Weight Room Apps

3 ways TO EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY IN THE WEIGHT ROOM

BY WILLIAM FLY, USAW, RPR-1, 2020 NORTH CAROLINA STRENGTH COACH OF THE YEAR, NORTHWEST CABARRUS HIGH (N.C.)

As our athletes continue to evolve and change, we as strength coaches have to be able to adapt this “next normal”. The days of shying away from technology are coming to an end. Coaches have to be able to embrace technology in the weightroom in order to continue to create belief within your strength programs. One of these technologies we use is an online software called TeamBuildr. TeamBuildr allows us to create a completely paperless strength program that streamlines everything to a device straight to the athlete.

I strongly believe Teambuildr and all of its features has set our program apart from others in the state. We are able to cater to our athletes, give them what they need when they need it, and allow coaches to spend more time doing what we love -- which is coaching. If you are in need of a software program for your weight room, give TeamBuildr a look.

■ TeamBuildr offers

an online platform for programming workouts.

■ Northwest Cabarrus

(N.C.) strength coach William Fly

In our program at Northwest Cabarrus, we utilize Teambuildr in three critical ways.

1Programming Teambuildr allows us to make programs based upon training age, skill level and what particular phase of training they are in. Once the workout is placed on a particular calendar, it can then be assigned to the athletes with the click of a button. This feature also allows all of our coaches to see what is programmed on a given day, just like a practice plan, and they can coach accordingly. We can provide cues for each movement to empower our assistant coaches and/or volunteer coaches to coach with confidence & clarity in the weightroom.

2Workout Data Entry Once we have made the calendar as we have just discussed, we can assign it to our athletes. From here, this is where our “paperless” concept comes into play. Using chromebooks, tablets and iPads, athletes at a rack can pull up their workout and see their given loads and reps for a particular exercise. With this, the hardest thing an athlete has to do is figure out how to load the bar accordingly. Also, we empower our athletes to insert their data so that they “own” their progress and growth in our program.

3Whiteboard and Weight Room Session Management One of the most underrated features that TeamBuildr has is the Whiteboard feature. Using the TVs in our room, we are able to set up a timing system that essentially runs the room for me and allows me to spend more time coaching our athletes. We place three athletes per rack and tell them to pick a section of the screen to follow during the course of the session. By simply following the screen, they know what movement/exercise they have, how many reps and what the next movement is. We also set a “transition” time to go from our first tier to the next. This establishes urgency and tempo so our athletes can get used to moving quickly from one part to the next, just as we want our athletes to move with a sense of urgency from one segment of practice to the next (i.e Indy to inside run, 7-on-7 to team).

Lift Like Hoover High

6-TIME ALABAMA STATE CHAMPION COACH OPENS HIS S&C PLAYBOOK

BY DAN GUTTENPLAN

Hoover High (Ala.) coach Josh Niblett estimates he spends as many as six hours a weekend programming his team’s strength and conditioning program. The rewards have been tangible — the Bucs have won six state championships under Niblett.

Niblett developed a love for the weight room in his days as a middle-schooler, and his strength training experience includes nine months as a body-builder as well as a stint as the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Jacksonville State University.

He recently joined the FNF Coaches Podcast to share his team’s strength training plan.

All lifts are position-specific, and he breaks the team into four groups to use 32 racks:

■ Defensive line ■ Offensive line ■ Big skill (RB, QB, TE, LB) ■ Skill (DB, WR)

Here is an example of what a summer week might look like, depending on the player’s position.

3 LIFTS PER WEEK (M, W, F)

Before each lift, there is an activation period. It’s called the Champions Circuit and includes six drills that take 90 seconds each. The warmup drills include hip mobility, shoulder mobility, speed drills, plyometrics, ladder runs, flexibility exercise and foot quickness drills.

MONDAY LIFT

■ Power pulls to the floor ■ Legs — split squat ■ Upper body dumbbell work (incline bench) ■ Finisher

WEDNESDAY LIFT

■ Hang clean front squat (heavy, not over 55 percent speed) ■ Heavy squats ■ Dumbbell movement ■ Finisher

FRIDAY LIFT

■ Power cleans ■ Heavy bench ■ Leg auxillary (step-ups or split squat) ■ Finisher

■ Coach Niblett

credits much of his success at Hoover to the strength and condition program he has instilled. Since he took over as head coach in 2008, the Bucs have amassed a record of 159-25.

