INTRODUCTION

This case study examines the offseason progress of a 19-year-old male football player who used Peak Strength to get stronger, faster, and more athletic. This athlete’s goal was to earn the starting middle linebacker position at Utica College as a sophomore after following a structured training plan over the offseason. The program, consisting of 6 days a week of training, was designed to improve overall strength, explosiveness, and speed.

Key results from the program include:

Strength

• Single Leg Squat: Increased from 135lbs to 335lbs (+200lbs)

• Back Squat: Increased from 345lbs to 455 (+110lbs)

• Bench Press: Increased from 275lbs to 310lbs (+35lbs)

Explosiveness

• Clean: Increased from 185lbs to 275lbs (+90lbs)

Speed

• 40 Yard Dash (hand timed): Decreased from 5.40 seconds to 4.80 seconds (-0.60 seconds)

Over 20 months of using the linebacker training plan in Peak Strength, the athlete improved in all three primary physical focuses of strength, explosiveness, and speed. This case study provides a detailed analysis of the athlete’s training program, methodology, and outcomes, demonstrating the effectiveness of following a structured strength and power development in high-school and collegiate-age athletes during the offseason. 

ATHLETE PROFILE

Name: Isaiah Thomas

Sport/Position: Football/Linebacker

Training Duration: 20 Months

Frequency: 6 days per week

Total Tonnage: 3,375,000+lbs

“Not that I want the season to be over this year, but I can’t wait to get back to training 6 days a week on Peak Strength and get the body feeling good again.” - Isaiah Thomas

TRAINING FOCUS

Isaiah’s primary goals were to:

• Increase explosiveness and speed for better performance as a linebacker.

• Improve absolute strength to support the demands of his sport.

• Improve general athletic profile and earn the starting middle linebacker position.

METHODOLOGY

Isaiah followed a comprehensive, linebacker-specific training plan designed to enhance absolute strength, explosiveness, and speed. The program integrated key elements of strength training, Olympic weightlifting, hypertrophy, and speed training. Each training week included the following components:

Strength Training: Emphasis on squat variations, bench press, and upper body hypertrophy.

Technical Coordination: Dynamic Olympic weightlifting movements such as snatch and cleans from various positions to develop coordination and train fast-twitch muscle fibers. 

Plyometrics: Drills designed to improve movement patterns, force application, and explosiveness.

Accessory Work: Core strengthening exercises, mobility drills, and isolation exercises for hypertrophy.

Speed Training: Max intensity and technical speed drills to improve acceleration and top-end speed.

“[Peak Strength] forces you to get better. It holds you accountable for the rest times. It sends you notifications when you hit milestones, so it’s encouraging, too. I truly believe it’s a tool that a lot of athletes could use to up their game.” - Isaiah Thomas. 

TRAINING PROGRESS AND RESULTS

Absolute Strength

Single Leg Squat (3RM):

• Starting Point: 135lbs

• End Point: 335lbs

• Improvement:+200lbs (148%)

Analysis: Isaiah’s single-leg squat 3RM jump from 135lbs to 335lbs reflects a massive improvement in unilateral absolute strength, stability, and force transfer. For a linebacker, this directly enhanced his ability to absorb and deliver force during tackles, maintain posture through contact, and change direction without losing speed. The unilateral strength gains also improved stride force production, leading to more efficient acceleration mechanics. This was a major contributor to his 40-yard dash improvement, allowing him to generate more propulsive force with each step and reach top speed faster.

Back Squat:

• Starting Point: 345lbs

• End Point: 455lbs

• Improvement:+110lbs (32%)

Analysis: The back squat increased from 345lbs to 455lbs showing that he entered Peak Strength with solid foundational strength. The linebacker training plan helped elevate his strength even further to meet the expectations for a competitive collegiate starter. The feedback-oriented loading, planned intensification phases, and improved technical efficiency allowed him to convert already good strength into exceptional lower-body force production.

Bench Press

• Starting Point: 275lbs

• End Point: 310lbs

• Improvement:+35lbs (13%)

Analysis: His bench press improvement from 275lbs to 310lbs reflects significant gains in upper-body maximal strength, especially in the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Along with the absolute strength increase, Isaiah mentioned that his muscular endurance had improved as well. At the start of his freshman year, his bench press test resulted in 4 reps at 225lbs. Now, at the start of his sophomore season, his preseason testing yielded 14 reps at 225 lbs. These two improvements provide insight into both maximal upper body strength and repeatable power, which helps Isaiah with handling more snaps and provides evidence to validate a starting position.

