I do not deal with any in-season training for our pro or college guys. However, I do a lot of in-season training and evaluation at the high school level. It is one of the most frustrating things that you can get involved with as a strength coach. It is so discouraging to see a kid work their butts off for months leading up to the season and then never touch a weight again for 8 to 12 weeks.
For athletes that are new to the weight room, it will only take a few weeks for those “gainz” to deteriorate rapidly.
I have spoken with numerous high school coaches over the years. Some who implement a strength program year round and others who do not. Ironically, all of these coaches demand a lot from their kids. These athletes have to get better and push themselves in the offseason so they are ready. If we are aware of the importance of offseason training, why can’t we schedule two or three weight training sessions for 30 minutes at a time during the season?
Strength is one of the only qualities that I know of that does not have a negative side effect. And in the context of this article, it makes you a better athlete. It decreases the chances of you getting hurt and it makes you a better overall human. It shows that you have mastered the fine art of delayed gratification.
Strength training does not make you too bulky for sport nor does it negatively impact the way you shoot a basketball or throw a baseball.
At the end of the day, there is no such thing as maintaining what you have. You are either getting stronger or you are getting weaker.
In-season: What Is It?
The main goal for our in-season programs is to build on the strength that we acquired during the offseason. We can in fact get stronger during the season. We know that injuries tend to happen towards the end of games or towards the end of the season. So…if we can build up enough requisite strength, we can field a team of athletes that are prepared for every game all season long. Most importantly, we can field a HEALTHY team all year long.
How to Program?
We cut down the number of training days per week. For us, it is usually two or three days per week. Volume is throttled down and intensity is increased throughout the season to make sure we are getting stronger.
Football is easy to program because game day is the same day each week. Other sports have games multiple times throughout the week and can make things a bit trickier.
You need to know the training age and work capacity of your athletes. Novice lifters will need a day or two between the weight room and game day while more advanced athletes can lift the day before a contest. Just as long as you are not trashing their legs with junk volume or high reps.
Our mantra of less is more is evident in our programming. Our sessions last no more than 40 minutes and we do about 2 sets per exercise. The key is we do not exceed 5 reps and we use 80 to 90 percent of our one rep maxes. Intensity will increase as the sports season continues and many of our athletes will be using 85% of their rep maxes by week 7 or 8.
We limit all eccentrics in our in season programs and switch exercises not nearly as often. This will lessen the likelihood of soreness and improve on the field function.
What I have Learned
Over the years, I used to keep plyos in my in season programs. I have since limited their appearance and have chosen to focus on the things these athletes are not experiencing out on the field…which is strength training. They get plenty of running and jumping outside of the gym, so we must narrow our focus a bit.
Mobility is another facet that must be hammered home in both in-season and off season programs. All the eccentric stressors of athletics causes athletes to lose mobility and in return increase injury likelihood. Athletes find themselves standing around on the field a lot and over time, they lose their function so to speak. Do not be just a strength coach…you have to have your veggies with your pizza as well.
The Secret?
We have run in-season programs for years and every year, we report strength gains. I think this is due to our low volume approach and slowing down the progressions.
At the end of the day, the worst thing you can do is train for months, take months off and then start back at square one once the season is over. It is difficult to want to get into the weight room with all of the rigors that athletics places on an athlete.
In-season is simple but not easy. And that is why most choose to not participate. Remember…you are either getting weaker or stronger…there is no in-between
Make sure your athlete is prepared for the season!
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