AUTUMN. Work on any injury rehabilitation deemed necessary at the end of the season. In the gym, lift heavy for a month in November, paying attention to working with perfect technique. 3 sets of 4 heavy reps forces the motor units of the muscles to work more efficiently, giving great strength through coordination. Now in December, switch to 3 sets of 8-12 reps to use that neural strength to drive an increase in muscle mass, still trying to keep perfect technique. Use a regular yoga practice to restore flexibility and mobility to the muscles, and to open the pathways for nutrient delivery, so that your muscles can rebuild and grow for next season.
WINTER. In late December and early January, keep a weekly session of 8-12 reps to maintain muscle mass gains, but also do two weekly sessions of continuous circuit training with low loads, to build muscular endurance for the long games ahead. Keep doing yoga regularly to create a margin of safety in your functional joint mobility, and to stabilise shoulders and necks. In later January, focus again on muscle mass and strength gain, with two weekly 8-12 rep sessions and a weekly 4 rep session to maintain neural output. Start to speed up the muscle contractions in the 8-12 rep sessions through January as the season approaches, so that you can accelerate the weight from its starting position.
SPRING. You still need to include a weekly 8-12 rep session to maintain muscle mass in large power muscles and in the smaller stabilisation muscles around the joints too. At this point in the season, to leave sufficient recovery and pitch training time, prioritise squats; lunges; shoulder presses and pull-ups; upper body plyometrics and cable chop movements as key sporting exercises. Use balance equipment to demand more of your core stabiliser musculature and make sure you spend plenty time warming up for gym and pitch sessions. Pre-session stretching should be done with the ‘contract/relax’ method – stretch the muscle for 3 breaths, then contract it gently against resistance for 2 breaths, and then stretch again for 3, repeating until you see no further length development.
SUMMER. Warm up thoroughly with dynamic stretches that simulate sporting movements: lunging, squatting, bending, reaching and twisting in all directions. In July you want to maintain strength and power in the few sessions you can fit in around pitch training time so keep one weekly session of one weekly session of 3 sets of 4 heavy reps and two sessions of plyometrics. As you gain skill and agility in plyometrics, add directional changes and receiving and throwing implements mid-movement, such as medicine balls and sand bags. Warm down thoroughly too with long stretches to restore muscle length. Yoga stretches will keep your functional flexibility around the joints.
LATE SUMMER. To prevent injury in the latter stages of the season, reduce the load and speed of the gym work, completing 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps fairly slowly to develop strength-endurance and to maintain condition of the joint stabilising muscles. Take plenty of time to warm up and cool down, using yoga stretches to make your cool downs as efficient as possible in terms of maintaining overall flexibility. Use balance equipment again to destabilise the body and to demand more of the joint stabilising muscles. Kettlebell and sand bags swings are a good way to challenge your ability to control your centre of gravity while at the same time training your hip, thigh and back muscles to deal with deceleration, transition and acceleration loads that correlate closely with the demands of the sport.