Offseason Build
Add muscle, clean up movement quality and build the work capacity the heavy block will demand.
The Football Series
Train for the season, not the mirror.
Five programs that run the whole training year — building mass in the offseason, converting it to power before camp, and holding it through the schedule.
Get Kenso — Download Free
Free to download. The series is part of Kenso Pro.
5
Programs
2–4
Days / week
All levels
Experience
Gym or home
Equipment
A season is not one training problem
The work that adds twenty pounds in February will bury you in September. Football training only makes sense as a calendar: a stretch where you can afford to be sore, a stretch where you turn that size into speed off the line, and four months where the job is arriving healthy on Friday with what you built intact. Most programs solve one and quietly wreck the others.
Built around the phases, not around a split
Each program knows which part of the year it belongs to. Offseason is heavy and high-volume with real accessory work. Preseason shifts to jumps, throws, and a bar that moves fast. In-season strips volume to the minimum that holds your strength, because your legs belong to practice and the game.
The training year
Run them in order, or drop into the one that matches where your season is right now.
Offseason Strength
Heavy squat, hinge, press and pull at low reps. A top set drives the load, backoff sets build the volume.
Preseason Power
Jumps, throws and fast strength work to sharpen power before camp. Tapers in the final week so you arrive fresh.
In-Season Strength
Two short sessions a week to hold your strength without adding soreness around games. Loads auto-regulate to how recovered you are. Skip the Nordic curls on short-turnaround weeks — never within 48 hours of a game.
12-Week Offseason
Train like a football player without the season. Sleds, jumps and medicine-ball throws alongside heavy barbell work.
| Program | Best for | Days / week | Split | Level | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offseason Build | The months after the season — add size and work capacity | 4 | Upper/Lower | Beginner | Weight room |
| Offseason Strength | Late offseason, turning that size into strength | 4 | Upper/Lower | Intermediate | Weight room · barbell |
| Preseason Power | The weeks before camp — sharpen power, arrive fresh | 3 | Full Body | Intermediate | Weight room · trap bar, barbell |
| In-Season Strength | During the season — hold strength without stealing from Friday | 2 | Full Body | Intermediate | Weight room · minimal time |
| 12-Week Offseason | Training like a player when you are not on a team | 4 | Upper/Lower | Intermediate | Weight room · sleds, med balls |
Why the app, not a printout
Your loads follow you between phases
Kenso carries your lifting history from the offseason into camp, so the in-season program already knows what your squat is instead of asking you to guess it again in week one.
In-season fatigue is visible
Practice and games are the real training load in the fall. The app tracks recovery and readiness so you can see when to cut a session rather than finding out on Friday night.
Swaps for whatever your weight room has
Every main lift carries alternatives. School weight room missing a piece of equipment, or a lineman training in a garage — the program still runs.
How it works
Three steps, then the app carries the plan for you.
1
Pick the phase you're in
Filter to Football and choose the block that matches your calendar — offseason, preseason, or in-season.
2
Open the day and go
Each session shows the muscles it hits, the lift count, and how long it should take before you start.
3
Log your sets, targets follow
Last session's numbers sit beside today's. Hit the range and the next session moves up on its own.
Questions
How should football players train in the offseason?
The offseason is when you can afford the highest volume of the year. Build muscle and general strength first with heavy compound lifts and real accessory work, then transition toward power and speed as spring turns into summer. It is the only stretch where being sore for a few days costs you nothing.
Should football players lift during the season?
Yes — but far less than in the offseason. Strength drops measurably across a season when players stop lifting entirely. Two short, heavy, low-volume sessions a week are usually enough to hold what you built without stealing from practice and game recovery.
How many days a week should a football player lift?
Roughly four days in the offseason, three in preseason as speed and conditioning work ramps up, and two in-season. The programs in this series are already built to those frequencies.
What lifts matter most for football?
Squat, hinge, press, and pull, plus explosive work — jumps, throws, and fast-bar movements that train the rate at which you produce force. Position changes the emphasis at the margins, not the foundation.
Do I need a full weight room?
The programs are written for a standard weight room, but every main lift has alternatives built in, so a garage setup with a barbell and rack will run them.
Start this week.
Download Kenso, pick the program that fits your week, and log your first session today.
Get Kenso — Download Free
iPhone. Free to start.