Topic
Football.
1273 articles
In-season and off-season training that wins on Friday. The BFS Magazine archive holds 1273 articles on Football, published from 1980 to 2017 — coaching how-tos, athlete profiles, and program stories drawn from five decades of the magazine.
Recurring themes include Squat, Speed, Bench Press, and Safety. Coaches and writers featured here include Dr. Greg Shepard, Kim Goss, and Greg Shepard. Every story is free — read it online or open the original magazine layout as a PDF.
The Basics Help Timpview Win! “The BFS core lifts are the most important exercises for football: power cleans, squats, deadlifts, and bench presses,” Cary Whittingham
Fred Whittingham was a coach for the Los Angeles Rams from 1982-1991, his son Kyle is the head football coach for the University of Utah Utes, and Kyle’s younger brother Cary is the head coach for the Timpview High School Thunderbirds in Provo, Utah. This is Ca
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Keys to Progress: Training Logbooks
BFS Program A key component of the BFS Total Program is record keeping, and the BFS Set/Rep Logbook is an effective tool for ensuring accountability and motivating athletes to break records. Keys to Progress: Training Logbooks The mental and physical benefits of managing progress
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Balance of Power
In this remarkable sequence of photos taken by Pam Tabone, Myles McKinney demonstrates tremendous jumping power. McKinney is the starting tailback and leading receiver at Churchville-Chili, a high school near Rochester, New York, which was featured in our September/October 2007 i
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More Than a Game
A Message from BFS Editor Kim Goss, MS for that award, but he got back on track in the NFL. In his rookie season Peterson set the NFL single-game rushing record (296 yards), and the records kept coming, including his becoming the third-fastest player to reach 10,000 rushing yards
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Mike Carter Jr. Muscles Up at Rutgers
When we first interviewed Mike Carter Jr. for our September/October 2013 issue, he had just graduated from Bloomfield High School in Bloomfield, New Jersey. He finished his baseball career with a .450 batting average and became the all-time school leader in hits with 152, exceedi
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Physical Superiority Made Simple
When the strength coaching profession was in its infancy in the 1970s, it was difficult to find information about periodization. Much of the material appeared only in articles published in expensive journals or a few hard-to-acquire books, many not available in English. All that
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Building Girl Power at Hayward High
Hayward High serves a student body that comes from a wide geographical area, quite rural. For some students, it’s a 30-minute commute via their parents to school; for others, it’s a 15-mile bike ride. So, when a student commits to playing sports as a Hayward Hurricane, it means t
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BFS Expands in many regions. Team BFS Growing Strong!
BFS Expands in many regions. Are you ready to lead the way? BFS is a company built on the idea that we are helping athletes succeed. Since our humble beginnings in a garage in Salt Lake City in 1976 BFS has been committed to the idea of coaches helping coaches. Now as a nationwid
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Practice Makes Perfect
BFS President John Rowbotham, shown here with his son Trace, loves the game of football. Practice Makes Perfect Through its publications, clinics, certifications, and special presentations, BFS is a leader in educating coaches, athletes, and parents about the dangers of concussio
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The BFS Online Learning Center, BFS at Home,
BFS at Home Safety and Strength Training BFS at Home is an initiative to help young athletes train train throughout the year. The BFS Total Program has built-in muscle confusion and recovery days that make it an ideal system for year-round development. The BFS Online Learning Cen
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Up Front
A Message from BFS Editor Kim Goss, MS “When I was young and played football briefly, there were a couple of times where I’m sure that that ringing sensation in my head and the need to sit down for a while might have been a mild concussion,” said Obama. “At the time you didn’t th
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Upgrade Your Coaching with the Six Absolutes
In the coaching profession there is an overwhelming amount of information available about biomechanics. If you want to know the optimal position of your thumbs at the start of a 40-yard dash, you could probably find some research study on it. Although these details are important
