UNC Football Adapting to Pandemic With Unique Strength and Conditioning Workouts

Unable to partake in spring practice due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the UNC football team has come up with some creative programs to keep players in shape over the offseason.

During a video press conference conducted on Zoom this past Monday, the Tar Heels’ strength and conditioning coach, Brian Hess, detailed the plans he’s laid out for players to complete during this strange time.

With stay-at-home orders issued throughout the nation, Hess estimated that only about 25 percent of the players have some type of gym access—whether that be a garage gym, a personal trainer or a limited set of weight equipment in their home.

Custom workout plans were made for each player on the team based on what they have access to, while the coaches issue a weekly survey online that helps them keep track of their body weight and any nutritional issues.

“We have them put down their body weight so that the dietitians can get an idea and make sure they’re still trending toward their goals,” Hess said. “And then just some general questions on are they having any problems nutritionally? Is there anything that they need?

“That’s a tough thing with this setup,” he added. “But, yeah, we’re trying to do everything we can from that standpoint.”

Hess said he’s drawn on some of the experience he gained while working at Harvard, where he had athletes travel to places without traditional gym access for summer internships. This forced him to create makeshift workouts centered around using body weight exercises.

Knowing there would be plenty of players without weight room access at their homes during the pandemic, Hess thought outside the box to do the same thing for his guys at UNC.

“We immediately wrote a program up and ran with kind of the idea to use things they have,” Hess said. “We know everyone has a backpack. We know everyone has access to heavy books, water bottles, things like that to put in the backpack.

“So we immediately wrote that program,” he added. “And then we had a spring break program, and we just extended that for the extra week. And then adjusted from there.”

For those with access to weights, Hess has put together calls on Zoom that he treats no different than he would a normal workout. This way he is able to see what the players are doing and provide feedback, muting them all on the call when he needs to deliver coaching.

Just like he would during a normal strength and conditioning session at the weight room on campus, Hess still blows his whistle at 3 o’clock on the dot and encourages the team to ‘Grit it up’ through the workout. Through this kind of structure, Hess feels the players are able to get a shred of normalcy during this trying time.

“Just to get back in that routine and have that piece of their life back was a huge help to them,” Hess said, before saying later that, “I think just giving them back their training and still going in the direction of their big goals as far as having a great season and going to the next level, that’s been a huge help.”

It’s worth noting that all of these workouts are considered voluntary due to NCAA rules, so no attendance is taken. It’s still up to the players to get on board with what Hess is teaching, but to this point he’s confident the Tar Heels would be able to make it through a 10-day minicamp if the team’s normal functions are able to resume in May.

“I don’t think that’s something you’d have to have a progression into because we are in shape,” Hess said. “We’ve got all the running, so we’ll be in a good spot with that. It’s just a matter of progressing that and being smart.”

Cover photo via Dakota Moyer

UNC Football Adapting to Pandemic With Unique Strength and Conditioning Workouts

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