Understanding Off-Season Training For Sports

The off-season is without a doubt the best opportunity to get stronger and faster that will translate to improved on-ice and performance in sport. A comprehensive off-season training program should include corrective work, strength & power, and a focus on energy systems. Many programs fail to deliver appropriate

corrective work and progressive energy systems development protocols. However, the process is not only about quality training. In order for athletes to make their most significant gains in this allotted time period, proper instruction must be made into the integration of recovery. Training is the process of inducing stress on the body. In order for the body to adapt to training, recovery is essential. For us, this is a 2-step approach with a focus on nutrition for high performance training, and active recovery. Active recovery is crucial and will determine how hard you are able to work each day. We focus on adequate rest between workouts and if necessary, incorporating regular treatments such as manual soft tissue work or joint realignment through massage therapists, chiropractors, and physiotherapists that we trust.

My program is a progression of phases, with each phase having a primary goal and a secondary goal. In a sports setting such as ours, we are always concurrent and sometimes conjugate in respect to how we periodize and structure our training. We are concurrent in that we are training multiple qualities simultaneously. Yes we may have a primary goal and focus in each phase of program but we are also training other qualities as well, just limited in volume. However, we are also conjugated because our phases are linked together. Each preceding training phase is designed to enhance the following phase.

Below I have outlined our progressive phases. They are intended to prepare our athletes for the start of their training camp or sport seasons.

Phase One – Work Capacity & Hypertrophy

Training here has a large emphasis on improving soft-tissue quality, correcting muscular imbalances, improving and restoring joint mobility at the joints that are built for mobility, and any necessary rehabilitation to injuries. We will also look to improve muscular hypertrophy, work capacity, and aerobic endurance capabilities. This ensures the player’s body has a strong foundation for Phase Two when we incorporate more intensive loads that focus on building strength and power. There is also a large educational and coaching component in teaching movement patterns and proper technique for exercises. Similarly, we outline our principles of high performance nutrition through a very in-depth and use-friendly nutrition manual. This helps provide our players with the knowledge and resources they need to make nutritional choices that will support improved performance.

Phase Two & Three – Max Strength & High-Load Power

These two phases are similar in that we focus on building strength, power and explosiveness. We begin to incorporate more alactic work such as sled pushes and linear speed drills. Our lift becomes more intensive in that our exercise selection becomes more progressive, and our rep range decreases while our load increases in

major exercises. Olympic lifts become more intensive as well. With these increased workloads, we make sure our players understand that increasing the workload requires increasing caloric intake. Matching nutritional requirements with workloads has a positive impact on recovery and subsequent workouts. One cannot be positively accomplished without the other.

Phase Four – Power-Endurance & Energy Systems

As training camps and tryouts approach, we continue to build on our strength and power while also focusing on energy systems. This is the phase of training where off-ice conditioning and on-ice work becomes increasingly important. Players continue to translate their physical gains (size, strength, power) in off-ice training, but they should be devoting more time to on-ice skill development and conditioning. Our lifts change in that we do have some circuit-style training. This is almost the only time of year when we go through circuits. We build in appropriate exercise selection to help us maximize power-endurance, because that is what sport is all about; expressing many short bursts of explosive power in a fatigued state.

Remember, it’s not just the training that makes the difference. It’s all in the combination of proper training, performance nutrition, and recovery strategies. This is the type of format that will give players the best opportunity to maximize their gains in the off-season. They will be ready for training camp and most importantly, ready to perform throughout the ENTIRE season.

For more information on Athletes Fuels’ offseason training visit www.AthletesFuelFC.com