Are You Over training, a perspective from Fitness Coach Yuvraj Salvi

Often, a sports player in the pursuit of improving performance does too much of “hard work” with too little “recovery. In this article I would like to share some valuable recommendations to follow divided into 3 Phases (Off season, In season, Post season). Although hiring a fitness expert will help you build a much better performance enhancing program but if you cant afford it then these recommendations are a good way to start bringing a change into your training programs.

1) Training in Off- Season:-

The first thing to remember before starting off season training is this phase prepares you for the rest of the coming season. Consider it as your foundation building process for the upcoming season. In Mumbai cricket this season starts in the month of June & ends in September. Consider these 4months as your acceleration period where you need to maximize your gym sessions. If you are in a proper workout & nutritional routine training for even 5-6 days a week would be beneficial. Increasing you overall muscle strength & size will be the primary goal in this season. A way to start would be to “read my article on 5 basic exercises” and add weights to those 5 exercises as you progress. This is also a best time to inculcate some flexibility and mobility training so that you don’t suffer from stiff muscles during matches. One last thing to include in this would be a good certified fitness expert who can help you with one-on-one sessions. Exercise duration during this phase can be longer (1hour to 1.30 hrs).

2) Training In-Season :-

This is the most important period for any sportsmen as this is the time when the player actually sees the results of training on the field. Here, its important to maintain the fitness level that has been achieved in the off-season. Therefore, training days will be less (2-3 days a week) or depending on the matches scheduled throughout the week. Training duration will also be less (45mins to 1hr) and training intensity will be high 80-90% of Maximum Aerobic Power/1 Repetition Maximum(1RM). Due to regular matches being scheduled injuries also need to be taken care of during this period. Therefore, as soon as the match day ends athlete must have good nutrition & a recovery training routine which prepares for the next game. The peak cricketing season in Mumbai would be from October to February. On field performance matters more in this season than training performance that’s the reason more mental preparation is required during matches than physical preparedness.

3) Training Post-Season :-

This is the rewarding phase for all the hard work that you had put in the previous two seasons. Consider taking off sometime from cricket (or your professional sport) and going on vacation for 1-2weeks. Spend this time to refresh yourself physically & mentally. It is not necessary to get back to training as soon as possible but consider indulging in different sport activities such as swimming, lawn tennis etc. This will keep you active and having fun at the same time. Try to keep the intensity low and avoid being foolish during this period as you have to get back to achieving greatness in sport. It is also a good time to have a full medical check-up which will help you in knowing whether you are having a nutrient deficiency or any injury that is predicted to occur.

I hope this article helps everyone reading this & if you have any questions just write me a email or text me on my social media accounts. I will be happy to help you. As the field of sports is evolving with more & more science being added to it every year it’s a need to have a sports medicine team to look after every athlete to help him excel in his/her career.