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1. I like Troy Polamalu training. He has some sport specific training and Olympic “style” training. As Joe stated Olypmic lifts are not slow they are powerful. Which I like and think more athletes should implement Olympic lifts in to there programs. Randy’s training is my style just go at it and see the results but..there wasn’t really any form to his training which would worry me as a trainer. I know polamalu training is very impacting on the joints and what not but it is controlled. Moss’s was just wild movements. But I love the sled!!!

   Comment by Bill Long — February 28, 2009 #

2. I have never seen anything from the weight room transfer onto the playing field in a “specific” manner. Troy is one hell of a football player; I can’t stand his training method. Hell, he even says in the video “you can’t teach someone to be athletic” as he trains in a facility that is obviously attempting to do the impossible; change ones neurological profile.

   Get stronger, get more explosive, get more athletic. It is that simple.

   Chad Johnson’s vid is funny as hell!

   Comment by Phelps Training — February 28, 2009 #

3. Chad Johnson works on training those jaw muscles!

   Every video has strong and weak points! Matt who is your call for the best of the list?

   Comment by Administrator — February 28, 2009 #

4. I think Troy’s workouts are pretty darn non-sport-specific, since most of them are all on machines & done ballistically. He’s better off doing ballistic style training with kettlebells and working in more of a 3D environment, than a 1D one with all those machines & what I would call goofy actions.
   TO? Please. An NFL guy at his level is just pimping out a band routine under misleading auspices that it is his only method to train.
   Chad Johnson: I hate at the end its all about the showing off of the body, which reinforces a bad perception about strength training to young athletes. Gives impressions that its all about how you look, not how it helps you perform.

   Guess I’d go with Julius.

   Comment by Rick Karboviak — February 28, 2009 #

5. Rick, excellent insight. Agreed with the showing off. I actually have seen Jon Lynch’s old off season training where he would go back to his old high school area and had an intersting obstacle course style training program. It was a very unassuming and respectable training routine. Unfortunately that was on TV and the video wasn’t out on the internet.

   All of them, especially the WR’s of Johnson, TO and even Moss are a little too pompus for me. TO is just trying to sell his TO Band product. You are right on the money about Johnson and the wrong perception of strength to young athletes.

   Thanks for posting those thoughts!

   Seems like the vote right now is 1 for Moss, 1 for Peppers, and 1 for Polamalu.

   Comment by Administrator — February 28, 2009 #

6. I thought Johnson’s was the best, despite his goofiness…Tj Housh seemed to be getting after it at least.

   Comment by Phelps Training — March 1, 2009 #

7. after watching Troy P workout, i know know why he makes the plays he does and why hes the best Def. player in the league! call his training what you want, but i havent seen anything like that in all my years, I LOVE IT! putting your body in different positions, angles and focusing on explosiveness is very unique. he is def training his CNS, with alot of emphasis on legs in a dynamic fashion. fball isnt played on just 1 plane or angle, its all about diversity and Troy’s workout are diverse

   Matt

   Comment by Matt — March 1, 2009 #

8. Thank you MATT!!

   Comment by Bill Long — March 1, 2009 #

9. Let’s be honest. The athletes shown have superior genetics! They can train any way they’d like and still be sick on the field… I’m not taking anything from anyone but genetically gifted athletes such as these are getting better in spite of there programs not because of them. Do you think Randy is fast because of the parachute? How about Troy on the “Pilates” machine? T.O. hooked to thera bands? Come on! Most NFL(skill positions) and NBA players can train and eat whatever they’d like, just look at Chad Johnson. All in all I’m partial to Randy’s programm, getting after it in the heat. Athletes just don’t work as hard as they used to… Don’t forget Hershel Walker and Walter Payton, these guys kept it simple! Simple always works better!

   Comment by Matt Pack — March 2, 2009 #

10. Matt – Finally someone else on board with Randy. I agree with the other assesssment – it is a case of athletes excelling despite the training. There is a science behind strength and muscle, and I don’t think Troy’s “CNS Training” or TO’s bands meet the requirement! I also noticed the training programs (other than Brown’s light squat) are missing true primary lifts.

