5 Rules for the In - Season Athlete

Spring is right around the corner, and almost every athlete I train is In- Season to some degree (Lacrosse, Club Soccer, Club Volleyball, Track, Baseball/Softball, AAU Hoops). Some of my athletes are involved in two of these sports during spring or are trying to train for football while playing one of them. Here are 5 Rules for the In - Season Athlete to live by.

1. Lifting 2x per week is better than lifting 1x per week. BUT, lifting 1x per week is better than lifting ZERO times per week.

I have said this before, the biggest mistake I see kids make is neglecting their strength training during the season. You do not have to go into the gym and do your full off- season routine. However, hitting a few sets of the major muscle groups 1 - 2x per week will go a long way towards keeping you strong and maybe even getting you stronger. Don't be the athlete who gets weaker when the playoffs come around!

2. In - season = more practices and games = more running = more calories burned = the need to hydrate more and eat more.

This is pretty simple. If you don't lift weights and don't eat or drink enough, you will lose mass. Keep healthy snacks such as bars, fruits and other hand food in your bag. Drink Gatorade before practice and on the way to your next workout or practice. Keep taking your nutritional shakes and maybe even drink more of them on days when you have lots of games or activities. Think about an AAU basketball tournament where you might play 3- 5 games in one day. How many calories do you think you are burning on that day?

Here is an old blog with a calorie calculator I use.

3. Anything that you do athletically requires the need for an athletic warm - up.

Proper warm -ups are all over my blog STS warm - up. Just jogging around the track or even worse doing nothing but getting in lay - up lines is a recipe for nagging hamstring pulls and other injuries. All warm - ups should elevate body temperature and heart rate and move joints in a full range of motion.

4. If it hurts or it is swollen (knee, shoulder, hip, groin) ICE IT!

Ice is a magical thing for sore joints and it is FREE! Fill up an ice tray with water, put it in the freezer, take the ice cubes and put them in a bag. Put the bag where it hurts. AMAZING!

FYI following rule #3 will reduce the need to do #4.

5. Sleep

I would like to see all my athletes get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep per night, ideally closer to 8. This means that if you are up at 7am, you are in bed by midnight at the very latest.


Follow these simple rules and you will see how much better your body feels throughout the season.