The Muscle: Key points for players to consider in off-season

THE club campaign is winding down across the country for the majority of players but know this, February won’t be long coming around again. You must believe that your approach and application over the next few months will determine whether or not you reach your potential in 2021.

See if you can tick off this four–point checklist to keep yourself stimulated ahead of next season.

1) Recover

Given the nature of 2020’s format of games, chances are you have been thrown into a spat of games physically somewhat under prepared.

The repercussions for many would have entailed soft tissue injury. The intensity that comes with club championship, games week to week, extra time, penalties, recovery sessions, spending more time on the treatment table than kicking ball over the bar.

Before you know it you’re back at the coal face again, putting your body on the line, still thinking about that niggle you picked up three weeks ago.

Ultimately those niggles will catch up with you. So before they cause long lasting issues, use this down time in the club calendar to get your body realigned. We can all be more flexible, increase our range of mobility, and strengthen those areas of our body that have been letting us down.

Assign yourself a knowledgeable sports physio that can address and point the way for a return to a 100 per cent you.

One of the biggest issues facing the modern day GAA player is that as a society we no longer move as much as our predecessors.

The desk job has seen to that and who knows how much further we might regress now that most of us are working from home.

Stay loose, stay active and address your wounds.

2 )Identify areas to improve

Hands up if you keep a journal through the season? If you don’t do this already, I’d advise you to do so. The benefits are wide ranging for many reasons, not least identifying areas of your performance that you feel could be improved.

If your team has access to any of the online statistics packages currently available or have a format for viewing recorded games, then now is a good time to review.

Seek feedback from coaches and your peers. Do not be hesitant to ask the straight-talkers in your group as they will likely provide the most insightful feedback.

No matter what your targeted area is – whether it be physical, technical or mental – now is the time to put the foundations in for an improved you in 2021.

3) New Hobbies

I like to see players having proper down time, and that probably doesn’t get afforded to county players in the main, but it is something that most club players should be able to avail of.

If we’re working off a premise of nine months on and three months off then why not use that three months to take up an additional hobby or pastime that can assist with your aerobic maintenance.

Maybe you could get together as a team for a weekly game of five-a-side, indoor basketball, squash or swimming?

Ultimately it doesn’t have to be overly taxing and during this period it’s just as important to switch your brain off from the mental strain of “I must be here for this time” or “do you think this is going to be a running match tonight?”

In short, keep the off season on simmer and take up something you get a buzz from.

4) Stay strong

Finally, your physical conditioning is a year-round journey.

There will be phases where you drop off intensity and others where you will look to ramp it up.

Essentially there is no end. If you’re reading this column then you’re looking for continual improvements in your performance.

The off- season is a great opportunity to assess your body composition, set targets as to where you would like to be by pre-season commencement, league start and summer-time championship.

Set your programming to these three yardsticks.

Unless you’re immersed in a sports science / conditioning background then perhaps it’s best to seek out a coach that can guide you through these phases. Periodization is key.