The Next Leap in Performance

In the early 1990’s, showing up for camp marked the start of getting into shape for the season. Today, expectations have changed. If you don’t show up to camp already in peak physical condition, you should be prepared to find yourself on the coaches’ bad side or worse — cut from the team.

For many athletes, this point in the calendar year will mark their physical peak until the same time next year. Is it the most crucial time of the season though? It depends on your goals for the season.

For some, trying to make the cut might be just it. However, most athletes would say that finals or playoffs are the most important time for them. Yet in actuality, many will be six to eight months removed from peak physical form by then.

The next phase in a player’s development is to continually improve in-season with gains that align with championship games and finish with a better starting point for the off-season.

In the off-season, performance gains are generally larger and strength-based, as there is a greater opportunity for better recovery. While in-season gains are much smaller, they are typically more power- and speed-based, and better aligned with a sport’s demands.

The key to improvement at any time of the year is ensuring that the stresses put on the athlete are greater than the stresses of the game. What is the point to training if it’s not actually making you better? Working out for the sake of working out will only lead to fatigue, a stressor that is simply counterproductive to improving in your sport, especially in-season. Instead, a well-designed in-season program should be focused on performance increases and a decreased risk of injury.

If you’re interested in a long, healthy competitive career, think about the difference that consistent, year-round gains can make.

Four, six or even ten years down the road — where do you want to be?