Q&A: Early Off-Season Training, Bulking For Athletes, Progressing Strength Movements, and Athlete Assessments

In this first "Q&A," episode of the High Performance Hoops Podcast, Julian takes some time to answer a few questions related to varying topics in strength and conditioning, nutrition, and sports performance.

Up first is a question regarding early off-season training for team-sport athletes. The listener will get an in-depth look at how they can go about training, specifically, how they can structure (sprints, plyometrics/jump training, strength work, etc.).

From there, the episode dives into the specifics of organizing strength work. From the warm-ups, to top sets, and even the back-off "lighter sets," Julian breaks down how to progress your main lifts in a given cycle, how to calculate your weights, and how to adjust from a week by week basis.

From there, Julian gives a deep dive into how an athlete should effectively put on muscle mass while improving athletic performance. Specifically, how to maximize gains while creating a calculated system of regression and progression that the athlete can take. Lastly, giving practical examples that athletes can use to track progress and make adjustments if need be.

Lastly, Julian finished up with his "8 Keys to In-Season Training." Providing recommendations/tips for in-season training for athletes, giving guidelines on how to maximize/maintain results while managing fatigue and staying flexible with your approach. To finish up the episode, you will also get a look at what goes into a full athlete assessment and how you can set up and execute each test to track improvement, and ultimately steer our program decisions.

For more information check out Julian on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/julianlocasto/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@julianlocasto?lang=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julianlocasto

COACHING/TRAINING RESOURCES:

For coaching inquiries, programs, guides, and more, check out our website: https://www.challengerstrength.com/