Strength & Conditioning Training for Quarterbacks

 Hey Coach, I was wondering would recommend the same type of workouts for quarterbacks as you talk about for pitchers. I’m mainly looking for core and shoulder exercises.- Ryne

Ryne, thanks for your question buddy. In a nutshell, yes I would definitely recommend the same type of workouts for you compared to a baseball player. The fact that you are an overhead throwing athlete puts you in the same category as them. The core and shoulders are important to your performance but they cannot be the meat and potatoes of what you do. If you spend 45 minutes in the gym doing different ab and shoulder exercises you will not see a difference in your performance on the football field.

A year and half ago I wrote an article for EliteFTS on Why Baseball Players Should be Strong as Hell. Since you play football, the principles I outlined in that article apply even more to you than a baseball player. You play an extremely physical sport and the stronger and more powerful you are, the more you will dominate. Look at NFL athletes today, they are HUGE and built like brick shit houses. Not only are they strong as hell, but they extremely powerful and physical.

One of my athletes, Bill Winters, is one of the strongest and most powerful quarterbacks I’ve ever seen. He has deadlifted over 500lbs, squatted over 500lbs, benched 365lbs, can jump through the roof and he has a solid 40 yard dash. He dominates his competition because of his strength, power and physicality. Check out his training highlights below to see some of the stuff I do with quarterbacks.

As a quarterback you need to have a solid foundation of strength. Aside from helping your performance, it will keep you healthy which is the number one goal for any athlete. Don’t get me wrong you do need to do core work and need to do some shoulder work for health but it should be integrated into a solid training program that focuses on making you a better athlete. If you want to stay healthy you have to train smart. If something hurts, don’t do it and remember to listen to your body.

Be sure to check out the video above of Bill Winters. While it is about a year old and the training has evolved since then, the video will still  give you a good idea of how I train quarterbacks and the intensity that they lift with.