force development or RFD) is through exercises like the Olympic Weightlifting Movements (i.e. snatch, power snatch, cleans, jerks, power cleans, power jerks, and pulls), and "power training".

Power training involves using medicine balls and various throwing implements to express explosive, ballistic force without having to worry about decelerating the weight/load due to the "release nature" of the exercise.

Plyometric activities, when applied properly to the program and in the right sequencing protocols as they relate to strength and power work, will also help your ability to create a "shorter ammortization phase" between the explosive, reactive concentric accelleration phase and the preceding eccentric, deceleration phase. More efficient use of this elastic, stretch shortening cycle will result in greater subsequent force and power production, hopefully translating to faster strides, quicker turnover, and longer and higher jumps.

In addition, paying proper attention to running mechanics, starting stance and jumping mechanics will allow you to utilize the newfound improvements in power production that you can gain from the above activities. Thus, you will be able to functionally express these biomotor qualities when starting, jumping and sprinting.

The plyometric training will also help with the pro agility testing, by allowing you to make quicker cuts and more efficient deceleration-reaccleration movements when changing direction at the lines.

Proper attention to the choreography involved in the pro agility shuttle (i.e. the number of strides to take on each phase, the starting stance and body positions to utilize and the finish) will allow you to utilize these improved abilities to acheive the best possible result on the day of testing.

A word of advice, do not neglect your basic strength movements during the first three weeks of this training... continue to squat, press and pull to maintain the base of strength.

The Bench Press test is actually more a test of strength endurance rather than a test of power or maximum strength, The ability to produce force on an extended basis or for a pre-specified duration (i.e. for 10-20 + reps) is not very football specific, but it is one of the tests that you will have to prepare for if you want to score well at the test event.

At O.P.T.I., we have found that training for rep-pause sets with a slightly heavier load than that you will be testing with (i.e. 195 - 205 lbs) has been effective.

A typical workout would entail something like this: (assuming that you can bench 185 at least 8-10 times at the present time)

Bench Training Week 1 Day 1
shoulder complex warmup
135 x 10
175 x 6
195 x 6 for 5 sets with 60 seconds rest between sets

Bench Training Week 1 Day 2
shoulder complex
135 x 10
185 x 6
225 x 2
255 x 2
285 x 1
305 x 1
190 x max reps
135 x max reps

Each week, day 1 would involve a reduction in the rest period between work sets (i.e. from 60 sec to 45 sec to 30 sec to 20 sec to 10 sec each week). Day 2, would remain basically the same each week, with a back off or deletion of the day during the last week.

NONE OF THESE EXERCISES OR DRILLS SHOULD BE PERFORMED WITHOUT THE GUIDANCE OF A QUALIFIED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROFESSIONAL, PREFERABLY ONE CERTIFIED BY THE NSCA AS A CERTIFIED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING SPECIALIST (CSCS) AND HAVING TAKEN AND PASSED THE USA WEIGHTLIFTING COACHING COURSES (CLUB LEVEL AT A MINIMUM, BUT PREFERABLY SENIOR AND REGIONAL LEVELS).

A GOOD SPRINT COACH OR PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT COACH WITH BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE IN PREPARING ATHLETES FOR COMBINES AND PRO DAY TESTING IS ALSO ESSENTIAL FOR PURPOSES OF SAFETY AND RAISING THE CHANCES OF A SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE.

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR PRO DAY.

Richard C. Lansky, CSCS*D
Director of Athletic Performance
OPTI Sports & Fitness Clinic
Sarasota, Florida USA

NOTICE: THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE IN THIS COLUMN ARE NOT MEANT AS MEDICAL ADVICE.

YOU ARE URGED TO CONSULT A PHYSICIAN OR THE APPROPRIATE MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL BEFORE ATTEMPTING ANY OF THE ACTIVITIES, DRILLS OR EXERCISES DESCRIBED IN THIS OR ANY OTHER PART OF THE O.P.T.I. SPORTS & FITNESS CLINIC WEBSITE

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PERFORM ANY OF THESE ACTIVITIES WITHOUT QUALIFIED SUPERVISION, SUCH AS THAT PROVIDED BY A LICENSED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL OR CERTIFIED STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING SPECIALIST

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