Goal: To recover, rehabilitate, and maintain current fitness level
The goal in the first three to four weeks after the season is over is active rest. You want to give your body time to recover from the completed season and stay just active enough to maintain fitness. Formal training will begin in October/November.
The Active Rest phase is a three to four week section with no formal training that is designed to allow you to recover both physically and mentally from the previous season. This is the bridge from one season to the next, and what you do in this phase will affect how you will play in the upcoming season. The goal is "active" rest not couch-potato rest. Don't stop training completely or you will lose all the gains made to this point. Keeping this fitness will allow you to make quicker improvements when you actually begin the off-season program
Working the Body
Do things that you normally don't have time to do during the season (surfing, bike riding, etc.). You will want to stretch daily however you need to stay out of the weight room for two weeks.
Work the muscles of the trunk, legs, back, shoulder, and arm that give you balance and support. Focus on push-ups, step-ups, and lunges. Use bands or dumbbells for the rotator cuff. Use this time to rehab any pre existing injuries and correct deficiencies. Formal weight training will begin at week 5 in this program.
Example of "Active Rest" Workout: M/W/F
Warm-Up: Jog or cycle for 5 minutes
General Warm-Up: bodyweight only (squat, lunge, circle-toe-touch, good mornings, wood chopper to both sides, trunk twist, arm circle both directions)
All Player CWT:
Body weight (weeks 1-2) - 1-2 sets for 10-15 reps
Dumbbells (weeks 3-4) - 1-2 sets for 10-12 reps
*Step-up or Walking Lunges
*Modified Pull Up
*Squat or Split Squat
*Push Up or Incline Push Up
*Lunge or Cross-Over Lunge
*Calf Raises
*Squat and Touch (SAT)
Shoulder & Scapula (dumbbells/band - 10 reps)
*Forward Raise
*Lateral Raise
*Shrug
*Reverse Fly
*Internal Rotation
*External Rotation
*Shoulder Extension
*Upward Rotation
*Scarecrow
*Push-up and Reach back
*Scap dip
*Modified Pull-Up
Core 100
*Knee up (10x)
*Seated Leg Tuck (10x)
*V-up (10x)
*Crunch (10x)
*Bicycle (20x)
*Lateral Crunch (20x each side)
*Side to Side reach (20x each side)
Conditioning
Jog, cycle, or swim three to four times per week. Work at a low intensity comfortable pace for 15-20 minutes. Remember the goal during this Active Phase is to maintain, not improve, aerobic performance.
This is a sample program of what my players have done that past few seasons. The goal is to not lose any fitness gains from one season to the next. Keep progressing however keep the end goal in mind - win the CHAMPIONSHIP! Those players/teams that are strong in the end will have a better chance at this.
Next post I will go into the "Off-Season" training phase: "Train to Train" which will take you from weeks 5 and could extend from 8-12 weeks. This is broken up into two 4-week training blocks.
Go out and have a wonderful week and remember:
"Achieve Greatness"