Why In-Season Training Is the Secret Weapon of Elite Athletes
You trained all offseason. You put in the work. You got stronger, faster, and more explosive. Now the season is here, and all that hard work should be paying off.
But here’s the problem: Most athletes lose the strength and speed they built in the offseason because they stop training once the season starts.
It’s a mistake we see every year. Athletes and parents assume that practice and games are enough to maintain strength, or they worry that lifting in-season will make them too sore or too tired for competition. But the truth? In-season training isn’t about getting stronger—it’s about staying strong.
Stopping strength training doesn’t protect you—it weakens you. Studies show that within two to three weeks of stopping strength training, athletes start losing power, endurance, and explosiveness. By mid-season, they’re noticeably slower, weaker, and more fatigued—just when they need to be at their best.
Meanwhile, elite athletes don’t stop training in-season—they train smarter. They maintain their strength, recover faster, and dominate when others start to break down.
If you want to stay powerful, reduce injuries, and perform at your best all season long, you need to train the right way. This article breaks down why in-season training is essential, the science behind it, and how you can structure it to keep your edge while everyone else falls behind.
Let’s dive in.
The #1 Mistake High School Athletes Make During the Season
Imagine this: You decide to start investing. For three straight months, you consistently put money into your account, watching it grow. But then, just when your investments are gaining momentum, you stop making deposits. Worse yet, you pull your money out.
Would you expect to get the maximum return on your investment? Absolutely not. Growth doesn’t come from a short burst of effort—it comes from consistency over time.
Now, think about your athlete’s strength and performance the same way. The offseason is when they’re making their biggest deposits—building strength, improving speed, and developing power. But if they stop training the moment the season starts, it’s like pulling all their money out of the bank and expecting to stay financially secure.
Here’s the reality: Without strength training, athletes start losing what they worked so hard to gain.
Studies show that athletes can lose up to 10% of their strength in just three weeks without resistance training (Bosquet et al., 2013).
Speed and power fade even faster—vertical jump height and sprint performance can decline in as little as 14 days (Mujika & Padilla, 2000).
By mid-season, athletes who stopped training will feel noticeably weaker, slower, and more fatigued—just when competition is at its peak.
Would you be okay with your athlete working hard all offseason, only to lose strength, endurance, and explosiveness when it matters most?
Just like investing, small, consistent deposits throughout the season will keep their performance growing, while others are watching their progress disappear.
The good news? In-season training doesn’t have to be time-consuming or exhausting. A smart, well-structured approach can help athletes maintain their strength, recover faster, and stay at peak performance all season long—without adding extra stress to their bodies.
Let’s talk about what that looks like.
The Smart Way to Train In-Season
So if stopping strength training is like pulling money out of your investment account, then what’s the right approach? You don’t need to invest at the same rate as you did in the offseason—but you do need to keep making deposits.
In other words, in-season training isn’t about trying to hit personal records in the weight room or adding tons of muscle. It’s about maintaining the strength, speed, and resilience your athlete built during the offseason so they can keep performing at their best when it matters most.
The key? Training smarter, not harder.
A well-designed in-season training program won’t leave athletes sore, drained, or overworked. Instead, it prevents strength loss, enhances recovery, and helps them feel stronger and more explosive as the season goes on.
Think about it—by the time playoffs roll around, most athletes are breaking down, exhausted, and not playing at the same level they were at the start of the season. But the ones who train properly in-season? They’re still fast, powerful, and ready to dominate.
If you look at the top athletes in any sport, they all have one thing in common: They never stop training.
NFL players continue lifting during the season to maintain explosiveness. NBA players prioritize in-season strength work to keep their bodies durable through an 82-game schedule. Baseball players keep training to maintain power and reduce injury risk over a long season.
If elite athletes can’t afford to stop training, why should high school athletes?
The difference between good and great isn’t just talent—it’s how well an athlete prepares and takes care of their body year-round.
So, if your athlete wants to:
✔ Stay strong and fast all season
✔ Prevent injuries and recover faster
✔ Be at their best when playoffs arrive
… then in-season training isn’t optional—it’s essential.
The In-Season Training Blueprint: How to Stay Strong, Fast, and Injury-Free
So we know that stopping strength training leads to weaker, slower, and more injury-prone athletes. But how do we balance training with a busy game and practice schedule?
