Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB) Training – Part 2!
Welcome to Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB) Training – Part 2! In Part 1, we looked at the first 3 days in the training week of a ROLB. In Part 2, we’ll check out the remaining 4 days in the training week of a ROLB – so let’s jump right in!
A Quick Recap – Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB) Training Week!
| Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB) Training Recap | Warmups | Linear Acceleration | Change of Direction | Position Drills | Lifting |
| Day 1 | X | Max LowerBody | |||
| Day 2 | X | Upper Body | |||
| Day 3 | X | X | |||
| Day 4 | X | X | |||
| Day 5 | Upper Body | ||||
| Day 6 | X | ||||
| Day 7 | Rest | Rest | Rest | Rest | Rest |
Day 4: Change of Direction & Force Absorption
Getting past the offensive lineman and getting to the QB is key for any ROLB!
Nutrition Tips – Same as Day 1.
Supplement Tips – Same as day 1.
Warm-Up & Tissue Prep
(15 Minutes)
Mini-Band Complex
2 sets × 10 reps of forward, backward, and lateral monster walks.
A “monster walk” is taking as big a step as possible with the band placed around your legs just below your knees.
Lateral Lunges
2 sets × 8 reps per side.
Start Tall – Stand with your feet together, your core braced, and your chest up.
Take a Wide Step – With both feet staying in a straight, parallel line, step one foot directly out to the side.
Sit Back & Down – Push your hips back and with your stepping leg, bend and lower your knee until your thigh is almost parallel to the floor.
Keep the Trailing Leg Straight – Your non-working leg should remain fully extended with your foot flat on the floor.
Drive Up – Push forcefully through the heel of your bent leg to return to the starting position.
Single-Leg Linear Hop to Balance
2 sets × 5 reps per leg (teaches joint stabilization).
Stand on one leg, push forward explosively, and land softly on the exact same foot while holding a stable, balanced position.
Lateral Skips (Hip Flips)
2 sets × 20 yards.
Starting Position – Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands raised to waist or chest 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.
Agility & Force Drills
5-10-5 Pro Agility Shuttle
1 “set” x 6 “reps”.
Aim for sub-4.3 seconds (set a timer). Alternating starting directions.
Equipment: 3 cones and 15 yards of total space.
Placement: Set three cones in a straight line, exactly 5 yards apart from each other.
- Starting Stance – Straddle the center cone in an athletic stance. Drop your hand to the ground on the side you plan to move first.
- First 5 Yards – Explosively push off and sprint 5 yards to the first outside cone. Touch the ground at or past the cone with your hand.
- The 10-Yard Turn – Drive off your outside foot, flip your hips, and sprint 10 yards all the way to the opposite outside cone. Touch the ground with your hand.
- The Finish – Sprint the final 5 yards back through the starting center cone to stop the timer.
L-Drill (3-Cone)
1 “set” x 4 “reps”.
Focus on dipping your inside shoulder to bend the edge efficiently.
Cone Setup
- Place Cone 1 as your starting point.
- Place Cone 2 exactly 5 yards straight ahead of Cone 1.
- Place Cone 3 exactly 5 yards to the right of Cone 2, forming a right angle or “L” shape.
The Drill
- The Start – Assume a 3-point stance at Cone 1. Sprint to Cone 2.
- First Touch & Return – Touch the base of Cone 2 with your hand. Turn and sprint back to Cone 1, touching the base.
- The Weave – Sprint back to Cone 2, round the outside of it, and figure-eight around the inside of Cone 3.
- The Finish – Loop back around the outside of Cone 2 and sprint past Cone 1 to finish the drill.
Medicine Ball Lateral Bound
3 sets × 5 reps per side
Push off your outside leg and land cleanly.
Nordic Hamstring Curls
3 sets × 6 reps. Lower yourself as slowly as possible.
Set Up – Kneel on a padded surface, such as a mat or folded towel, with your ankles securely anchored under a stable object (like a low pull-up bar or training partner).
Body Position – Keep your shoulders, hips, and knees in a straight, rigid line. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core.
The Descent – Slowly lower your torso toward the floor as far as you can control. Imagine pulling your heels toward your glutes as you fall forward.
The Catch & Return – Catch yourself with your hands in a push-up position at the bottom and explosively push back up to the starting position.
Conditioning (40-Yard Gassers)
3 sets × 40 yards.
Run across the field and back. Target time is under 6 seconds per sprint. Rest 30 seconds between sets.
Day 5: Upper Body Hypertrophy & Armor Building
A powerful upper body is key for the Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB) position!
Nutrition Tips – Same as Day 1.
Supplement Tips – Same as day 1.
Warm-Up & Activation
(10 Minutes)
PVC Pipe Passthroughs
2 sets × 12 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.
Blackburn Shoulder Circuit
2 sets of Y, T, W, and L raises x 10 reps (light weight).
Lie face down on a mat or bench with a rolled towel under your forehead to keep your neck relaxed. Do not let your shoulders shrug toward your ears.
Move through the following 6 positions, holding each for 10–20 seconds.
- “A” Position – Extend your arms down by your sides with your palms facing up (create an “A”). Squeeze your shoulder blades down and back.
- “T” Position – Move your arms straight out to the sides perpendicular to your body, with your palms down (create a “T”).
- “T” with Thumbs Up – Keep your arms in the “T” position but flip your hands so your thumbs point toward the ceiling.
- “Y” Position – Slide your arms forward at a 45-degree angle (create a “Y”) with your palms facing down.
- “Y” with Thumbs Up – Keep your arms in the “Y” position but rotate your thumbs up toward the ceiling.
- “W” (or Goalpost) Position – Bend your elbows to 90 degrees and pull them back near your ribs (create a goalpost).
Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB) – Lifting
As noted, the training for this position may not fit normal expectations – but it’s ideal for the Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB) position!
Supplement Tips – Same as day 1.
Incline Bench Press
20% 1RM x 15 reps
40% 1RM x 10 reps
50% 1 RM x 10 reps
4 sets × 8 reps
Triset: Dumbbell Front Raises, Side Laterals, and Rear Laterals
3 tri-sets × 8 reps each exercise
Lat Pulldowns (Wide Grip)
3 sets × 12 reps
Barbell Shrugs
3 sets × 12 reps (hold the top contraction).
Cable Pallof Press with Rotation
3 sets × 10 reps per side
- Set Up – Attach a handle to a cable machine at chest height.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- Return – Rotate back to the center (with your arms still extended), then bring the handle back to your chest.
- This looks a lot like a Cable Woodchopper.
Day 6: ROLB Position-Specific Work
Nutrition Tips – Same as Day 1.
Supplement Tips – Same as day 1.
Warm-Up & Footwork Prep
(12 Minutes)
Agility Ladder Circuit
2 passes each of 1-in-the-hole, 2-in-the-hole, and Ickey Shuffle.
Ankle Bounds
2 sets × 10 yards.
- Stance – Stand tall with your feet about hip-width apart. Keep your chest up, core engaged, and arms at your sides in a relaxed running position.
- The Jump – Rapidly hop a few inches off the floor using only your ankles and feet. Keep your knees mostly straight (or with a very minimal bend).
- Foot Mechanics – While in the air, pull your toes up toward your shins.
- The Landing – Land on the balls of your feet and immediately spring back up. Do not allow your heels to touch the ground between bounds.
- Rhythm – Establish a quick, bouncing rhythm. Focus on minimizing ground contact time rather than getting maximum height
Fast-Feet to Sprint
4 reps × 5-yard chatter into a 10-yard burst.
- Run in place on the balls of your feet with rapid, short steps.
- Drive your arms in a 90-degree angle.
- On command, aggressively push off the ground, drop your hips, and explode forward into a full sprint while maximizing your stride length
Position Drills
The Line Read Step
1 set x 15 reps.
Set up a line. Take an explosive, 6-inch lateral-diagonal step simulating a read on an offensive tackle. Keep your shoulders square.
Crossover to Open Hip Drop
1 set x 8 reps.
Sprint parallel to the line of scrimmage, flip your hips 180 degrees, and drop at a 45-degree angle to simulate covering the hook/flat zone.
Sled Punch and Rip
3 sets × 5 reps.
Explode out of a 2-point stance, strike a heavy sled with your inside hand, and violently rip your outside arm through to clear the blocker.
Ball Key & Explosive Get-Offs
An elite ROLB wins in the first two steps. It’s critical to train your eyes to fire off the movement of the ball, not the quarterback’s cadence.
Tennis Ball Visual Takeoff
1 “set” x 4 “reps”
Have a partner stand 5 yards away and roll or toss a tennis ball. Explode from your 2-point stance the exact millisecond the ball moves. Focus on a 45-degree shin angle on your drive leg to push max distance.
Hurdle Drive-Outs
1 “set” x 4 “reps”
Place a low 6-inch micro-hurdle immediately in front of your lead foot. Force your first step up and over the hurdle to prevent stepping in place, over-emphasizing low pad level and maximal ground gain.
The Hoop Curve (Bending the Edge)
1 “set” x 4 “reps”
Once you clear the offensive tackle, you must reduce your surface area and change your trajectory toward the quarterback without losing speed.
Super Bend & Pocket Point
1 “set” x 4 “reps”
Run 5 yards straight up-field, pivot sharply on your third step, drop your inside shoulder, and drive your hands toward a designated target that represents the quarterback’s hip pocket.
Primary Hand Combat Progressions
A ROLB cannot allow an NFL offensive tackle to get two hands on their chest plate. The ROLB needs muscle memory for their primary moves.
The Ghost Move (Set Recognition)
1 “set” x 4 “reps”
Sprint at a dummy or partner. If they set deep, flash your hands to simulate a bull rush, then sink your hips, dip underneath their hands without making contact, and rip through.
Swipe & Rip / Chop & Club
1 “set” x 4 “reps”
Using a popup dummy or a partner with hand pads, execute 3 rapid-fire sets:
Chop – Downward strike to clear the tackle’s hands.
Club – Violent lateral punch to turn the tackle’s shoulders.
Rip – Upward uppercut motion with your trail arm to clear the hip.
Day 7: Recovery
Total Rest. Focus on active recovery methods like cold plunges, massage, or hyperbaric therapy if available.
Performance Notes
When lifting, perform the concentric phase of your reps explosively. Do not rush your reps or let momentum do the work.The point here is to build explosive strength and power. In the eccentric phase, control the weight.
Nutrition Tips
As a Right Outside Linebacker (ROLB), you should be consuming plenty of quality calories for the energy and strength your position demands. I recommend 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Since football is mainly an endurance-based sport, I also suggest 3 to 4 grams of carbs per pound of body weight. Finally, healthy fats should be around .5 grams per pound of bodyweight.
Supplement Tips!
Looking past the supplements I have already recommended for the ROLB position, I also suggest AllMax Nutrition Creatine for ATP energy, power, and strength. Don’t forget to stop by illpumpyouup.com for all your supplement needs.
Summary
This ends the Right Outside Linebacker Training 2-part Series! In Part 1, we covered the first 3 days of ROLB training, plus nutrition and supplement tips. Then in Part 2, we looked at the remaining ROLB 4 training days. All that’s left to do is keep getting ready for the upcoming season – let’s win it all this year!