The Importance of In-Season Training
It’s that time of year again and the season is right around the corner. Off-season training has ended and that means programs have either shut down training or have very minimal training for in-season play.
It is a tough understanding for programs to plan out what they should be doing for in-season training compared to off-season training. The biggest question that is always asked is “Can we train during the season?” The answer is “yes!” It is really important for the athlete to maintain and even develop during the season.
A few things you must understand first when putting together in-season training program. First, how to manage the fatigue of the players. Second, how to manage the volume versus intensity when training. Last, to understand the importance of mobility and recovery.
Managing Fatigue
We as coaches need to understand and be cognizant about the amount of fatigue placed upon our athletes in the weight room and on the field. When college and high school players are competing 2 to 3 times a week and on top of that practicing daily, it is important to build something that will optimize them in the weight room and still provide quality play on the field.
To help have a better understanding of a player‘s level of fatigue, you can build a training program based on how much you practice and train on field. When building an in-season training program you have to understand the intensity and the volume that you’re requiring your players to do.
Managing Volume and Intensity
You can limit the amount of exercises you perform and the amount of sets and reps they perform. For example, you can have three main movements that require a little more intensity but not a ton of volume (4-5 sets at 4–5 reps), while maintaining a weight that they have a few more reps left in the tank. The athletes won’t like that they won’t be maxing out on deadlifts, bench press or squats, but it is important for them to understand that they have to maintain and not overdo.
Mobility and Recovery
Mobility and recovery are two things that an athlete is required to do to maintain and optimize their ability to perform on the field and in the weight room. Mobility work can be at the end of a session making sure their muscles and joints do not tighten up, maintain body movement and help with the recovery process. Doing four or five mobility exercises will help your athletes able to bounce back for another days work.
Recovery requires a lot of attention that athletes seem to ignore. When they are not at practice or training, it is highly important that the athletes fuel, hydrate and get a quality nights rest. These are things that they have to control outside of training.
Fueling for an athlete can be as simple as having snacks in between classes, before practice and after a workout. Make sure the athletes are hydrating during the day before practice, during practice and after practice. This helps the recovery process, limits muscle cramps, muscle soreness and helps with overall body function.
If you’re a young coach or inexperienced in weight training don’t hesitate to reach out to qualified professionals. They love what they do and they love to help athletes perform at their highest levels. We are all coaches at the end of the day and we all have the same goal in mind and that’s what’s best for our athletes.