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Multisport Powerhouse Sesely Omli
football and strength coach, Terry King. “Sesely is an amazing talent.” What makes this high school senior so impressive? Sesely is, first of all, a student-athlete. She carries a 3.96 GPA and plans to attend college to study kinesiology and dietetics. She also is involved in man
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Power Clean Meet Enters 11th Year
If you like Las Vegas and you love power cleans, then this spring, you need to head to the Entertainment Capital of the World. That’s when the best high school athletes compete in the WK$QQXDO 1DWLRQDO+LJK6FKRRO3RZHU&OHDQ &KDPSLRQVKLSV The quality of competitors grows e
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Dollar by Dollar: Weightroom Upgrades
What’s the most satisfying aspect of coaching at the high school level? If you’re a coach, you know it’s not winning or even seeing your athletes move on to college and then the professional ranks. All that is exciting, but there is much more to coaching. Ultimately, the best par
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Justin Sacco Getting Back on Track
Justin Sacco performs an advanced balance exercise at the BFS Science Lab. Justin Sacco Getting Back on Track How this remarkable young man overcame a serious brain injury In the fall of 2013 Justin Sacco, an eighth grader at Mahopac Middle School, suffered a serious brain injury
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The Turnaround Artist
Catalina Foothills finished the 2012 season with a 0-10 record, but in 2013 they won eight games and made the playoffs. Jeff Scurran leads the Catalina Foothills Falcons to greatness Jeff Scurran has coached football for over 40 years and has yet to accept a job with a team that h
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Chinese Weightlifters: Why They Win Olympic Gold
FOR WOMEN ONLY 6XQ&DL\DQSKRWRE\%UXFH.OHPHQV The Chinese have dominated women’s weightlifting since it was introduced at the Olympic Games of 2000 in Sydney, Australia. Chinese Weightlifters: Why They Win Olympic Gold How the strongest women in the world train BY KIM GOSS, MS
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Running Faster: The Tools You Need
than if they eing able had tested to run fast their vertical is a key jump before athletic quality that squat that virtually all workout. athletes want to Here’s how it develop, especially works. those who play Let’s say field sports such as an athlete is football and soclifting
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Character Education NOW!
BFS founder Dr. Greg Shepard is shown at one of his inspirational Be an 11 seminars, a character education program he created. Now! What coaches, athletes and parents will experience at a Be an 11 Seminar Those who know about the BFS organization associate it with strength and co
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2014 BFS High School Male Athlete of the Year
Braden Smith is a 6-foot-6, 294-pound lineman who is one of the most highly recruited football players in the country. 2014 BFS High School Male Athlete of the Year Braden Smith is this year’s winner of our most prestigious award Braden Smith is a wanted man. He is wanted by Alab
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The BFS Experience
UXLWODQGSKRWRVE\+DWFK*UDKDP,WKDFDSKRWRVE\1DWKDQ%RRW] The year 2012 was a great year for the Fruitland Grizzlies (above) and the Ithaca Yellowjackets, and 2013 brought the fans even more excitement. In high school sports it’s almost a given that every team will win a ch
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BFS Advisory Board
To keep abreast of the latest information in the areas of strength and conditioning, BFS has assembled an advisory board. One of the goals of the advisory board is to help teachers, parents, coaches and student-athletes understand the risks of concussions and a child’s right to s
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The Education of a Pro Soccer Player
Pro Soccer Player How Anisa Guajardo turned her passion into a profession BY LAANNA CARRASCO, MA hen Anisa Guajardo started her junior season playing soccer at Pepperdine University, she decided it was time to go from being a bench player to a play maker. Guajardo says, “I analyz
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11 Practical Ways to Increase You Athletes' Vertical Jump
The power clean is considered a vertical jump with weights, so it’s a great exercise for improving an athlete’s vertical jump. Shown here is University of Florida’s Devon Walker, a 6-foot-6-inch sophomore for the Gator Basketball Team. As a high school senior, he was the Winter H
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Box Jumping: Do It Right!
