Someone who played D-1 please explain....

[uconnflyer88]

How quotes like this can happen (I'm not going to say who made, I got them off twitter, but it would detract from the bigger point):

"First lift of the off season . out of shape . Time to put in that overtime . #daybyday #nodaysoff"

"Time to hit the weight room hard this off season and transform this body back into a mythical god"

"Sophomore season over with time to have the best off season I ever had in my life going in to my junior season"

To me how can you EVER be out of shape as a D-1 athlete ESPECIALLY when the season just ended two days ago. And the other two quotes kind of baffle me because shouldn't last off season be the time to have the best of of your life and why choose NOW to hit the weight room hard.....I don't know whats behind the quotes, I'm sure there is more context to them

But as an engaged observer.....just raises a couple eyebrows, but then again I didn't play D-1 football so I want to open it up for those who did

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I can answer this, but I didn't play D1 football, so I won't.

 

[ZooCougar]

Kevin Nathan is not allowed to respond to this thread.

 

[gioff23]

Do we know if the tweeter was ineligible or in any way unable to participate in training offered?

 

[uconnflyer88]

I can answer this, but I didn't play D1 football, so I won't.

Ahhhh should have seen this one coming a mile away

 

[Carl Spackler]

All it means to me is that we've got players that are already hungry for next year, and that's a good thing, and I didnt play 1A, but I stayed at a holiday inn express last night.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Ahhhh should have seen this one coming a mile away

Smart answer aside.....my guess would be that weight training is not a big part of the in season training regimen. Most of the guys are in "football shape" which is different than being cut up like a Greek God.

But that's just my best uneducated guess.

 

[businesslawyer]

I'm wasn't a Division one athlete, but as a former (horrific) Division 3 athlete I'm more than a little surprised you are offended by those comments.

1. I wrestled. You wear down over the season and it would have been unusual to end the season lifting up to where you entered the prior one. During the season there are more important things to use your muscle stamina on than lifting.

2. No matter how good one did lifting the last off season, you don't come into the new off season saying "I just want to do as well, not better." Sheesh. You think I want the lawyers I'm training to say "I'm already really good and work hard so let's just keep working hard and not worry about working harder?"

Seriously, I don't get how people think it's worth hyperanalyzing tweets of 20 characters.

 

[Moriarty]

During the off season, the players are working out 4-5 times per week, with each session lasting multiple hours. During the season most players work out twice a week for about an hour, with players on the non-traveling squad potentially working out an extra day (i.e., Friday). It is difficult to maintain the summer gains over the course of the season, particularly for travel squad players.

Also, keep in mind that most regular contributors are playing with nicks and bruises and aren't able to work out during the season with the same intensity that they do in the off season.

 

[ZooCougar]

Okay, since it is officially okay to respond to this thread if you weren't a D-1 athlete... you will always hear NFL athletes complain that they are never in better shape than when they report to the first day of training camp.

Just start from there and work your way to a logical conclusion.

 

[Palatine]

I played intercollegiate club chess in college, does that count?

 

[zls44]

During the season there are more important things to use your muscle stamina on than lifting.

Heh.

 

[sportsart]

"Sophomore season over with time to have the best off season I ever had in my life going in to my junior season".......#paulpasqualoni

 

[UConnDan97]

"Sophomore season over with time to have the best off season I ever had in my life going in to my junior season".......#paulpasqualoni

Which mythical god would he be? (not sure if I want you to answer)

 

[BHusky]

Barring a few "freaks of nature", most players body break down ALOT over the season. Rarely is a player able to maintain their strength, weight and conditioning when the body begins to feel the affects of the season. Weight training is still consistently 3 days a week, but with a goal of maintaining versus getting stronger. A lot guys who can bench 350-400 lbs would have trouble completing sets with 225 by the end of the year. Sounds like a big number still for sets, but when you are benching 400 lbs you literally warm up with that amount of weight. Often times just getting these kids to maintain weight is an issue because of the seasons grind, especially lineman. They will weigh in before and after practice and trainers will take note of those who are losing a lot of weight. A special diet of heavy calories for those not maintaining.

Then just the simple fact that coaches pull back on conditioning toward the end of the season to try and keep guys healthy plays a huge role. They may try and up the practice tempo as a conditioning alternative (i.e., sprints), but if you are a guy who doesn't get a lot of practice reps, you can tend to lose the conditioning you had during the summer and camp. On Mondays after games, starters may be told to do pool workouts versus conditioning which also will impact what shape you are in.

