If not conditioned for the workload, your quarterbacks will see a massive spike in acute workload to their shoulder girdle during camp. This spike in workload can result in fewer throws or injuries in camp. Either situation negatively impacts the timing of routes with the QB and WR, TE, and RB, which negatively impacts the upcoming season. For this article, I am going to dive deep into how to work backwards from camp (namely practices 7-12 when workloads are highest) concerning your quarterback’s arms to keep them on the practice field and working with their teammates. Additionally, I will show you some movements to be added to your QB weight room training that will help keep their throwing arm healthy. All of which will help your quarterbacks handle the throwing volume in camp so they can stay on the field in camp giving you the best chance of success during the season.

Who cares?

Most strength and conditioning coaches know what acute and chronic workloads are. They can go on about the different metrics that need to be handled – accel/decel, max v, player load, IMA, etc…. the best ones even talk about upper body contact prep. However, I have yet to hear any football S&C programs talking about what they do for their QB in the summer to prep their arms for camp. Sounds crazy when it is said out loud, but be honest, when was the last time you had a specific plan of the exact type and number of throws the QB would take each day leading up to camp? I am going to say less than 5% of coaches have. After this article is out, hopefully, that number increases.

When you hear the phrase “pitch count” chances are you think of a baseball pitcher. This is based on controlling the volume for pitchers when they are conditioning their arm for game demands. Baseball pitchers, coaches, and S&C coaches are very keen to arm care for baseball pitchers – and for good reason, it’s where they make their money. Guess what? Your QB is no different, he makes his money by having a healthy and powerful arm. A major difference between the 2 (besides the obvious implement thrown) is the different speeds and distances thrown. A baseball pitcher has the same distance each rep, velocity changes slightly; but, the effort is maximal every time. For a QB the distance varies, the angle varies, and the intent varies. A QB can have 4 passes in a row all submaximal in nature if it is a dump-off pass or a pass on the run. Therefore, knowing exactly how your QB throws will play a huge role in this reverse engineering – your relationship with him and the QB coach will be key to the success of the program.

By doing so, you ensure that your QBs are not just going out throwing multiple long balls just for the heck of it. What if that isn’t your offensive style? Maybe he only throws 6-10 of those per game, and now he’s overworked his shoulder by throwing 20+ go routes to 3-4 different WR. You would not so blindly work your players with their speed work, conditioning, or lifting; QB throwing volume needs to be treated the same.

What’s better?

As promised, this is about how high performance can be microscopic within sports. So, working as a high-performance team works better. Step one is getting the QB coach to look at what he wants to do each day in camp. Then, he needs to look at what the head coach’s practice design is for camp so he knows how many days in a row, and for how many weeks the throwing will be high volume. While this is going on, the ATC staff can work with the QB to assess their shoulder ROM. Then the ATC staff can work with the S&C staff to design a post throwing recovery plan as well as a pre-throwing movement design that works rotational prep, serratus activation, pelvic movement, and cross-body flexion/extension patterns.

When each of these key stakeholders takes the time to design their area of expertise, share the knowledge, and present it to the athletes it sends a very powerful message. It shows the QB that there is a plan for their success, everyone is in it together – which should help create the buy-in that you would like from the guys on your team. Additionally, this type of collaborative design can be a major selling point to QB recruits. Remember, not many if any, programs are talking about this type of prep. Therefore, if you are a recruit on campus and you hear about a program doing this type of work, there is a good chance that the school just got a leg up on the competition.

What’s it actually look like?

Like you do with all your athletes when you get them, it starts with an assessment. For us, our ATC staff collaborated with the baseball ATC staff and used a similar shoulder screen that the baseball team has for their pitchers. We looked for trends and any individual needs once all the screens were complete. Then we designed a 2 day per week program that taught pelvic control in frontal, sagittal, and transverse planes; pelvic floor stability; and wrist/elbow strength. This program was designed to be completed at the end of the QB normal team training. The pre-throwing routine was designed to prepare the body for rotational prep, serratus activation, glenohumeral motion, scapular upward rotation, and activation of the rotator cuff muscles. The QB coach designed stationary throws increasing by distance, progressing to throws on the move progressing in distance. Once these warm-up throws were complete the QB had been told by their coach how many throws they should have, and what type of throws they should be.