BFS PROGRAM Austin John Ryf is the 2010 BFS Male Athlete of the Year. He is a graduate of Winneconne High School in Winneconne, Wisconsin. In these photos Ryf shows how vertical jumping ability is an essential athletic quality in both basketball and football. Box Jumping: Do It R
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Protein Powder Gets an Upgrade
If you’re serious about playing on the gridiron, you need high-quality protein – and lots of it! A new protein powder that helps athletes achieve physical superiority ince BFS was founded in 1976 our focus has been on strength, conditioning and character education. It still is, b
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Power Weight Training
A look back at the basic ideas that have made BFS so successful for nearly four decades BY DR. GREG SHEPARD, BFS FOUNDER 3KRWRE\%UXFH.OHPHQV Mike McDonald is a powerlifter who during the ’70s held world records in the bench press in four different bodyweight categories at the
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Have BFS, Will Travel
s any successful coach knows, in this profession change is the name of the game. For Coach Ron Hamamoto, that has meant multiple job opportunities and new challenges. Through it all, BFS has been there with him and for him. BFS first featured Hamamoto 10 years ago when he was a c
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Total Program Success at Ferris High
hat an awesome start these last three years have been for Aaron Emeyabbi, the athletic director and head football coach at Ferris High School in Ferris, Texas. The school has experienced a huge turnaround since Emeyabbi took over the athletic program three years ago and implement
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BFS Scholarship Athlete Presses On
Since winning the 2012 National High School Power Clean Championships, Brittanie Mastricola has been making great progress in the sport of Olympic-style weightlifting. A BFS-sponsored athlete, Mastricola has successfully made 50 out of 52 attempts in competition, and has exceeded
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The Truth About Functional Training
TRAINING & EQUIPMENT 3KRWRVE\%UXFH.OHPHQV Muscle size is not necessarily an indicator of muscle function. Indonesia’s Erwin Abdullah and Bulgaria’s Yoto Yotov both competed in the lightweight (about 150 pounds) bodyweight division. Abdullah snatched 314 pounds and clean and j
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A Closer Look at the Paleo Diet
3KRWRVE\%UXFH.OHPHQV Developing the muscle power needed to lift heavy weights requires sound, basic nutrition. Shown is Doug Young, who won the IPF World Powerlifting Championships in 1975-1977 in the 242-pound bodyweight class. His older brother, Bob Young, played 16 season
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Keeping up with the Carters
At Bloomfield High School, Mike Carter Jr. was a multisport athlete who excelled at football playing quarterback and at baseball playing centerfield. Keeping up with the Carters How BFS helped high school baseball player Mike Carter Jr. earn his college scholarship t takes great co
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The BFS Rules of Engagement
FEATURE STORY 3KRWRE\-LP(OOLV0LDPL1HZV5HFRUG 2NODKRPD Rules of Engagement Three simple rules to ensure athletic superiority BY DR. PETER G. GORMAN, PRESIDENT, MICROGATE USA t’s summertime – ready, set, play! For many, the end of the school year means family vacations, fun
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The Rise of Youth
Youth A look back at how BFS can help young athletes catch the vision of athletic success Difference It has never been easier to win! BY DR. GREG SHEPARD, BFS FOUNDER A hands-on coach during his career, Dr. Greg Shepard believes that perfect technique is essential for athletic su
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Neck Training: The BFS Approach
Weightlifting and powerlifting are sports that develop the muscles of the neck and trapezius. Shown are Olympic champion David Rigert from Russia and powerlifting world champion Marv Phillips. Why training these muscles is more important than ever BY KIM GOSS, MS he movie poster
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Jacob Tompkins BFS Male Athlete of the Year
hen it comes to selecting a BFS Athlete of the Year, all the great qualities we look for can be summed up in one word: balance. There are many superb athletes who have excelled using the BFS program, and many athletes who have excelled in the classroom. What BFS is searching for
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Staying Strong at John Carroll High
hen Rich Stichel Jr. started coaching football at John Carroll High School five years ago, he had a tremendous challenge ahead of him. In the previous two Wseasons, the Patriots had won only three of their 21 games. Stichel, however, had never coached a losing team in the seven y
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BFS Goes to the Arnold
WHAT’S HAPPENING 3KRWRVE\6WHYH)DXHUZZZIDXHUSKRWRUHÁHFWFRP BFS Goes to the Arnold The Arnold Weightlifting Championships were held on March 1-3, and in attendance this year were BFS editor Kim Goss and BFS scholarship winner Brittanie Mastricola. Mastricola not only made
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Forgotten Secrets to Improving Lateral Speed
