Athletes have less time, and less energy, to train in season.

Off-seasons are when major progress is made, when your body can fully adapt to the stress of training.

A logical case can be made for avoiding physical development until the season ends.

So why do some athletes do it?

Because it leads to better play in the back half of the season.

And because it fuels greater long term results.

That old poem about the road diverging in the woods fits perfectly for in season training.

Very few take the road less travelled, putting in the work when they're busier and worn down.

But for those that do, it can make all the difference.

With limited time and energy, you'll need to be precise in how you train.

Waste time on the wrong things, and it hurts performance.

Stick to the right stuff, as outlined below, and it can transform your physical profile.

Conditioning

Indiana University won their first football national championship last year, practicing just 6 hours per week, on average.

Head coach Curt Cignetti, like many others today, understands this simple formula:

Fresh > Perfectly Fit

Fresher players see fewer injuries, maintain speed, and stay motivated heading into playoff time.

Athletes need to be fit for their sport, but there comes a point where it produces slow, sore legs.

This hinders both short term performance, and long term development.

Coach Cignetti's "Work Smarter" motto emphasizes building players up, not tearing them down.

All while remaining fit enough to win the most competitive title in college sports.

Strength Training

Ongoing strength training is one of the smartest things a youth athlete can do to raise their game.

But during the season, you'll need to be extra careful not to train in a way that slows you down.

Avoid lifts which make you sore, like high volume sessions.

Don't do too many sets for one body part. Instead, perform just a few sets, with low reps and heavy weight.

And just one or two days a week is plenty.

Done right, you can slightly increase strength in season, without interfering with game performance.

Speed Training

There are three major benefits to doing speed work in season.

Most obviously, it can improve speed.

Recent research shows any athlete who can't run at least 90% of their all time fastest sprint speed is overtrained, and more at risk for injury.

Sprint sessions where your speeds are recorded lets you know whether you're still above that 90% marker, or if you've dropped into the danger zone.

Third, sprinting is the best way to strengthen your hamstrings, a muscle you definitely don't want to pull in season.

Minimal time is needed to acquire the benefits of speed work during busy seasons.

A total of an hour per week, either as short blocks in practice a few times per week, or in a single session, is enough.

Injury Prevention

Avoiding overtraining in regards to conditioning, and sprinting to strengthen the hamstrings, are both helpful in lowering injury risk.

But in-season is also a perfect time to even out imbalances which can crop up from excessive throwing, jumping, kicking and shooting.

Targeted exercises to balance out all this sport specific movement, usually hitting the muscles on the back side of your body, raises your chances of finishing the season in one piece.

Fall season is when many athletes, nationwide, pump the brakes on training, focusing on sports and the new school year.

Those who choose to spend a little time building on all their off-season growth tend to be rewarded with major benefits over the long run.


Provided they train wisely.