Weight training while in season (sports)

[Tiggsy]

I've spent the best part of the year using a combo of heavy weights 3 times a week, 4 runs a week a core session and 3 basketball training sessions to get in shape. Being 90% there I am now joining the basketball team proper and will be playing games - the problem I have is the muscle soreness from my leg sessions means my legs are tired for 80% of the time and it ruins my sporting ability. So I'm thinking of dropping the heavy sessions until the summer and just do big weights off season - so what do sports people do for weight training when they are in season and cant really afford to have delayed onset soreness kicking in after a heavy session? Just go lighter and up the reps, switch to circuits, do full body sessions? (at the moment my 3 sessions are classic chest, back, legs - one bady part a week)

[mcelliott]

Your "sporting year" mirrors mine almost exactly. I always go heavy in the gym from October through 'till February. After that, due to other sporting commitments (particularly cycling) I drop the weight and increase the rep range and drop the leg routine completely. Don't think I could go balls out in the gym through the summer and still attain the required standard for other sports without ending up in a box!

[balders118]

Tiggsy said:

I've spent the best part of the year using a combo of heavy weights 3 times a week, 4 runs a week a core session and 3 basketball training sessions to get in shape. Being 90% there I am now joining the basketball team proper and will be playing games - the problem I have is the muscle soreness from my leg sessions means my legs are tired for 80% of the time and it ruins my sporting ability. So I'm thinking of dropping the heavy sessions until the summer and just do big weights off season - so what do sports people do for weight training when they are in season and cant really afford to have delayed onset soreness kicking in after a heavy session? Just go lighter and up the reps, switch to circuits, do full body sessions? (at the moment my 3 sessions are classic chest, back, legs - one bady part a week)

Doing a "classic Split" is body builder style traning, which really does not suit sport performance. By having a Legs day and pounding your legs with 3/4/5 different leg specific exercise is always going to cause long lasting doms. You'll be much better off focusing on a push/pull split or going to full body training.

Obviously legs are a very important part of your body for basketball training, particulary power and agility. Power is a combination of speed and strength, so I wouldn't stop with strength work but I would add in power moves as well like squat jumps, jumping lunges etc. Agility (I'd imagine) will get training in basketball coaching sessions.

[RemainAllHoof]

Kinda relevant to me especially when doing a climbing session. I usually try to do the weights when I get home from climbing so by the time I'm next climbing, I've fully recovered. It can, of course, mean you can't lift the heavy load you're used to so listen to your body to avoid injury.

[Tiggsy]

I train for basketball on a Tues and Thurs and sometimes have games sat as well - so the prob is I never get time to recover. This week I did legs friday but they are still sore today and will be less than 100% tommorow. If I'd had to play on sat I'd have been at 50%.

Think I'll go to 3 full body workouts a week and up the reps...make it more like a circuit.

[balders118]

Tiggsy said:

I train for basketball on a Tues and Thurs and sometimes have games sat as well - so the prob is I never get time to recover. This week I did legs friday but they are still sore today and will be less than 100% tommorow. If I'd had to play on sat I'd have been at 50%.

Think I'll go to 3 full body workouts a week and up the reps...make it more like a circuit.

Thats the way to do it. You can still keep heavier stuff in there, but just focus on strength so drop the reps to 5/6 and just do 4 sets of one exercise liek squats, or deadlifts. All body workouts mean there is much less focus on each individual muscle so much less muscle ache, but still a hard workout.

[goldblum]

balders118 said:

Tiggsy said:

I train for basketball on a Tues and Thurs and sometimes have games sat as well - so the prob is I never get time to recover. This week I did legs friday but they are still sore today and will be less than 100% tommorow. If I'd had to play on sat I'd have been at 50%.

Think I'll go to 3 full body workouts a week and up the reps...make it more like a circuit.

Thats the way to do it. You can still keep heavier stuff in there, but just focus on strength so drop the reps to 5/6 and just do 4 sets of one exercise liek squats, or deadlifts. All body workouts mean there is much less focus on each individual muscle so much less muscle ache, but still a hard workout.

Just back right off the leg weights until you notice your performance at basketball is back up to scratch and you're improving.It's not simply the weight,you're

doing too much training as well.You say if you had to play at the weekend your legs would be at 50%? Then cut back at least 50% on your leg weights and shorten slow

your runs down.. it's not rocket science..save those fast twitch fibres for jumping about in basketball.