I friend asked me for my opinion about her high school-aged son being asked to gain 50 pounds for his position by his defensive coach in football. This is not an infrequent request (on the part of the friend, as well as the coach). Neither is it an unreasonable request, though it is one that merits consideration. From my viewpoint, as an exercise physiologist and a parent, I have to ask a few questions:
- How will 50 lb of added weight impact performance?
- Does the athlete want to play beyond high school?
- What is the proposed timeline?
On top of these, it is important to ask about the athlete’s current eating and training habits.
Many coaches believe that size alone will make a kid a better football player. Maybe. More than likely, though, the added weight will be fat and make the athlete slower. Even added muscle will slow the athlete, if they don’t train for speed and explosiveness. Power is Force times Velocity. Strength is the maximal amount of weight that can be lifted one time (i.e., “one repetition maximum” or “1RM”). In athletics, power is king (or queen). In football, for example, how quickly one can move off of the line will be more relevant than how much one can squat or bench (though strength + speed is best).
Does the athlete want to play in college? Many kids are good enough to excel in high school, but the numbers of good football players who go on to play college ball shrinks dramatically—especially if we limit discussion to NCAA Division I college football. If playing in college is the goal, it is performance that will get one noticed by scouts. Size is a factor, but athleticism is the priority. Scouts and coaches can see potential for size growth in a high school football player. It is somewhat like looking at a Great Dane puppy. Moreover, college strength and conditioning coaches are payed the big bucks (I say this somewhat tongue-in-cheek because I have friends in the S&C field, and, while some are starting to make very nice salaries, most are underpaid) to make your athlete bigger, stronger, and faster. Most, I trust, would prefer to manage the athlete’s weight by adding muscle rather than adding muscle and cutting fat. So, for the kid who wants to play at the next level put down the calorie-laden “weight-gain shake” and pick up a barbell. Eat healthy and train.
Recently, I offered advice to men over 50: 1) Lift weights; 2) lift more weight than they did last time; 3) eat; 4) sleep; and 5) repeat. That is pretty much the secret to increasing muscle mass at any age. Effort—the right effort—will produce results.
I suggested to my friend that her son focus on five lifts: squats, deadlifts, bench, shoulder press, and rows. I say this for several reasons. First, these are the basic lifts. These will yield the most bang for the buck. That also allow the athlete to focus on lifting with proper technique and intensity. As the athlete gains skill in lifting, he/she might then move onto Olympic-style lifts (e.g., cleans) for explosive power. Second, these will add the most mass quickly. Curls may be for the girls, but one can waste a lot of time pumping up the arms for very little mass gained and even less functionality. And, for the athlete who wants to impress, the arms will get bigger doing the aforementioned core lifts and the girls will be more impressed by the starter on the field than the benchwarmer with big guns and chicken legs (just sayin’).
Work with a skilled coach. A group of high school kids reading Muscle & Fitness and Men’s Health are not going to see the results that they will get in a structured weight-training program.
What is the timeline? Hypertrophy takes time. It cannot be expected that an athlete (in a well-designed program) will put on more than a few pounds of muscle in a month. Gaining weight at a faster rate is likely to include quite a bit of fat, too. For football, this may not be so bad—provided the muscle gain exceeds the fat gain.
Eat healthy? Have your athlete watch Greater before embarking on a massive weight gaining program. Former Arkansas Razorback guard, Brandon Burlsworth, gained 80 lb his Senior year (earning the nickname, “Cheesecake”, from his brother) only to have to work his tail off to lose the tremendous amount of fat he gained and replace it with muscle.
If your kid’s coach wants him (or her, but if your daughter is being asked to gain 50 lb you will really want to question the coach) to gain 50 pounds, approach it with caution and intelligence. Make sure he gains it in the squat rack and not on the couch.
Be your best today; be better tomorrow!