Over the past couple weeks I have discussed some important dietary considerations for lineman, or anyone who on the football squad who may be trying to gain weight. Of course diet is only half the battle; the other half is training and without it, you can only be so good. Consider your body like a bicycle; there are two tires that both need to work together.

Nutrition is one tire and training is the other. If you have a flat tire on your bike, you can get from point A to point B, but not efficiently. If both are flat, in this case meaning both training and diet are poor, you'll really struggle to get the endpoint. The key is to have both working simultaneously for optimal performance.

The Workouts

Therefore, let's consider some training suggestions. As a lineman you want overall power. Don't waste your time with single jointed movements (bicep curls, tricep pushdowns, leg extensions, etc). Concentrate on multi-joint movements that really work a number of muscles simultaneously. I'm talking squats, deadlifts, dips, flat & incline bench press, standing military press, cleans, pullups, etc. Sure there are others, but this is a start.

For this period of workouts, break them up into 4-day splits; so aside from other cross-training type workouts, you essentially have three "rest" days from resistance training.

Since we're going primarily for power in this cycle, the best thing to do is keep the reps low and weights high.

Monday

Wide stance squats (going as low as possible with perfect form)
(5 sets of 5 reps)

Front bar squats

(5 sets of 5 reps)

Narrow stance, wide grip deadlifts

(5 sets of 5 reps)

Overhand grip barbell rows

(5 sets of 5 reps)

Tuesday

Dips (use additional weight if necessary)
(3 sets of 8 reps)

Incline Bench Press

(8 sets of 3)

Standing Military Press

(5 sets of 5)

Click here for printable workout log!

Wednesday

Off

Thursday

Walking lunges with a barbell
(3 sets of 10 repetitions for each leg)

Single leg squats (with body weight)

(3 sets of 10 reps on each leg)

Pullups (with bodyweight, use additional weight if necessary)

(5 sets of 8 reps)

Dumbell Rows

(3 sets of 8 each arm)

Click here for printable workout log!

Friday

Flat bench dumbbell press
(5 sets of 5 reps)

Narrow grip barbell press

(5 sets of 5 reps)

Clean and Press

(5 sets of 5 reps)

Click here for printable workout log!

Some basic principles to keep in mind as well. First, this is a general program that can help build power and strength. There are obviously a million programs and exercises you that work. Second, the program (or any) should be changed every 3-4 weeks, depending on how your body is adapting.

Third, do not forget to stretch. Finally, you cannot recover unless you eat properly.

	Remember, training is just half of the battle; nutrition is the other half. And without proper rest, you'll never recover or grow.

chris@MohrResults.com

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