How Sports Coaches Can Integrate Strength Training In-Season
- Liz Falk
- Aug 4
- 4 min read
Coaches, juggle a lot—tactical development, skill execution, recovery management, and team culture, all while trying to win games. So when the season starts, it’s no surprise that strength training often takes a back seat.
But here’s the truth: when strength training disappears during the season, performance slowly declines—and injury risk quietly rises. The athletes who finish the season strong are usually the ones whose strength didn’t fade by mid-season.
The good news? Strength work can fit into your in-season structure without overloading your athletes or sacrificing practice quality.
1. The In-Season Mindset Shift: From Building to Maintaining
In-season strength training isn’t about setting new personal records. It’s about preserving the strength, power, and movement quality your athletes built in the off-season.
Key idea: In-season training should support on-field performance—not compete with it.
Coach’s playbook:
1–2 strength sessions per week
Keep volume low: 2–3 sets, 3–5 reps on key lifts
Focus on intent and movement speed—not heavy loads
Prioritize quality over quantity
2. Schedule Around Your Competitive Calendar
You don’t need to lift every week on the same day. You need to lift when it makes sense.
Here’s a simple example many coaches use:
Day after competition: Light recovery-based strength (mobility, eccentrics, blood flow)
2–3 days before competition: Your main strength session of the week (moderate intensity, low volume)
Day before game: Rest or optional light primer (jumps, med balls)
The key is to build training around the sport, not the other way around.
3. Don’t Overdo It: Trim the Fat
You don’t have time for 10-exercise lifts. And your athletes don’t need that much volume to maintain.
Keep it simple, keep it sharp:
2–3 compound movements (e.g. trap bar deadlift, DB bench press, chin-ups)
Targeted joint protection (e.g. hamstring eccentrics, shoulder control, adductor work)
Optional explosive work (jumps, throws)
Skip the fluff—no burnout, no soreness that lingers into practice
4. Monitor Athlete Readiness—It Doesn’t Have to Be High-Tech
Athletes are dealing with more than just games—school, stress, sleep, nutrition. All of that impacts how they handle strength work.
Simple ways to monitor:
Quick pre-session RPE (How do you feel today? Scale of 1–10)
Ask: Are you sore? Sleep OK?
Track trends (are lifts getting slower? effort higher?)
If signs point to overload, scale back intensity or skip a session. Less can be more.
5. Collaboration Is the Competitive Edge
You don’t need to manage strength training alone—but you do need to oversee how it fits into the full performance picture.
Work with your strength coach, athletic trainer, or performance staff to:
Align strength work with tactical and technical goals
Adjust week to week based on opponent demands, travel, or fatigue
Reinforce to athletes why this training matters—because when they stay strong, they stay on the field.
6. No Weight Room? No Problem—Here’s How to Stay Strong Without It
Not every coach has consistent access to the school gym. Maybe it's booked, under-equipped, or simply not available for your time slot. That doesn’t mean you have to ditch in-season strength altogether.
Here are a few proven solutions for low-access environments:
Assign At-Home or Remote Workouts With Accountability
Give athletes a structured, low-equipment plan to complete outside of team hours. Use bodyweight strength (split squats, push-up variations, tempo work, single-leg bridges) and resistance bands. To ensure follow-through:
Require video proof (e.g. a 30-second clip or set summary)
Use a shared Google Sheet or training app for check-ins
Designate one weekly day for a required lift outside of practice
Collaborate With a Local Strength Coach or Facility
If you have no gym but have access to a local training facility, independent strength coach, or club partner, make use of them.
Build a shared training plan that aligns with your practice/game load
Set up small-group lifts 1–2x/week
Have athletes train at the facility on off-days or weekends
Encourage communication between the S&C coach and sport staff for better alignment
⚠️ Pro tip: Make sure the coach understands in-season demands. This is not the time to ramp intensity—it’s about precision, power, and preservation.
Rotate Strength "Stations" at Practice
No gym? Create strength “pods” on the field or court post-practice. Design 15–20-minute circuits using what’s available:
Sleds, bands, med balls, plyo boxes, or even bodyweight drills
Keep it explosive, not exhaustive
Make it part of the team’s weekly rhythm
Whether you have a weight room or not, the goal is the same:
Preserve the strength your athletes need to compete—and stay healthy.
With a little creativity and collaboration, you can build a system that supports performance without overloading your athletes—or your schedule.
Bonus: Sample 2x/Week Strength Schedule for In-Season Teams
Lift 1 (Primary Day – 2–3 days pre-game):
Trap bar deadlift – 3x4 @ ~75%
DB bench press – 3x6
Nordic curls – 2x5
Plank series – 2x30 sec
Finish with mobility/recovery
Lift 2 (Recovery Day – 1–2 days post-game):
Jump squats (light load) – 3x3
Landmine press – 2x6
Lateral band walks or adductor slides – 2x8
Soft tissue & mobility circuit
Both lifts done in under 45 minutes, no soreness, all benefit.
If strength fades, performance fades. If strength stays, athletes stay healthy, explosive, and ready.
In-season strength work doesn’t need to be intense or time-consuming—but it does need to be intentional. When done right, it’s one of the best tools you have to support long-term team success.
Need help designing a remote or low-equipment in-season program? I work with coaches to create custom strength plans that fit your exact environment, even without a gym. Whether it’s remote programming, collaboration with local coaches, or athlete accountability tools—I’ve got solutions. Contact me to learn more.
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