Off Season 102

Hello Everyone!

This is part 2 of the Off Season mini-series, click here for part one.

Off Season 102
Move Forward, by Planning Backwards
Once your goals are defined, its important that you plan with the end in mind. If you're a basketball player, you know that you need to me in near "game ready" shape when October and Pre-Season roll around, and that being in "game-ready" shape in May will not win you a Conference Championship in March. That is why it is important to plan your off season backwards, starting with the end (in this case October).

Here's an example:
Collegiate Basketball Player (Main Goals: Increase Strength, Power, Speed, & Agility)
October: END Near "game-ready" shape.
September: 55% Strength & Power Work. 25% Speed & Agility Work. 20% Basketball Skill Work.
August: 80% Strength & Power Work. 10% Speed & Agility Work. 10% Basketball Skill Work.
July: 85% Strength & Power Work. 10% Speed & Agility Work. 5% Basketball Skill Work.
June: 85% Strength & Power Work. 10% Speed & Agility Work. 5% Basketball Skill Work.
May: 90% Strength & Power Work. 10% Speed & Agility Work. 0% Basketball Skill Work.
April: 90% Strength & Power Work. 10% Speed & Agility Work. 0% Basketball Skill Work.

Now I am sure most of you are reading that and thinking, "she's crazy!". Let me explain, if your main goals are to improve Strength, Power, Speed & Agility (meaning your basketball skills are up to par) then you need to make those the focus of your off season.

You may also wonder why Speed & Agility work is so low, the reason being that one of the best ways to improve your speed is by becoming stronger & more powerful. There are many research articles you can read on that subject if you have your doubts.

It is also worth noting that Speed, Agility, and Basketball Skill Work mainly increase only a month before the END. The main reasons for this are 1) it takes a lot longer to develop and improve strength and power. Basic exercise physiology states that the first 6-8 weeks of training lead to mainly neuromuscular adaptations (more nerves firing in more muscles, this is really important for power development), only after that does the body start making muscular changes (increase in size which assists in increases in strength) and 2) it does not take long for the body to adapt into better levels of cardiovascular conditioning. In fact, many suggest it takes only about 4 weeks to greatly improve one's level.

Stay tuned for more Off Season info!

Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Haren