About this workout
The off season is where football players are made. No games to recover from, no game plan to save your legs for, just twelve weeks to get bigger, stronger and more explosive than the guy across from you. This is a 4 day upper/lower program built for that window. Heavy barbell strength, real power work off the floor, and enough size work to hold up to contact. Run it in the off season and show up to camp a different athlete.
Who This Program Is For
- You are a football player using the off season to build strength, power and size.
- You can train four days a week with intent.
- You have a full gym with barbells, racks and platforms.
- You already know how to squat, hinge, press and pull with good form.
Who this is NOT for: in-season use as written; the volume is too high when you are practicing and playing. It is also not for a total beginner. Learn the lifts first on the 5x5 Strength Program for Beginners, then come back.
What You'll Need
- A full gym with barbells, a rack and room to jump and pull.
- A commitment to the warm-up and to sleep; power comes from a fresh nervous system.
- A log. Every session is about beating the last one.
The Program
Four days: two lower, two upper, split into a strength/power day and a size day for each. A good week is Monday lower, Tuesday upper, Thursday lower, Friday upper. Start every lower and upper session with the jump or the explosive lift while you are fresh, then move to strength and size.
| Day 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower, Strength and Power | |||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Box Jump | 5 | 3 | 90 sec |
| Barbell Squat | 4 | 5 | 3 min |
| Romanian Deadlift | 4 | 6 | 2 min |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 | 8 each leg | 90 sec |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 10-12 | 60 sec |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Day 2 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper, Strength and Power | |||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Push Press | 5 | 3 | 2 min |
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 5 | 3 min |
| Bent Over Row | 4 | 6 | 2 min |
| Pull Up | 4 | 6-8 | 90 sec |
| Seated Barbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 8 | 90 sec |
| Face Pulls | 3 | 15-20 | 45 sec |
| Day 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Lower, Size and Conditioning | |||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Barbell Front Squat | 4 | 8 | 2 min |
| Leg Press | 3 | 12 | 90 sec |
| Walking Lunge | 3 | 10 each leg | 90 sec |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Farmers Walk | 3 | 40 yards | 90 sec |
| Plank | 3 | 45-60 sec | 45 sec |
| Day 4 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper, Size | |||
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8 | 2 min |
| Seated Cable Rows | 4 | 10 | 90 sec |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 10-12 | 75 sec |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 | 10-12 | 75 sec |
| Barbell Curl | 3 | 10 | 60 sec |
| Tricep Pushdown | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
How to Progress
Twelve weeks in three four-week blocks, building toward peak strength and power.
Weeks 1 to 4. Establish your working weights. On the strength lifts, pick a weight you could do for two more reps than prescribed. Add weight each week.
Weeks 5 to 8. Push the strength lifts harder, closer to one rep in reserve, and keep adding weight to the squat, bench, push press and rows.
Week 8 (deload). One lighter week at about two thirds of your loads. Jumps stay sharp but low volume. This is how the heavy final block feels fast, not heavy.
Weeks 9 to 12. Peak. Drive the strength lifts to new bests while keeping the jumps and power work crisp. By week 12 you should be measurably stronger and more explosive than when you started.
Warm-Up and Recovery Notes
Warm up thoroughly before power work: five minutes of easy cardio, dynamic leg swings and hip openers, a few submaximal jumps, then ramp-up sets on your first barbell lift. Explosive work on cold muscles is how athletes get hurt.
Recovery is training. Sleep eight hours if you can, eat big, and keep the conditioning easy on off days so it does not eat into your strength work. If a joint is angry, swap to a pain-free variation and keep building.
Nutrition and Supplementation
To build size and power you have to eat. Aim for at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight and eat in a slight surplus through the block.
Support that helps an athlete: protein powder to hit your target, creatine monohydrate at 5 grams a day, one of the most proven performance supplements there is, and a pre-workout for the heavy sessions if you train after a long day.
FAQ
Can I run this in season? Not as written. In season, cut to two lower-volume days and keep the main lifts heavy but brief. This program is for the off season build.
Should I do conditioning too? Yes, but keep it separate and easy to moderate on off days so it does not blunt your strength and power gains. Save the hard conditioning for closer to camp.
What position is this for? All of them. Every football player benefits from being stronger and more explosive; adjust the size work up for linemen and keep it leaner for skill positions.
Questions and results
Ask a coach
Running this program? Tell us what week you are on and how the progression is going. A coach answers every question here.