You Don’t Need to Redline at Training For it to Be Effective
“Your workout is our warm-up!”
“If you can walk out of here, you didn’t work hard enough!”
“I wasn’t sore enough, so the session wasn’t that good.”
“I didn’t sweat enough for it to be a good session.”
I’m sure you’ve heard these clichés thrown around in the sports world. They paint a picture that to succeed, you must push yourself to the brink every single session. But let’s break that myth. Sure, intensity has its place (it’s necessary), but is the relentless grind (excessive volume) the only path to becoming bigger, stronger, and faster? No.
As someone who’s been both athlete and coach, I’ve learned that sustainable progress isn’t just about maxing out every workout. It’s about smart training that respects your body’s limits, pushes them, while also balancing the stressors in your life. Think about it: between school, practice, games, and the whirlwind of daily life, your body and mind are already under immense pressure. Should your training sessions add to that burden for no specific reason?
Key Points to Remember:
- General preparation—whether it’s cross-training, strength work, or conditioning—can propel you to the next level without burning you out.
- Balance is crucial between pushing boundaries and respecting recovery.
- Knowledgeable coaches are invaluable. They understand the big picture of your life and athletic journey.
I’ve had countless conversations with athletes and parents grappling with injuries, fatigue, and waning motivation. It’s a common struggle, and it often stems from overloading schedules without considering the toll on the body. Take the typical week of a youth athlete:
Typical Youth Athlete Schedule:
- Monday: School Practice AM & Club Practice PM
- Tuesday: Club Practice PM
- Wednesday: School Game & Club Practice PM
- Thursday: Off
- Friday: Club Practice PM
- Saturday: Club Game – Probably long travel
- Sunday: Maybe off, Game, or Practice
Add strength training squeezed into “lighter” days, and suddenly, you’re on a treadmill of stress and exhaustion.
The Problem with Over-Specialization:
- Leads to injuries and burnout.
- Strength training isn’t just about bulking up; it builds resilience and breaks the monotony of repetitive sports-specific drills.
- Resilience through weights, but also through sprinting, change of direction and plyometrics exposure.
What Can You Do as a Parent or Athlete?
- Control your schedule and do what’s best for you.
- Remember that college coaches are looking for athletes who have physical abilities, are good people, and have some skill—they can develop you further.
- Prioritize your physical abilities, skill development, and know your sport (sport IQ). You don’t need to be on 3 different travel teams to do that.
- Find a place to practice your skills by yourself, with a parent, or with your friends.
- Play the sport at the highest level that gives you the most playing time to develop.
- Be a great teammate.
- Find a strength training group with professional coaches, not just trainers, who understand periodization, seasonality, biomechanics, and the physiology of training to perform.
The High-Low Model:
In training, we suggest that you keep your high days high and your low days low. This is known as the high-low model.
- High days: Hard practices, heavy strength training, speed training, exhausting or high-stress training, games.
- Low days: Easier conditioning work, circuit training, core work, recovery sessions.
Group these things together, and you will have a natural undulation of intensity throughout the week, allowing your body and mind to recover better.
If you have more questions or are interested in learning more about training, please reach out to us and book a No Sweat Intro with us today. We would be happy to help you sort out your training schedule for success.