TRAINING & EQUIPMENT %HFN\0LOOHU3KRWR Lateral speed is a key ingredient in many sports, even those performed on ice by skaters. Shown are Michelle Hyselle of the MedCity Mafia roller derby team pulling ahead of the Moose Lake Mafia; and football player Eric Corona of Fruitand Hi
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A Question of Balance
BY BOB ROWBOTHAM, CEO, BFS 3KRWRE\1DWKDQ%RRW] The skill sets needed to punt a football or block it rely on balance and timing. To read more about the Ithaca High School football team, see page 10. n March 13 of this year we had a special visitor at BFS headquarters in Salt La
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Back to the Basics with Static Stretching
Model: Emilie Williams, Hunter High School, Salt Lake City Sound advice on developing a safe and effective stretching program t is our intention at Bigger Faster Stronger to provide coaches with a stretching program that not only benefits the athletes but also is useful in coachi
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The BFS Difference
Here is Coach Shepard spotting a heavy squat when he was a strength coach at BYU. note: Although this article week developing their bench press by The BFS on the(Editor’s origins of Coach Shepard’s training doing many exercises and sets because Difference It has never been easier
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Finding a Way to Win at Mason County
BY DAVID BUCHANAN, HEAD FOOTBALL COACH MASON COUNTY HS, MAYSVILLE, KY t Mason County High School we have an old-school athletic program. By that I mean we still want our student-athletes to play multiple sports. We believe this approach is beneficial to the students and ethical a
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Three-Peat State Champions Ithaca High School
Ithaca High School Insight into a great football program that went 42-0! uild it and they will come,” that memorable line from the film Field of Dreams, brings to mind what happened at Ithaca High School in Michigan. In 2012 the school finished a $1 million renovation on their fo
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Tottenville Highs's Rise to Success
BFS clinician Ray Cosenza (left) with Tottenville’s head football coach, Jim Munson. Since adopting the BFS program, the football team at Tottenville High School (Staten Island, New York) has built a 41-6 record. BFS clinician Ray Cosenza, Jr., has worked with head coach Jim Muns
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Coach Andrea Hudy's Path to Basketball Greatness
Coach Andrea Hudy’s Path to… Andrea Hudy is a hands-on strength coach whose collegiate basketball teams have played in two Final Fours. How this D1 strength coach produces champions at the University of Kansas BY LAANNA CARRASCO, MA desire to motivate and improve those around her
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Which Squat Variation Is Best for Your Program?
TRAINING & EQUIPMENT 3KRWRE\%UXFH.OHPHQV Which Squat Variation Is Best for Your Program? Antonio Krastev of Bulgaria snatched 476 pounds in 1987, a record that has yet to be broken. Although it seems that Krastev is squatting high, this is deceiving because his legs are so l
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Frequently Asked Questions about BFS
BFS is a company dedicated to helping young people succeed on and off the athletic field. about BFS Information for our readers about the company and its program FS is a unified program designed to get all the coaches in a school working together to improve the overall physical an
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Unity and Organization: Your Winning Secrets
All high school athletes, male and female, will benefit from a total athletic training program. This photo was taken in 2005 during a BFS clinic at Amherst High School in Amherst, Wisconsin. Unity and Organization: Your Winning Secrets A look back at how BFS can put an entire athl
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A closer Look at the Be an 11 Program
At a BFS clinic in Snowflake, Arizona, BFS clinician Jeff Scurran inspires young men and women to set high goals and develop action plans to achieve them. Be an 11 Program Why young athletes need this great character-building program more than ever BY DR. GREG SHEPARD, BFS FOUNDER
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Fast Track to Success at Edgar High School
to Success at Edgar High School Hard work has paid off for these outstanding student athletes hey say you can’t go home again, but Greg Streit knows better. For the past seven years Streit has been a track coach at Edgar High School, the school he graduated from in 2000. As a stu
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Staying Strong: Frederica Academy
Coach Clint Morgan and Coach Travis Absher celebrate during the obligatory Gatorade shower after their 34-30 state championship victory. Staying Strong: Frederica Academy How a great prep school created a championship football program from scratch n November 30, 2012, Frederica A
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More Awards for Jared Abbrederis
WHAT’S HAPPENING 3KRWRE\'DYLG6WXND:LVFRQVLQ$WKOHWLF&RPPXQLFDWLRQV Jared Abbrederis, starting wide receiver for the University of Wisconsin, was selected first team to the 2012 All-Big Ten Conference football team. Abbrederis was the 2009 BFS High School Male Athlete of the
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Women as Personal Trainers: Strategies for Success
