Q: I am starting college football in the fall at University of Oregon and I know that I will have access to the best strength and training coaches. But I want to go in a little stronger than I might otherwise just coming off summer vacation. I want to be a superstar in the first weeks and really get noticed. Any suggestions?

A: Well, first off, I don’t think that you should have the superstar mentality going in – it’s a sure way to get hurt. I do think you can do things like boost your cardio a bit, train regularly in the gym and keep your diet tight so that you are “in shape” coming out of summer. But apart from that, you can’t really design a good training program that they can’t do for you. Then again, I do have a link to a great pdf file online that will help give you some direction and really explains things well. Try this link to see what you’ll probably be doing in the fall:

Remember, football workouts depend upon your position, despite most pre-season workouts being uniform on the field. But having said that, I can give you a short version if the link is too complicated. Here is a great way to train for the month or two preceding the first practice:

Monday
Power Cleans 5×5
Squats 4×8
Bench Press 5×3, 2×8
DB Incline 2×20

Wednesday
Incline Press 5×5, 1×8
Squats 5×5 (light day. top set should be 50lbs lighter than Mondays top set)
Good Mornings 4×10
Calf Raise 3×30
Biceps 2×20
Triceps 2×20

Friday
Squats 5×3, 1×8
Shrugs 5×5
Bench Press 3×8, 1×2
Close Grip Press 3×8
Biceps 2×20
Triceps 2×20

(Note: When it says 4×8 that means 4 sets building up to a top set of 8 (135, 225, 315, 405×8) and not 4 sets of 8 with 405. Sets listed after commas are done to failure. Follow all workouts with a weight gain shake. This is for power, so don’t do cardio with it. But if you want to be able to withstand the field exercises, go lighter and do a little cardio).