In-Season: The Longest Uninterrupted Training Block of the Year
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Why do athletes train?
More specifically, why do they lift weights to get stronger and do plyos to jump higher and sprints to get faster?
One common answer is to perform better. And more specifically, to perform better during the competitive season. They are preparing for The Game! They want to perform at their best and they (or their coach) understand that participating in a strength and conditioning program results in improved athleticism (and reduces the likelihood of injury–the best ability is availability).
With that said, one thing that has puzzled me for quite some time is why is it that young athletes (or namely, the coaches) strength train in the off- or pre-season to accomplish the goals described above, and then it gets abandoned in-season? Coaches will push for their kids to attend summer workouts, yet dismiss in-season training.
And perhaps I should clarify here. I’m mainly referring to strength training. But yet, the conditioning aspect of it needs to be re-visited as well since often times this means “on the line, we’re running!” during the season.
Why is in-season strength training pushed aside?
“We don’t have enough time."
"It will ruin their shot.”
“I don’t want them to be tired and sore.”
These are the typical reasons given by sport coaches as to why they do not strength train in-season.
Coaches get so fixed on sport-specific skill development and tactical strategies, the X’s and O’s, that the entire time allotted for practice and training becomes consumed. Don’t get me wrong, if the athletes are not sharp with skills and do not understand the game, well…it’s going to be difficult to play and compete. Often times, the in-season practice schedule is 2-3 hours per day for the young athlete. In some cases, there is a need to re-consider efficient and effective practice design and execution so that strength training and other athletic development methods can be included in the preparation of the athlete.
In-Season: The Longest Uninterrupted Training Block of the Year
The title of this blog came from a tweet by Gabe Derman (@Coach_Gderman), Men’s Basketball strength & conditioning coach at The University of Illinois-Chicago, at the same time I was putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).
Within that thread, I responded that “it does not need to be 45-60 min sessions.” I have discussed this many times with coaches, who often think that strength training always takes about an hour.
And, this also prompted a high school basketball coach to ask “What do you recommend in-season?” My response (edited here beyond the 140 character limit of Twitter):
First, I would need to know the training age/background of the athletes.
Second, I would need to know about the facility/equipment.
Third, I would need to know about the background and experience of the person who will oversee the strength & conditioning aspects of the program.
Moving on (and making some assumptions) from those considerations, here is the general template of a basic program that can be used 2x per week in-season and take 15-30 minutes to complete.
It should also be considered that some of this could be done on-court as well. Without knowing the context of some of the things mentioned above, it is always difficult to prescribe specifics without knowing the athletes and situation – just like a doctor cannot prescribe a treatment without knowing some things about the patient.
Nonetheless, here is a general example of an in-season strength program:
Day 1
Squat 3x6
RDL 3x6
Push-ups 2x AMAP (As many as possible)
Pull-ups 2 x AMAP
Palloff Press 2x8
Day 2
Hexbar 3 x 5
Lateral lunge 2 x 8
Bentover Row 3 x8
DB Curl to Press 2 x8
Birddogs, Deadbugs or Planks (or can be done at end of practice)
Day 2 alternative on-field or court; no equipment
Split squat
Lateral lunge
Glute-ham bridge
Push-ups
Pull-ups
Birddogs / Deadbugs
*This can be accomplished in 15-30 min if on task.
**Birddogs / Deadbugs / Planks can be done at end of practice
# Set-reps-load will really depend on training experience and can also be varied within the week and in-season program. In all cases, technique before load.
Consistency and Other Key Points
The key factor to any strength and conditioning program is CONSISTENCY!! You realized the gains in the off-season when there was consistency in the application of the training stress. And if the consistency is not continued…well, the detraining response happens. Quite simply, use it or lose it!
And here were some additional keys points from the Twitter thread from Coach Derman:
Keep it simple.
Seek to compliment in weight room “what are they not getting on-court?”
Ask “how are you feeling?” prior to training
Technique > numbers (development = see the forest)
As shown above, keep it simple and compliment what they are not getting on the court or field. They (the athletes) will hopefully be getting sufficient conditioning, speed, and agility in practice and mobility via a dynamic warm-up. But they won’t be getting strength development. Keep the strength sessions simple, time-efficient and focused on technique in the major strength training movement patterns–squat, lunge, hinge, push, pull.
And yes, we need to listen to our athletes–“how are you feeling?” Ideally, both the practice and competition loads need to be considered along with the strength training loads. However, the strength training loads cannot always be sacrificed (reduced) at the expense of the practice loads. Coaches need to value the holistic development of the athlete and make time for all aspects, including strength training. In turn, recovery methods should also be emphasized, and this should focus on the cornerstones–nutrition and sleep.
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Learn more about Dr. Eisenmann | @Joe_Eisenmann
