It’s no secret that linemen usually train a little differently than kickers and punters in the offseason, and quarterbacks pay a little more attention to their throwing shoulder than, say, a fullback.

Athletes in different positions perform different metabolic and biomechanical tasks over the course of a game, necessitating some level of position-specific strength and conditioning. But before you start designing 53 completely unique training programs for your athletes, pump the breaks.

While some training differences are certainly warranted—especially when it comes to energy system development and injury mitigation needs—the meat of your training program should generally remain the same from player to player.

General training for football

The general athleticism needed to be successful in football is the same across all positions. Football players need to be big (muscle mass or hypertrophy), strong (maximal force output), and explosive (rate of force production). This is true for offensive and defensive players alike, including special teams.

Getting strong and powerful helps all football athletes, and movements like squats and cleans will provide the same training results for everyone. In this sense, the “big rock” movements that make up the heart of your offseason training—barbell squats, presses, pulls, and Olympic lifts—should feature prominently in every athlete’s program.

Where we can make serious position-warranted modifications is in energy system development, injury prevention considerations, and goal-specific training adaptations. Every football athlete should be squatting—but some athletes may need targeted accessory work based on position.

Skill players (DB, RB, WR, K, P, KR)

Skill players sprint for longer distances (and thus longer durations), usually at higher speeds than other positions. More acceleration and max-velocity sprinting, as well as more instances of jumping and landing during a game, leave these athletes open to injuries related to sprinting and landing mechanics.

Skill players might need more dedicated sprint technique work than linemen, as well as targeted acceleration/deceleration conditioning to help avoid non-contact sprinting injuries (e.g., pulled quads or hamstrings). Specific landing mechanics drills are also warranted to help players develop the proper ankle, knee, and hip positioning needed to land safely on one or two feet (no rolled ankles or torn ACLs). Energy system development should focus on increasing aerobic capacity (to facilitate recovery from repeated sprint efforts) and alactic capacity and power (to maintain maximal velocity for as long as possible during longer sprints).

Linemen

Unlike skill players, linemen don’t need to develop maximal linear speed—for them, it’s all about explosive start capabilities.

Linemen need to be able to get off the line fast and powerfully, and possess enough bilateral upper-body strength to overpower opponents. Training considerations for linemen should reflect the need for upper-body pushing in sync with powerful lower-body hip extension, as players use sheer strength, size, and power to get the job done.

And while skill players require alactic capacity conditioning, for linemen it’s all about pure alactic power—very short, very intense efforts. This also requires linemen to have a strong base of aerobic capacity, to optimize their ability to reproduce explosive efforts continuously throughout a game. Injury prevention measures for linemen should include the neck and shoulders to mitigate high-volume contact with opponents, and the knees, since body size and composition tends to be the largest among this group.

Big skill (FB, LB, TE)

Big skill players need a blend of skills from both the skill and linemen position groups. It makes sense when you look at them—fullbacks, linebackers, and tight ends are bigger than skill players but smaller than linemen.

For these players, your team’s playing style will dictate the training needs for individual positions. Do your tight ends and fullbacks need more sprint/landing mechanics training, or more bilateral lower-body strength for powerful blocking? Do you prioritize speed for your linebackers, or strength and power? Essentially, do your big skill players need to function more like your linemen or your small skill guys?

Your style of play, along with the individual strength and conditioning needs of each athlete, will dictate what position-specific training modifications these players will need.

Quarterbacks

The most obvious example of the need for training modifications based on position group, quarterbacks are unique. Quarterbacks still require the same general athleticism and strength as all players, but since they specialize in a repetitive, unilateral task (throwing the ball), they’ll need some different training considerations.

Injury prevention measures should focus on injuries related to the throwing motion: the wrist, elbow, shoulder (especially the rotator cuff), along with the muscles that produce asymmetrical rotation of the trunk.

Beyond injury prevention, your offensive playing style will again dictate more specific energy system development. Does your quarterback need more acceleration and linear speed work, or are they a mobile quarterback needing change-of-direction training? Regardless, a big aerobic engine is essential for quarterbacks, to help them recover fully between plays, and to support the size and strength needed to withstand potential sacks.

The takeaway

Training an entire football team is a Herculean challenge—so don’t make it more complicated than it needs to be. Get your entire team, kickers included, on a progressive full-body strength training program designed to develop general football athleticism, then let the position specificity come from energy system development and injury prevention movements. Make sure your athletes prioritize technique in the weight room and during field work, and the rest will come.

Free resource for football coaches

Want to learn more about Volt’s football position-specific programs? Check out our step-by-step guide to designing safe and effective football programs: “The Ultimate Guide to Football Strength Training.” Written by Volt’s Sport Performance department in collaboration with our Strength Coach Advisory Board, chaired by legendary hall of fame strength coach Boyd Epley of Nebraska, this free resource is great for any coach looking to expand his or her knowledge about strength and conditioning for football.

Jace Derwin, CSCS, RSCC, is the lead sport performance specialist at Volt Athletics, the official strength and conditioning provider of USA Football and the U.S. National Team. Volt provides individualized sport-specific training programs to athletes and teams, built by certified strength coaches, through cloud-based technology. To learn more about Volt Athletics, visit www.voltathletics.com and like on Facebook and follow on Twitter.