Should You Continue to Train During Your Sports Season?

Should You Continue to Train During Your Sports Season

One of the most frustrating things about working at a gym is when athletes disappear for three months because their sport started up. I understand you have an obligation to the sport and it is going to take a lot of time away from you. On the other hand, you have an obligation to yourself to keep coming to the gym during the season so you do not lose everything you worked so hard for leading up to the season. Not only does continue to crush it in the weight room help you maintain all the hard work you put in, but it also helps prevent injuries during the season that might occur.

In the offseason, your goal is to get bigger, stronger, and faster. The way to do that is work out 5-6 days per week, every week until your season starts. Now you’ve gotten all those gains and your season begins. Do you want to lose the muscle mass just because your training model switches to sport-driven? No. Ideally, you should be fighting to maintain those advances by continuing to train 2-3 times each week.

During the season you will have bumps and bruises, tweaks and pains. Yes, you need to stretch properly and eat correctly to help with recovery, but you can also help yourself by working out too. If you train with someone that knows what they are doing, they will take into consideration: when your next game/match is, what hurts on you and how to help it, what you need to focus on throughout the season so you are in top shape the entire time. You can always visit Garage Strength to get an in-season program. Lifting during the season will help maintain strength, but it will also help keep you limber to help prevent injury. Squatting to full depth, touching your chest on bench, cleaning/snatching all the way down to the lowest position you can will all help lengthen the muscles and gives you the stretch that is needed. Also, remember lengthening is strengthening so you are getting better mobility and stronger every time you workout.

While it might be hard to believe, most of us at Garage Strength were once high school athletes. We know the life of going to school, practicing, and doing homework. We know it’s tiring. But we also know that there are tons of distractions -- it’s easier to talk with your friends during study hall, easier to play Red Dead Redemption than spend another hour in the gym, easier to stay up texting. This is all about motivation. If you’re driven during pre-season to be the strongest, fastest, biggest athlete on the field, court, track, where is that drive during the season? Complete as much homework as possible in school. Plan long-term projects for days you won’t be in the gym. Set a time limit on your phone, or scheduled downtimes. Being elite requires sacrifices. It requires you to push through times you feel overwhelmed or tired… that’s your mind, not your body. Yes, you need to push yourself, but can you overtrain? Find out in this BLOG written by other Garage Strength trainer Jake Horst.