Quarterback (QB) Training Week – 2 Part Series!

It’s here – the Quarterback (QB) Training Week, and it’s a 2-Part Series! This article Series will cover a complete off-season training week for the most important position in football. Plus, I have included a Special Feature – an in-depth look at In-Season Film Study! If you’re striving to be a great QB, this is a Series you need to check out – so what are you waiting for? Let’s get going with Part 1 – then you’ll want to check out Part 2!

A Quick Recap – Quarterback Off-Season Training Week 

Quarterback Training Recap	Active RecoveryShoulder Health	Linear Speed	Footwork/PocketPresence	Volume Throwing	Lifting
Day 1		X			Upper Body
Day 2			X		Lower Body
Day 3	X				Off
Day 4			Scramble Drills		Upper Body
Day 5	Arm CareWarmup/Recovery			50-60 ThrowsGame Speed	Lower Body
Day 6	Recovery			Film Study
Day 7	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest	Rest

An Example Quarterback Off-Season Training Week 

Day 1: Upper Body Power, Linear Speed & Mechanics

Nutrition Tips – For optimal performance, be sure you eat at least one meal before you begin your training. Your meal should consist of lean protein and a combination of simple and complex carbohydrates. For quarterbacks, I recommend 1 to 1.5 grams of protein and 3-4 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight. 

This goes without saying – don’t forget to stay hydrated! While you can drink a sports drink, I recommend Kaged Hydration or Liquid I.V. Hydration Multiplier.

Supplement Tips –  Drink 1 serving of EFX Sports Karbolyn mixed with 1 to 2 servings of NutraBio EEA Pure 30 minutes before you begin your training day. 

Warm-Up 

(10 minutes)

Pogo Jumps 

3 “sets” x 10 seconds

1. The Setup – Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and place your hands on your hips.
2. The Motion – Keep your knees and hips relatively stiff (no more than a slight bend in the knees). Explode upward jumping from your calves (like a pogo stick).
3. Foot Contact – Land softly on the balls of your feet and rebound immediately. Your heels should never touch the ground.
4. Rhythm – Focus on a quick rhythm rather than maximum jump height

Linear Hops 

3 “sets” x 5 “reps”

1. Create a Target Line – Use a physical line on the floor, an agility ladder, or lay down a resistance band. 
2. Get Into Position – Stand tall facing the line. Keep your feet close together. Keep your weight balanced on the balls of your feet. 
3. Initiate the Hops – Hop quickly forward over the line, then immediately hop backward. Avoid pausing between movements; it should be a continuous motion. Pump your arms in sync with your feet to maintain momentum and rhythm. 
4. Stick or Continue:

For Quickness (Continuous) – Stay light on your toes and repeat the rapid forward-and-back pattern for a set time.

For Stability (With Stick) – Hop forward a larger distance, land, and pause for 1 to 2 seconds to hold your balance before hopping back

Flying 20s

1 “set” x 4 “reps”

Flying 20s are a maximum-velocity sprint drill where you accelerate over a specific distance and hold top speed for exactly 20 yards. For quarterbacks, this drill builds the elite closing speed needed to escape pass rushers or pick up crucial first downs. 

How to do it:

1. Place three cones on a track or straight field. The distance between the first and second cone is your build-up zone (typically 20-30 meters). The distance between the second and third cone is your fly zone (20 meters).
2. The Build-Up – Smoothly accelerate to 95-100% speed before the first cone.
3. The Fly – Maintain absolute maximum velocity through the 20-yard cone gate.
4. The Finish – Allow yourself 20 yards to gently slow down to a jog. Do not just abruptly stop!

Quarterback Training Week – Lifting – Upper Body

I highly recommend using a pre-workout but it is optional. I suggest Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode. I would mix in a 2-scoop serving of EFX Sports Karbolyn. 

Once your training is over, drink a post-workout shake. This shake should consist of Hi-Tech Precision Protein and plenty of fast digesting carbs (30g protein / 40-50g carbs).

Medicine Ball Twists

4 sets x 6 reps 

Incline Barbell Press

20% 1RM x 15 reps

40% 1RM x 10 reps

50% 1 RM x 10 reps

4 sets x 6 reps

Overhead Press

2 sets x 8 reps

Weighted Pull-Ups 

1 set x 8 reps bodyweight

3 sets x 6 reps – Weighted

Superset: EZ Curls right into Overhead EZ Extensions

2 sets x 8 reps each exercise

Blackburn Shoulder Circuit

3 sets of Y, T, W, and L raises x 10 reps each (light weight).

