Planning the Off-Season Period: 5 Key Messages

By Marcus Svensson

The physical load of a Premiership footballer is very high taken into consideration the
training volume and number of games played. For successful teams, the fixture
demand will be even greater. For example, Liverpool FC was involved in 63
competitive matches during the 2005-2006 seasons, starting in July 2005 with the
Champions League qualifying games. In addition, the majority of players from the
team will play some part in this summer’s World Cup tournament. This example
highlights the importance of introducing a transition period where players can relax,
reduce the training volume and play no competitive matches. The off-season period,
which runs between the end of the competitive season and the start of the pre-
season training period provides a good opportunity for players to rest and recuperate
while performing maintenance training. The fitness coach should carefully plan the
off-season for the individual players in the team to ensure a good balance between
recovery and training. The aim of this article is to provide five key messages for
coaches when planning the off-season period.

Message 1: Importance of Maintaining Physical Fitness

If players have a period of complete inactivity during the off-season period, not only
will the fitness levels decline but the risk of injuries in pre-season may increase. To
illustrate how a period of inactivity can affect physical fitness, performance on a field
test of football-specific endurance was significantly reduced in Danish elite players
following three weeks of complete rest at the end of the competitive season. The
players’ fitness levels did not return to normal standard even after four weeks of
retraining. The reductions in fitness can be associated with both central
(cardiovascular) and local (metabolic and cellular) adaptations following detraining.
As a consequence, a lot of time has to be allocated at the start of the pre-season to
increase the players fitness levels to an acceptable standard. The off-season period
should therefore be seen as a transition period between two training cycles (end of
the competitive season and the start of pre-season) rather than a period of complete
rest. It is also useful to perform a fitness test such as the Yo-Yo Intermittent
Endurance or Recovery Tests at the end of the competitive season and re-test the
players at the start of pre-season to be able to monitor endurance levels in the off-
season.

Message 2: Individual Player Considerations

It is important not to assume that all members of the team needs the same type of
training programme during the off-season. Players who participate in the World Cup
this summer will have a different off-season programme compared to players not

participating in the
tournament. The fitness
coach should therefore
carefully structure a training
programme that would be
tailored for each individual
player following discussions
with other members of the
coaching staff. The aim is to
allow each player to have
sufficient mental and
physical rest while
maintaining fitness levels.

The off-season may also provide an opportunity for some players to perform extra
training focusing on specific fitness components. The aim of introducing extra training
sessions may be as a consequence of a player returning from an injury, a new
signing or a “fat burning” regime to lose weight and reduce body composition. The
extra training may be focused on developing core strength and aerobic fitness for
example. The fitness coach could organise the players in small training groups for
this purpose. For example, a player can perform a 45 min strength training session in
the morning and a 1 h aerobic training session in the afternoon four times per week.

Message 3: Training Volume and Intensity

Generally the volume and intensity of training should be reduced during the off-
season compared to the competitive season. The balance between training and
recovery must be optimal to minimise any chance of burnout or overtraining. The
players could have a period of 4-5 days following the end of the competitive season
where they rest completely to allow for physical and mental recovery before starting
any maintenance training.

At the start of the off-season, the training volume should start at 2-3 sessions each
week. The volume could then gradually increase to 4-5 days per week in the weeks
just before pre-season training. The training intensity should be predominantly
between 65-85% of peak heart rate for sessions of aerobic low- and medium
intensity. Midway and towards the end of the off-season, some formal interval training
should be incorporated in the programme. The aim of these interval sessions is to
maintain and develop aerobic fitness. For example, interval running (with or without
the ball) for 3-4 minutes repeated four times with a sufficient rest period (equal to
exercise duration) between intervals performed once each week would be sufficient
for maintaining fitness levels in addition to the other aerobic sessions. It is important
to consider that these interval sessions should not be performed at maximal intensity,
but at about 90% of maximal heart rate. The players must be educated in how to
perform interval training prior to departing for the off-season to maximise the training
effect. By performing this type of training, the gap in fitness levels between the end of
the competitive season and start of pre-season would be minimal.

Message 4: Change of Training Environment

It is important that the players can perform their training in the off-season away from
the formal setting of the training ground. From a motivational perspective it may be

easier for players to perform the training in a location of their choice. For example,
they can perform a steady continuous run along the beach, in the forest or in the
countryside. The training can easily be performed wherever their holiday location. As
mentioned previously, the players can also perform other modes of exercises such as
swimming, beach volleyball or cycling. Players should try and vary the type of
exercises they perform for motivational purposes and enjoyment. The type of activity
(other than interval running) performed is not crucial as long as the intensity and
duration of the session is sufficient for aerobic conditioning.

Message 5: Monitor Diet and Nutritional Intake

During the season, the players normally a good balance between energy expenditure
and energy intake due to the high training volume and number of matches played.
During the off-season the volume of training is reduced but the energy intake may be
not necessarily be lower, which could lead to increases in body mass and body
composition. Players must therefore ensure that both their nutritional and alcoholic
intake is sensible in the off-season. If players report back for pre-season with major
increases in body composition, they may struggle to complete training at the required
intensity. The players should be provided with nutritional guidelines for the off-season
accompanied by a nutritional diary. Any changes in body composition in the off-
season period could accurately be monitored by using a number measure of body fat
percentage.

To summarise, the off-season period should be an opportunity for players to relax,
change the training environment and be refreshed for the new season. There should
be a balance between rest and maintenance training. If players look after their
physical fitness in the off-season, they will be well-prepared for the increase in
training load in pre-season.

Further Reading

Bangsbo, J. (1994). Fitness Training in Football: A Scientific Approach. H+O Storm:
Bagsvaerd: Denmark.

Bompa, T.O. (1999). Periodisation - Theory and Methodology of Training.
Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Marcus Svensson is a part-time PhD Researcher at Liverpool John Moores
University in the area of physiology of football. He has completed a Bachelor of
Science and Football and a Masters of Research at the same institution. He is
currently working part-time as a sport scientist with the youth team at Preston
North End FC. He can be contacted at [e-mail].