With one miracle season completed, the University of Utah Football Team is working hard to stay on top

Although USC earned the national title, the University of Utah captured the hearts of the college football fans. The team’s undefeated season, a BCS bowl victory, the number-one draft pick — this was truly a Cinderella Whittingham says it’s unrealistic for the Utes to expect another undeseason that will forever be remembered in Salt Lake City. But anyone who thinks the season was an anomaly, especially since the team has lost head coach Urban Meyer to Florida and superstar quarter Alex Smith to has been working hard to push the Utes Johnson has worked at the battle through an unpredictable Mountain West oming, which returns 19 and — well, eason where you must take one game at a time.

of the Pacific.

Among the athletes he has coached who have gone which has earned the runner-up position for the past higher levels of speed and strength. A BYU gr:

To return to a bowl game the Utes will have to the 49ers, should think again.

Jamie Sharper, James Farrior, Patrick Kearney and Jared Allen. Coach Barry Johnson est level of respect from his peers, Coach Johnson “Our goals are to get better each week and win the Mountain West shares with BFS readers his training philosophy and the outlook for the 2005 Utah football team.

Alex Smith lead the UteSto a Undefeated id WAS the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. commendation: Bench 200 Ibs. or less «Squat 300 Ibs. oles + Fach chain weighs approx 12 Ibs + Recommendation: Bench 200-300 Ibs, « Squat 300-400 Recommendation: Bench 300 Ibs. or more + Squat400 Ibs. or more + Each hain weighs approx 28 Ibs.

+ Adds two feet of cain for higher lit,» Anysze floor and swinging when doing overhead lifts Chains improve explosive strength. In squats, chai taining will teach you to drive to the top of the lif STRONGER beca ju cannot reduce force as you can with a After a few weeks of training athe with chains, coaches often report not only P:

BFS: You've worked with many college athletes who went on to suchave a chance to get things done with it. A college coach has the cessful careers in the NFL. Are there any common characteristics advantage of having athletes knowing they need to lift, and he never among these athletes? really has to fight for attendance. And because he can work with sin- Johnson: Almost all have been people of high character who were gle-sport athletes, he can give periodization plans that fit them really focused on the end result, looking at the future versus the moment. well.

In high school you have multi-sport athletes, and it's harder to ‘They never made decisions that would interfere with achieving the implement your philosophy. prize. For example, if not getting along with a coach was going to be a detriment to their goals, they would find a way to get along with BFS: Some strength coaches believe that athletes just need to perform that coach. powerlifting and play the sport. Do you disagree with this type of BFS: Jesse Boone is the Utah center who appears on the cover of this Johnson: | think you have to have a movement approach, and that’s issue. What can you tell me about him that sets him apart? how I would describe what I try to do.

I gear everything towards move- Johnson: He's focused on the end result, which for him is becoming ments, with tools such as the squat and the clean to get the movean All American and playing at the next level: He is going to work on ments we’fe looking for. approach? exactly what he needs to reach his goals. BFS: Is that something you recommend for high school athletes: a more BFS: You left college coaching to coach at the high school level for sevbalanced approach with plyometrics and running — not just lifting? eral years. Why did you come back to college?

Johnson: That's absolutely right. Weight training is just one main Johnson: Very few high school athletes have their eyes on any kind tool. Plyometrics is, another, as are sprinting, overspeed running and of prize, and it was very difÏcult to get them to attend my weight sessions. It was a big letdown for me to have all this knowledge and not able to impart it because of unmotivated kids.

BFS: Do you recommend cleans from the floor over hang cleans? Johnson: If | clean two days in a row, I'll do one day from the floor BFS: What are the major differences between coaching high school athand one day from the hang to give more recovery to the back extenletes and college athletes? sors. So to answer your question, yes, | like to go from the floor, butI Johnson: A high school strength coach needs to be very adaptable, still use the hang clean as part of my training. while a college coach can come in with a particular philosophy and BFS: You also like your players to perform jerks. How would that I don’t train the linemen a lot differently from the skill people.

The Olympic lifting movement benefit a football player? major differences are in the supplementary exercises, so | might have Johnson: To me that lift is one of the best measures of upper body interior players do more shoulder work, as these players often injure that strength, and ] also like it because during the jerk the hips and shoularea of the body. ders move together; and the hips and shoulders are always moving together in sport.

BFS: js ita common trend you're seeing in college football, to make linemen more mobile and not be as concerned with getting them as BFS: You've said you prefer vinyl surfaces on platforms to a wood surlarge as possible? face. |s that because the athletes who lift in tennis shoes are more likely Johnson: That's been the philosophy almost everywhere I've heen, to slip on wood? and we use bodyfat testing to help determine the right bodyweight for Johnson: Yes, [ prefer the viny! platforms. When wood gets sweat or chalk on it or if it’s walked on a lot, it gets slick; and athletes can slip when they lift. our linemen.

We'd like these athletes to weigh around 300 or 310, but it's more important for them not to be “sloppy” so they can move. So we may have a guy play at 290 versus 320 if it BFS: Do you have any special training devices you like makes him less sloppy. Now if we can get a guy to use, such as chains or acceleration ladders? weighing 320 and he moves well, then that’s fine.

Johnson: | use all sorts. It’s hard for a guy to do the same lifts for five years and stay really motivated, 1 BFS: How would you describe your working relalike chains, and all different types of running tools, tionship with Kyle Whittingham? such as harnesses that have a quick release on them so you can go from overload to overspeed training, knowledge about strength and conditioning as sleds, parachutes and medicine balls. One of the just about any football coach in the country. He devices | really love is suspension bands, which are fully realizes the importance of it, more so than nylon straps with handles on the end we suspend anybody I’ve been with.

He knew about it as @ from power racks. We do suspended push-ups, incline pull-ups, and we even have ab routines we do with them. playet, and he’s really stayed abreast. of what's going on in the profession, He likes to know the reason for everything that we do, and he likes that | bring more science and knowledge to BFS: How do you train linemen differently from skill-position players? this area.

Johnson; For me there’s not a lot of difference, because the linemen have the same needs as the skill guys, especially the ability to move BFS: Here's a loaded question: What do you think of BFS magazine? really quickly in a short distance — what I call “three-step quickness.”

Johnson: | really like B/S magazine. | like its content, as the stories They have to run, they have to move well, they need to be explosive — so help athletes see how many of their athletic dreams can come true if they do the right kinds of things. I’m also an advocate of BES hard question to answer, but I will say that inly a team that needs to be reckoned with this year ing because it gives a high school program a philosophy and goals to BFS: Is there a team that you're personally looking forward to BFS: With your success last year, are you concerned that your team may playing this year? be overconfident going into this football season?

Johnson: I'm really looking forward to the BYU game, as it’s an in- Johnson: There is anything but complacency — this is the hardestting for me. working, most focused team I've ever been with. Our theme throughout the off-season has been “It’s hard to get to the top, but it’s harder BFS: Who will be your toughest challenge in the Mountain y there.”

West Conference?

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From BFS Magazine — September/October 2005. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).