Explosiveness

Clean

• Starting Point: 185lbs

• End Point: 275lbs

• Improvement: +90lbs (46%)

Analysis: Isaiah’s progress from 185lbs to 275lbs in his clean reflects a major increase in lower-body force production, hip extension strength, and trunk rigidity. This improvement gave him greater stopping power on contact, more ability to shed or redirect linemen, and better balance when striking in tight spaces. The added strength also enhanced his acceleration and deceleration capabilities, allowing him to close space faster, redirect on cutbacks, and help finish tackles.

Speed

40 Yard Dash (hand timed)

• Starting Point: 5.40 seconds

• End Point: 4.80 seconds

• Improvement: -0.60 seconds (11%)

Analysis: The drop from 5.4 to 4.8 seconds was driven primarily by improvements in acceleration mechanics, stiffness, and sprint efficiency. The increased single-leg strength enhanced his ability to apply force vertically and horizontally in early steps, while the clean boosted his explosiveness and projection out of the start. Dedicated speed work inside Peak Strength refined his technique and provided an opportunity for high-intensity reps. Together, these adaptations could contribute to his first 10-yard burst, stride frequency, and transition to top speed, directly elevating his on-field pursuit and closing ability as a linebacker.

TRAINING OBSERVATIONS

• Absolute Strength: Isaiah’s absolute strength profile shows a dramatic elevation in force-producing capacity across all major lifts, giving him the physical foundation required for consistent, high-level linebacker play. His improvements in bilateral and unilateral strength enhanced his stability, posture, and resilience in contact-heavy situations while increasing his ability to create and absorb force. This strength base also supported his acceleration mechanics, contributing to faster play speed, improved block-shedding ability, and greater efficiency when navigating traffic on the field, which led to 88 total tackles during the 2025 regular season. 

• Explosiveness: His explosive power shows a significant enhancement in his ability to produce force rapidly, highlighted by his 90-lb improvement in the clean. This gain reflects faster hip extension, improved neuromuscular efficiency, and greater coordination under load. His increased explosiveness directly supported faster acceleration and improved playmaking range on the field, helping him transition from a developing player to a consistent impact linebacker.

• Speed: Isaiah’s speed profile shows a major jump in overall play velocity, highlighted by his improvement from 5.40 to 4.80 in the 40-yard dash. Increased single-leg strength and explosive power allowed him to apply more force into each stride, improving his early-phase acceleration and ability to reach top speed sooner. Consistent high-intensity speed work sharpened his technique and efficiency, translating directly to faster pursuit, better closing speed, and greater range as a linebacker.

• Overall Athleticism: Isaiah’s offseason development reflects a strong transformation of his overall athletic profile. His significant strength gains built the foundation for greater stability, force output, and physical dominance on contact. Explosive power improvements enhanced his ability to accelerate, redirect, and deliver impactful plays. Combined with a 0.60-second drop in his 40-yard dash, these adaptations created a faster, more dynamic, and more resilient linebacker and earned him a Third Team All-Conference selection in the Empire 8 Conference. 

CONCLUSION

Isaiah’s 20-month training transformation with Peak Strength demonstrates the impact of a structured, position-specific development plan for collegiate athletes. His measurable improvements in strength, explosiveness, and speed created the physical foundation needed to excel at the collegiate level. These adaptations translated directly to on-field performance, enabling him to earn the starting middle linebacker position as a sophomore and produce 88 total tackles. His breakout season ultimately resulted in Third Team All-Conference recognition, validating both his commitment and the effectiveness of the Peak Strength training system.

FUTURE RECOMMENDATIONS

• Upper Body Impulse: Incorporating upper-body impulse movements like snatches and the linebacker jerk will further enhance Isaiah’s ability to generate rapid, full-body power. These lifts improve force transfer from the lower body through the upper torso, boosting arm drive, shoulder stability, and punch strength. By training fast, coordinated extension, Isaiah will be able to translate that onto the field to make plays and overpower ball carriers and linemen. 

• Unilateral Strength: His massive single-leg squat improvement shows clear potential in unilateral force production. The next phase should target elastic rebound and dynamic transfer, which include exercises like loaded bounds, single-leg jumps, resisted sprint steps, and unilateral plyometrics. These will improve his ability to redirect, cover space, and win 1v1 pursuit angles.

• Advanced Speed Work: Isaiah’s 40-yard improvements were substantial, but further gains in the first 10–20 yards will make him even more disruptive. High-intensity acceleration cycles, consistent top-end sprint training, and contrast work like sled pushes and band-released starts will refine his burst, close distance faster, and increase his playmaking range as a linebacker.