Strength Report: In-Season Training: Improve Performance, reduce Injuries

The in-season training program is critical to the success of our athletes. Programs should be designed to enhance and not just maintain their level of physical preparation. Lowering expectations during the in-season to maintain rather than improve strength will eventually lead to a decrease in performance and increase the risk of injury.

To maximize the strength, health, mobility, and overall fitness of your athletes, is manage the distribution of the volume and loading. Within this plan, careful consideration of injury-prone areas and the demands placed on the athletes during practices and games will play a role in the type of exercises, intensity, and volume used to stimulate positive recovery and growth. Our primary focus is on maximal strength with an emphasis on ground-based explosive movements to load the musculature and promote functional strength.

This program is designed to maximize athletic potential and put your athletes in a better position to handle the dynamic movements and impact of the game during the season as well as the post-season. The physical toll on athletes during the season may limit their abilities to execute the fundamental movements described, so adjustments will need to be made on an individual basis.

Program Objectives

    1. Improve strength
    2. Improve core strength
    3. Improve flexibility
    4. Improve recovery and restoration
    5. Improve or maintain body weight

Organization of Training
   
    1. Duration  30 – 45 minutes
    2. Number of exercises  1 – 6
    3. Exercise intensity  60 – 85%
    4. Volume  Low
    5. Repetition range  1 – 6

Program Structure

    1. Movement Preparation
        •  Med-Ball circuit
        •  Dynamic flexibility / mobility
        •  Injury prevention
    2. Strength and power development
    3. Recovery and restoration

Program Outline

1.  General Warm-up: Med-Ball Circuit
        •  Squat and chest press
        •  Lunge and twist
        •  1-arm push-up
        •  2-arm push-up
        •  Russian twists
        •  Seated diagonal chops
 
2.  Dynamic Flexibility / Mobility
        •  Over and under hurdles
        •  In’s and out’s
        •  Groiners
        •  Knee to armpit
        •  Alternating supermans
        •  Push-ups
        •  Kettlebell swings
 
3.  Injury Prevention
        •  Rotator cuff and scapular stabilization
        •  Neck and traps
        •  3-way shoulder raise
    
4.  Strength and Power Development

    Day 1
    1.  Hang Clean + Push Press + Front Squat: 2 x 3+3+3
    2.  Power Clean: 60-80% x 2-4 reps x 3-4 sets
    3.  Front Squat: 60-80% x 3- 5 reps x 3-4 sets
    4.  Bench Press: 70-85% x 3-5 reps x 3-4 sets
    5.  Pull-ups: 3  sets x 6 - 10 reps
    6.  Dips: 3 sets x 10 – 20 reps
 
    Day 2
    1.  BTNP + Overhead Squat + Snatch Balance: 2 x 3+3+3
    2.  Hang Clean: 60-70% x 3-5 reps x 3sets
    3.  Clean Pull: 65- 75% x 3-5 reps x 3 sets
    4.  Split Squat : 3 sets x 3-5 reps each leg
    5.  Incline Bench Press: 60-75% x 6 – 10 reps x 3 sets
    6.  Pull-ups: 3  sets x 6 - 10 reps
 
    Day 3 – Non-Travel Group
    1.  Hang Squat Clean + Push Press + Front Squat: 2 x 3+3+3
    2.  Power Clean: 60-85% x 3-5 reps x 3-5 sets
    3.  RDL: 60-85% x 3-5 sets x 3-5 reps
    4.  Back Squat: 60-80% x 4-6 reps x 3-5 sets
    5.  Close Grip Bench: 60-75% x 6 – 10 reps x 3 sets
    6.  DB Bench Press: 2 – 3 sets x 8 – 10 reps
    7.  Pull-ups + Dips + Push-ups: 3 sets x 10 + 15 + 20
 
5.  Recovery and Restoration
•  Foam Roll: low back, hamstring, IT band, quad, hip flexor
•  Core Board: squat and reach, lunge and reach, hip rotator, hip flex and twist
•  Band Stretch: hamstring, quad, groin, lower back
•  Nutrition: monitor body weight, education, recovery drink
 
Summary

Programs that are successful follow well-planned, systematic training focusing on improving strength on a year-round basis. Long breaks in training will ruin physical fitness and athletic performance. After a prolonged period of inactivity, an athlete has to start from a decreased level of strength and conditioning instead of increasing these levels. When maximal strength decreases, the quality of explosive strength also decreases, which limits the athlete’s ability to stay on blocks or explode through a tackle.

Imbalances are created between strength and flexibility, which will limit the range of motion of the ankles, knees, and hips and will decrease the potential of the athlete to play in a good athletic position. Training should follow the standard schedule with adjustments made to accommodate the athlete’s responsibilities. This is done to ensure their training is balanced and regulated to improve flexibility and strength to support power and speed for the season. s

About the Author: Dan Eason is the head strength and conditioning coach at Stephen F. Austin State University. His assistants – Brittany Castledine and Mark Mitchell – contributed to this article. A 1995 graduate of Southwest Missouri State, Eason previously coached at Chowan College, Tennessee, and the University of Central Florida. He has been on the staff at SFA for 13 years.