In this series of Inside 3Sixty posts, we will take a detailed look at how some of our athletes train here at 3Sixty.
What you will hopefully observe, is that our philosophy of training remains consistent for just about everyone we train and advise, but the tactics and the way we execute may be slightly different for each person depending on training age, athletic background, injury history, performance needs, lifestyle factors, etc.
First up is Jack Cobb. Jack is a football player entering Freshman year of high school in August. He will be attending Suffield Academy, which is a very competitive program here in the Northeast. His goals extend beyond high school to playing college football.
He is a running back/defensive back, who came in at 5’7 and 155 lbs. He grew up playing football and lacrosse while also skiing competitively since he was little. Jack was super athletic already, with no significant asymmetries and no history of any significant injuries. He has played tons of sports, competed at high levels, but is a bit of a beginner in the weight room.
During the assessment process, we decided, with the help of him, his parents, and coaches, to think and plan long term.
What does this mean?
It means taking this summer to build a great foundation of movement, technique, and strength that can then be built on over the next 8 years. Success or failure of the program is not dependent on only this summer.
To steal a great line from a former mentor of mine, doing so would ‘miss the forest for the trees.’
We are instead concerned with improvements in technique, coupled with small, safe, consistent increases in weight on the bar and on the scale.
It means selecting exercises that provide great upside in regards to development of strength with very little downside in terms of injury risk and wear and tear on the body.
It means erring more on the cautious side than on the risky side when selecting how much weight to load on the bar. He needs strength to apply to the field, not to win a powerlifting meet.
It means setting aside plenty of time to attack often overlooked muscles and movement patterns that will work to protect his body and fight off injury in the future.
It means cutting down on speed and conditioning to allow his body to grow and add some much needed weight to his body.
Enter Phase 1.
Goals: Gain weight. Stay lean. Enhance movement and learn exercise technique. Maintain speed and power.
Jack was able to commit 4 days per week, Monday through Thursday, during this particular month.
Taking all these things into account, what follows below is the 4 day per week split we used for phase 1.
Each video clip is a piece of the last set of each exercise of the program during the last week of the phase.
Monday: Lower Body 1
Tuesday: Upper Body 1
Wednesday: Lower Body 2
Thursday: Upper Body 2
Friday: Off/Recovery
Saturday/Sunday: Field Work or Combine/Showcase
For a look inside the warm up and movement section of Phase 1, check out the outline here: The New Way To Warm Up
To see some of the hows and whys of our exercise selection and programming set up, see The 3Sixty Block Zero Strength Programming Method
Results
Jack finished the month weighing in at 165, ten pounds heavier than when we began.
With no speed training whatsoever, he was able to set a personal record at a local showcase with a laser timed 40 of 4.7. This was perhaps the best part of the month, as it was initially a concern for him that lifting weights would make him slower. That concern is now gone.
We were also able to add reps and weight to every exercise consistently over the course of the month while seeing improvements in technique as we did so.
Win-win-win-win.
It should be noted that much of this weight gain had to do with him agreeing to cut down on excess conditioning and also buy in to the nutrition program we set up for him. It also helps that he is a bit of a genetic freak who is entering his prime growth stages.
With that being said, it’s been an awesome first month. In month 2 we will continue in a similar fashion, laying an even deeper foundation for a long successful future.
If you have any questions regarding Jacks program or any of our programs please feel free to reach out. You can get ahold of us at joe@3sixtyathletics.com