areers in fitness, physical education and coaching are some of the most satisfying and rewarding in the country today. They also are very fast-growing fields – the US Department of Labor projects there will be 24 percent more jobs for fitness workers and 30 percent more jobs for
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Balance Control: A Critical Component of Sport
7LPHOHVV,PDJHV3KRWRJUDSK\ZZZWLPHOHVVLPDJHVFRP Chloe Van Tussenbroek displays the degree of balance control needed to perform at the elite level in gymnastics. As we guide our athletes along the road to optimal performance, we coaches emphasize power, strength, speed, quic
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Showdown at Sibley East
A section title and the first-ever nine-win season – 2012 was a great year for football at Sibley East High School. at Sibley East BFS training took a team from middle of the pack to champs BY CHUCK HARTMAN, HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, SIBLEY EAST very program wants to get to the next le
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Getting Young Athletes Off to a Strong Start
BFS PROGRAM Through his clinics Coach Shepard has personally inspired countless young athletes to achieve their goals in all areas of their lives. A look back at how BFS helps young athletes catch the vision of athletic success (Editor’s note: Although this article on the origins
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The Power to Prevail
Athens athletes are using BFS to win games and prepare for life after high school BY LAANNA CARRASCO, MA “Nothing can duplicate the confidence you gain from working hard in the weightroom. It gives you a physical and mental edge.” — Luke Mroczenski, senior at Athens High School e
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The Roar of the Grizzlies
he 2012 Fruitland football season began with the bar set extremely high. Coming off six straight appearances in the Idaho 3A Championships, this Idaho high school team was expected to return for a seventh appearance with a team that included two Division I Boise State University
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Ryan Faehnle: Walking the Talk
Aformer strength coach at Miami University of Ohio, Ryan Faehnle was struggling with his power clean form and decided to try something different. So in October he switched from a conventional starting stance to a frog stance. With the frog stance, an athlete begins with the heels
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Body Image and the Female Athlete
BY LAANNA CARRASCO, MA leaner athlete is a better athlete.” Do you agree with this statement? It’s a common belief that is certainly true from a biomechanical perspective: The less mass an athlete has to move, the less force is required to move it at a given speed, meaning that e
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Monitoring Athletes for Physical Superiority
n weightlifting and powerlifting it’s natural to assume that the athletes who lift the most weight have the best training program. At the last two Olympics in weightlifting, the Chinese lifters dominated both men’s and women’s lifting, so obviously they know what they are doing.
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Heisman Fever
ne of the most predictable aspects of college football is its unpredictability. Take for example, Utah State and the University of Utah. Twice in recent years the Utes had undefeated seasons and yet were kept out of the national championship game due to the peculiarities of the c
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The Evolution of Athletic Training Programs
Editor’s note: Although this article on the origins of Coach Shepard’s training methods was written 16 years ago, the ideas are still relevant today.) op coaches who desire state-ofthe-art strength and conditioning programs must be acutely aware of the importance of a total progr
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2012 BFS High School Male Athlete of the Year
Male Athlete of the Year Nick Benhoff is part of a new generation of lacrosse players n the past most of the recipients of our annual award for exceptional high school male student athletes were multi-sport athletes who excelled in football. This year, our selection for this pres
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The Lighter Side of Weightlifting
Geoff Fleming is a former weightlifter and publisher of the classic weightlifting newsletter parody, The International Weightlifting Newsletter and Gazette. Fleming is allowing us to share with BFS readers some of his cartoons, such as this one describing the history of barbell b
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A few Words with David Lawrence
David Lawrence A look at this young strength coach’s rapid rise to success Lawrence working with Nick Bellore, a linebacker for the New York Jets. At the Jets’ camp this year Bellore, who has deadlifted 605 pounds for 6 reps, received his team’s “Defensive Lifting Award” for his
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The Power Clean for Athletes
Editor’s note: Although this article on the origins of Coach Shepard’s training methods was written 18 years ago, the ideas are still relevant today.] t BFS we believe the power clean is essential for athletes who want to achieve their full athletic potential. Moreover, athletes
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What is BFS
