The Brian Dawkins Workout
Brian Dawkins has never published his workout regimen. But everyone associated with him claims that he works out harder, and with more intensity, than any other NFL player they know. Dawk himself says that he is a beast on the field because of his "controlled fury", and his workouts are designed to support a chart-topping level of intensity.
"I always heard I was too small and wouldn't last playing football. But I matured and worked hard to enable myself to play at the next level." - Brian Dawkins
Since the details of Brian Dawkins' workouts (especially his off-season workout) are not public knowledge, we'll have to resort to generalities based on the hints he's dropped in the past. Here are the sorts of things he concentrates on:
Dawkins is a solid 210 pounds and stands at six feet tall. This is the typical size for an NFL safety.
This sort of musculature, coupled with the athleticism needed to play the game, takes years to develop. It would be a mistake to merely bulk up without regard to athletic prowess, so make sure not to gain too quickly, and focus on athletics, not strength training.
Speed is essential. While offensive players can sometimes plow straight ahead and rely on brute strength to gain yards, defensive players like Brian Dawkins are reacting instead of acting. Their speed and agility has to be greater than that possessed by running backs and receivers.
Dawkins says that he likes to get in shape during the off season by running obstacle courses. The details of his setup are a closely-guarded secret, but we can imagine that he replicates football skills as closely as possible, while working on his general physical preparedness (GPP). So, don't complain about agility drills just because they're occasionally boring; the Brian Dawkins workout includes them, and so should yours.
B-Dawk is also known to work out with martial artists, as a way of ramping up his intensity to extreme levels. Since it's easy to lose focus during hard, grueling workouts, having other intense individuals along for the ride is a good way to psyche up for an effective workout.
For a football player, strength is useless without the ability to apply it explosively. To develop this sort of power, skew your workout style towards the Olympic-style lifts like snatches, clean-and-jerks, etc. You can even do unilateral dumbbell workouts if you're working out at home and don't have an Olympic barbell.
"I always heard I was too small and wouldn't last playing football. But I matured and worked hard to enable myself to play at the next level." - Brian Dawkins
Since the details of Brian Dawkins' workouts (especially his off-season workout) are not public knowledge, we'll have to resort to generalities based on the hints he's dropped in the past. Here are the sorts of things he concentrates on:
Build a good base of strength
Dawkins is a solid 210 pounds and stands at six feet tall. This is the typical size for an NFL safety.
This sort of musculature, coupled with the athleticism needed to play the game, takes years to develop. It would be a mistake to merely bulk up without regard to athletic prowess, so make sure not to gain too quickly, and focus on athletics, not strength training.
Quickness and side-to-side movement
Speed is essential. While offensive players can sometimes plow straight ahead and rely on brute strength to gain yards, defensive players like Brian Dawkins are reacting instead of acting. Their speed and agility has to be greater than that possessed by running backs and receivers.
Dawkins says that he likes to get in shape during the off season by running obstacle courses. The details of his setup are a closely-guarded secret, but we can imagine that he replicates football skills as closely as possible, while working on his general physical preparedness (GPP). So, don't complain about agility drills just because they're occasionally boring; the Brian Dawkins workout includes them, and so should yours.
Intensity
B-Dawk is also known to work out with martial artists, as a way of ramping up his intensity to extreme levels. Since it's easy to lose focus during hard, grueling workouts, having other intense individuals along for the ride is a good way to psyche up for an effective workout.
Power
For a football player, strength is useless without the ability to apply it explosively. To develop this sort of power, skew your workout style towards the Olympic-style lifts like snatches, clean-and-jerks, etc. You can even do unilateral dumbbell workouts if you're working out at home and don't have an Olympic barbell.
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