Here
we are once again approaching the end of another year as well as the Off-Season for many! The Off-Season if used properly is one of the very best ways to improve your physique for the upcoming year, however far too many waste this valuable time. How can you have a successful Off-Season?
The Off-Season has long been regarded as a time when great gains are to be made, as it very well should be, however there are certainly some best practice principles to follow to experience the greatest progress during your Off-Season. Without getting too much into a total plan aspect – as that can be rather individual – I’d like to discuss the two common problems many encounter. Like anything else, they are about extremes.
First, by putting body weight on at all costs you not only add far too much fat, mess up your hormone profile, degrade your health, get caught in the perpetual mental swing, make it more difficult to dial in for contest shape, and just plain feel awful, but you also don’t really put on any more muscle (and often times) even less than if you kept your body composition reasonable!
We all know someone like this or may have even been this person (or are) and it can be very difficult when you get so caught up in the numbers! Remember, weight doesn’t really tell you anything specific and the exact same weight can look totally different depending on your body composition!
The second major mistake is staying too lean, or the polar opposite of the first mistake. Really the same problems can occur here, except what typically happens in this scenario is someone who is fearful of gaining any weight and ends up staying in perpetual diet mode. The danger here is not only not really making any progress, but going backwards is actually a very big reality!
In order to gain some new muscle and give our bodies a break we must relax the diet and cardio a bit and by doing this we will put ourselves in a position to make gains and be able to dial in even easier and better when it’s time!
As you can see in the previous examples, it really all comes down to extremes which cannot be pushed for long periods of time. This certainly doesn’t mean that we cannot remain in great condition all while improving or maintaining our physiques, but we must be very cognizant of the balance of it all.
This is equally important for our minds as it is for our bodies. If your goal is to add quality muscle, ease into raising your calories and lowering your overall cardio just as you eased into lowering the calories and raising your cardio (hopefully)! Don’t expect changes to happen overnight and don’t be hard on yourself. It is perfectly okay to enjoy some broader food choices if you are adhering to your plan.
Remember to write down your goals and if your goal is to gain muscle, you must remind yourself that adding the right amount of weight is crucial!
This article is by no means all-inclusive of an Off-Season Plan. It isn’t meant to be. However, what it is meant to be is a reminder when setting out on your Off-Season how you can make the most of it, no matter what your plan may be!
'Tis the season to train hard, eat good/enough, be healthy, enjoy life, and count your blessings!
“The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man.”
– Euripides
Thank You to ALL who take the time to read My Words; if they are able to help just one person, then I am that much closer to My Goal!
-Derek M. Trombetta
-Stay Strong; It’s more than Physical-
Derek is a Professional Firefighter, Fitness Coach, and Physique Athlete with a Lifetime of REAL WORLD Experience in the Fitness Industry!
For further information you can contact Derek at:
970Muscle Website: http://www.970Muscle.com
970Muscle Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/970Muscle
www.MensPhysique.com: http://www.rxmuscle.com/contributing-authors/3031-biography-of-derek-trombetta-mensphysiquecom-blogger.html
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