Lineman Preparation Program – Daman's Strength Training

It’s Time to get more flexible, stronger, and faster! Let’s do it now!

Program Philosophy: What can I expect?

We will focus on five things throughout the DST and Gamespeed’s Lineman Preparation Program.

Improving hip flexibility and strength (Be a KNEE-BENDER, not a WAIST-BENDER!)

Applicable balance and stability

Proper movement and alignment

Hand speed and punch

Core strength…Every good lineman has a strong core!

Program Design

This 4-month program can be broken down into 5 phases (including an assessment phase), each one building on top of the other. This will prepare the athlete to be game ready once fall camp rolls arounds! Let’s dominate the competition!

1PHASE 1: ASSESSMENT AND INITIATION (<1 week)

The program will begin with our coaches gauging just where the individual is in his athletic development and then setting realistic goals to shoot for. This first phase will also include some level of orientation, including topics such as…

Dates and times for training sessions and events—There will be a special competition at the end of the program!
Accountability. Excellence is a habit!
General advice on a healthy lifestyle outside of the gym, on topics such as nutrition and recovery.
Some administrative things

2PHASE 2: LAYING THE FOUNDATION (Approx. 1 Month)

This phase will focus on ensuring that each athlete is enabled to correctly perform lifts, drills, and other movements, so that he can perform consistently at a high level and perhaps prevent himself from injury or further injury. There will also be an element of conditioning. Here’s some things we’ll attack in this first phase:

Core strength
Upper and lower back strength
Hip flexibility, mobility, and strength
Bilateral balance and stability
Simple sprint and agility drills
Hand placement
Med ball throws
Conditioning

3PHASE 3: STRENGTH (Approx. 1 Month)

While we will continue to build on the five foci throughout the program, this phase will specifically get after the functional strength portion of the athlete’s development. While Olympic and traditional strengthening lifts are an important aspect to any athlete’s development, linemen need a specific kind of strength to push, pull, and move people around! Many of our exercises will focus on this kind of functional strength, setting the athlete up for more powerful movements later in the program. These exercises include:

Sled drags and pulls
Farmer’s walks
Tire flips!
Med ball throws
Walking lunges

4PHASE 4: POWER AND SKILL-SPECIFIC DRILLS (Approx. 1 Month)

This is where we’ll really get after it! With proper movement patterns and strength, the athlete will be ready to perform POWERFUL and EXPLOSIVE drills that will carry over to the field to dominate the competition! Here’s what we’ll attack in this phase:

Hand speed and punch
Run- and pass-blocking drills
Sequenced sprint and agility drills
Reaction time
More tire flips, med ball throws, and sled drags/pulls!
Explosive lifts and sprints

5PHASE 5: COMPETITION, ASSESSMENT, AND FINAL PREPARATIONS (Approx. 2-3 Weeks)-

In this phase, fall camp will be near and we’ll be ready for it! In the beginning, we will hold a special competition for the linemen that will include prizes! We will also reassess the athlete’s progress and goals and make any final adjustments needed to get him ready to go. The volume of work and fatigue in the phase will be considerably less than previous phases, to make sure that the athlete is running on all cylinders on Day 1. We will focus on keeping proper movement patterns and flexibility, as well as maintaining the strength and power gained over the last few months.

Program Training Days

Week of April 10th -> August 10th (WPIAL practices begin August 14th)
4-Month Commitment
To ensure quality of coaching and athlete development, we are only taking 10-20 ATHLETES TOTAL!
Ages 10+

Training Package

2 Days of Daman’s Strength Training (pick a 1-hour block of time)
- Mon-Thurs 3-8 PM and Sat 8-10 AM
1 Day of Gamespeed Training:
- Linemen preparation program only:
  Sat @ 11 AM

Cost is $187 per month

Important Dates

Start date: Week of April 10th
End date: Thursday, August 10th
Linemen Strength and Skills Competition: TBD
NO Linemen-Only Session: Sat, May 20th is cancelled! Consider attending Gamespeed at 9 AM that day instead!

FAQs

1What if my child misses training days due to illness/vacation etc.?

You can schedule make up days with our coaches for any available times during the program.

2Does my child need to have a certain level of skill/athleticism?

No! Upon assessment of the individual athlete we will place them in the appropriate level of training to give them the best chance at making progress throughout the program and beyond! This program is for the beginner AND the advanced athlete!

3Do you have to train the same days/times each week?

No, each week can be different. Whatever fits your schedule will fit ours! However, if possible, we strongly suggest making time for the linemen-only session on Saturdays. This time will be important for the athlete’s progress.

Meet the Team

Shawn Moody

Shawn is a sports enhancement specialist and operates as a Physical Preparation Coach to various athletes and teams in the surrounding Pittsburgh area. His specialties are focused in athletic speed development and resistance training utilizing various mediums for sport strength. Shawn has almost 30 years of “under the bar” training and sports experience that he values greatly. This hands-on experience makes him a constant student in the strength and conditioning field.

Shawn is a graduate of Waynesburg College where he was an all-conference defensive back. He attended CFL/NFL tryouts for Scout Camp in 1994. He is Senior Level Certified Coach under world renown Strength & Conditioning Coach John Davies of Renegade Training, and is a certified Speed / Agility and Quickness Trainer through the National Exercise and Sports Training Association. Shawn is a Certified Kettlebell Specialist and the only DMC Certified Practitioner in Western Pennsylvania.

Shawn was a three-sport athlete growing up and has competed as a powerlifter in the Pittsburgh’s tri-state area. He continues his athletic lifestyle through his participation in Submission Grappling / BJJ.

Peter Thistle

Peter is a recent graduate from the University of Delaware, earning his BS in Exercise Science while also minoring in Psychology, graduating in December of 2016. He is currently studying for the National Academy of Sport Medicine’s Certified Personal Training exam that he will take at the end of June of this year. He will then begin graduate school at the end of August, working towards a Master’s in Occupational Therapy at Chatham University.

Peter is an accomplished retired student-athlete. While in high school at North Allegheny, he excelled as both a varsity football and track and field athlete. In football, he played primarily offensive center and defensive tackle, while throwing shot and discuss for the track team. Peter was an integral part of the football team’s 2010 and 2011 WPIAL AAAA titles as 1st Team All-Conference Offensive Center, while also winning the PIAA state title in his junior season (2010) and serving as team captain in his senior season (2011). After losing his scholarship offers to several Division 1 programs due to a knee injury late in his senior season, Peter walked onto the University of Delaware’s football team to become a Fightin’ Blue Hen, eventually earning significant playing time and a scholarship in his senior year.

Interested in our program?

If you are ready to be an extraordinary lineman, now is the time to sign up. Limited spots are available, so act now.