TOUGHNESS TUESDAY

This day is reserved for agility work in the gym

or on the field. Each session includes eight or nine stations with exercises like: ■ 1-on-1 tug-of-war ■ 4-point wave ■ 2-point wave ■ Star drill ■ Speed transition Plyometrics

COMPETITION THURSDAY

This session includes the same agility work as the Tuesday section -- only the team of 140

rising sophomores to seniors is split into 12 teams.

After a two-week evaluation period at the start of the spring season, coaches draft teams of players to compete against each other.

Players are graded on anything from max bench, to timed sprints, to classroom attendance to GPA.

Each team has a captain, who wears a black shirt on Thursdays. Everyone else wears gray shirts. If the captain skips a workout or gets in trouble, he must give the black shirt to another player in his group.

TEST DAY

The Hoover coaching staff tests max on three lifts.

■ Power clean ■ Parallel squats ■ Bench press

“I’m a big clean guy,” Niblett said. “We power clean from the floor. We also do power pulls and hang cleans, but we test on power cleans.”

In March, Hoover had 29 athletes power clean at least 225 lbs.

While Niblett is a fan of power clean test days, he isn’t as enamored with bench press testing periods.

“I just don’t think high school athletes are very good at benching,” Niblett said. “But they want to bench, so we bench. They get stronger, so that’s all that matters. When we’re not testing, we’ll adjust the grip based on the position.”

THE WEIGHT ROOM VIBE

What SHOULD the Hoover High weight room look like?

“Total chaos,” Niblett said. “Everybody should be working, sweating, getting after it. No guy is doing bench with three guys waiting. Then when he’s done, he stands there and waits. We complex all lifts. They’ll know what weight they’re supposed to be lifting, and it’s constant motion.”

Podcast Alert!

TO HEAR AN IN-DEPTH EXPLANATION OF THE HOOVER FOOTBALL

program’s strength and conditioning schedule, listen to Coach Niblett’s appearance on the FNF Coaches Podcast.

HOST A COMBINE

IN THE MIDST OF

the NCAA dead period last spring, the Hoover coaching staff hosted a Combine to help players get recruited. The Combine included measurements/ results for:

■ HEIGHT/WEIGHT:

College coaches don’t want to take your word for it.

Provide video of the measurements.

■ WING SPAN: Some

college coaches set minimum requirements for wing span for each position.

■ HAND SIZE: Again,

this is an important metric for many college recruiters.

■ FLEXIBILITY

DRILLS: Record

video of players in which they show flexibility in their hips and knees.

■ REPS ON BENCH:

Players to decide between 135 lbs., 185 lbs., and 225 lbs., and do as many reps as possible.

■ 40-YARD DASH:

A Hoover corner ran a 4.3 and subsequently received an offer from Air Force.

■ PRO AGILITY: This

includes cone drills and shuttle runs.

■ BROAD JUMP/

TRIPLE BROAD

JUMP: Some

coaches want to see leaping ability.

■ INDIVIDUAL WORK

WITH POSITION

COACH: Example:

Corners might do the W drill, line drill or work in the middle of the field.

PLAYBOOK Run the pistol spread triple option vs. difficult reads

CHRIS PAULSON AND JEFF GLESSNER

It’s not always as simple to read a defense as a football reference book might describe. Specific instances might cause the quarterback to become confused and where he doesn’t know what to do because the situation isn’t wasn’t specifically addressed ahead of time.

As coaches, it’s our job to find solutions and empower our players to quickly reach these snap judgements. Within the pistol spread option, the quarterback needs to know certain things before he even takes the snap.

Here are some solutions to the most common issues.

BLOOD STUNT

Since the beginning of the wishbone, the blood stunt has

been one of the most popular ways to attack an option offense. The idea is to have the two defenders come so hard at the quarterback that a bad play is inevitable.

The first thing in the quarterback’s head is that he’s expecting a quick pull and pitch when defenders No. 1 and No. 2 are on the line. Making it an “area” read gives the quarterback a simpler time reading the situation.

If the quarterback sees the shoulders of Nos. 1 and 2 aimed toward him, he immediately pulls and pitches the football.

