Player strength in College versus Pros

[jefcor9096]

I have often heard people say, give that player a year of strength and conditioning and he'll be a totally different player.

Why can't players work on their strength while in college? Don't school programs have these facilities in place?

It seems like players would benefit most by being ready to handle the pros better if they came in and the strength in rookies and say 1st or 2nd year pros weren't noticeable.

Just wondering if anyone would know.

:starspin

Ed

 

[Doomsday101]

I have often heard people say, give that player a year of strength and conditioning and he'll be a totally different player.

Why can't players work on their strength while in college? Don't school programs have these facilities in place?

It seems like players would benefit most by being ready to handle the pros better if they came in and the strength in rookies and say 1st or 2nd year pros weren't noticeable.

Just wondering if anyone would know.

:starspin

Ed

I think part of it is time constraints on college kids compared to the Pros

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Good question. Everyone, even down to high school, should be doing the same things: Squatting, cleaning, the O-lifts, benching, rowing, overhead pressing, etc... The basics. Those don't change.

I think players get a lot stronger in the pros because

One, they effectively have to lift. You can't really *force* a kid to lift hard in college. Some of the most talented kids, especially, don't work at it because they don't have to. Felix, McFadden, and Roy 31 seem to be examples of this.

Two, they are still physically maturing. This is especially true for the linemen, the longer-limbed ones (like tackles) in particular. These guys might not mature physically until they're in their late 20s. Even if they're working hard and eating right, it takes years for these type guys to fill out.

And three, and probably most importantly, it's all about your surroundings. Most of the kids who do work hard in college are already the strongest ones on their team. You get up to the NFL where guys like Igor and Andre Gurode and Demarcus Ware are outlifting you by miles, and it's a real eye-opener. Even if you thought you were working hard before, seeing people lift more than you've ever seen before is really motivating.

 

[Don Corleone]

I read somewhere that the human body reaches a peak for muscle growth at around age 22, so perhaps it has a little bit to do with maturity. This peak lasts for a few years.

Also, things are different when they reach the NFL, as now this is a profession. Lifting and getting stronger become a part of the job if they want to continue playing in the NFL.

 

[CATCH17]

Alex Barron somehow avoided getting stronger since he got to the league.

 

[basstapp]

forgot david b he is as strong as igor

 

[baj1dallas]

Why can't players work on their strength while in college? Don't school programs have these facilities

Let me make comparison. Let's say you will take the LSAT or MCAT in a year.

You can either buy some books and study at home, maybe go for a special session at the local community college.

Or you can hire a professional to help you study 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 30 months a year.

Which method do you think would help you achieve a higher score?

If you've never really trained for athletic competition, it's hard to explain. There is a certain level of strength anybody can achieve without really knowing what they are doing. That level is far less than what you'd achieve with a certified S&C coach evaluating your posture, movement patterns, weaknesses, and working with you on a daily basis to improve, not to mention advanced recovery techniques like ice tubs, epsom salt baths, managed nutrition, and a solid 8 hours of sleep a night.

 

[jefcor9096]

Alex Barron somehow avoided getting stronger since he got to the league.

:laugh2:

 

[joseephuss]

A lot of it has to do with maturity, both physical and mental. Bodies are still growing and these kids are learning how to work out. They are learning how to prepare their bodies during the off season and the playing season.

There are still some colleges that don't have the facilities that the pro teams do. Even if a school has premier facilities, that does not mean they have premier strength and conditioning coaches. Just like some QBs are not taught good basic mechanics, some guys are not taught good work out routines.

 

[SkinsHokieFan]

I have often heard people say, give that player a year of strength and conditioning and he'll be a totally different player.

Why can't players work on their strength while in college? Don't school programs have these facilities in place?

It seems like players would benefit most by being ready to handle the pros better if they came in and the strength in rookies and say 1st or 2nd year pros weren't noticeable.

Just wondering if anyone would know.

:starspin

Ed

I am not sure where you are getting your info from but players do develop in college and get quite stronger over the course of 4-5 years while playing college football.

Guys in the NFL are all very strong, you don't have weak people. Some guys have more explosion then others which is what makes the difference and some guys come into camp out of shape.

However they all get plenty strong in college. You don't become a top flight NFL prospect with draft potential unless you have strength

 

[rantanamo]

There are simple answer. Time and Money. A professional has the money to hire a personal trainer in the offseason. Football is his full-time job. A college player is not afforded that luxury. They have to lift with the team and on their own time as allowed by NCAA rules. Plus they have to go to class and study to retain eligibility. That being said, major college programs have excellent strength and conditioning programs. Players exit these schools as strong as they will ever be. Its other types of strength and muscle maturity that players reach with age. If a player comes out of college and is not strong and physically developed at that point, its more of an indictment on the player work ethic/and or his ability. My school, UT, has consistently taken in players and physically developed them into stronger, more explosive athletes. So when I see Roy Williams saying he has never been in a weight program, I really question his work ethic. He was obviously hiding. Many have said the same about Mike Huff, that he knew his way "around" the UT weight room. Otherwise, the results speak for themselves.