    However, I am very glad to read people’s opinions, so here is the vote count thus far: Randy Moss – 2, Troy P – 2, Johnson – 1, Peppers – 1, Brown – 0.

    I tried to find some Walker, Bo Jackson, or Payton. Here is all I came up with – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g8hAnyfCG14

    Comment by Administrator — March 2, 2009 #

11. Moss – like the effort, use of sleds, and cutting drills. Kinda seems like he is running them to death, and not truly working on acceleration/speed development.

    Pom – Like the feet development, regardless of how strong your core is you don’t want energy leaks further down the kinetic chain. Some interesting plyo exercises but mostly ridiculous.

    Peppers – He is probably as strong as he needs to be, so getting another 50lb outta a squat may not help his speed or athleticism. So I like the idea of increasing speed and explosiveness, but I was not impressed. Drills looked quite specific and it looks like he is trying to raise SPP at the wrong time.

    chad – funny, but he can barely go down all the way on the 1 leg pistol squat. too machine based.

    brown – warm up sucks, leg extensions? not impressed with the quarter squats either.

    with that being said Moss is the winner. However, they are all amazingly athletic. So to focus on trying to increase a vertical, squat, 10 yrd sprint, etc. a fraction of a percent of what they already have, could take away from other training means.

    Comment by Lee Jephson — March 2, 2009 #

12. I’m Australian, so I don’t know much about NFL.

    I’ve never seen the Polamalu workout before … I don’t think he did a very good job of explaining it. Does anyone know exactly what that type of training is supposed to do (and what the principles behind it are)?

    I liked the Randy Moss workout the best … only because I think I’d enjoy that one the most

    Comment by thefightgeek — March 2, 2009 #

13. FG – here is another Sportslab video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxFH1sp5Ox4 . I’m definately not sold on their methodology, but I would have to train their before I say too much.

    From what I’ve read, they go a long way from proprioception, flexibility, and rehab, but are lacking in strength and size development which is a large concern. Again, thats just what it looks like, I reserve other judgement.

    Comment by Administrator — March 2, 2009 #

14. With olympic lifts, you guys are missing a key component.

    Yes, they develop explosive strength, yes they are dynamic, BUT only if the athlete/lifter is proficient. Just because a lifter is doing a clean or snatch does not imply explosiveness.

    A high school athlete doing a clean and jerk is different than Pyrros Dimas doing it.

    And yes, I advocate the classic lifts and some of the training progressions into our programming, but it is only one piece.

    Comment by Smitty — March 3, 2009 #

15. Thanks for the posting the other vid on Sportslab’s training style.

    Some of it looks like rehab stuff. They prolly do normal strength work as well, wouldn’t you think?

    Anyway, some of the exercises look like fun … and I like the way they do some of their training barefoot

    Cheers

    Comment by thefightgeek — March 3, 2009 #

16. Kira,

    I think thats it. No primary or strength lifts like bench, squat, dl, just the banded and machine work from all of their videos.

    Comment by Administrator — March 4, 2009 #

17. I guess watching those vids makes me think about how I train athletes. I think if you were to go back to when these guys were in college you would see them doing the traditional stuff that we perform at my facility (close grip snatch, front squats, short burst sprints, single leg strength work, tons of weighted pullups, rows, bench, in no particular order). I think these guys built their bodies in HS and college and are now just maintaining their machines. I think Mike Boyle says when you train pros, you’re number one priority is keeping them healthy. You cant have a guy worth millions tweaking a shoulder or knee in the weight room.

    Comment by Tom Sullivan — March 4, 2009 #

18. [...] to the great feedback on the NFL training last week, and the increased traffic thanks to the EliteFts article,

    Pingback by Synergy Athletics » Which Sport Trains The Best? Round 3 - NBA — March 8, 2009 #

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