So when you get back into full strength and conditioning mode after the season versus maintaining, you feel out of shape. These guys were in peak condition just 2-3 months ago and some may be a shell of themselves from a strength perspctive.

 

[uc1974]

I played D1 baseball but at 5' 9", 145 # and the fact I was a pitcher... A lot of the guys I played with were scholarship FB players but I don't recall any special efforts re: training. Then again, it was 1966-69 and sports were a lot more mellow then, as was I.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

I always assumed it was kind of like how bodybuilders go into bulking and cutting phases. During the offseason, players bulk up, putting on a lot of extra weight to build extra mass more quickly. That, of course, comes with more fat, but also more strength. Then, as season approaches, they go into a cutting mode to drop the extra weight and improve their quickness while retaining as much muscle mass as possible.

 

[superjohn]

Irishloop explained it the best. In the offseason guys are lifting all the time, trying to set pr's in things like deadlift, squats and bench. The offseason is for putting on new strength and mass and during the season it's hard to maintain all those gains with the rigorous practice schedule. They still lift but not with the intensity of the offseason but to the poster who said guys that bench 350-400 have trouble doing sets of 225 lbs. during the season. If you can put up 400 you can always do sets of 225 no matter what.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

Barring a few "freaks of nature", most players body break down ALOT over the season. Rarely is a player able to maintain their strength, weight and conditioning when the body begins to feel the affects of the season. Weight training is still consistently 3 days a week, but with a goal of maintaining versus getting stronger. A lot guys who can bench 350-400 lbs would have trouble completing sets with 225 by the end of the year. Sounds like a big number still for sets, but when you are benching 400 lbs you literally warm up with that amount of weight. Often times just getting these kids to maintain weight is an issue because of the seasons grind, especially lineman. They will weigh in before and after practice and trainers will take note of those who are losing a lot of weight. A special diet of heavy calories for those not maintaining.

Then just the simple fact that coaches pull back on conditioning toward the end of the season to try and keep guys healthy plays a huge role. They may try and up the practice tempo as a conditioning alternative (i.e., sprints), but if you are a guy who doesn't get a lot of practice reps, you can tend to lose the conditioning you had during the summer and camp. On Mondays after games, starters may be told to do pool workouts versus conditioning which also will impact what shape you are in.

So when you get back into full strength and conditioning mode after the season versus maintaining, you feel out of shape. These guys were in peak condition just 2-3 months ago and some may be a shell of themselves from a strength perspctive.

Seemingly, they're starting weight and other conditioning almost immediately after the season. Wouldn't taking time to heal and decompress better serve certain individuals?

 

[BHusky]

Irishloop explained it the best. In the offseason guys are lifting all the time, trying to set pr's in things like deadlift, squats and bench. The offseason is for putting on new strength and mass and during the season it's hard to maintain all those gains with the rigorous practice schedule. They still lift but not with the intensity of the offseason but to the poster who said guys that bench 350-400 have trouble doing sets of 225 lbs. during the season. If you can put up 400 you can always do sets of 225 no matter what.

I beg to differ about "always" being able to lift 225 as a 400 lb max guy. Try doing 225 when you can hardly lift your shoulders over your head or push press 135. Always is a strong statement and I saw this a lot.

 

[jackl]

I would imagine there is a difference if you are a "skill" player or just a "big ugly" so to speak.

 

[superjohn]

Sure if they have injuries and can't really lift then they won't he putting up 225, I just meant nobody who can lift that much would ever lose the strength to put up 225 during the season. Injuries are a whole different thing.

 

[SAMCRO]

Your workout program is tailored differently. As BHusky explained it. The time in the weight room is less, and is spent differently in season v. off season. Players are still working out and working hard lifting, but more time is spent practicing, film study, getting treatment/rehabbing from Saturday, etc...

 

[Srqhusky]

Do we still have the same strength conditioning guys from edsall days. We produce very athletic combine standouts like kashif todman and reyes. Among others. Just hoping we r still pushing these guys to build them up physically.

 

[huskymedic]

Do we still have the same strength conditioning guys from edsall days. We produce very athletic combine standouts like kashif todman and reyes. Among others. Just hoping we r still pushing these guys to build them up physically.

Edsell took Drew Wilson with him to MD but Jerry Martin who run the program is still there and backfilled a few football positions.