Michigan Wolverines football, like every team across America, had to find unique ways to keep their players engaged, in shape and mentally sharp throughout the offseason. Michigan head strength and conditioning coach Ben Herbert helped lead the way for the Wolverines, but before he did so, he had to quickly embrace what a physically distant offseason program was all about.
"I thrive on personal interaction," Herbert admitted in an interview with MGoBlueTV's Ed Kengerski. "I like to see the guys, feel the energy. I like to put my hands on them, be able to work with them.
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"Challenge No. 1 and the greatest challenge for me — getting my own mind right. And I say that because I found myself whining and complaining that I wasn’t going to be able to do all the things that we normally get to do, so I flipped a switch quickly.
"That next day I told my staff, ‘We’re going to embrace the virtual world like no one’s embraced it before.’"
Once his mind was made up on embracing the challenges that come with the uniqueness of being part of college football in 2020, Herbert devised a plan and executed it.
He and his staff evaluated each player's situation at home. Some had access to a gym, others had their own weight sets in their basements, while many, like true freshman running back Blake Corum, had to get even more creative. Corum has posted videos of him catching bricks in his backyard.
The strength staff created instructional videos to demonstrate what some of the workouts should look like, and it was on the players to get their work in at home.
"We did a lot of things, programming-wise, so that they could get clear, concise instruction on what they needed to do and how they were going to do it, each item ultimately tailored to what the guys had access to," Herbert explained. "We created our own content, and we called it our ‘Movement Library.’ And we had about 75 different videos that we created."
It's not just the physical part of the game Herbert deals with, but the mental side, too.
"Whatever physical tools you have, you will never become who you’re capable of being if your mind is not right," Herbert said.
It's safe to say Herbert is glad to have the players back in the building for the personal interaction he thrives on. They're now going through in-person workouts, still having to be creative with the stringent protocols the Wolverines have in place.
Herbert spared the details on how exactly it's all playing out inside Schembechler Hall.
"You’re gonna give us your time and energy, and we’re going to give you a return on that investment," Herbert said. "That sets the table.
"All of the other unique facets of what we do, if I told you, you know … I’d have to kill you."
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