Speed, Strength and Agility leads to Championships

While each sport is unique there are a few basic training fundamentals which you can apply during the off-season so you can maintain your body’s fitness and endurance, without going over board or risking injury. The three things you need remember to maintain is your SSA or in other words up keeping your speed, strength, and agility. These three things apply to nearly all major athletic competitions and will keep your figure toned to whatever shape it needs to be during the game season.

The first training basic you need to maintain is your speed; in practice this translates into cardiovascular training. Again each sport is different and each workout regimen should be tailored for each individual, but there are some basic guidelines to go by and different strategies to use. For one do not over exert yourself if this is off-season training. While you will want to maintain your figure, endurance, and muscle mass don’t attempt to bring yourself to the next level. Pushing too far may cause you to risk injury and will result in your off-season time being a complete waste.

Instead set modest goals; Sports Fitness Adviser suggests twenty to forty minute cardiovascular sessions a week and setting a pace which will put your heart rate at about two-thirds its maximum pump rate. The easiest way to do this by running outside or on a treadmill and it is one of the most efficient ways to burn calories compared to other forms of exercise. However, if you are able you should instead lap swim or use a lap pool. While you won’t burn as many calories swimming through water provides more, constituent resistance than running against air and gravity, yet isn’t as harsh on the joints.

Moving on to the second ‘S’ strength is good to maintain during the off-season as well through resistance training. While not as crucial maintaining muscle mass, especially in specific muscle groups, is good for many particular sports like football (both kinds), wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and rugby. Strength training will be a boon to your cardiovascular training and keep off excess lipids, and prevent injuries during your game season training by maintaining strength at a certain level. To avoid injury you should use resistance bands or something similar rather than using free weights. Expert sources state that your resistance training should, like your cardiovascular training, be relatively light and compose two to three workout sessions a week. Said experts also recommend that you consider doing an ‘unloading week’ so you can tend to neglected muscle groups.

Lastly, you shouldn’t neglect your agility which can be best maintained through flexibility training. Unlike the other forms of training this should be done daily and even following a standard workout. To be specific about the later point professionals recommend employing a myofascial release in order to regenerate possibly damaged muscles.