December 2025 Newsletter
Off-Season Training: The Secret Weapon for Stronger, Healthier Athletes
The off-season is one of the most valuable and often overlooked periods in an athlete’s year. It’s the perfect window to rebuild, reinforce, and prepare the body for the demands of the upcoming competitive season. Here’s how athletes can use this time to get stronger, move better, and reduce their risk of injury.
1. Build a Strength Foundation
The off-season is ideal for developing strength without the pressure of weekly games or heavy practice schedules. During this window, athletes can focus on heavier compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows. These movements build total-body strength, reinforce healthy movement patterns, and support long-term durability.
2. Improve Movement Quality
With more time available, athletes can address any lingering injuries or issues that popped up in-season. Targeted strength work with corrective exercises, and consistent routine will help athletes move more efficiently and reduces the risk of re-injury once the season starts.
3. Enhance Power and Speed Gradually
In addition to strength, athletes can also incorporate more explosive work: plyometrics, jumping, sprints, and medicine ball drills. These help convert strength into usable on-field power while maintaining joint health and control.
4. Don’t Forget Conditioning
Off-season conditioning doesn’t need to be grueling. Instead, it should complement strength goals with steady aerobic work and some interval training to support recovery and prepare the body for higher workloads later on. Running, cycling, stair stepping or an elliptical machine are all great options.
5. Prioritize Recovery
Sleep, nutrition, and stress management play a bigger role than most athletes realize. The off-season is the right time to reset habits, rebuild energy stores, and give the body the recovery it needs to come back better.
At Dirigo Physical Therapy & Performance, we help athletes create individualized off-season plans to address their unique needs. Whether that’s getting stronger, returning from an injury, developing good nutrition habits, or improving mental performance, off-season effort leads to in-season success!
Let us know how we can help support you both in and out of season!
