The Andre Johnson football workout for power and strength

Build power and explosiveness with the same offseason regiment the former NFL wide receiver used to dominate the field.

Looking to gain power and explosiveness like some of the top wide receivers in the NFL?

Former NFL great and Houston Texans wideout Andre Johnson was one of the most physically dominating players in the league when he was playing and the reason for that was his commitment to training and staying in shape.

During the offseason, Johnson would train with his old college teammates at the University of Miami four days a week, running in a sand pit, sprinting on the field, and working in the weight room under former Hurricanes strength coach Andreu Swasey. The results were pretty great: Johnson finished his career with 1,062 receptions, good for 11th best in history at the time of his retirement.

How It Works: You’ll train four days per week, focusing on speed and strength. You may not be familiar with some of the explosive exercises such as speed squats or power cleans, so take the time to learn the form precisely.

Directions

Frequency: Complete each workout (Day 1, 2, 3, and 4) once per week. You can perform the first two workouts on back-to-back days, rest, and then do the next two workouts.

Time Needed: 60 minutes

How to Do It: Most of the exercises will be done as straight sets— complete all sets for the move before going on to the next. For the shoulder circuit on Day 1, complete one set of each lift without rest in between. Rest after you’ve finished the circuit and then continue with the rest of the workout.

Check out the workouts below.

Day 1

Exercise 1: Bench Press

Sets: 4 Reps: 10, 10, 6, 6

Grab the bar with an overhand, outside shoulder-width grip. Your shoulder blades should be squeezed together and your back arched. Take the bar out of the rack (you can have a spotter help you) and squeeze it hard. Lower it to just below your sternum and then push your feet hard into the floor to help you press the weight up. When the bar is halfway up, begin flaring your elbows outward to lock it out in the top position.

Exercise 2: Shrug

Sets: 3 Reps: 10

Hold a barbell in front of your thighs at arm’s length. Shrug your shoulders as high as you can.

Exercise 3: Incline Bench Press

Sets: 4 Reps: 5

Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree incline and lie down on it. Squeeze the bar hard and arch your upper back. Lower the bar to the upper part of your chest, tucking your elbows close to you as it comes down. Once the bar touches your chest, push your feet hard into the floor. Press the weight up, focusing on pushing it back toward your face. When the bar is halfway up, begin flaring your elbows outward to lock it out.

Exercise 4: Seated Overhead Press

Sets: 3 Reps: 6

Sit at a power rack with your feet shoulder- width apart and grab the bar with a slightly wider-than shoulder-width grip. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and push your chest out. Press the bar overhead and slightly backward so that it ends up in line with the back of your head at the top.

Exercise 5: Overhead External Rotation w/Plate

Sets: 1 Reps: 10

Hold a lightweight plate in each hand and raise your elbows out to your sides. Keeping a 90-degree bend in your elbows, rotate your forearms backward until your knuckles point to the ceiling.

Exercise 6: External Rotation w/ Elbows at Sides

Sets: 1 Reps: 10

Keeping your elbows tight to your sides, rotate your forearms outward.

Exercise 7: Lateral Raise

Sets: 1 Reps: 10

Let your arms hang in front of your body and then raise them out 90 degrees.

Exercise 8: Russian Twist

Hold a medicine ball with both hands and sit on the floor with your knees bent 90 degrees and feet raised. Twist as far as you can in one direction and then to the other side.

Day 2

Exercise 1: Power Clean

Sets: 5 Reps: 3

Set a barbell on the floor, crouch down, and grab it with hands outside shoulder width. Your lower back should be in its natural arch. Explosively stand up and shrug the bar, coming up onto the balls of your feet. As the bar rises to chest level, flip your wrists over so that your palms face the ceiling and your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Allow your knees to bend as you absorb the force of the bar at your shoulders.

Exercise 2: Squat

Sets: 4 Reps: 10, 8, 6, 4

Stand with your feet a bit wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes turned slightly outward. Bend your hips back and then your knees (push them outward as you go down) to lower your body as far as you can.

Exercise 3: Front Squat

Sets: 4 Reps: 5

Start with the barbell on the supports of a power rack at about shoulder height. Grab the bar overhand and raise your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Now lift the bar off the rack, letting it roll toward your fingers—as long as you keep your elbows raised, you will balance the bar. Squat as low as you can while keeping your lower back flat.

Exercise 4: Romanian Deadlift

Sets: 3 Reps: 6

Hold the bar at arm’s length and let it touch the front of your thighs. Keeping your lower back in its natural arch, bend your hips back and then your knees, lowering the weight until you feel you’re about to lose the arch in your lower back.

Exercise 5: Pull-Up

Sets: 4 Reps: Max

Perform four sets of as many pull-ups as you can. Change your grip each set shoulder width, wide, narrow, and palms facing toward you

Exercise 6: Two-Point Dumbbell Row

Sets: 3 Reps: 10

Hold a dumbbell in one hand and step forward with the opposite leg. Bend over at the hips until your torso is parallel to the floor (keep a safe arch in your lower back). Brace your abs. Row the weight to your side.

Day 3

Exercise 1: Bench Press

Sets: 4 Reps: 10, 10, 6, 6

Exercise 2: Shrug

Sets: 3 Reps: 10

Exercise 3: Incline Bench Press

Sets: 4 Reps: 5

Exercise 4: Dumbbell Press

Sets: 3 Reps: 6

Start holding a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level. Press the weights straight overhead.

Exercise 5: Dip (Not Shown)

Sets: 3 Reps: 15

Suspend yourself over the parallel bars of a dip station and then lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Do not go lower.

Exercise 6: Plate Raise

Sets: 2 Reps: 10

Hold a weight plate with both hands and raise it to eye level. Rotate it counterclockwise as if you were turning a steering wheel and then rotate clockwise. That’s one rep.

Exercise 7: Medicine Ball Sit-Up

Sets: 2 Reps: 10

Hold a medicine ball with both hands and sit on the floor with your knees bent 90 degrees. Perform a sit-up and raise the ball straight overhead.

Day 4

Exercise 1: Clean Pull

Sets: 3 Reps: 5

Perform the power clean as you did on Day 2 but omit the “catch” portion of the lift—only pull it off the floor and shrug it explosively (do not raise the bar to shoulder level).

Exercise 2: Speed Squat

Sets: 4 Reps: 10, 10, 8, 8

Set up as you did for the squat on Day 2 but place weight plates on the floor and rest your heels on them. Use a weight that’s about 30 percent of your max and perform the lifting phase of each rep with maximum explosivity.

Exercise 3: Stationary Lunge

Sets: 4 Reps: 4

Hold the bar on your traps and raise one leg up until your knee is higher than your hips. Complete your reps on one side and then switch legs.

Exercise 4: Stepup

Sets: 3 Reps: 6

Stand in front of a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Place one foot on the bench so that your knee is bent 90 degrees and your thigh is parallel to the floor. Drive your heel into the bench and raise yourself up so that you’re standing on the bench with your rear foot hanging off it. Complete all your reps on one leg, and then switch legs and repeat.

Exercise 5: Pullup

Sets: 4 Reps: Max

Repeat the pullup circuit as you did on Day 2.

Story Source: https://www.mensjournal.com/sports/andre-johnson-football-workout-power-and-explosiveness