Maximizing Off-Season Training Volume

Maximizing Off-Season Training Volume – By Nicole Johnston – Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)

The off-season is a critical period for athletes, offering a chance to recover from competitive play while building a solid foundation for future performance improvements. To ensure effective off-season training, finding the right balance in training volume is key. This balance will optimize improvements in strength, endurance, and skill without leading to overtraining.

Understanding Training Volume

Training volume is the total amount of work performed, usually measured by the number of sets, reps, and overall duration of training sessions. During the off-season, athletes can increase their training volume since they are not expending energy in competition and can focus solely on building their physical capabilities (Kiely, 2018).

Benefits of Increased Off-Season Training Volume

– **Increased Strength and Power:** The off-season allows for an increase in resistance training volume, leading to significant gains in muscle strength and hypertrophy. Research shows that higher training volumes are associated with greater improvements in strength and muscle size, provided the intensity and recovery are appropriately managed (Schoenfeld et al., 2019).
– **Improved Endurance:** Increasing the volume of aerobic training during the off-season can improve cardiovascular efficiency and stamina. Studies have shown that a higher volume of low- to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise enhances mitochondrial density and oxidative capacity, leading to better endurance performance (Murphy et al., 2020).
– **Skill Development:** The off-season provides the opportunity to focus on technical skills and tactics without the pressure of competition. Repetition and volume are key to honing skills, allowing athletes to refine their techniques and improve their overall gameplay (Baker & Young, 2019).

Managing Training Volume: Avoiding Overtraining

While increasing training volume can be beneficial, it is crucial to avoid overtraining. Overtraining occurs when the volume and intensity of exercise exceed an athlete’s capacity to recover, leading to decreased performance and an increased risk of injury (Grandou et al., 2020).

– **Gradual Progression:** Training volume should be increased gradually to allow the body to adapt. A systematic and progressive increase, often guided by periodization principles, helps in managing load and recovery (Kiely, 2018).
– **Recovery and Rest:** Incorporating rest days and ensuring adequate recovery between high-volume sessions is essential. Recovery strategies such as proper nutrition, hydration, sleep, and active recovery techniques can aid in overall recovery for an athlete (Dupuy et al., 2018).
– **Monitoring and Adjustments:** Regular monitoring of an athlete’s physical and psychological state can help identify signs of overtraining early. Tools like heart rate variability (HRV), mood state questionnaires, and performance tests can provide valuable feedback, allowing for timely adjustments in training volume (Bourdon et al., 2017).

Practical Recommendations

– **Strength Training:** Aim for 3-5 sessions per week, focusing on compound movements with a mixture of high and low rep ranges.
– **Endurance Training:** Include 4-6 sessions per week with a mix of long, steady-state cardio and interval training to build aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
– **Skill Work:** Dedicate time each week to skill-specific drills, ensuring high-quality practice rather than just quantity.

At Acumen, we use many research-based tools to monitor fatigue in our athletes. Most notable are our Hawkins Force Plates. We structure our training around the principles of periodization and the athletes’ competition schedules while considering data from the force plates to gain better insight into an athlete’s fatigue index for each session. For example, using kinematic feedback from tests like the drop jump and the Reactive Strength Index (RSI) performed prior to a session can provide insight into where an athlete stands that day, dictating their training intensity.

Conclusion

The off-season provides athletes with the time to increase their training volume and make significant gains in their physical and technical abilities. By carefully managing training loads and incorporating adequate recovery, athletes can optimize their off-season training and return to competition stronger, faster, and more skilled. Balancing volume with intensity and rest is the key to preventing overtraining and ensuring maximum gains.

**References**

Baker, J., & Young, B. (2019). 20 years later: deliberate practice and the development of expertise in sport. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(1), 30-49.
Bourdon, P. C., Cardinale, M., Murray, A., Gastin, P., Kellmann, M., Varley, M. C., & Cable, N. T. (2017). Monitoring athlete training loads: Consensus statement. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 12(S2), S2161-S2170.
Dupuy, O., Douzi, W., Theurot, D., Bosquet, L., & Dugué, B. (2018). An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers of muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 9, 403.
Grandou, C., Wallace, L., Impellizzeri, F. M., Allen, N. G., & Coutts, A. J. (2020). Overtraining in resistance exercise: An exploratory systematic review and methodological appraisal of the literature. Sports Medicine, 50(4), 751-765.
Kiely, J. (2018). Periodization paradigms in the 21st century: Evidence-led or tradition-driven? International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 13(2), 261-273.
Murphy, K. J., Koehler, K., & Moore, D. R. (2020). Exercise training intensity, volume and energy expenditure: a role for mitochondrial dynamics in skeletal muscle. Journal of Applied Physiology, 128(6), 1650-1658.
Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2019). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(11), 1195-1203.