Due to the unfortunate pandemic COVID-19, many athletes are struggling to continue training and therefore maintain any progress made during the offseason. With that in mind, I have built a training program that can be performed at home and outside without access to any specialized equipment. As Eric Cressey and many others have already pointed out, adaptations such as strength and aerobic capacity can be maintained for about 30 days without being specifically trained, but power and high velocity adaptations require consistent exposure, roughly every 2-8 days (Issurin, 2008). Therefore, even though many athletes will not have access to heavy weights needed to train maximum force, we can spend this quarantine focusing on maintaining power and high velocity adaptions.
The goals of any at-home training during this period should be focused on exposure to high velocity movements (jumps or sprint variations if no med balls are available), movements in all planes (sagittal, frontal, and transverse), maintain mobility through dynamic drills and isometric holds, and training through a full range of motion. *Note: don’t overuse high velocity movements just because you have extra time on your hands. Two or three times per week, depending on what you’re doing, is plenty.
Below is a sample “Warm-Up” and “Day 1” that can be performed as part of an at-home program without any equipment to help maintain the hard-earned gains from this offseason.
Warm-Up
Diaphragmatic Breathing x6 breath cycles
Quadruped T-Spine Rotation x8/side
Half-Kneeling Hip Extension x8/side
90/90 w/ Hip Switch
Wall Slides w/ Lift Off x10
SLDL Walk x10/side
OH Lateral Lunge x5/side
Side-Shuffle w/ OH Reach x15yds/side
Carioca x15yds/side
A-Switch 2x15yds
Day 1
A1) Heiden w/ Stick 3×4/side
A2) Quadruped T-Spine Rotation 3×8/side
B1) Build-Ups, Reach Peak Speed by 45yds 4-6x60yds
C1) Elevated Plyo Push-Ups 4×4
C2) OH Lateral Lunge w/ Slider 3×6-8/side
D1) Hamstrings Curls w/ Slider 3×8-10
D2) Half-Kneeling Face Pulls w/ Band 3×10
E1) Dead Bugs 3×8/side
E2) Half-Kneeling External Rotation in Scapular Plane 3×10/side
This is just a sample day and is only part of a program. Other things to consider including are:
Long Duration Isometric Holds
For example:
Med Ball Throw Variations and Rotational Movements
For example:
If you have a TRX or other suspension trainer, this is a great option for upper body pulling variations.
Include both acceleration and upright or max velocity sprint drills as they address different qualities.
I hope this helps all of the athletes out there who are dealing with uncertainty about their season and training situations.
References
Issurin, V (2008) “Block Periodization: Breakthrough in Sports Training.” New York, NY: Ultimate Athlete Concepts.