Thoughts on In-Season Strength Training
The #1 goal for any in-season training program should be to win on game day, PERIOD!
As a coach, there are few things better than seeing a young athlete hit a new PR and witnessing their hard work pay off. The confidence that this provides a young athlete is undeniable and is one of my favorite parts of coaching in the weight room. However, if they are constantly chasing numbers, it will come at a cost to their game-day preparation.
Weight room numbers are great, winning is better. With this in mind, prepare athletes for when the lights come on and do not prioritize their numbers during the week.
So are you saying that we shouldn’t lift during the season? No, athletes should train to get strong year-round, it just shouldn’t be the ultimate goal during the season. Remember, weights aren’t the competition, save that for Tuesday or Friday night.
Programming In-Season
Every coach will have their favorite core lifts and programming that they prefer. While there is more than one way to do things, ask yourself, “what is the minimum effective dose to get the maximum amount of benefit?” Use this as a guide before prescribing sets, reps, and percentages.
Use Prilipen’s Chart
Prilepin’s Chart is a great starting point when initially planning your workouts. Use this for your core lifts and try to stay within the correct percentages and rep ranges. Keep in mind that this was initially developed for Olympic lifts and competitive weightlifters. If you are working with younger athletes, you will have some wiggle room when it comes to traditional strength lifts.
Lower Volume, Higher Intensity
The volume (total amount of reps) should be relatively low on your core lifts, and the intensity (percentage of training max) can be higher. Athletes are less likely to experience soreness when performing 8x3 reps than they are if they were prescribed 3x8. The total volume is 24 reps in both scenarios, but the rep schemes can have a big difference in the way an athlete feels in the following days.
Limit Variation
While YouTube videos and Crossfit WOD’s may be appealing to some, constantly changing lifts just for the sake of changing lifts, does not allow athletes time to become competent lifters and will lead to muscle soreness. Neither of these are going to be beneficial long term when you are trying to win championships.
Adapt and Overcome
Like Mike Tyson said, “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Be willing to adapt your plan based on variables throughout the season. If you are coming off of a double-overtime win and have your arch-rival up next, it may be a good idea to hold off on heavy singles and use the week to re-load.
Account for additional stressors (ie. homecoming, end of a grading period, etc.) during the season and be ready to adapt your plan as needed. This doesn’t mean you don’t work out at all, but instead perform lower-intensity workouts. This will allow your athletes to recover and focus on the game plan that week.
At the end of the day, athletes are competitive (at least as coaches we hope so). Prioritize training, but make sure it doesn’t deter them from the main goal, WINNING!
Download a sample in-season program for Football or Volleyball. For additional programming or consulting, shoot us an email at info@performancecourse.com.
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