52-Week Football Training - Ben Cook

52-Week Football Training

by Ben Cook

NEW, 256 pages

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About 52-Week Football Training

Whether you're a coach looking for a proven training plan or a serious player wanting to excel, 52-Week Football Training provides the conditioning plan you need to maximize football-specific physical development and motivation. Players can gain the perfect balance of power, speed, and agility by implementing this proven in-season and off-season training plan.

Daily workouts are presented for each week of the year and include resistance training, total conditioning exercises, and position-specific activities. Included are a full menu of on-field and off-field drills and exercises to develop flexibility, strength, power, speed, and agility.

The training plan conforms well to both high school and college calendars and organizes workouts into six sequential phases:

• Postseason
• Winter
• Spring
• Early summer
• Preseason
• In-season

Conditioning coach Ben Cook, who has worked with 27 players that went on to the NFL, includes more than 160 photos showing correct technique and nearly 200 exercises and drills. 52-Week Football Training will help get any team and player ready to excel on every down.

About Ben Cook

From 1990 to 1994, Ben Cook was the assistant strength and conditioning coach for the University of North Carolina (UNC) football team, where his assistance helped 27 players reach the NFL. He is currently the strength coach for the Tarheel basketball team, one of the nation's top programs.

Cook holds a master's degree in exercise and sport science from UNC and is certified as a strength and conditioning specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In addition to his coaching duties, Cook teaches strength and conditioning to students who are working toward becoming teacher-coaches themselves. Cook lives in Carrboro, North Carolina.

Reviews of this book

"Ben has compiled a complete recipe for the ambitious student athlete. The text is easily digestible and leaves the reader with only one task--to start working! The exercises are intense and challenging, even for the professional athlete. Ben helped me to prepare for the mental and physical demands of college and professional football. I believe his plan could do the same for other aspiring student athletes."
William Henderson
Green Bay Packers
Starting Fullback

About American Football

American football, known in the United States as football, is a sport played between two teams of eleven. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. The ball can be advanced by running with it or throwing it to a teammate. Points can be scored by carrying the ball over the opponent's goal line, catching a pass thrown over that goal line, kicking the ball through the opponent's goal posts or tackling an opposing ball carrier in his own end zone.

In the United States, high school football, college football and professional football are played under slightly different rules. High school football is governed by the National Federation of State High School Associations, college football by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, while the major professional league is the NFL.

The sport is also played in Europe, Japan and Mexico. The International Federation of American Football acts as an international governing body for the sport. American football is closely related to Canadian football but with some differences in rules and the field.

Because the game stops after every down, giving teams a chance to call a new play, strategy plays a major role in football. Each team has a playbook of dozens to hundreds of plays. Ideally, each play is a scripted, strategically sound team-coordinated endeavor. Some plays are very safe; they are likely to get only a few yards. Other plays have the potential for long gains but at a greater risk of a loss of yardage or a turnover.

Generally speaking, rushing plays are less risky than passing plays. However, there are relatively safe passing plays and risky running plays. To deceive the other team, some passing plays are designed to resemble running plays and vice versa. These are referred to as play-action passes and draws, respectively. There are many trick or gadget plays, such as when a team lines up as if it intends to punt and then tries to run or pass for a first down. Such high-risk plays are a great thrill to the fans when they work. However, they can spell disaster if the opposing team realizes the deception and acts accordingly.

The defense also plans plays in response to expectations of what the offense will do. For example, a "blitz" (using linebackers or defensive backs to charge the quarterback) is often attempted when the team on defense expects a pass. A blitz makes downfield passing more difficult but exposes the defense to big gains if the offensive line stems the rush.

Many hours of preparation and strategizing, including film review by both players and coaches, go into the days between football games. This, along with the demanding physicality of football (see below), is why teams typically play at most one game per week.

52-Week Football Training