If you want to get better for the upcoming season, don’t miss the opportunity presented by the off-season. This is when you must increase strength to reach your full athletic potential.
To highlight the importance of off-season strength training, consider two athletes, athlete A and athlete B. Athlete A spent his off-season playing pickup games to stay in shape, while athlete B dedicates her time to getting stronger. At the end of the summer, athlete A might be in decent shape, but athlete B will be faster, stronger and able t0 perform at a higher level.
It’s extremely important to find or create a progressive program that will enhance your athleticism during the off-season. Below is a 4-workout-per-week program that’s a great way to start getting stronger this off-season. Perform these workouts on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Each day features a main lift, with additional exercises supplementing it to increase strength. Perform grouped exercises (e.g., C1 and C2) in superset fashion.

Day 1

A) Deadlift – 3×3
B) Dumbbell Split-Squat – 3×8 each leg
C1) Glute Ham Raise – 3×15
C2) Reverse Crunch – 3×12
D) Side Plank – 3×30 seconds each side

Day 2

A) Incline Bench Press – 3×3
B1) Dumbbell Bench Press – 3×8
B2) Seated Neutral-Grip Row – 4×8
C1) Dumbbell Single-Arm Row – 3×8 each arm
C2) Prone Trap Raise – 3×12
D) Mountain Climbers – 3×15

Day 3

A) Box Squat – 8×12
B1) Single-Leg RDL – 3×12 each leg
B2) Dumbbell Reverse Lunge – 3×5 each leg
C) Dumbbell Split-Squat Holds – 3×30 seconds each leg
D) Plank – 3×30 seconds

Day 4

A) Speed Bench Press – 8×2 at 50-percent max
B1) Dumbbell Single-Arm Push Press – 4×5 each arm
B2) Chin-Ups – 4×5
C1) Close-Grip Push-Ups – 3×15
C2) Lying Dumbbell External Rotation – 3×12 each arm
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