Building a Lineman: Back/Core Strength

Building a Lineman: Back/Core Strength
On this edition of the Bober Academy Football Podcast Nolan Clausen of Midwest Movement Elkhorn (www.midwestmovementelkhorn.com/) explains why back and core strength is critical to Offensive Line Dominance.
Core strength is the actually based on proper breathing! Stabilization of the core area is the basis for any body movement and performance. To access the power of the lower body connected to the ground it must transfer from the lower body to the upper body with a strong core.
An Offensive Lineman's weapons are his hands, shoulders, and inadvertently the helmet & neck. No matter how much you bench press, its useless if it isn't connected to your Power Core. To link the power of your legs through the ground and the weapons in your upper body you MUST have a strong foundation throughout your core!
The diaphragm muscle is the key to proper breathing and engaging the core. Breathing by expanding the chest is not the correct way! Breathing where the stomach area expands creates inter-abdominal pressure supporting the spine and relieving pressure on the lower back. This is true core strength.
A great test is to cough or grunt and feel how your abdominal muscles contract. Thats the feeling an Offensive Lineman needs to feel when striking. So how do you now if you're doing it correct?
Nolan recommends focusing on the core first when doing any strengthening exercises or training. Basically, stick your gut out and go to work. Watch yourself in the mirror to make sure your pelvis is in line with your spine at all times.
Another key is to NOT arch your back when lifting (like squats) or striking. For Offensive Linemen do NOT throw your head back when striking or in pass blocking. I will provide a video soon to show you some drills to work on proper core/back positioning.
One last trick is to grunt when lifting or applying force. Have you ever noticed how tennis players grunt when they swing? That's because they're engaging their core to apply maximum force and power to the ball.
As Nolan said, proper core position & breathing is paramount to all athletes. Practice engaging your core and see how much stronger you will be. Apply that to your training and transition it to your blocking technique and you will Dominate on the Gridiron!
The Bober Academy was founded in 2019 by 8 year NFL Veteran Chris Bober with the Mission to train and develop athletes to maximize their potential and succeed on the gridiron by coaching the fundamentals of offensive line technique. The Bober Academy believes in laying the the building blocks of O-Line Success first then repeating over and over until mastered. The Bober Academy offers O-Line instruction for all ages and skill levels through camps, clinics, & one to one learning.
Chris Bober went from a walk-on at Division II UNO to NFL starter by hard work, determination, & becoming a master of Offensive Line technique. After graduating from Omaha South High School Chris redshirted then became a 4 year starter helping his team win NCC Conference Champions in 1996 & 1998. He was a team captain and named to All America Team after his Junior & Senior seasons. Chris went undrafted in the 2000 NFL Draft & signed with the NY Giants. He was cut after his rookie training camp, signed to the Practice Squad & finally to the active roster for the 2000 NFC Champion Giants. Chris stayed with Giants 4 seasons becoming the starting Center in 2002-2003. In 2004 Chris signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs where he played 4 seasons starting games at Guard & Tackle. Chris retired in 2008 after multiple hip surgeries.
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It is good for athletes to hear this perspective. Perhaps have some videos showing the progression when lineman fire off the ball and engage. Also, show the breathing exercises and distinguish between the Transverse Abdominus exercise (which makes the waist smaller and tense in the end) and the expanding of the belly when the diaphragm drops.