Lie face down on a mat or bench with a rolled towel under your forehead. Do not let your shoulders shrug toward your ears. 

Move through the following 6 positions, holding each for 10 seconds.

1. “A” Position – Extend your arms down by your sides with your palms facing up (create an “A”). Squeeze your shoulder blades down and back.
2. “T” Position – Move your arms straight out to the sides perpendicular to your body, with your palms down (create a “T”).
3. “T” with Thumbs Up – Keep your arms in the “T” position but flip your hands so your thumbs point toward the ceiling.
4. “Y” Position – Slide your arms forward at a 45-degree angle (create a “Y”) with your palms facing down.
5. “Y” with Thumbs Up – Keep your arms in the “Y” position but rotate your thumbs up toward the ceiling.
6. “W” (or Goalpost) Position – Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and pull them back near your ribs (create a goalpost).

Recovery

Contrast Baths 

3 times x 1 minute ice / 3 times x 10 minutes hot

Deep Tissue Work

Upper Back.

Day 2: Lower Body Strength & Base Footwork

Nutrition Tips – Same as Day 1. 

Supplement Tips – Same as day 1. 

Footwork & Pocket Presence (Field)

Ladder Ickey Shuffle

1 “set” x 4 “reps”

The Ickey shuffle is named after former NFL player Elbert “Ickey” Woods. In this case, it’s an advanced ladder drill. The foot pattern to be used is a “2 in 1 out”, which means that two feet will enter a ladder square before one moves out. Stay on your toes for this drill, your heel should never touch the ground.

90/90 Hip Switches

3 sets x 8 reps per side

1. Set Up – Sit on the floor and bend both your knees to a 90-degree angle. Your front thigh should be pointing straight ahead, and your back thigh pointing out to the side.
2. Support – Place your hands on the floor behind you for balance and keep your chest upright.
3. The Switch – Lift your knees off the ground, pivoting on your heels, and rotate your legs to the opposite side.
4. Completion – Lower your legs to the floor until both shins are resting on the floor, mirroring the 90/90 position on the new side.

3/5/7-Step Drops 

5 “reps” of each drop. (1)

Quarterback Training Week – Lifting – Lower Body

For Lower Body training, I definitely advise using a pre-workout, but it is optional. I would suggest Gorilla Mind Gorilla Mode. I would definitely mix in a 2-scoop serving of Karbolyn. 

Once your training is over, drink a post-workout shake. This shake should consist of Hi-Tech Precision Protein and plenty of fast digesting carbs. As noted, 30g protein and 40-50g grams carbs.

Barbell Back Squat

20% 1RM x 15 reps

40% 1RM x 10 reps

50% 1 RM x 10 reps

4 sets x 5 reps

Bulgarian Split Squat

3 sets x 8 reps each leg

Seated Leg Curl Machine

2 sets x 8 reps

Calf Raises

4 sets x 12 reps ( 2 sets standing / 2 sets seated

Cable Pallof Press with Rotation

2 sets × 8 reps per side

1. Set Up – Attach a handle to a cable machine at chest height.
2. Your Stance – Stand perpendicular to the anchor. Step away to create tension. Assume an athletic stance with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and core tightly braced.
3. Press Out – Hold the handle at your center of the chest. Press your arms straight out in front of you until your elbows are fully locked.
4. Rotate – While keeping your arms fully extended and your lower body glued in place, slowly rotate your torso and shoulders away from the anchor point. Your hips should remain facing forward—the twist should come only from your mid-back (thoracic spine).
5. Return – Rotate back to the center (with your arms still extended), then bring the handle back to your chest.
6. This looks a lot like a Cable Woodchopper. 

Performance Notes

When lifting, perform the concentric phase of your reps explosively but under control. Do not let momentum take over. Your tempo should be 2 seconds. During the eccentric phase, control the weight, take 4 seconds to perform this phase. 

Recovery

Hyperbaric Chamber Session

1 Hour

Static Lower Body Stretching

Hip Flexor Stretch

1. Kneel on your chosen leg and bend your other leg out in front of you, with that foot flat on the floor.
2. Keeping your back straight, slowly push your hips forward.
3. Hold the stretch for at least 15 to 30 seconds.
4. Repeat 2 to 4 times.

