The Strength Report: Linebackers

My general philosophy of preparing players for competition in the game of football is that the game is played with the hips. Football is played on your feet – running, blocking, and hitting. You have a triple extension of your ankles, knees and hips. You need to be extended into your opponent or toward the ball, when you’re trying to catch it for example. When a receiver explodes off the line, he’s using his hips. When a defensive end extends into a tight end or tackle, he’s using his hips.     To build strength in the hips and legs I recommend the same kind of lifting and movement that you see in the Olympics – power clean lifts and snatches. This is important for improving the overall strength of your linebackers.     In the off-season, I’ll assign our linebackers five sets of power clean lifts (including one warm-up) on the first day of the week. Five sets of hang