Off-Season Workouts

by Sky Roberts
March 20, 2013

Not all athletes have a structured off season work out, especially during summer break. To keep your body conditioned as an athlete, or to gain muscle to keep your body healthy, here are some staple exercises to be performed in the Avila gym. All of these exercises should be performed with a spotter. While doing these exercises, you should be pushing yourself to increase your strength, though always make sure to do it safely!

Squats: While doing this exercise, it is important to keep your feet shoulder width apart. Place the barbell evenly on your shoulders and make sure you are stable. To perform the squat, bend your knees until your hamstrings are parallel to the ground. It is also very important to keep your back straight to prevent from injury. Use the down-3-up-1 rule while doing the squat, which means to make the down movement last 3 seconds, and the up to only last 1 second. This will give you the maximum effort in a squat. Begin with a warm up set, using light weights and getting your body warmed up for the exercise. Do three sets of 10 with your heaviest weight. End the exercise with a muscle endurance set—during these, you will drop your weight to half of what you used in your heavy weight sets and do 20 reps.

Deadlifts: While doing deadlifts, your feet should also be shoulder width apart. The bar will be placed on the ground right in front of you. While gripping the bar, use an over-under grip. This means one palm will face you while the other faces the opposite direction. It is also very important to keep your back straight in this exercise. Once your set position is stable, keeping your back straight, you extend your legs to the top. At the top of the deadlift, you completely straighten your back. While bringing the bar back down to the floor, make sure it is a slow and controlled movement. Begin with a warm up set, using light weights and getting your body warmed up for the exercise. Do three sets of 10 with your heaviest weight. End the exercise with a muscle endurance set—during these, you will drop your weight to half of what you used in your heavy weight sets and do 20 reps.

Barbell Bench Press: Hold the bar with your hands a little more than shoulder width apart—you want your forearms to be perpendicular to the ground. Extend your arms to press the barbell to the top, then slowly bring the bar about an inch above your chest until your humorous is parallel to the ground. Make sure the bar is coming down right under your chest for the best results. Begin with a warm up set, using light weights and getting your body warmed up for the exercise. Do three sets of 10 with your heaviest weight. End the exercise with a muscle endurance set—during these, you will drop your weight to half of what you used in your heavy weight sets and do 20 reps.

Bent Over Rows: With your feet shoulder width apart, grab the barbell and bend over to at least a 45 degree angle. Keeping your back straight, pull the bar back to your waist, making sure the bar is basically grazing up your quadriceps. Control the bar back to the beginning position to do the exercise. Begin with a warm up set, using light weights and getting your body warmed up for the exercise. Do three sets of 10 with your heaviest weight. End the exercise with a muscle endurance set—during these, you will drop your weight to half of what you used in your heavy weight sets and do 20 reps.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press: Keeping your forearms perpendicular to the ground, sit with your back straight on a bench and press the dumbbells over your head. It is important to make sure you are pressing the weight over your head—not behind or in front of it. Press the weight up and then control it back down, keeping your humorous parallel to the ground. Begin with a warm up set, using light weights and getting your body warmed up for the exercise. Do three sets of 10 with your heaviest weight. End the exercise with a muscle endurance set—during these, you will drop your weight to half of what you used in your heavy weight sets and do 20 reps.

Weighted Abs: Connect a rope to a pulley and add the desired weight. Separate the rope at the sides of your head. Squat down, seated on your heels, and bring your forehead in between your legs. At the bottom of the crunch, squeeze your abs for about two seconds until you can feel a burn. Keeping your back straight, return to the beginning position and complete the exercise. Begin with a warm up set, using light weights and getting your body warmed up for the exercise. Do three sets of 20 with your heaviest weight.