April Flash Fitness

I was ready for a lean build phase.

Ready to train hard. Ready to push. Ready to feel strong again.

But right now, my body is asking for something different.

My back is hurting badly. My wrist still feels weak and injured even though the cast is off. And honestly, it has been emotionally hard.

I cried yesterday because training is not just a physical thing for me. It is part of how I manage stress, clear my mind, and feel like myself.

But this season is reminding me of something I tell my clients and athletes all the time:

The goal is not to quit when the plan changes.
The goal is to learn how to pivot.

Sometimes the strongest thing you can do is not more intensity.

Sometimes it is mobility.
Breathing.
Rehab.
Walking.
Nutrition.
Sleep.
Patience.
Getting help from the right professional.
And trusting that this is not the end of your progress.

Fitness is not a 6-week challenge.
It is not one phase.
It is not one perfect block of training.

It is a lifestyle.

And because it is a lifestyle, I do not have to panic when my body needs a different season.

I can adjust.
I can rebuild.
I can heal.
I can come back stronger and wiser.

So if you are in a frustrating season too, hear this:

You are not failing because you need to pivot.
You are learning how to keep going with wisdom.


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Let’s talk taper week… heading into game tournaments

The goal of training changes.

When an athlete is heading into a tournament, playoff, or important game week, the priority is not to build new muscle, crush volume, or chase soreness.

The priority is to show up fresh, sharp, explosive, and ready to compete.

This is where we reduce the total workload but keep the intent high.

That means:

✔️ lower volume
✔️ less fatigue
✔️ crisp movement
✔️ explosive reps
✔️ short sessions
✔️ longer rest periods
✔️ mobility and tissue prep
✔️ enough strength work to stay switched on
✔️ no random “workouts” just to feel productive

During taper weeks, we are not trying to create a new adaptation.

We are trying to reveal the adaptation we have already built.

The work was done in the weeks before.

Now the goal is to keep the nervous system sharp, keep the body feeling strong, and protect performance when it matters most.

You should leave the gym feeling better than when you walked in.

Not drained.

Not heavy.

Not sore.

Sharp. Fast. Powerful. Ready.

The goal is to perform on game day.


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In-season training doesn’t mean we step away from the gym…. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

It just means the goal of the gym changes.

When an athlete is in-season, the court or field is the priority.

That is where the highest demand is happening: practices, games, tournaments, skill work, sprinting, jumping, cutting, contact, and fatigue.

So the purpose of your gym sessions should support performance… not compete with it.

This is not the season to suddenly chase a big muscle-building block, crush tons of volume, or leave every session feeling destroyed.

In-season training should focus on:

✔️ maintaining strength
✔️ keeping power and speed sharp
✔️ training max intent without excessive fatigue
✔️ supporting joints, tendons, and tissue capacity
✔️ managing recovery
✔️ filling the gaps the sport does not cover
✔️ keeping the athlete available and performing well

We still lift.

We still move weight.

We still train with the purpose to support field training.

The goal is not to be sore for three days.

The goal is to walk out feeling sharp, strong, explosive, and ready to perform.

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PRE-SEASON TRAINING IS WHERE ATHLETES GET READY TO PERFORM.

This is the phase right before the season begins.

The goal is no longer just to build as much muscle, strength, or volume as possible.

Now the goal is to transfer what you built in the off-season into sport performance.

Pre-season training should focus on:

• Speed
• Power
• Explosiveness
• Change of direction
• Deceleration
• Conditioning for your sport
• Movement quality
• Staying strong without feeling heavy or beat up

This is where training becomes more specific.

You are still lifting.

You are still getting stronger.

But the gym work should start looking more like support for the sport rather than training that competes with the sport.

This means:

• Slightly less volume than off-season
• More speed and power work
• More jumping, landing, and deceleration
• More sprint mechanics and acceleration work
• More sport-specific conditioning
• More attention to recovery
• Strength work that maintains and sharpens what you built

Pre-season is not the time to crush your body with random hard workouts.

It is the time to prepare your body for the speed, intensity, and repeated demands of practices, games, and competition.

The athlete should feel:

Stronger.
Sharper.
Faster.
More prepared.
Not exhausted before the season even starts.

Skill work becomes a bigger priority here.

You need more time with the ball, on the field, on the court, or in your sport environment.

But the gym still matters because it helps you express your strength with speed, control, and durability.

You built the foundation in the off-season.

Now pre-season teaches your body how to use it.

Day 2: Pre-season training.

Next up: In-season training… how athletes should train when games and practices are already demanding more from the body.

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OFF-SEASON TRAINING IS WHERE ATHLETES ARE BUILT.

Not during the season.
Not 2 weeks before tryouts.
Not when the body is already tired from games and practices.

The off-season is when we build the foundation.

This is the phase where the goal is to build:

• Muscle
• Strength
• Work capacity
• Sport endurance
• Better movement quality
• More resilience for the season ahead

This is usually where training volume is higher.

More sets.
More reps.
More progressive overload.
More time spent developing the body.

The focus is building the physical qualities that help you:

• Sprint faster
• Jump higher
• Change direction better
• Handle contact
• Recover between plays
• Stay strong deeper into the season
• Reduce the risk of breaking down when the sport volume increases

Skill work still matters.

You should always keep touching your sport.

But in the off-season, the gym becomes a bigger priority because this is where we build the engine, the armor, and the strength base.

If you want to perform better in-season, you cannot wait until the season starts to train like an athlete.

You build it before the season demands it.

Day 1: Off-season training.

Next up: Pre-season training (where we start shifting from general strength into speed, power, and sport-specific readiness.)


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