Off-Season Athletic Training

Off-Season Athletic Training

How’s your game? Spring and Summer are off-season for several sports; the best time to revamp a fitness program to improve your performance next season! If you play sports, College, High School or just as a “weekend warrior”, it’s time to bring back your “A-game” with some off-season athletic training.

Sport Performance Fitness Programs should always begin with a) an assessment to identify weaknesses that may reduce performance and cause injury, and b) a weight-lifting component designed to get back to the basics of good lifting form.

These two components make up the foundation on which to build a sports performance program.  Insuring an athlete has a strong foundation should always be addressed first; strength, power, speed, and agility can become the primary focus points.

Assessment: A qualified professional should do a systematic check for muscle and joint imbalances from your head to your toes. Imbalances reduce performance and cause joints to be unstable and prone to injury. When the muscles of the upper and lower legs are out of balance, for example, it causes knee and ankle instability; an athlete will find it more difficult to change direction with speed, and easier to strain or sprain a knee or ankle. Correcting these imbalances as part of an overall sports performance program will improve your game and reduce your chance of injury.

Foundational Lifting: It’s a big mistake to assume your lifting form is good. One of the many mistakes I see athletes make is placing their shoulders at risk the way they do many upper body exercises. It’s pretty standard to see an athlete, even a coach, using their shoulder rotator muscles inappropriately. Most guys can do a pull-down with ninety pounds or more, but your rotator muscles shouldn’t be asked to move more than ten pounds or so. So, obviously, using the rotator cuff muscles, as many do, during a lat-pull is very risky, as it reduces the stability of your shoulders.

Strength and Power: Once you know that your foundation is firm, focus the beginning of your summer on gaining Strength and Power. Classic lifting is a start, but don’t stop there. Find ways to work your muscles dynamically—the way they will be required to work on the field. Bench presses, for example, do very little to improve a football player’s ability to block compared to the dynamic push-pull dowel rod drill with a partner exercise.

Speed and Agility: After improving your foundation, strength, and power, T-drills, ladder drills, cone drills, and reactivity drills with a coach can dramatically improve your ability to react quickly, change direction, and accelerate and decelerate rapidly and safely.

So go ahead and plan your off-season athletic training to build a firm foundation, increase your strength, power, speed, and agility, and nail that scholarship or starting position next season! Whether you are a peak athlete, weekend warrior, or a Mom or Dad on the go, don’t forget I’m always available for free consultations to help you put together a personalized fitness plan to get you the results you want! No charge and no obligation! Call or text me: at 410-598-4074.