Some love it, Some hate it, But it is a necessary part of getting better as a player.
The off season is a time of for relaxing, restringing, studying, spending time with friends and family, but most importantly WORKING. Whether you are starting or the last guy on the bench, coaches will always expect to see a better product on the field when you come back to the field for day one. If your team isn’t provided with a workout packet, here are some tips:
-Stick Skills: Wall ball is always essential no matter how good your stick skills are. As a rule of thumb, players should be doing somewhere around 400 left, 400 right per week in the off season. If broken up, this shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes per day per week, or maybe 1 hour per week. Mix it up! Throw 1 handed top and bottom. Catch left, throw right. Throw, split, and catch. Throw cross-hand. Even play wall ball behind the back. There is no player at any level that cannot benefit from hitting the wall.
-Running: The easiest way to tackle what is the hardest part of the offseason for most players is to start as quickly as possible. It is way easier to stay in shape from the previous season than it is to spend time getting out of shape and have to get back into shape. Take a couple of weeks off the let your body rest, then start running a couple miles per week, however you can fit it into you schedule. What I think the most beneficial thing for a lacrosse player to do is different forms of sprints. I know they suck, trust me, but when you think about lacrosse its not really about running a marathon. It consists of quick explosive movements that you have to repeat over and over again. You want to train your body to be able to out put the same level of explosiveness every time.
-Lifting: Once players reach the high school level, they should be physically ready to get in a weight room. Make sure you’re going with a partner or teammate to help keep you safe! Rotate body parts and give your muscles time to rest and grow. Lifting a minimum of 3 times per week for at least 1 hour should be sufficient enough to make some gains in strength. Do not forget to eat the right diet! Many players fall into the trap of unhealthy lifting supplements. Without the correct diet your workouts would not be nearly as beneficial.
photo provided by: lax magazine.com
-Position Work: for your specific position it is good to consult your coach to find out what you need to work on. If your shot is slow, feet are slow, clearing is bad, or anything else, they can let you know and help you find out what to do.
Important to remember that many of the best athletes are multi-sport! Play basketball, soccer, football, wrestling or whatever else you can find to develop as an athlete. Got any extra advice? Post it below and have a great offseason!
IT’S ALL U!
-Running: The easiest way to tackle what is the hardest part of the offseason for most players is to start as quickly as possible. It is way easier to stay in shape from the previous season than it is to spend time getting out of shape and have to get back into shape. Take a couple of weeks off the let your body rest, then start running a couple miles per week, however you can fit it into you schedule. What I think the most beneficial thing for a lacrosse player to do is different forms of sprints. I know they suck, trust me, but when you think about lacrosse its not really about running a marathon. It consists of quick explosive movements that you have to repeat over and over again. You want to train your body to be able to out put the same level of explosiveness every time.
-Lifting: Once players reach the high school level, they should be physically ready to get in a weight room. Make sure you’re going with a partner or teammate to help keep you safe! Rotate body parts and give your muscles time to rest and grow. Lifting a minimum of 3 times per week for at least 1 hour should be sufficient enough to make some gains in strength. Do not forget to eat the right diet! Many players fall into the trap of unhealthy lifting supplements. Without the correct diet your workouts would not be nearly as beneficial.
photo provided by: lax magazine.com
-Position Work: for your specific position it is good to consult your coach to find out what you need to work on. If your shot is slow, feet are slow, clearing is bad, or anything else, they can let you know and help you find out what to do.
Important to remember that many of the best athletes are multi-sport! Play basketball, soccer, football, wrestling or whatever else you can find to develop as an athlete. Got any extra advice? Post it below and have a great offseason!
IT’S ALL U!