BFS? Here’s why the BFS program is so effective for young athletes ne statement BFS clinicians keep hearing over the years is “We did parts of your program and had some success, but it wasn’t until we decided to do the entire BFS Program that our program stepped up to the next le
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Records fall at Power Clean Championships
Las Vegas has earned another nickname: Power Clean City! On May 12th, strong male and female high school athletes from across the country came to Bonanza High School in Las Vegas to compete in the 10th Annual National High School Power Clean Championships. As happens every year t
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Breaking Barriers: Women in Strength Coaching
Breaking Barriers: Strength Coaching Strength coach Nikki Gnozzio is changing perceptions in her profession BY LAANNA CARRASCO, MA Nikki Gnozzio has worked hard to earn a position as a college strength coach. ou could call them your secret weapon. Or your quiet iron. They are str
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The Right Track
BFS PROGRAM BFS Vice President John Rowbotham is carrying on Coach Shepard’s vision of teaching young athletes the right way to lift for physical superiority. The Right Track Timeless insight into the most effective way to train young athletes BY DR. GREG SHEPARD, BFS FOUNDER/CEO
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Girls Lacrosse Steps Up at VVS High School
wo years ago Duey Weimer took over the girls lacrosse program at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School in central New York. This area of the country is considered a hotbed of lacrosse, and unfortunately the school’s first season three years ago ended with zero wins. But with a posit
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Conway Springs High Training with the Best
3KRWR 1DWH-RQHV:HOOLQJWRQ'DLO\1HZV n 1999 BFS published an article about the success of the football program at Conway Springs High School in Conway, Kansas. It was an amazing turnaround story, because when Mark Bliss stepped in as head coach, he inherited a program that ha
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2012 BFS High School Female Athlete of the Year
Female Athlete of the Year Jessica Marie Staggs is one powerful young woman 3KRWR -LP(OOLV0LDPL1HZV5HFRUG 2NODKRPD hat do cheerleading, track and field, basketball, powerlifting and academic excellence have in common? Answer: Jessica Marie Staggs, the recipient of our annu
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How Olympians Train: US Skiing and Snowboarding
FOR WOMEN ONLY 0DOFROP&DUPLFKDHO$OSLQH&DQDGDSKRWR Stacey Cook finished last season ranked 10th in the world in downhill skiing. How Olympians Train: US Skiing and Snowboarding An exclusive interview with strength coach Ernie Rimer BY LAANNA CARRASCO, MA rnie Rimer is a stren
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Balance of Power
FEATURE STORY 3KRWRE\'HDQ$WNLQV7LPHOHVV,PDJHV3KRWRJUDSK\,QFZZZWLPHOHVVLPDJHVFRP Balance of Power How the OptoJump is transforming athletic and physical fitness BY BOB ROWBOTHAM, PRESIDENT, BFS alance of power” is an expression often used to describe political and m
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Periodization Analysis
BY DR. GREG SHEPARD, BFS FOUNDER/CEO (Editor’s note: Although this article for coaches was written 16 years ago, the ideas are still relevant today. The periodization methods that Dr. Mike Stone developed were used in many publications by the National Strength and Conditioning As
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BFS High School of the Year
3KRWRE\-LP(OOLV0LDPL1HZV5HFRUG 2NODKRPD High School of the Year After one year with BFS, the Bears went from being a 0-10 football team to a 9-3 team. Wyandotte High is the recipient of BFS’s highest award yandotte High School is a terrific place to get an education, not
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2012 Power Clean Championships Set for Vegas
FROM THE EDITOR A Message from BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss, MS Confirm As Friend? section – it will be devoted to content of particular interest finally broke down and started a Facebook page. No, I to young women athletes, their parents and coaches. won’t use it to tell the wor
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Free Weights 101: The Power Rack
lthough strength coaches are always looking for the next big thing to give their athletes an edge, they must consider that some pieces of equipment will never go out of style. One such item is the power rack. Sure, there are many accessories Athat can be added to a power rack, su
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The Health Care Community Meets BFS
he University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic has a policy of pushing the envelope by offering creative programs to enable its graduates to provide the best care for their patients. A recent example was the human performance lecture series that took place on January 28-29,
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Redefining Strength with Rob Adell
Rob Adell A look at one of America’s best hopes for iron game gold ne of the greatest venues for recruiting talent for the sport of weightlifting is the National High School Power Clean Championships in Las Vegas. Now in its eighth year, this meet has put several outstanding weig
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What's Your Goal?
