Training like an athlete is tough work, but worth it

The idea that there’s no such thing as being “too big” to play football is changing. So is the belief that football players need to spend their off-season in the weight room pushing more and more weight. Instead, studies exploring the relationship between football performance and fitness testing have shown that explosive power and maximal running speed are better markers of on field playing ability.

Liam Mahoney, a former Concordia Stinger and now a receiver for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, used to live by the bigger-is-better philosophy. But he found the added size made him slower and less reactive than he was at a lighter weight.

“I don’t need to get stronger or lift more weight,” said 6-foot-1, 200-pound Mahoney. “What I need is more core strength and more explosive speed off the line.”

Mahoney’s role on the field is to run routes, find open space and catch the ball. So while he still spends time in the weight room, his main focus is on building the kind of strength and quickness that allows him to outrun and outmanoeuvre the competition.

“When I run a route, I always have guys pushing me and hanging on me,” said Mahoney. “So I need a strong core to do my job on the field.”

To help achieve his goals, Mahoney went looking for a trainer who could design a sport-specific, position-specific and fitness-specific program. He needed someone who understood football and had the knowledge and creativity to design a program that would improve his athletic skills on the field.

He found what he was looking for closer to home than he thought he would. Trainer Michael Alfonso played football with Mahoney at Vanier College. Unlike Mahoney, however, Alfonso hung up his cleats. He didn’t abandon the sport, though. He became a certified strength and conditioning specialist whose main focus is training football players to stay healthy and perform better on the field.

“I help bridge the gap from the weight room to the field by building a training program that simulates their playing style,” Alfonso said of the Speed Science Training System.

In football, that means lots of short, high-intensity bursts of power punctuated by periods of rest, which is exactly the type of workout Alfonso’s clients can expect.

In the case of Mahoney, testing revealed that he needed to increase the power output of his first two steps off the line. So with Alfonso’s help, he’s been building explosive strength in his lower body. After three months of hard work, Mahoney has mastered an impressive 51-inch standing box jump (a jump from the floor to the top of a box) and makes it look easy (see video).

It’s not just pro football players who can benefit from this type of conditioning. Charles Héroux is a 38-year-old account manager who coaches football in his spare time. Not happy with the extra pounds he put on over the years, Héroux knew he needed to change things up.

His workout routine meant running when he wanted to lose weight and hitting the gym when he wanted to bulk up. But that routine had grown old. What he wanted was a workout similar to what his players were doing. So Héroux sat down with Alfonso and put together a plan, not just to lose 40 pounds but to improve his overall fitness. He started the plan in January, and so far, it seems to be working.

“I’ve never trained like that before,” said Héroux. “I almost puke my guts out, but I’m happy.”

While his first few weeks were tough, he’s pleased with his progress. He’s even happier that he gets it all done in 40 minutes, three times a week.

“I’ve lost 15 pounds,” he said. “My body is changing; I’m standing straighter and my energy level is up.”

Before you get inspired and sign up for the nearest training program that promises to build athletic speed and power, keep in mind that you have to be prepared to work hard – probably harder than you have ever worked before.

“If you want to get in better shape and you want to be lean, you need to train like an athlete,” said Alfonso.

And you have to make sure you have a trainer who knows what he or she is doing. These aren’t cookiecutter programs prescribed for any Joe or Jill. They’re high-intensity workouts that need to be tailored to individual strengths and weaknesses and consistently rejigged as you progress.

Alfonso uses lots of specialized equipment to build the kind of fitness and athleticism his clients want. And he keeps the workouts challenging, changing them up often so that both mind and body stay stimulated.

In addition to the impressive physical results, the challenge, intensity and diversity of an athletic based program will recharge your batteries and make you love going to the gym.

“Put a big guy on a treadmill for 45 minutes, and he will hate his life,” said Alfonso. “But 45 minutes of this kind of training really gets the guys going.”