POWERLIFTING: Positive or Negative for Football?

[therealbulldogs]

I was wondering what everyone thinks about football players powerlifting. At Bandera our coaches told us that they didn't want powerlifting because they said it would hurt us more than help us. They didn't want us to turn into big blocks of muscle and not be athletic. But here is why I am asking, I have known football players who were powerlifters and they said that it helped their game a lot. I met one guy who said he was an ok football player until he started powerlifting, then he became an all-state football player. I would just like to see everyone's view on this subject.

[CHSREDTITAN]

In my opinion, powerlifting would help a football player more than hurt them. The way I see it there are always people who have nothing to really keep them busy between football seasons, although some do run track, powerlifting would keep them busy and also give them a foundation to build on. We lift weights all school year and although we do it is really not a competitve lifting. We all know that our best is brought out when we are competing. Powerlifting would make people work alot harder to be better becuase they are actually competing. That would push the average athlete much more than just a routine workout. It would give them something to strive for. So I think it would help a football team, while I have no hard facts to back this up I am trying to get a powerlifting program started at my own school.

[exbccards76'smom]

Having had a son who went to college on a football scholarship, I can say that even college level play stress weight training. My son was encourage to participate in powerlifting and did. It didn't hurt him any, and helped in his track events(shotput and discus). wink

[GoStangs]

I find it hard to believe that a coaching staff would suggest that powerlifting is bad for their football players. If so, then I'll be ROFL, because that is an asinine statement. As long as a football program utilizes a stretching routine and running/agility, then no amount of weight training will turn players into big blocks of unathletic muscle. Weight training is a requirement more so now than ever. If you want to excel at a sport, weight training is a must. Powerlifting is simply ONE METHOD of weight training.

Weights are greatly emphasized at all the higher levels of competition. Besides, powerlifting season doesn't even start until after football is over. High school athletes aren't going to turn into Arnold clones by powerlifting. That staff, if they truly said that, needs to be a little more open about the issue and do some research or ask some colleagues.

[PappaBear]

Just look what powerlifting did for lufkin, we (Jasper) a small 4a school in the late 90's would beat lufkin 96, 97. We had a great powerlifting program and Lufkin didn't. They started powerlifting and are now are a power house 5a team.

[this is the way we ball]

You would think that Powerlifting and Track would only make your football team better. However, it isn't everything. Look at North Crowley, they won state in powerlifting and track and they haven't had a very good year in football.

[vet93]

I think that powerlifting can be of great benefit to a team escpecially if they are lacking in size and strength. I am not married to the idea that straight "powerlifting" is the only way that this can be accomplished. I have seen other weight training programs that can get the same results without a team necesarily pushing the "sport" of Powerlifting. I have also seen a few cases of teams that pushed the powerlifting to the point that the kids were bulked up with no ability to move. Alot of these kids (primarily the linemen) also seemed to be wearing knee braces. This makes me wonder that these programs may have been taking Powerlifting to such an extreme that it actually hurt their program. Just thinking out loud...

[therealbulldogs]

What I was talking about was competitive powerlifting being positive or negative for football players. As far a weight lifting we would lift on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday would run on Tuesday and Thursday. Then I would usually lift everyday after school for a couple of hours. I mean, you know that we lift, this is Bandera I am talking about.

[FBmania]

Years ago coaches discouraged it because of the tightness of the muscles. With all the new equipment these days and the training it just makes sense to do it. As long as you stretch properly before and after your workout, weightlifting is awesome for football players.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

I think that lifting weights does a lot of good for a football player. I went up the our school's weight room just about every day this summer and lifted weights and ran. I may be just a freshman, but I have improved my game a lot by lifting weights. The only lifts that I don't like are the squats and deadlifts. They can mess up your knees, and I personally stay away from them.

[qb12]

Powerlifting can be good or bad depending upon the position you play...If u would THerealbulldog I would like to know what position you play to tell you what i think about it.....

[qb12]

Powerlifting can be good or bad depending upon the position you play...If u would THerealbulldog I would like to know what position you play to tell you what i think about it.....

[redneckplayer010]

i think that powerlifting greatly went hand in hand with my athletic progression as a football player. i do have a knee problem that originated from football, and now squats are such a painful task that i am actually not going to lift this my senior year... but not withstanding, i believe that powerlifting and track program workouts teamed with a regular offseason program does produce greater advances in players abilities.

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[Puppetmaster101]

I think powerlifting is good for football players as long as you dont over work yourself. I mean just look at Burnet we're probably the most die hard weight room team you'll find in texas. :D

[RocketPlayer]

I don't think powerlifting is bad for football players, because it helps build strength ( Wow was that a duh?! lol) Look at Hillsboro's Richuel Massey. Do you think powerlifting slowed him down? Don't think so.

[therealbulldogs]

Well, I have graduated from high school but I played TE, OL, and DL in high school.