How to Train Effectively for Different Seasons

I’ve had countless athletes ask me about how to train effectively.

But one commonly overlooked aspect of training is adapting it based on each season.

I’ve said it over and over again, but training isn’t one size fits all - it has to be personalized.

With so many different aspects of your training to balance, finding the right way to practice based on season can be overwhelming. 

But with periodization, the systematic planning of athletic training, you can build a plan that prepares you to peak exactly when you need to.

Let’s dive in.

Off-Season: Building Your Foundation

The off-season is your time to build a solid foundation. 

The goal here isn’t performing at your peak - it’s preparing properly. 

During your off-season, you should focus on conditioning, strength training, and refining any technical skills that need extra attention. 

If you’ve had any previous injuries or issues from last season, this is also a great time to work through those so they don’t reappear next season.

Think of the off-season as laying the groundwork for your overall development throughout the entire year.

Pre-Season: Sharpening Your Skills

During the pre-season, you need to build on the foundation you already have and spend more time focusing on your specific sport.

This can look like drills to improve your endurance, agility, etc., based on what’s most essential to your progress, for your sport.

By the time the actual season rolls around, you’ll be ready to face your competition head on since you already dedicated so much time to honing in on your skills.

Competitive Season: Performing at Peak

All of the off-season and pre-season training is for one goal - to peak when it matters most - during your season.

At this point, you should be fine-tuning your routine while ensuring you avoid burnout and don’t overwork yourself.

Since you’ve already dedicated countless hours to your practice throughout the year, your training sessions in-season should be shorter and less frequent, focusing on quality over quantity.

Maybe you spend less time working on conditioning and more time on refining those last few skills that’ll take your game to the next level. 

Transition Phase: Recovery and Reflection

Once the season ends, you have an incredible opportunity to reflect on it.

What worked? What didn’t? What adjustments do you need to make for next year?

By using CoachNow as a training journal, you eliminate all of the guesswork when it comes to reflecting on your performance from the year.

Uploading your videos, analysis, images, plans, and reflections into CoachNow as you go allows you to better view all of the incremental progress that you’ve made along the way.

Trust me, seeing a side-by-side of where you are now vs. a year ago can be fantastic for motivation and morale.

The best athletes in the world utilize periodization in their training for good reason. When you create a training program with periodization in mind, you’re not just hoping to peak at the right time, you’re guaranteeing it’ll happen.

Unlike team sports where schedules often create a natural training rhythm, athletes who play individual sports need this structure to stay on track. Periodization helps you maintain that rhythm independently, ensuring that each step builds on the last and you’re set up for success.

By following a periodized plan, you’ll have clearer goals and know exactly what you need to achieve (and when to achieve it by), preventing burnout and ensuring that you reach peak performance right when you need it most.