During Be an 11 clinics, Coach Shepard has teams work to determine their goals and establish an action plan to achieve them. What’s Your Goal? Timeless insight into a proven mindset and training philosophy for success (Editor’s note: Although this article for coaches was written
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Answering the Critics: The Back Squat
BY KIM GOSS, MS ver since BFS was founded in 1976, we have been promoting the back squat as a core exercise for athletes – but it hasn’t been easy. On occasion the medical community has discouraged its use, thinking it was harmful to the knees and could stunt a young athlete’s gr
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Going Strong at Cameron High School
ameron High School is a small school in rural West Virginia set in a town of about 1,200 people. There are no “big name” restaurants, just locally owned and operated places run by local people. Cameron High serves grades 7-12 and is one of 13 schools that are part of the Marshall
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Wide Receiver Jared Abbrederis University of Wisconsin
Jared Abbrederis University of Wisconsin A former BFS Athlete of the Year is making it big in college football espite the advances in sports medicine, when a high school football player tears their ACL, especially if they are in a skill position such as quarterback, that often me
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What's Happening
FROM THE EDITOR A Message from BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss, MS Game, Interrupted I would say that if Rabinoff were to compile a top 10 list he scandal at Penn State has been the focus of every of what Paterno should have done when he first heard major sports network and the gene
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Penn State: A Be and 11 Perspective
Penn State: A Be an 11 Perspective Personal thoughts on leadership BY DR. GREG SHEPARD, CEO/FOUNDER BFS ’ve started many successful businesses in my life, one business plans. Business plans are a great idea – in fact, they are critical to success – but there is a big problem if t
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The Dark Side of Sports: Penn State
Penn State Reflections on the right way to handle scandal BY DR. MARC RABINOFF hat is happening at Penn State is a public relations nightmare, and why it became so is the focus of this article. First, I need to make it clear that I am not going to make judgments about the guilt o
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How Women Athletes Should Eat
An interview with body composition expert Francine Savard chieving an optimal bodyweight and bodyfat level is a major concern among young women athletes, as well as for young women in general. Unfortunately, there is so much misinformation circu- Savard was a national champion in
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The Swedish Approach to BFS
BY KIM GOSS, MS In the United States, football is football – but in other parts of the world, football is soccer and what we play is called American football. But American football is not a sport played exclusively in the United States, and interestingly enough, one of those othe
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Wrestling to the Top at Jeffersonville High
en years ago Danny Struck and his wife, Dawn, were searching for teaching jobs. They ended up at Jeffersonville High School in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Both were from rural high schools and this new school was urban, so they thought they might have a short stay. They were mistake
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What's Happening
FROM THE EDITOR A Message from BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss, MS That’s Why They Play the Game! Every summer I head to the local bookstore and pick day this magazine reaches your mailbox, those predictions up several of the college football preview magazines might not hold up. One
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The Dark Side of Sports
Why parents and schools must take action now about this serious issue n the animal kingdom, predators go after the weakest prey. When stalking a band of gorillas, lions don’t face off against the alpha male who could put up a good fight; they are more likely to go after the babie
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The Next Level of Athletic Fitness Training
TRAINING & EQUIPMENT 3KRWR 7KRPDV$QGHUVVRQ The true test of an athletic program is in competition. Shown here is game-day action from the Arlanda Jets, a football program in Sweden that will be featured in our next issue. The Next Level of Athletic Fitness Training How OptoJump
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The BFS Football Experience
Football Experience Why the BFS program has proven to be the choice of champions Heritage High School won its first-ever state championship in 2009 after adopting the BFS program. y the time this magazine gets into the hands of most high school football coaches, their seasons will
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Heisman Fever 2011
FEATURE STORY 3KRWR 7UDYLV%HOO6LGHOLQH&DUROLQD South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore has been an early favorite for the Heisman. A look at another unpredictable Heisman Trophy race lthough it’s always fun to try to predict the winner of the Heisman Trophy, it’s a much
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How Good is Good?
