The winter break is a great time to enjoy the cold weather. However, it is essential to stay in shape as a college or high school athlete. During the winter break, you need to follow a training program that incorporates weight training for body strength with speed endurance workouts. If you don't follow winter workout regimens during the offseason, your body can go into a state called detraining.
Kbands has designed a winter break workout schedule for high school and college athletes to make them gain body strength, speed, and endurance during the offseason.
Let’s look into what you need to follow and how this winter training program is going to help.
A Brief Overview of the Winter Training Program
This program focuses on gaining overall body strength, speed, and endurance. Irrespective of the sport you play, it is going to help you.
In this program, you'll perform weight training workouts from Mondays to Fridays. Speed training workouts are combined with upper bodyweight workouts. Upper body weight training days are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Thus, you’ll engage in speed training on these three days.
Follow this winter training program, and you'll be ready to perform excellently immediately the offseason ends.
Complete Breakdown of the Winter Training Program
- Monday (Chest & Triceps)
You'll start your week by spending 45 minutes in the weight training room. The purpose of weight training is to add strength to the overall body of the athlete. On Mondays, you'll focus on upper body strength with chest and triceps workouts. This winter break workout schedule for high school and college athletes can be helpful.
1. Bar Bench (5 sets/15-12-12-8-8)
You’ll start with bench press workout. You can perform five sets by using lighter weights but with more repetitions than normal. Start the 1st set with 15 reps and then 2nd & 3rd sets with 12 reps. Finally, the 4th & 5th sets with 8 reps. You'll get upper body strength with the bench press. Your front shoulder, triceps, and arm strength will increase.
2. Cable Cross Over (4 sets/5 reps)
Next, move onto triceps workout with a cable cross. You’ll perform 4 sets of 15 reps. It will give you a good pump and improve the results of other winter workouts.
3. Incline Ham. Mach. (4sets/12 reps)
Next, you’ll perform incline dumbbell press at a 45˚ angle. It will add strength to your shoulders and upper body. You’ll repeat 4 sets of 12 repetitions.
4. Singles Palm Up (7 sets/12 reps)
Pick a dumbbell and bend down to perform kickbacks with the dumbbell. Perform seven sets of 12 repetitions with a short break of 30 seconds between each set. This workout greatly helps to work your core muscles, triceps, and shoulders. You'll also gain overall physical strength.
5. Plate Overhead Ext (2 sets/max reps)
The last upper bodyweight training for Mondays is an overhead triceps extension with a weight plate. You can pick the weight of your choice and do two sets of the maximum number of repetitions you can do. It will add strength to your triceps. Your triceps stabilize your shoulder joints by acting as an extensor of the shoulder and elbow.
After finishing your weight training winter workout for Mondays, move on to speed training. Kbands has designed a speed training program (Speed 101), which you’ll need to follow for speed endurance.
- Tuesday (Legs & Core)
1. Narrow Smith Squats (5 sets/12 reps)
The purpose of this exercise is to add strength to your legs & core in particular but it helps to gain stability and strength overall. Stand still with your legs narrowly opened and perform five sets with 12 repetitions apiece. You'll need to lift lighter weights so that you can achieve a higher frequency of reps.
2. Leg Press (5 sets/15-15-10-8-8)
Leg press will add a lot of strength to your legs. You’ll perform 5 sets of 15-15-10-8-8 reps respectively, with a little bit of extra weight. Perform leg press with resistance to improve the results of this exercise.
3. Quad Ext. (4 sets/12 reps)
Strengthening your knee joints and upper leg ligaments are very critical to gaining lower body strength as an athlete. Perform quad extensions with a resistance to improve the results. You should perform four sets with 12 repetitions.
4. Straight Leg Deadlift (5 sets/15 reps/30s rest)
To gain lower back strength and improve your power, incline running capability, and jumping perform this exercise. You’ll do 5 sets with 15 reps and 30s rest between each set.
5. Hamstring curls (2 sets/20 reps)
Keeping your hamstrings super-fit is very important for any athlete. Stronger hamstrings mean that you are less prone to injury. You can do this on any type of hamstring machine with 2 sets of 20 repetitions.
- Wednesday (Back & Bis)
1.DB Reverse Fly (5 sets/12 reps)
It will give your shoulder a good loose and increase blood flow, which will help in the remaining winter workouts. Being an athlete, you need to strengthen your shoulders and back. You’ll perform 5 sets of 12 repetitions.
2. Lat Pull down (20-15-15-8-8)
This is a great exercise for multiple joints and overall upper body strength, both front & back. Add a little more weight and perform 5 sets of 20-15-15-8-8 repetitions.
3. Lat Raise (4 sets/12 reps)
Use dumbbell for lateral raises and perform 4 sets of 12 repetitions. This will help you build broader and stronger shoulder muscles.
4. Straight Arm splits (3 sets/15 reps)
You’ll use a resistance band for this exercise to increase the flow of blood. It will add strength to your back. You can perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions in this exercise.
5. Straight Bar Row (2 sets/20 reps)
Keep a good balance while bending your back during this exercise. Try to encourage blood flow to the area. It will work out your back muscles. Keep a lighter weight and perform 2 sets of 20 repetitions.
After finishing Wednesday's upper body weight training, move to the speed training. You'll need to perform speed training following the exercises explained in Overspeed Accelerator.
- Thursday (abs)
This day is all about exercises for core strength. Engage in a good recovery session using a massage foam roller before starting any workout.
1.Hanging Leg Raise (4 sets/30 seconds)
Hang your body with a hanging bar and lift both of your legs. This should make a 90˚ angle between your core and legs by lifting your legs at chest height. It would add stability and strength to your abdominal muscles and overall core strength. You'll perform 4 rounds of 30 seconds.
2.DB Ball Crunches (6 Sets/Heavy DB to Max)
Grab a heavy dumbbell and perform crunches by supporting your back on a big-sized ball in the gym. It will work out your abdominal muscles, which make up your core. You can perform 6 sets of max repetitions. The heavier the weight, the better the results.
3. Ball Rollers (4 sets/20 reps)
Take a stability ball of medium size and perform 30 reps starting from clockwise direction and 30 reps starting from the anticlockwise direction.
4. Planks (2 sets/1 min holds)
The plank exercise is great for abdominal muscles, which make up your core strength. Perform 2 sets on each plank with a minute hold on each.>
- Friday (Bis & Tris)
Friday is going to be about power in speed as well as strengthening your biceps & triceps and overall upper body.
Start your day with speed training. You need a partner for this. Victory Ropes Power Digital Trainer provides great help for driving through resistance and gaining power in speed.
1. Palm Up Pushdown (4 sets/12 reps)
You need to strengthen your triceps. For this, triceps pushdown is great exercise. Perform 4 sets of 12 repetitions.
2. DB Overhead Ext (3 sets/12)
This exercise will help to expand your triceps. Perform overhead extensions using a dumbbell and repeat 3 sets of 12 repetitions.
3. Narrow Push-ups (4 sets/max)
This exercise will target the inner parts of your muscles and add strength to them. You can perform as many reps as possible during the 4 sets.
4. Straight Bar Curls (5 sets/12 reps)
If you want to add strength and muscle mass to your biceps and forearms, perform this exercise properly. You'll do 5 sets of 12 reps. Keep the weight lighter for more reps.
5. DB Heavy Singles (5 sets/10 reps)
Wrap up your day with heavy and strong singles. Grab a heavy dumbbell according to your strength and perform 5 sets of 12 repetitions.