It’s true that this won’t always happen. The quarterback must still go through his regular progression, because it could look like Nos. 1 and 2 are coming hot and something else happens.

In this case – as will be explained later – the fadeaway pitch isn’t taught in this offense. However, when Nos. 1 and 2 come hard, the quarterback should have his weight on his front foot so he can simply pitch the ball and push off his front foot to absorb the hard hit that is coming.

If his weight is on his back foot, he won’t be able to push away and absorb the defender being left unblocked, which could result in a disaster for the quarterback.

The quarterback must understand that the defense won’t always come hard on a blood stunt when it aligns like this. Defensive coordinators are smart. They’ll mix things up.

As a result, the quarterback must be ready to pull and replace the handoff key. He must be ready for everything.

The problem with the blood stunt is executing the hardest part of it: Nos. 1 and 2 coming hard at the quarterback.

CROSS CHARGE

There are different terms for this

stunt, but a cross charge is simply No. 1 and No. 2 in a stack alignment exchanging responsibilities. This is one of the most difficult reads for a quarterback, which means it must be worked on throughout the offseason and the season to recognize and react to.

Before the quarterback even executes this read, the offense must do three things to attack the stack defense adequately: ■ The offensive line must widen its splits. This creates a better picture for the quarterback to perform his read. ■ The tailback must tighten his path by a hair, which will be explained later, and square his shoulders to the goal line sooner than normal. ■ The quarterback fully meshes into the line of scrimmage.

The stack read can be executed in two ways. The first is the easiest: Make it an area read.

The area read against a stack defense can be summed up as “air or no air.” If the quarterback is meshing with the tailback and air is in the hole, give the football. Otherwise, pull the football.

Run Quarters Against Spread Offenses

BY CODY ALEXANDER, CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, MESQUITE HORN (TEXAS)

As spread offenses become the norm across high school and college football, defensive coordinators across the country are feeling pressure to adapt traditional defenses to the modern game.

The spread offense, in particular, is built to test traditional structures of defenses. There is more speed on the field, and the formations cover more area. The modern spread offense wants to create as many one-on-one situations and challenge the fundamentals of every defensive player on the field.

The spread offense has also adapted itself to what every high school in America has: hybrid players. It is up to defensive coaches to adjust.

And the answer is already here: split field match quarters.

Defense is reactionary. Offenses are always going to have the advantage because they know exactly what they are doing. Modern defenses must be structured in ways that are simple, flexible, yet can

adapt to every situation an offense may throw out there.

Quarters coverage is simple and adaptive. If a defender can count to three, he can play in a quarters scheme.

Starting from the outside in, the corners will always relate to the No. 1 receivers. The outside linebackers and safeties relate to the slots, and the Mike will relate to the No. 3 receiver. No matter what formation the offense throws at a defense, a quarters scheme can adjust.

Running a split field scheme complementary to quarters allows for multiple adjustments within the defensive structure. A quarters defense is not static despite what its detractors say. A quarters defense – run properly –is more multiple than a single-high scheme or just running a blanket coverage.

Spinning to a single-high structure gives a spread offense multiple options. If a defense spins the wrong way, the offense can out-leverage the defense away from the kicking safety. Even if the defense spins and keeps a balanced alignment, the defense has created one-on-one matchups across the board.

Modern spread offenses want a defense to spin to single high. The single-high alignment puts high percentage throws near the quarterback. The spread offense, particularly the Air Raid, is looking for throws over the middle and underneath.

Routes such as drags, crossers, slants and posts are all high percentage throws and close to the middle of the field. Quarters is designed to force the offense outside. Most high school quarterbacks are not going to be able to throw a 25-yard comeback but can easily throw to an open receiver down the middle. Running a single-high scheme puts each the defense at risk to high percentage throws.

PLAYBOOK Gain leverage within the drive block

BY DAVE CHRISTENSEN, RETIRED COLLEGE FOOTBALL COACH

Run blocking is divided into three categories: man-blocking techniques, two-man blocking techniques and pull techniques. Blocks categorized as man blocks are executed by only one lineman, including:

■ Drive block ■ Cut-off block ■ Down block ■ Influence block ■ Level block ■ Fan block ■ Butt block ■ Escape move ■ Arc release ■ Block release ■ Alley block ■ Reach block

THE RUN-BLOCKING DEMEANOR

A key part of every run block is establishing a proper run-blocking demeanor, and this figures heavily into the execution of one-man blocks.