 

[Don Corleone]

Alex Barron somehow avoided getting stronger since he got to the league.

On the flip side, Brian Cushing overtrained to the point that his body is in hormonal imbalance.

:laugh2:

 

[Cover 2]

Let me make comparison. Let's say you will take the LSAT or MCAT in a year.

You can either buy some books and study at home, maybe go for a special session at the local community college.

Or you can hire a professional to help you study 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 30 months a year.

Which method do you think would help you achieve a higher score?

If you've never really trained for athletic competition, it's hard to explain. There is a certain level of strength anybody can achieve without really knowing what they are doing. That level is far less than what you'd achieve with a certified S&C coach evaluating your posture, movement patterns, weaknesses, and working with you on a daily basis to improve, not to mention advanced recovery techniques like ice tubs, epsom salt baths, managed nutrition, and a solid 8 hours of sleep a night.

:laugh2:

But yeah, I agree with you. They also don't have to worry about classes, homework, and studying so they have more free time.

 

[yentl911]

Good question. Everyone, even down to high school, should be doing the same things: Squatting, cleaning, the O-lifts, benching, rowing, overhead pressing, etc... The basics. Those don't change.

I think players get a lot stronger in the pros because

One, they effectively have to lift. You can't really *force* a kid to lift hard in college. Some of the most talented kids, especially, don't work at it because they don't have to. Felix, McFadden, and Roy 31 seem to be examples of this.

Two, they are still physically maturing. This is especially true for the linemen, the longer-limbed ones (like tackles) in particular. These guys might not mature physically until they're in their late 20s. Even if they're working hard and eating right, it takes years for these type guys to fill out.

And three, and probably most importantly, it's all about your surroundings. Most of the kids who do work hard in college are already the strongest ones on their team. You get up to the NFL where guys like Igor and Andre Gurode and Demarcus Ware are outlifting you by miles, and it's a real eye-opener. Even if you thought you were working hard before, seeing people lift more than you've ever seen before is really motivating.

BINGO!!! Nice

 

[rantanamo]

Check out my cousin. He's gone from a svelt 6'5" 250 to 6'7"
~300 and solid.

He's gone up on his bench and squat well over 100lbs. Definitely has developed throughout college.

 

[rbr651]

it's the roids............Depending on the school, for the most part they carry top notch trainers also. Look you have a teen or close to teenage male, who is the top of his food chain in a school filled with ladies living by themselves, what are they to do? Weight room or skanky chick? I'm guessing you knwo the answer. Face it college guys are lazy and think with their.....well you get the idea.

 

[Hoofbite]

Check out my cousin. He's gone from a svelt 6'5" 250 to 6'7"
~300 and solid.

He's gone up on his bench and squat well over 100lbs. Definitely has developed throughout college.

Looks like he's gotten a little happier as well.

 

[Jimz31]

It's amazing to see the difference in these guys once they get out of the NFL...

My son's team just had a game last weekend against a team coached by Adam Timmerman....he has lost 96 pounds since he got out of the NFL...he was a lineman and if you look at him now, you would say that there is no way that he played o-line and got a couple of SB rings out of it with GB and St. Louis.

He's still big and tall...just NOTHING like what he was...he looks better now.

But in college, the coaches only have 2-4 years with a guy, so they are trying to win "now".

A guy doesn't get into the NFL and instantly get bigger. It takes some time, plus the strength guys that they have in the NFL get paid good money...much better than collegeiate strength guys...plus they pretty much get any supplement that they want plus all of the technology is at their fingertips....not quite like that for a strength coach at the collegeiate level...although some "big" colleges have it better than most.

Genetics also play a role in this.

 

[Hoofbite]

I think it comes down to this.

Many times, players who make it to the NFL were way better than the guys they were playing against in college.

When you're that far ahead of the pack, you don't need to put the weight room work in.

After college, they get to the NFL and realize that what worked in college probably isn't going to cut it because guys are bigger, stronger and faster.

Now they have to get bigger stronger and faster.

 

[tunahelper]

I have often heard people say, give that player a year of strength and conditioning and he'll be a totally different player.

Why can't players work on their strength while in college? Don't school programs have these facilities in place?

It seems like players would benefit most by being ready to handle the pros better if they came in and the strength in rookies and say 1st or 2nd year pros weren't noticeable.

Just wondering if anyone would know.

:starspin

Muscle maturity is the biggest factor. In powerlifting (bench,deadlift, squat) your body peaks from around 28-32 years old. Your frame forms a dense muscle mass that was not achieved until you reach this age.

I went through this and hit my top lifts at 31 years old. I have read this and was told this, but never fully understood it until I went through it.

Most research suggests a 2% decline in muscle mass between 40-60. This is why top powerlifters & body builders peak in their thirties.