Short answer: an off-season kicker strength program should run in three phases — 4-6 weeks of foundational strength (squat, deadlift, hip hinge patterns), 4-6 weeks of heavier max-strength work, then 4-6 weeks of explosive/plyometric conversion right before camp. The goal is never to get “big.” It’s to turn strength into leg speed. Below is the full framework, plus the exact program we recommend if you want it laid out for you week by week.
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Why leg strength matters for kickers (and why “strong” isn’t the same as “far”)
There’s no such thing as too much leg day, but there is such a thing as strength that never shows up in your kick. A kicker doesn’t need to squat 500 lbs — they need to be able to generate and release force through the hip in a fraction of a second. That’s a different skill than raw strength, and it’s why plenty of strong athletes are mediocre kickers, and plenty of lean, explosive kickers out-kick guys twice their size.
Strength training gives you a bigger tank of force to draw from. Explosive and plyometric training teaches your body to access that force fast. You need both, in the right order, and that order is what most kickers get wrong when they just wander into the weight room with no plan.
The off-season periodization framework
Phase 1: Foundation (weeks 1-5)
This phase is about movement quality and building a base. Moderate loads, higher reps (8-12), and total body work. This is also the best window to fix any mobility restrictions before you start loading heavier — if your hips are locked up, this is where you address it, not in-season. (More on that in our hip mobility guide.)
- Back squat or front squat, 3×10
- Romanian deadlift, 3×10
- Walking lunges, 3×12 per leg
- Single-leg glute bridge, 3×12 per leg
- Core anti-rotation work (Pallof press, dead bug)
Phase 2: Max strength (weeks 6-10)
Now you raise the load and drop the reps (4-6 reps, 3-5 sets). This is where you build the raw force tank. Compound lifts are the priority here — this is not the phase for burning 45 minutes on isolation machines.
- Trap bar or conventional deadlift, 5×5
- Back squat, 5×5
- Bulgarian split squat, 4×6 per leg
- Hip thrust, 4×8
- Weighted core work
Phase 3: Explosive conversion (weeks 11-14)
This is the phase that actually shows up on the field. You drop the load, drop it hard, and train speed. This is where all that strength you built gets converted into leg speed — which is a much bigger driver of kickoff and field goal distance than raw power alone, something we cover in detail in how to kick off farther.
- Box jumps, 4×5 (focus on landing quality, not just height)
- Broad jumps, 4×5
- Single-leg bounds, 3×6 per leg
- Speed squats at 40-50% 1RM, 6×3
- Full-approach kicking reps to groove speed into the actual movement
A sample weekly split
- Monday: Lower body strength (squat pattern) + core
- Tuesday: Kicking technique reps + upper body maintenance
- Wednesday: Lower body strength (hinge pattern) + mobility
- Thursday: Kicking technique reps + light plyometrics
- Friday: Explosive/speed work + core
- Saturday: Full kicking session, distance and accuracy
- Sunday: Full rest or active recovery
Don’t skip the rest day. A kicker’s leg is a repetitive-stress joint under a huge amount of load — managing fatigue is just as important as the lifting itself. We go deep on how to actually recover between sessions in our recovery guide for kickers.
Want it done for you? The “Kickers Are Athletes Too” program
If you’d rather follow a structured plan than build your own spreadsheet, TrainHeroic’s “Kickers Are Athletes Too” program is built specifically around this periodization model for kickers and punters, with daily workouts programmed for you on the TrainHeroic app. KOE readers can try it free before committing.
Equipment worth having in the off-season
You don’t need a full commercial gym to run this program, but a few pieces of equipment make the explosive and single-leg work far more effective at home:
- Onnit — kettlebells and steel maces are excellent for single-leg stability and rotational hip power work that a barbell alone doesn’t train well.
- Power Systems — resistance bands, plyo boxes, and agility equipment built for exactly this kind of speed and power training.
Don’t skip mobility while you’re building strength
Loading a heavy squat or hip hinge pattern on a hip joint with limited range of motion is how kickers get hurt or plateau. If you’ve never specifically trained hip mobility, read our guide on why tight hips kill your leg swing before you max out your squat — it pairs directly with this program.
And once you’ve got the legs, get the right ball under them
All the leg speed in the world doesn’t matter if you’re drilling reps on the wrong football. Check our breakdown of what to practice with at every level so your reps actually transfer to game day.
How do you know when you’re ready for the next phase?
Don’t just follow the calendar blindly — use these markers to know you’re actually ready to progress:
- Ready to leave Phase 1 (foundation): you can hit all your foundation lifts with clean form at the prescribed reps, and you’ve addressed any obvious mobility restrictions
- Ready to leave Phase 2 (max strength): your numbers on the big lifts have meaningfully increased from where you started, and your body is recovering well between sessions
- Ready for in-season maintenance: you’ve completed at least one full explosive/conversion block and your kicking numbers (distance, hang time) show it
If you’re not hitting these markers on schedule, that’s fine — extend the phase rather than rushing into heavier loading or higher-speed work on an unprepared body. Rushing Phase 3 before your foundation is solid is one of the most common ways kickers get hurt in the off-season.
Warming up before a strength session
Never walk straight into heavy squats or deadlifts cold. A proper warm-up for a kicker-specific session should include 5 minutes of light cardio, dynamic hip mobility work (leg swings, 90/90 switches), and 2-3 progressively heavier warm-up sets of your first lift before you touch working weight. This is also a good time to run through your hip mobility routine since a warm, mobile hip performs better under load and lowers injury risk.
FAQ
How many days a week should a kicker lift in the off-season?
Three dedicated lifting days paired with two to three kicking-focused days works well for most kickers, as laid out in the weekly split above. More than that and recovery usually starts to suffer.
Will lifting heavy make me a worse kicker by adding bulk?
Not if you’re programming it correctly. The periodization above is built specifically to convert strength into speed rather than pure mass — that’s the entire point of the explosive conversion phase. Kickers who “get slower” from lifting usually never programmed a conversion phase at all.
Can I run this program without a gym?
Partially. Bodyweight and band-based single-leg work, plyometrics, and mobility can all be done at home with minimal equipment like the resistance bands mentioned above. The heavy barbell strength phase is harder to replicate without a rack and real weight, though.
Bottom line
Build a base, get strong, then convert that strength to speed — in that order. Don’t skip the mobility work that lets you load safely, and don’t skip the recovery that lets your body actually adapt. If you want it programmed for you instead of building it yourself, the TrainHeroic kicker-specific plan takes the guesswork out of it entirely.
