A real football training program is more than a lift and a run. It builds speed, strength, power, conditioning, recovery, and nutrition into one weekly structure — and it changes based on your position, your schedule, and your current numbers. This guide shows what that actually looks like, with a free sample week and the performance benchmarks each position group trains toward.
01 / The structure
What a football program has to cover
SPEED & ACCELERATION
Football speed is won in the first ten yards. Field sessions train starts, acceleration mechanics, and max-velocity work at full recovery — never as conditioning.
STRENGTH & FORCE
The weight room builds the force behind every sprint and collision: posterior-chain strength, single-leg force, and upper-body armor for contact.
REPEAT SPRINT CONDITIONING
Games are repeated short bursts with incomplete rest. Conditioning sessions train that exact work-to-rest tolerance instead of slow, steady cardio.
RECOVERY & NUTRITION
Adaptation happens between sessions. Restoration days, sleep, and a fueling plan matched to body weight and training load keep the whole week working.
02 / Sample week
A free sample training week
Four days, the way a performance staff would lay them out: speed fresh on Monday, force work Tuesday, upper-body power Thursday, repeat-sprint capacity Saturday. Every exercise links to a form video.
ACCELERATION / MAX VELOCITY
- Falling Start WATCH4 × 10 ydPush the turf behind you; stay low through step four.
- 3-Point Acceleration WATCH5 × 20 ydLong first push, violent arms, rise gradually.
- Flying 20 WATCH4 × 20 yd flyTall hips, strike down under your center of mass.
- Wicket Run WATCH3 × 8 wicketsStep over the opposite knee; do not reach.
LOWER STRENGTH / FORCE
- Trap Bar Deadlift WATCH5 × 3Brace before the pull; drive the floor away fast.
- Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat WATCH4 × 6/sideFront foot owns the rep; finish tall through the hip.
- Romanian Deadlift WATCH3 × 6Keep lats tight and push hips to the wall behind you.
- Nordic Hamstring WATCH3 × 4–6Stay long from knee to shoulder; catch under control.
- Heavy Sled Push WATCH5 × 15 ydShort violent steps; keep the trunk rigid.
UPPER POWER / ARMOR
- Bench Press WATCH5 × 4Own the touch; press with feet driving into the floor.
- Weighted Neutral-Grip Pull-Up WATCH4 × 5Lead with the chest; keep ribs stacked.
- Half-Kneeling Landmine Press WATCH3 × 6/sideSqueeze the down glute and punch up and out.
- Chest-Supported Row WATCH3 × 8Pause with shoulder blades back and down.
- Farmer Carry WATCH4 × 30 ydWalk tall without letting the load sway.
REPEAT SPRINT CAPACITY
- Position Start Shuttle WATCH3 × 6 × 10 ydEvery rep starts with position-specific stance discipline.
- Tempo Run WATCH8 × 60 ydRelax the jaw and shoulders; finish each rep smooth.
- Pro Agility Rhythm WATCH4 × 5-10-5Sink before the line and leave with the opposite arm.
- Crawl / Carry Circuit WATCH3 × 30 secKeep hips level while breathing behind the brace.
03 / Benchmarks
Performance targets by position
These are the testing ranges each position group trains toward — from group average up to top-tier marks. A good program grades where you are now and attacks the biggest gap first.
| Position | Event | Target range |
|---|---|---|
| WR / RB / DB | 40-YARD DASH | 4.36–4.52 SEC |
| 10-YARD SPLIT | 1.50–1.57 SEC | |
| 20-YARD SHUTTLE | 4.05–4.24 SEC | |
| VERTICAL JUMP | 35.5–40 IN | |
| BENCH 225 | 15–22 REPS | |
| QUARTERBACK | 40-YARD DASH | 4.60–4.81 SEC |
| 10-YARD SPLIT | 1.60–1.68 SEC | |
| 20-YARD SHUTTLE | 4.15–4.35 SEC | |
| VERTICAL JUMP | 31–35 IN | |
| BROAD JUMP | 111–120 IN | |
| LB / TE | 40-YARD DASH | 4.50–4.69 SEC |
| 10-YARD SPLIT | 1.55–1.63 SEC | |
| THREE-CONE | 6.85–7.06 SEC | |
| VERTICAL JUMP | 33.5–38 IN | |
| BENCH 225 | 21–27 REPS | |
| OL / DL | 40-YARD DASH | 4.85–5.11 SEC |
| 10-YARD SPLIT | 1.68–1.78 SEC | |
| 20-YARD SHUTTLE | 4.45–4.66 SEC | |
| BROAD JUMP | 105–113 IN | |
| BENCH 225 | 24–32 REPS | |
| K / P / LS | 40-YARD DASH | 4.72–4.95 SEC |
| 10-YARD SPLIT | 1.63–1.72 SEC | |
| 20-YARD SHUTTLE | 4.25–4.45 SEC | |
| VERTICAL JUMP | 29–33.5 IN |
04 / Fueling
The nutrition side of the program
PROTEIN
Roughly 0.9–1.0 g per pound of body weight per day anchors muscle repair and keeps power output climbing.
CARBOHYDRATE
Carbs are fuel, scaled to training load — more on field and conditioning days, timed around the hardest sessions.
HYDRATION
A baseline near 0.65 oz per pound of body weight, plus extra on training days, keeps speed work sharp.
Get your version of this program
RACKED Performance builds the full program around you — your position, your schedule, your equipment, your test numbers, and your diet — with every exercise, coaching cue, and macro target filled in.
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