Last week I was listening to JJ Redick and LeBron’s podcast and they were talking about transitioning from in season to off season.
I found the discussion fascinating because every season is guaranteed to come to an end at some point, and as long as you have another season ahead of you to prepare for, there are some critical decisions you have to make regarding how to approach your off-season training.
There is a balance that needs to be met between letting your body heal and recover; letting your mind and emotions balance out again; and still maintaining some level of strength, conditioning, and skill so you can build and level up your game during the off season instead of using your summer to just get back to where you were the year before.
Without question, stepping away from the game for a bit can be useful both physically and mentally. But what about other things you can do to help you stay strong, mobile, and athletic?
Here are some ideas:
1. Body Work
The start of the off season can be a great time to get in the habit of doing regular body work for your muscles, joints, and nervous system.
There are so many options out there, so if you have found something in the past that you like–such as massage or chiropractic–go for it.
But, if you are looking for something different or want to try something new, this is where Muscle Activation Techniques® can really come into play.
Three big benefits of MAT® for off season work are:
- Helping your autonomic nervous system rebalance so your body is in less of a stressed state and more of a relaxed / recovery state
- Re-engaging muscles that may have been turned off during the season so when you enter your harder workouts you are fully tuned up and ready to go
- Clean up any underlying aches and pains that you’ve been dealing with
If MAT® is something you’d like to try, click here to schedule your initial consultation and assessment with me and we’ll make it happen!
2. Isometric Strength Work
The exercises I send you every week are examples of isometric exercises–or exercises where you don’t move but you just focus on squeezing your muscles. However, everything I send you is very low-intensity.
Isometric strength work can range in intensity from low to high, so you can use the concept to get back into the weight room and start building your strength back up doing more intense isometric exercises with a lower risk of getting sore and achy from your workouts.
You can keep them short and sweet–around the 20 minute mark–to help you reconnect with your muscles while building your strength in a safe manner.
As some added benefits, there is good evidence to suggest that isometric exercises can be helpful for reducing tendon pain while also increasing joint mobility.
3. Power Walks
Let me say upfront that I am not on the “walking is the best form of exercise” train; however, from a cardiovascular fitness standpoint, power walking can be extremely beneficial if you aren’t wanting to run or sprint.
Set your phone timer for seven minutes and 30 seconds. Walk at a pace that feels one notch below a jog–essentially as fast as you can walk before you break into a jog. Walk as far as you can during the seven-and-a-half minutes; and then when the timer goes off, turn around and try to make it back to the starting line before another seven-and-a-half minutes are up.
15 minutes total. Walking as fast as you can. One to three times a week.
Watch how much farther you are able to go week by week.
As an added challenge, you can do it only breathing through your nose, i.e. not breathing at all through your mouth.
Each of these three things can help you keep your strength, mobility, athleticism and conditioning up while taking time off after the end of the season.
Give them a shot and let me know how they go!
Charlie
Charlie Cates is the leading consultant to high-level professional, college, and high school basketball players in the Chicagoland area for injury prevention, recovery, and muscle performance.
As one of Chicago’s most sought-after Muscle Activation Techniques® practitioners, he is certified in the highest levels of MAT®, including MATRx, MATRx Stim, and MAT® Athlete.
A former college basketball player, he uses his personal experience and understanding of the game and player demands to create customized exercise options for his clients to recover faster and perform their best.
He sees clients in-studio at Muscle Activation Schaumburg as well as in-home.
You can schedule your MAT® assessment with him by clicking here, and be sure to follow him on Instagram at @CharlieCates!
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