The proper run-blocking demeanor is a combination of the correct body positioning and the blocker’s movement during the “fit” stage of the block, which comes at the moment of contact and allows the blocker to maintain a sufficient blocking surface on the defender.

The fit includes the stage of the block when the offensive lineman maximizes his leverage.

A blocker exhibiting the correct blocking demeanor during the fit should demonstrate the following:

■ Hips low. ■ Knees bent. ■ Ankles flexed. ■ Feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. ■ Lower back arched (hyperextended). ■ Toes pointing outward. ■ Shoulders slightly elevated. ■ Elbows tight to the body. ■ Hands open with thumbs up.

Optimal use of the leverage angle or power angle from low to high involves the following body positioning:

■ Feet flat to maximize the opportunity for contact with the ground. ■ Toes turned slightly outward. ■ Knees turned slightly inward. ■ Hands to target. Depending on the type of angle desired, a flipper or both hands should be punched into the chest of the opponent in a low-to-high lifting fashion. ■ Elbows remain tucked inward,while the thumbs point upward. ■ Pad under pad. The shoulders of the blocker should be lower than the shoulders ■ of the defender. ■ The chin is kept level, so that the blocker’s head remains level, while his neck is bowed. ■ Head remains behind the plane of the chest with the screws of the headgear facing forward.

The mechanics of the correct blocking demeanor should be practiced year-round. Similar to a proper golf swing, the correct blocking demeanor has multiple components that must fall into place.

Continually drill players in the development of the individual components of the proper blocking demeanor. Using slower paces with an emphasis on controlled movement can help to keep offensive linemen finely tuned on the mechanics of maintaining the proper demeanor.

Basic Zone Blitzes for the Under Front Defense

JERRY GORDON, NAUSET HIGH (EASTHAM, MASS.)

Zone blitzes from the under front have three

things in common: ■ There will be five rushers. ■ There will be three underneath players, two seam/curl/flat defenders and one No. 3 control defender. ■ There will be three deep players.

The zone blitz can be called on run and pass downs. There will be a mechanism to bring the zone blitz from the field, up the middle and from the boundary.

To create consistency, zone blitzes are run with the Sam set to the field. The Will always sets the front away from the Sam.

Although the under defense is always three under and three deep, a different name is given to each coverage based on which three defenders are responsible for the deep thirds. For us, those are: ■ Rain ■ Fog ■ Freeze Field, Smash, Rain

“Field” tells the Sam to align to the field. “Smash” tells the Sam and the Mac they are involved in the stunt. “Rain” tells the safeties that the Rover is the middle third player.

HERE ARE THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES FOR EACH DEFENDER:

■ SAM. Contain blitz. Since he is in zone coverage, the Sam does not have to cover the running back flare as he normally would. ■ END. He takes a “long stick,” angling two gaps using a crossface technique. Crossface technique means if the guard comes at the end, the end crosses his face. If his face goes away from the end, the end should heel line trail. ■ NOSE. Tag steps into the opposite A gap, reading the V of the neck of the offensive guard. ■ TACKLE. Loop to the offensive tackle using a crossface technique. The tackle is the contain player versus pass. ■ BANDIT. Stomp and drop technique. He takes two hard tag steps to the outside (stomp), and if the run does not appear, he drops to play seam/curl/flat. If a swap call comes from the Will, the Will becomes the seam/curl/flat player, and the Bandit becomes the No. 3 control player.

The Will makes this call when it is decided that the Bandit cannot, because of his position or athletic ability, perform the seam/curl/flat function. This call usually occurs when No. 2 removes himself from the core of the formation (pro/twins) to the side of the Will. ■ MAC. Blitzes the B gap behind the end using cloudy/clear rules 4. If the B gap is closed and action is to him, he scrapes one gap wider. If the B gap is open, he maintains B gap responsibility. ■ WILL. No. 3 control player versus the pass. Regular under rules versus the run. Makes a swap call if necessary ■ FREE. Seam/curl/flat player versus the pass. If a tight end is No. 2, the free is also a C gap and quarterback player with action to him. If No. 2 is a wide receiver, the free is a secondary contain player with action to him. ■ ROVER. Middle third ■ CORNERS. Outside third