Hamstring/Calf Stretch

1. Put one leg about a step behind your other leg, with your toes pointing forward. 
2. Keeping your back leg straight and your back heel on the floor, bend your front knee and gently bring your hip and chest toward the wall until you feel a stretch in the calf of your back leg. 
3. Hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds.

Day 3: Active Recovery & Shoulder Health

Nutrition Tips – Same as Day 1. 

Mobility Flow

PVC Pipe Passthroughs

3 sets × 10 reps

Grab a PVC pipe or light bar, hold it in front of you with a wide, straight-arm grip, and rotate it overhead until it touches your lower back.

Push-Up to Downward Dog 

3 “sets” x 8 “reps”

How to Perform:

1. Put your body into a standard push-up position.  
2. Slowly lower your body to the ground.
3. Inhale, keep your hands on the ground and straighten your arms and lift your upper body while squeezing your glutes. You won’t be able to lift your upper body more than an inch or two. This is the Upward Dog Pose.
4. Exhale, lower your upper body and at the same time push your hips up. Keep your toes on the ground.  
5. Suck in your stomach and keep your elbows straight to feel a deep stretch in your lower back and hamstrings. This is the Downward Dog Pose.

Conditioning 

30 minutes of low-intensity cycling or swimming to clear metabolic waste.

Recovery

Full-body active release therapy (ART) or sports massage.

Day 4: Upper Body Volume & Lateral Agility

Agility & Escapability (Field)

5-10-5 Shuttle 

3 “sets”

Cone Setup

1. Cones placed in a perfectly straight line, exactly 5 yards apart from each other. 

How to Run the Drill

1. Starting Position – Straddle the center cone in an athletic stance. Place your hand down on the ground in the direction you plan to run (e.g., left hand down if moving left).
2. First 5 Yards – Explode off the line and sprint to the first outer cone. Ensure you touch the line beside the cone with your corresponding hand.
3. The 10-Yard Turn – Reverse direction, sprint past the center cone, and run all the way to the opposite outer cone (a 10-yard distance). Touch this line with your corresponding hand. 
4. The Finish – Change directions once more and sprint the final 5 yards back through the center starting cone.

Lateral Skips (Hip Flips)

4 sets × 15 yards.

Starting Position – Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands raised to waist height.

The Skip – Drive one knee up toward your chest while pushing forcefully off your opposite foot to travel sideways.

The Flip – As you hop and move laterally, “flip” your hips by quickly rotating your lead hip inward and your trail hip outward.

Rhythm – Land softly on the ball of your foot. Immediately drive the opposite knee up and repeat the sequence, maintaining a smooth, bouncy rhythm.

Scramble Drills

Escape and Pocket Movement Drills

1. The Clock Drill – The Quarterback starts in the center of four cones (arranged like 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock). A coach calls out a time, and the Quarterback must quickly escape in that direction, reset their feet, and throw to a target. (2, 3, 4)
2. The Gauntlet Drill – Two defenders rush the QB with padded shields from different angles. The QB must use pocket movements (climbing the pocket or hitching) to avoid the rush before escaping out the back or side.

Off-Platform Throwing Drills

• The Sprint-Out Drill – The Quarterback takes a snap and immediately sprints left or right. Practice throwing both with your body momentum (rolling right for a right-handed QB) and against it (flipping hips to throw left). (5)
• The Off-Platform Target Drill: The Quarterback escapes the pocket and is forced to throw without setting their feet. This builds core strength and arm-angle flexibility to deliver accurate passes while on the move.

Summary

This ends Part 1 of my Quarterback (QB)Training Week Series! In this article, we looked at the first 3 and a half days of Quarterback off-season training. We also included nutritional guidelines and supplement tips. In Part 2, we will look at the remaining 3 training days. Let’s get to it!

References:

1. https://www.football-tutorials.com/qb-drops-drill/
2. https://www.capitalqbs.com/footwork-first-throw-second-the-foundation-of-effective-quarterback-play/
3. https://www.afca.com/skills-drills-antoine-mason-saginaw-valley-state-wide-receiver-drills/
4. https://www.football-tutorials.com/6-cone-drill-for-quarterbacks/
5. https://allaccesscoaching.com/coaches-corner/3-drills-to-help-your-quarterback/