The key is efficiency. A well-structured in-season program doesn’t need to be long or exhausting—it just needs to be strategic. The goal is to maintain the strength and power built in the offseason while ensuring athletes feel fresh and explosive on game day.
Let’s break it down step by step.
Step 1: Keep Strength Training Short, But Effective
A common mistake athletes and coaches make is assuming that in-season strength training should be light or removed altogether. The reality? Lifting light weights does nothing to maintain strength or power.
Instead, athletes should follow a low-volume, high-intensity approach to keep strength without excessive fatigue.
Training Plan:
1-2 strength training sessions per week (30-45 minutes)
3-4 sets of 3-5 reps for major lifts
Focus on explosive movements rather than long, grinding, eccentric focused sets
Key Lifts for In-Season Strength:
✔ Squats or Trap Bar Deadlifts – Maintains leg strength and explosiveness
✔ Bench Press or Overhead Press – Preserves upper-body power
✔ Pull-Ups or Rows – Keeps the back strong for posture and injury prevention
✔ Core Stability Work – Prevents lower-back and hip injuries
Lifting heavier weights for fewer reps maintains strength without causing excessive soreness or fatigue. This allows athletes to stay powerful without feeling drained for games.
Step 2: Prioritize Speed & Power Work
Strength is only part of the equation—speed and power must be maintained too.
Think about it this way: If an athlete builds explosive speed all offseason but stops doing power-based movements during the season, their ability to sprint, jump, and react quickly will decline.
Power Maintenance Exercises:
Medicine Ball Throws – Keeps rotational power strong for baseball, lacrosse, and football players
Broad Jumps / Box Jumps – Maintains lower-body explosiveness
Sled Sprints – Helps athletes keep acceleration sharp
These drills take only 10-15 minutes and keep an athlete’s fast-twitch muscle fibers engaged—ensuring they don’t lose their quickness and first-step explosiveness.
Step 3: Recovery is Non-Negotiable
Training alone isn’t enough—recovery separates athletes who thrive in-season from those who burn out.
Athletes must focus on:
8+ hours of sleep per night – Athletes who sleep less than six hours per night are 1.7x more likely to get injured (Milewski et al., 2014).
Hydration & Nutrition – Fueling properly reduces muscle soreness and speeds up recovery.
Mobility & Stretching – Helps prevent tightness and overuse injuries, especially for high-impact sports.
Athletes who skip these steps don’t just feel sluggish—they recover slower and are more prone to injuries.
Step 4: Mindset Training for Consistency & Performance
The best athletes aren’t just physically strong—they’re mentally prepared. The pressures of competition, setbacks, and tough games require a strong mindset.
Athletes should incorporate:
✔ Visualization techniques – Imagining success before games improves confidence
✔ Journaling & goal setting – Helps athletes stay focused and committed
✔ Breathwork & meditation – Controls nerves and improves in-game composure
A resilient mind leads to consistent performance. Athletes who train both their bodies and minds stay ahead of the competition.
Why This Approach Works
The biggest concern most athletes (and parents) have is:
“Won’t this make me too sore or tired for games?”
The answer? Not if it’s done right.
With this low-volume, high-intensity, recovery-focused approach, athletes maintain strength, prevent injuries, and feel fresh for competition.
At Crucible Performance, we see the difference firsthand. The athletes who commit to in-season training recover faster, perform better, and dominate late in the season—while others start breaking down.
What’s Next? Take Action Today
If your athlete wants to:
✔ Stay strong and explosive all season long
✔ Prevent injuries and recover faster
✔ Have a competitive edge when others start to slow down
Then in-season training isn’t optional—it’s essential.
That’s why we created our 12-Week In-Season Training Program.
Athletes in this program get:
✅ Customized in-season strength & speed workouts
✅ Weekly recovery & mobility sessions
✅ Access to nutrition and hydration protocols
✅ Mindset coaching for peak performance
✅ Supplement support with protein & recovery tools
Spots are limited to ensure personalized attention.
🔥 Ready to train smarter this season? Sign up here → Crucible Performance 12 Week Program
Final Thoughts: Stay Ahead While Others Fall Behind
Most athletes lose strength as the season goes on. The best ones don’t. They train smarter, recover better, and perform their best when it matters most.
You have a choice: Follow the crowd and get weaker, or train smarter and stay ahead.
Which athlete will you be?
The work doesn’t stop because the season started. Train like the best, and the results will follow.
We can’t wait to CHERISH THE CHALLENGE alongside you!