Fall sports are almost completely wrapped up and many athletes are looking to begin their off season training. As they jump into off season training most athletes fall into two camps.
Camp A are those who love the weight room. As soon as their season is over they are excited to jump right in and begin lifting. They can’t wait to load up heavy weights and begin to push themselves. Camp B is full of pure sport enthusiasts who really only want to play the game and don’t have much interest in the gym.
Both kinds of athletes need to start at the same point though: evaluating what they most need to work on. This should be the first phase of anyone’s off season training. If you don’t start here you will likely just do what you enjoy like Camp A athletes or avoid training altogether until next season.
The initial block of off season training must include evaluating what you need and taking care of those issues first. Rehab any injuries and then review your mobility. Run through the CAR Routine noticing where you are tight and what doesn’t move well.
Then begin to dial in your movement patterns like the squat, press, and hinge. Finally assess your CO2 tolerance. The more you can improve how well you perform movements and how well you breathe during the first phase of off season training the more strength, muscle, and endurance you will actually build before the next season. If you skip this phase you will hit a plateau just as fast as those who never start at all.
