The Off-Season Isn’t a Luxury

When regular athletes slow down structured training, their cumulative fatigue decreases rapidly. Studies show that it drops sharply in the first 2 weeks and then fades more slowly over the next 2 months. This rapid decline in fatigue is precisely why you taper before competition: it allows you to eliminate fatigue while keeping most of your fitness intact.

What about fitness?

That's another story. Fitness decreases at a turtle pace compared to fatigue. Studies show that trained athletes can maintain fitness for months, even a year, without training before it disappears completely. Therefore, the slow disappearance of fitness versus fatigue means that rest seasons can be intelligently scheduled for recovery while maintaining some training.

An 8-week post-season break would be ideal for getting the best of both worlds: eliminating fatigue and keeping fitness. By then, the fatigue is almost zero, but you still have about 15-20% of last season's fitness, which sets you up nicely for the next training cycle.

If you extend the off-season too long, fitness will continue to drop and fall to around 5-10% with another 4 weeks of rest. However, each person reacts differently.

1. The Case for Sustainable Performance

Think of the off-season as a reset button to stay strong and avoid burnout.

• Physical Reset: Consistent training creates wear and tear throughout the body, from the cellular to the hormonal and musculoskeletal levels, and even impacts mental resilience. Without true rest, these small stresses accumulate, eventually leading to bigger issues. Regular downtime lets muscles, tendons, and ligaments recover and adapt, enabling you to return stronger while minimizing the risk of burnout or injury.

• Nervous System Balance: Training fires the body’s fight-or-flight mode (sympathetic nervous system). The off-season activates the relaxation response (parasympathetic system), lowering stress hormones, improving sleep, and restoring balance at physiological and psychological levels.

2. Growth Through Periodic Downtime

Taking intentional breaks doesn’t stall progress; it accelerates it:

• Supercompensation and Adaptation: Growth isn’t just about effort—it’s about rest, as our friends Brad and Steve claim in their book Peak Performance. Recovery triggers super-compensation, where your body adapts to handle more intense training. Each cycle of work and rest builds you up more robust, faster, and more resilient. After an entire season, you need a complete rest. That simple.

• Cognitive and Creative Recharge: Stepping away from the sport for a bit clears mental fatigue and boosts creativity and decision-making in and outside sports.

3. Embracing Intentional “Unbalance”

The off-season isn’t just a physical break; it’s an emotional and psychological reset, too:

• Psychological Flexibility: When you let yourself focus on other areas of life, you come back more motivated. Athletes who intentionally shift their attention to family, hobbies, or new goals often feel more fulfilled and mentally flexible. This “unbalance” prevents burnout and boosts overall life satisfaction.

• Social Connection and Emotional Health: Use this period to reconnect with loved ones. Strong social bonds are a core part of resilience. Time away from training lets you strengthen these relationships, fueling a stable foundation for the season ahead.

Putting It All Together: Structuring Your Off-Season

This is how I approach the off-season with most of my athletes:

Block 1: Active Recovery (Weeks 1-4)

Give yourself a complete break from structured training. Stick to light, enjoyable activities like nature walks, yoga, or easy bike rides. The goal is to move without pressure and feel rejuvenated after each session.

Block 2: Preparatory Work (Weeks 4-8)

Gradually reintroduce movement with purpose but keep the intensity low. How long? Well, in the 5-zone model, zone 0 to max zone 1. So way below LT1. Work on flexibility, agility, and core stability. Add in gentle drills, like balance work or agility exercises. This phase is about preparing your body for the training ahead, not pushing it.

I've done my best to simplify it, but if you want to dive deeper into all the readings I've referenced, feel free to do so. Many of them are available on the Internet, and while not all are in a straightforward, practical format, they are all very instructive.

1. Coyle, E.F., et al. (1984). Detraining and retention of adaptation in endurance athletes. Journal of Applied Physiology: Respiratory, Environmental and Exercise Physiology, 57(6), 1857-1864.

2. Becker, J. et al. (2019). Effects of Mental Fatigue on Sports Performance: A Systematic Review. Psychological Bulletin.

3. Raichlen, D.A., & Alexander, G.E. (2017). Adaptive Capacity of the Human Brain and the Benefits of Physical Exercise for Brain Health. Psychological Bulletin.

4. Le Unes, A., & Shing, L. (2018). Mental Health and Performance Benefits of Breaks for Elite Athletes. Sports Psychology Journal.

5. Beilock, S. & Carr, T.H. (2005). When High-Powered People Fail: Working Memory and ‘Choking Under Pressure’ in Math. Psychological Science, 16(2), 101-105.

6. Mujika, I., & Padilla, S. (2000). Detraining: Loss of Training-Induced Physiological and Performance Adaptations. Part I: Short term insufficient training stimulus. Sports Medicine, 30(2), 79-87.

7. Mujika, I., & Padilla, S. (2000). Detraining: Loss of Training-Induced Physiological and Performance Adaptations. Part II: Long term insufficient training stimulus. Sports Medicine, 30(3), 145-154.

8. Banister, E. W., Calvert, T. W., Savage, M. V., & Bach, T. (1975). A systems model of training for athletic performance. Australian Journal of Sports Medicine, 7, 57-61.

9. Hickson, R. C., Foster, C., Pollock, M. L., Galassi, T. M., & Rich, S. (1982). Reduced training intensities and loss of aerobic power, endurance, and cardiac growth. Journal of Applied Physiology: Respiratory, Environmental and Exercise Physiology, 53(5), 958-964.

10. Mujika, I., & Padilla, S. (2001). Cardiorespiratory and metabolic characteristics of detraining in humans. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 33(3), 413-421.

11. Fleck, S. J., & Kraemer, W. J. (2004). Designing Resistance Training Programs. Human Kinetics.

12. Morton, R. H. (1991). Modelling training and overtraining. European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, 63, 52-57.

13. Bosquet, L., Montpetit, J., Arvisais, D., & Mujika, I. (2007). Effects of tapering on performance: A meta-analysis. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(8), 1358-1365.