Strength and Size

The key difference between this work out and the Strength and Speed workout is that I’ve substituted dynamic-effort days with repetition days for the upper body. I’ve also found it to be one of the keys to success for muscular growth in my younger athletes. Simply put, dynamic days just aren’t that productive for the weaker and less experienced.

Remember that this modified program was put together for athletes who lack muscle mass. Well, the repetition method is an incredible way to elicit muscular hypertrophy. Compared to a smaller muscle, a bigger muscle has a better chance of becoming a stronger muscle. Packing on some muscle mass by means of the repetition method lays a great foundation for the more advanced dynamic days to come.

Substituting dynamic days with repetition days for top athletes like NFL football players during the initial stages of the off-season is common. This is because repetition work is easier on the joints following a grueling season and it’s a great way to pack on any muscle that was lost during the season. I would consider starting your off-season program with this and then move to the strength and speed workout as the season approaches.

MONDAY (A.M.) – MAX-EFFORT Upper Body lift
MONDAY (P.M.) – Sprint work, conditioning, General Physical Preparedness (GPP) or skill training
TUESDAY – OFF or Restoration techniques
WEDNESDAY - Sprint work, conditioning, GPP or skill training
THURSDAY – REPETITION Upper Body lift
FRIDAY - Sprint work, conditioning, GPP or skill training
SATURDAY – Lower Body lift
SUNDAY – OFF or Restoration techniques

Note: The Lower Body Day – you’ll notice there's only one major lower body day in this modified program. There's a reason for this: most beginner/intermediate athletes couldn’t recover from two lower body days a week in conjunction with their running and conditioning work. Their legs would never fully recover and it would take away from their speed and conditioning workouts. One day has worked out much better for many of my athletes. If you are in off-season and are in good enough shape to handle another leg workout, add it in as it works with your schedule as long as it doesn't detract from your sport specific and conditioning workouts. You could have the second day be a sled pulls/dragging workout for example.

Check out the reference http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/articles.htm. It will provide specifics on lifts you could do on the various days, as well as all sorts of valuable information.