Throws of different distances and velocities were mixed in the design by the coach, to best prepare the QB for what camp practices would look like as practice progressed from indy, to group, to team. This way when the QB and the WR, TE, and RB go run their routes later in the day – the QB can control his workload better, rather than burning himself out with too many throws too soon.How it can look:

3D Strap Lateral Pelvis Shift

During your summer prep, you should have 8 weeks of training. First thing is to work backwards on the number of days you want them to be throwing.

Over the 8 weeks you would want your QB throwing volume to look like this:

5 days in week 8
Monday – Friday

4 days in week 7
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday

4 days in week 6
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

3 days in week 5
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday

3 days in week 4
Monday, Wednesday, Friday

2 days in week 3
Tuesday, Wednesday

2 days in week 2
Monday, Wednesday

2 days in week 2 – all short
Monday, Wednesday

Working in this manner progresses the volume of throws and intensity of the week by progressing the consecutive days throwing. By the time they get to camp, they will have already handled throwing 5 days in a row, it will not be a shock to them. Next would be to look at how many deep full speed throws will be expected in a day. Look at how much time in 7 on 7 or 1 on 1 they will have, divide it by the number of quarterbacks and that is your number. For example, 25 minutes of 7 on 7 with 5 quarterbacks will have about 5 full speed deep balls thrown. Do the same for 1 on 1s and team periods. This will show you how many full speeds throws your QB will take. Most teams’ practices look something like this:

Indy – 20-25 min (warm-up throws with QB coach)

1 on 1 – 15 min (4-6 throws per QB)

7 on 7 – 15 min (4-6 throws per QB)

Team – 30-40 min (depends on the style of offence but 10-12 for the starter, and less for each backup)

So, you might be looking at 18-30 hard deep throws not counting individuals.

Working this knowledge into the above periodization design:


Route type and volume design

Week 8 (32-35 full throws per day)
Monday, Wednesday, & Friday long routes
Tuesday & Thursday red zone routes

Week 7 (30-32 full throws per day)
Monday & Wednesday long routes
Tuesday & Friday red zone routes

Week 6 (27-30 full throws per day)
Monday & Thursday long routes
Tuesday & Friday red zone routes

Week 5 (24-27 full throws per day)
Monday & Thursday long routes
Tuesday red zone routes

Week 4 (20-24 full throws per day)
Monday & Friday long routes
Wednesday red zone routes

Week 3 (18-20 full throws per day)
Tuesday long routes
Wednesday red zone routes

Week 2 (15-18 full throws per day)
Monday long routes
Wednesday red zone routes

Week 1 (12-15 full throws per day)
Monday red zone routes
Wednesday red zone routes

Constraining the field space works controls how many are deep routes for the QB, but also his receiving corps. It is also essentially what baseball pitchers do with long toss days and off the mound days. Warm-up throws before full throws will simulate the work that will happen in indy with the coach. Combine this with the 2 days of extra weight room exercises and daily post throwing recovery work you can feel confident that your QB’s have been conditioned for the throwing demands in camp.

Ok, now what?

Are the 2 outlines from above perfect? No, they will need to be tweaked based on the number of QBs you have, the type of offence you run, the WR you have, etc. But it serves as a starting point and basis for 80%+ of teams which will help keep your QB on the field in camp. Now, you need to talk with your QB to find out how much they are throwing. Get an idea of the volume of extra work on their shoulder. Once you are aware of the work they are currently doing, find out what they will need to do once they get to camp. How many of those throws are deep balls, how many are intermittent routes, how many are screens and out routes? Once you know that, work with them from where they are to where they need to be.

Next, talk with the ATC staff, find out when and if they have assessed your QB shoulder ROM. Is there anything that all your QBs lack? Is there something that some individuals need more than others? From there, design your extra arm care work – making sure you are working in pelvic control and motion work. Zach Dechant webinar #53 on SCN is an amazing resource for teaching pelvic movement with the 3D strap. As well as David Grey webinar #71 on SCN teaching lumbo-pelvic control. Finally, work with your ATC staff to periodize the post throwing training design.

This all sounds simple, but will take more time than you initially think; however, once you have done this you will have taken your high-performance model a step further and done a great service to a group of your athletes. In the next article, I will talk about another specific position on the football field that also often has the specificity of their work overlooked.