Managing proper load in the weight room is critical when it comes to reaching peak development goals that transfer to the field.
Load can be any stress that is applied to an athlete.
Various stresses can include heavy weight, volume, and frequency in the weight room. Additionally, outside stresses can look like the pressure of bills, busy class schedules, or even personal relationships.
These are necessary factors to take into account when guiding athletes through programming. This becomes even more important when athletes are in-season.
In-season training that progresses rather than slows down
During baseball/softball season, practices and games are added stresses and affect your overall stress level.
Taking this knowledge into account is crucial when it comes to your development and the load of in-season training. In-season training is necessary to maintain strength BUT they must be applied correctly and not be overdone, otherwise they can cause more harm than good.
For example, avoid doubling up leg days, trying to max out/PR before you throw the next day and more. While these might seem obvious, it’s important to remember what your goals are and what you’re training for in the first place.
Tying recovery and mobility into your weekly strength routine matters. Over-lifting on these days or on your own time does not help you build strength faster.
Managing load is still important to achieve the desired adaptations in the off-season and understood by the athlete and the trainer.
Staying on course
Additionally, strength coaches should set a course and stick to it. There is a difference between making modifications to fit the athlete’s current level of readiness and jumping from hypertrophy to power to strength to shake things up.
At the same time, the athlete must stick to his/her program and not perform extra lifts on their own because they want to hit their goals “sooner” like mentioned above.
Why? This can leads to overuse injuries or delay actual adaptions.
The road to these adaptations and gaining size and strength takes time but simply lifting more is not the way to get there.
More is not always better.
Learn more on how to properly train in-season and why it matters here.