How to Properly Program recovery for Your Athletes

For several years I racked my brains at four different universities to find the ultimate training plan. Regardless of a specific sport, I looked for the most logical means of addressing all sportingly desirable goals:

How can all of this be tackled with limited training time, unmotivated athletes and limited resources?

Programming is more than sets and repetitions

Let's break these goals down into their basic requirements:

There must be a well-planned program that appeals to the desired qualities.
There must be an overload effect due to the applied voltage.
Time must be allowed for proper nutrition and healing to adjust to this overuse stress.
The plan must be progressive, increasing overload over time as the body adjusts to existing levels.

So far, so good. However, Recovery can throw a wrench into the job. If training isn't given as much attention as training itself, overtraining can rear its ugly head and leave you with athletes who have:

Difficulty progressing in training
Increased potential for injury
Increased risk of disease
Decreased performance in competition
Apathy towards training

in summary, a lack of adequate recovery or too much training volume destroys everything else you're trying to do.

Recovery factors to consider

Let's consider some other factors in programming to ensure proper recovery:

Educational components are typically scheduled within the five-day college-level work week.
The overload imposed must be severe enough to create stress on the system(s).
Energy is required to handle this overload and then recover from it. Many coaches forget this second part.
Athletes also have other daily commitments and are usually on their own when it comes to proper nutrition and rest (sleep) habits.

Adequate recovery from strenuous exercise does not necessarily equate to a 24-hour day or a 5-day work week. The larger the workload, the longer the recovery time required. Dig a deep hole and it will take longer to fill. Energy stores are depleted that need to be replenished; Muscle tissue becomes damaged that needs to be repaired.

When multiple adaptive responses are desired from a body (e.g., strength, endurance, speed) an even more logical planning of training loads is required. The athlete does not go into a closet at noon, pull out a new body and throw the tired one in the laundry basket. It is the same body that must cope with all the loads imposed that day until it is time to recover. There is some overlap here, as some training components address multiple qualities at once. For example, increased muscle strength can lead to improved running speed, all other factors being equal.

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Even the average Joe who sits at a desk all day needs to recover from a less than strenuous lifestyle to do this day in and day out. How much more so, your stubborn athletes?

And recovery isn't just day-to-day. How long do your athletes rest between sets? Between interval runs, flexibility exercises and speed exercises? What work-recovery ratios are required? Besides, what about two a day? Are you planning strength training and conditioning on the same day? Speed work on a leg strength day? Which to address first?

Suppose your athletes have a full body fatigue after a Monday workout. What to do on Tuesday? Complete rest? But wait, there are only three days left to accommodate more strength training, endurance running, speed training, etc. Help!

Programming tips to ensure recovery

No panic. Keep in mind that rival State U's strength and conditioning coach is dealing with the same dilemma. We know that rest days are just as important as work days and that all components of training consume energy and create a need for recovery.

Take advantage of this overlapping of training components. Performing speed and agility exercises creates fatigue (a conditioning effect). Leg strengthening exercises in the weight room indirectly support running speed and help prevent injuries.

Don't be afraid to take what the calendar gives you. It's okay (and necessary) to occasionally schedule full rest days during the training week. You give your athletes a chance to attend to their academic commitments, and a day off can generate more enthusiasm when returning to training. Use the planned school holidays (i.e. spring and mid-term breaks) to get things moving. In the off-season, you can challenge your athletes with more volume, and the net positive effects carry over into the competition season when volume needs to be reduced in preparation for game day.

Example training plans for planned recovery

I recommend a maximum training segment duration of 8-10 weeks. Below are some sample 10-week off-season training plans. broken down by stress level and recovery time. I designed two traditional and three non-traditional schedules for five days a week and one non-traditional approach for seven days a week. Strength training (ST) is any exercise in the weight room. Conditioning (Cond.) would include any interval running, flexibility exercise, or speed exercise.

Traditional Five Day Plan #1

Number of strength training units: 40 (20 each upper and lower body)
Number of conditioning sessions: 25
Total number of practice sessions: 65
Total number of rest days: 25
Ratio of actual working days to total rest days: 45:25

Traditional Five Day Plan #2

Number of strength training sessions: 30
Number of conditioning sessions: 25
Total number of practice sessions: 55
Total number of rest days: 20
Ratio of actual working days to total rest days: 50:20

Non-Traditional Five-Day Plan #1

Number of strength training sessions: 20
Number of conditioning sessions: 20
Total number of practice sessions: 40
Total number of rest days: 30
Ratio of actual working days to total rest days: 40:30

Non-Traditional Five-Day Plan #2

Number of strength training units: 30 (15 each upper and lower body)
Number of conditioning sessions: 15
Total number of practice sessions: 45
Total number of rest days: 40
Ratio of actual working days to total rest days: 30:40

Non-Traditional Five-Day Plan #3

Number of strength training sessions: 15
Number of conditioning sessions: 15
Total number of practice sessions: 30
Total number of rest days: 40
Ratio of actual working days to total rest days: 30:40

Non-traditional seven-day plan

Number of strength training sessions: 18
Number of conditioning sessions: 17
Total number of practice sessions: 35
Total number of rest days: 35
Ratio of actual working days to total rest days: 35:35

Comparison and discussion of the training plan

If 10 sessions of quality strength and conditioning training result in good progress, Imagine the results possible with the number of exposures offered in the above non-traditional training formats, especially coupled with a greater number of rest days.

For example, the 15 upper body and 15 lower body strength sessions in the second non-traditional plan are ample opportunities to induce strength gains in a single off-season period. Also, 15 workouts are more than enough to increase cardiorespiratory fitness. Note that there are 40 full rest days scheduled here to facilitate recovery from the 30 days of actual training, making this a solid training plan.

The 7-day example uses 18 total-body strength training sessions and 17 conditioning sessions coupled with 35 full days of rest. Again, a more than adequate number of training loads with plenty of built-in recovery time to allow for optimal adaptation.

Compare these with the traditional examples. In the first 40 strength sessions and 25 conditioning loads, but only 25 full rest days in the 70-day plan. Overtraining may be more likely here. Similarly – and possibly quite worse than #1 – example #2 is characterized by 30 total body strength sessions, 25 conditioning sessions, but only 20 full rest days.

More is not always better when it comes to physical training. Properly planned overloads in the weight room and on the track must be logically spaced out over a training period, along with built-in recovery days. Train your athletes hard, but also train them smart.

Featured Image: VK Studio/Shutterstock