Training Twist Sets Rams Up for Next Step

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – There wasn't time to put in a full lifting cycle, but there was too much of the calendar to completely ignore.

Four weeks, broken up by spring break. Colorado State football's head strength and conditioning coach Scott McLafferty had been in the same place before, at Boston College, finding a way to get in valuable work with a bit of a twist.

The goal was to keep the team invested and make it fun, and the timing of the year made it natural to set up the cycle for combine work.

"After spring ball it's a pit, because you get a mini-training cycle, but you have spring break in the middle, so how do we keep these guys engaged?" McLafferty said. "On the back end of spring ball, let's hang a little carrot. I told them right after spring ball, we're testing all this stuff. It will be your mini-combine training, and it rolls around with the draft happening, so it worked out perfect. You dangle that carrot, and you entice them to work, and they were totally locked in and totally engaged. It was awesome to watch."

Friday completed the stretch as the players finished with testing in the vertical jump, having done timed 40-yard runs and cone work previously in the week. The 225-bench press was held out as a safeguard for health reasons, and besides, McLafferty added, the team had tested out there this season already.

McLafferty was thrilled with the results, and the players enjoyed the change of pace, too.

"I definitely found it fun to do, to build on my combine numbers, because before, it was just heavy lifting. Now this is more working on our athleticism," defensive lineman Ellison Hubbard said. "This was a huge competition right here to see who has the best numbers and push yourself to want to do better if you don't have the numbers you think you have. I found myself competing, trying to get up to the 4.8 in the 40, get up to 31 on the vertical.

"I like that I'm building myself to be better on the field, to be more explosive and getting faster. That's what I liked about this whole thing, is I'm able to build up on my speed more than my strength."

McLafferty hopes the team gets to do this cycle again in coming years, depending on when spring camp and spring break are scheduled. Those create variables to the yearlong training plan he implements, but he's not alone.

The players found the mix of training to be a great way to continue moving forward sans the same, common routine which can feel monotonous at times. The addition of testing at the end, especially in a combine setting for those hoping to extend their careers beyond college, added an extra emphasis to their output. The design also allowed for them to focus on technique, whether it was in the weight room or in conditioning drills.

"I think, in my opinion, it was definitely a success," running back A'Jon Vivens said. "We all came in and we all competed. It was a great program since we've been working, and we're all seeing the results, so I think it definitely worked.

"It's good to think of it in that way, especially around this time with the combine. They're here to help us get to our dreams and get to the d raft, so these types of workouts lets us know that's their goal also. It was fun. They tell us that the end goal is we're going to test, and everybody wanted to have great numbers. In this time, everybody's doing everything to be prepared. I think I tested pretty well. There's always room for improvement, but in my opinion, I had some good testing days."

Friday was competitive. The team was broken into three groups, each of them separated into smaller workout groups. As they tested for the vertical, teammates were encouraging and joking, taking good-natured jabs at their teammates, as well as their own efforts. Afterward, a combination of explosive lifts and resistance training – a constant part of this cycle – were added.

The common denominator McLafferty found was numbers did go up, and effort was peaking throughout the four weeks. The other benefit was they all walked away healthy, setting up the next phase.

The players will have the next three weeks off – though some will still continue to train on their own – then return June 1 for the beginning of the common building cycle, eight weeks in the summer broken up into four-week segments by the Fourth the July.

"That's what you're trying to create," McLafferty said. "You're trying to create a good base coming into summer, and you want everyone on a high going out so when they come in this summer, they're locked in. That's the point, come in, have a great few weeks, get dialed in and get to work. Come June 1, we'll test everybody we need tested and get started. We will hit the ground running. There will not be time to waste."

The next three weeks will allow the players to mentally and physically recharge the batteries. Some will head home for a few days to see their families, then it will be back to work. But they're looking forward to it, and many of them point to this most recent stretch for their enthusiasm.

It was fresh in approach, and their bodies and mind feel built up, too.

"I'm looking forward to it. We're going to be in still getting work, and people get a chance to heal their bodies in before the summer stretch," Vivens said. "Once we hit the summer, it's almost time for games. It's really just no school, honestly, but there's football. Really, we wouldn't have it any other way."

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