In-Season vs Off-Season

Most teen athletes make one of two mistakes: they either train the same way all year (no periodization), or they stop training completely in the off-season (detraining). Both are wrong.

Your body adapts to stress. If the stress never changes, adaptation stops. If the stress disappears, the adaptations you built disappear too — faster than you think. Research shows that strength gains begin to reverse in as little as 2-3 weeks of complete inactivity.

The principle: Your training should be organized around your competitive calendar. The off-season is when you build. The pre-season is when you sharpen. The in-season is when you maintain and perform. The post-season is when you recover and reset.

This is called periodization, and it's the foundation of every elite youth performance program — from Redline Athletics to D1 Training to the NASM Youth Exercise Specialization curriculum.

The off-season is your most important training period. This is when you make the gains that will show up in competition 6 months from now.

Primary goals: Build strength, add lean mass, improve movement quality, address weaknesses, develop aerobic base.

Training characteristics: - Higher volume (more sets, more reps) - Lower intensity (60-75% of max effort) - More variety in movements - 4-5 training days per week - Longer sessions (45-60 minutes)

Key movements (bodyweight and minimal equipment): - Push: push-ups (all variations), pike push-ups, dips - Pull: pull-ups, inverted rows, band pull-aparts - Hinge: single-leg deadlifts, good mornings, glute bridges - Squat: air squats, Bulgarian split squats, jump squats - Core: hollow holds, dead bugs, plank variations

Mike Boyle's principle: Train movements, not muscles. The off-season is the time to build a complete athlete, not just a bigger bench press. Focus on single-leg strength, hip hinge mechanics, and rotational power — the movements that transfer to every sport.

6-8 weeks before your season starts, your training shifts. You're converting the general fitness you built in the off-season into sport-specific performance.

Primary goals: Increase power and speed, improve conditioning, reduce injury risk, peak for competition.

Training characteristics: - Moderate volume (slightly less than off-season) - Higher intensity (75-90% of max effort) - More sport-specific movements - 3-4 training days per week - Shorter, more explosive sessions (30-45 minutes)

Key additions: - Plyometrics: box jumps, broad jumps, lateral bounds - Sprint work: 10-40 yard sprints with full recovery - Agility: ladder drills, cone work, direction changes - Sport-specific conditioning: intervals that match your sport's work-to-rest ratio

D1 Training's approach: Their 54-minute scholastic workouts in the pre-season phase emphasize high-energy, coach-led sessions with a 3:1 work-to-rest ratio. The goal is to simulate the metabolic demands of competition while still building physical capacity.

This is where most teen athletes get it wrong. They stop lifting during the season because they're tired from practice and games. This is a mistake.

Research consistently shows that athletes who maintain strength training during the season: - Have 50-70% lower injury rates - Maintain power output through the end of the season - Recover faster between games - Outperform non-lifting teammates in the final weeks of the season

Primary goals: Maintain the strength and power built in the off-season, manage fatigue, stay healthy.

Training characteristics: - Low volume (2 sessions per week, 20-30 minutes each) - Moderate-high intensity (keep the weight/difficulty up, reduce volume) - Simple, proven movements only - Schedule around games and hard practice days

The in-season minimum (2x per week): - Session A: 3x5 push-ups (weighted if possible), 3x5 pull-ups, 3x8 single-leg squats, 2x10 glute bridges - Session B: 3x5 pike push-ups, 3x5 inverted rows, 3x8 Bulgarian split squats, 2x30sec hollow hold

Redline Athletics' principle: Strength training during the season is injury prevention. Every rep you do in the weight room is a rep you're not doing in the training room with an athletic trainer.

After your season ends, take 2-4 weeks of active recovery. This is not the same as doing nothing.

Active recovery means: - Light movement every day (walking, swimming, easy bike rides) - No structured training, no intensity - Focus on sleep (9 hours minimum) - Address any nagging injuries with a physical therapist or athletic trainer - Reflect on what you need to build in the off-season

The mental reset: The Positive Coaching Alliance emphasizes that the post-season is also a time for psychological recovery. Competitive sport is mentally taxing. Use this time to reconnect with why you love your sport, set goals for next year, and recharge your motivation.

Then start the cycle again. Off-season training begins 2-4 weeks after your season ends. The athletes who use this window — while their competitors are completely inactive — are the ones who show up to the next season visibly different.

The NASM Youth Exercise Specialization framework identifies four stages of youth athletic development: Stabilization, Strength Endurance, Hypertrophy, and Maximal Strength. The off-season is when you move through these stages. The in-season is when you maintain your current stage. Most teen athletes never reach the Hypertrophy or Maximal Strength stages because they don't train consistently enough in the off-season to build the foundation.

Track Your Progress

Log workouts, meals, and sleep in the ATP app.