As athletes transition from the off-season to the competitive season, maintaining strength and power becomes crucial for optimizing performance and staying injury-free. During the in-season period, the focus shifts from building raw strength to maintaining these qualities while enhancing sport-specific performance. In this post, we’ll explore key considerations for in-season training that will help athletes stay strong, competitive, and at their best.
1. Focus on Power and Explosiveness, Not Volume
For in-season training the goal is to maintain explosive power, speed, and agility to perform well during competitions.
Here’s what to emphasize:
- Speed Work: Sprints, bounding, and agility drills should be central to training. These exercises keep fast-twitch muscle fibers primed for performance and ensure maximum speed and reaction time on competition day.
- Olympic Lifts and Plyometrics: Focus on maintaining explosiveness with movements like power cleans, snatches, jump squats, and box jumps. The emphasis should be on lighter weights with a focus on technique and speed rather than maximal load.
- Low-Volume, High-Intensity Training: Keep sets relatively low (3-4 sets) and prioritize explosive reps with moderate weights. Avoid excessive volume, which can lead to fatigue and negatively impact performance during competitions.
2. Keep Strength Training Sessions Short and Efficient
In-season training should be efficient, with short, intense strength sessions designed to maintain muscle mass and power. You don’t want to overtax your body when your focus should be on performance, so consider the following:
- Compound Movements: Squats, deadlifts, and bench presses should remain the core of your lifting regimen to maintain overall strength. Keep the weights moderate and focus on power and technique.
- Accessory Work: Incorporate exercises to maintain key muscle groups—such as core strengthening, hip stability, and upper-body mobility—but keep the volume low to avoid fatigue.
- Training Frequency: Aim for 2-3 strength training sessions per week. This allows you to maintain strength without interfering with sport-specific skills and recovery.
3. Prioritize Mobility and Flexibility
Although the primary focus during the in-season is performance, maintaining mobility and flexibility is essential for preventing injuries and ensuring that the body moves efficiently in competition. Be sure to include the following:
- Dynamic Warm-ups: Incorporate dynamic stretches and mobility drills before every training session. This helps prepare the muscles and joints for the demands of your sport and reduces the risk of injury.
- Post-Training Stretching: While not as intense as in the off-season, stretching should still be a part of your routine. Focus on areas that typically experience tightness, such as the hips, hamstrings, and shoulders.
4. Avoid Overtraining
In-season is not the time to push the limits of your strength. Overtraining can lead to fatigue, decreased performance, and increased injury risk. Keep the following in mind:
- Adjust Training Loads: If you’re feeling unusually fatigued or sore, it’s important to scale back your training load. The goal during the season is to maintain your fitness levels, not increase them. Adjust volume and intensity as needed to ensure you’re ready for competition.
- Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to signs of fatigue, and don’t be afraid to reduce the intensity of your training if necessary. The focus is on performance, not on maximizing every training session.
Final Thoughts
The goal of in-season training is to maintain strength, power, and agility without compromising your ability to perform at a high level in competition. By focusing on power and explosiveness, keeping strength training sessions efficient, and maintaining flexibility, athletes can stay strong and competitive while minimizing the risk of injury.
Remember, the key to in-season training is efficiency. You want to stay strong but also avoid overloading your body so you can peak during competition. Keep training smart, and your body will stay ready to perform when it matters most.
Need a performance program tailored to your season? At Flex Affect, we specialize in sport-specific programs to help athletes maintain peak performance throughout the competitive season. Contact us today to learn how we can support your training and help you succeed in your sport!