BFS PROGRAM (Editor’s note: Having been involved with BFS for nearly a quarter of a century, I find it interesting that a lot of coaches I’ve talked to have kept every issue of BFS magazine. The reason is that much of the information, particularly the training physiology and idea
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Speaking Up About BFS
BFS clinician Jeff Scurran has developed a reputation for turning around high school football programs. very issue of BFS magazine contains success stories from high school football programs that have won with BFS. For some, adopting the BFS program completely turned around their
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What's Happening
FROM THE EDITOR A Message from BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss, MS The Voice of Reason the standard by which you are measured professionally – it’s ne of the best things about being the editor of BFS your behavior in your profession. Let me put it another way: magazine is chatting w
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A Closer Look at the Opto Jump
Opto Jump The latest in a great testing and diagnostic tool t’s great to have a positive attitude and to expect that when a child participates in high school sports they will get excellent coaching – and that if an injury occurs, the staff will know exactly how to take care of it
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Building Champions at Brodhead High
BY KIM GOSS, MS irty Jobs is a reality show hosted by Mike Rowe on the Discovery Channel. Rowe profiles jobs that most people would consider undesirable, but these jobs are necessary for us to maintain our lifestyle. Although athletic directors don’t have to dig ditches in worm-i
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Whats Happening
FROM THE EDITOR A Message from BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss, MS Staying with It in a game? After all, you have a supportive audience watching ack when I was a strength coach at the Air Force your every move, your teammates and coaches encouraging Academy, I remember one summer in
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The Dark Side of Sports
We Can Do Better The legal consequences of slacking off in coaching recently worked on a case involving a high school football player who suffered multiple concussions during practice in 2006, a case that is just now coming to litigation. I wanted to share this case with you beca
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Barbell Basics: The Power Rack
Rediscover this versatile training tool trength coaching has evolved into a profession in which there are professional organizations, peer-reviewed journals, national conventions, and coaches who make sixfigure salaries. But along the way, the profession experienced a rough patch
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Concussion: A Growing Concern
pproximately 1.2 million young men in the US play football in high school, and nearly three times that many are involved in youth football leagues. Football is here to stay, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore the growing health crisis of concussion. Just how bad is the problem?
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The Three Rules of Speed Training
Speed Training Simple, proven methods to dramatically increase running speed arly in my career I spent my summers in the Los Angeles area training with track athletes. I was amazed at the size and speed of their throwers. There were about 30 of these men who weighed an average of
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Whats Happening
FROM THE EDITOR A Message from BFS Editor in Chief Kim Goss, MS The Public’s Right to Know f you’ve ever watched TMZ or visited their website, you players who had to be hospitalized after a workout. Because of this latter incident, Chris Doyle, the may wonder how these people can
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The Dark Side of Sports
Sports/liability consultant Dr. Marc Rabinoff has testified in two litigations involving rhabdomyolysis, one of which concerned an individual who had died. BY DR. MARC RABINOFF lthough sporting events happen through the efforts of numerous people, it’s the athletes and head coache
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A Brief History of the Be an 11 Program
Be an 11 Program An inside look at a revolutionary character education program hampions are not born but made. Only after a lot of hard work and hard choices does an athlete earn the title of champion. Think about Lance Armstrong overcoming testicular cancer and going on to win t
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Training to Win at River Ridge High
River Ridge High It was a banner season for these young women with the help of BFS iver Ridge High School is in Patch Grove, Wisconsin, and serves 210 students. This may not seem noteworthy until you understand that the student/teacher ratio is 13 to 1 and the school has a 98 per
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Breathing Easy at Sibley East High School
BY CHUCK HARTMAN, HEAD VARSITY FOOTBALL COACH When you want to win as badly as you need to take that next breath, you will win.” That was the moral of the story I told the Sibley East Wolverines football team on the first day of practice in August. But in truth, it was back in Ja
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The Evolution of Strength Coaching
BFS editor in chief Kim Goss began his education in strength coaching as a weightlifter, and is shown here competing in the 1977 Junior Olympics. Strength Coaching A personal look at the recent history of athletic and physical fitness BY KIM GOSS, MS ranted, there’s a lot of self
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Eight Tips to Make Weight Training Classes Run Smoothly
ailing to plan is planning to fail” is a quote from popular author and time management consultant Alan Lakein. This is especially true when trying to run a strength and conditioning program at the middle school or high school level. These programs face numerous challenges today,
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Eagles Soaring High
Fort Bend Baptist Academy features one of the finest high school football stadiums in the country, part of a recent multimillion dollar renovation and expansion program. Eagles Soaring High Fort Bend Baptist Academy’s path to victory ohn Chapman, otherwise known as Johnny Applesee
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Staying on Top at Mountain View
The Mountain View Bruins have won over 83 state championships in a wide variety of sports. This Utah high school has the right plan for athletic superiority ince it opened its doors three decades ago, Mountain View High School has made a powerful impact on the Utah sports scene.
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Success in Unity at Brook Hill High
rook Hill High School is enjoying tremendous success with its athletic teams, thanks in large measure to the implementation of BBrook Hill School, located in Bullard, Texas, competes in the Tapps Division 3 and has 191 students enrolled in high school. Many students letter in mul
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