5-Step Checklist For Post Game Lifts
Lifting after games can be a polarizing decision. On the one hand, your players are physically and mentally exhausted from the game. On the other hand, providing a stimulus while players are already amped up can be a better choice because you give them more time to recover for the next game.
So, what is the correct thing to do, lift or not lift? Like many things in our field, the answer depends on the context surrounding your team. The schedule, the type of athletes you have, what you have equipment access to, etc. For me, when I chose to have our team lift after a game, the following 5 considerations helped guide the decision-making.
1. Understand the Goal
Ask yourself, why am I making the team do this? You don't want to have your athletes training post-game just because you heard some other teams or players partaking, and you figured this was the right thing to do.
For our athletes, we play a 72-game season. Everyone arrives at training camp in shape and physically ready to go. This is great, but the off-season sets a foundation for 7+ months of hockey. Our goal is peak physical performance at the end of the regular season and during the playoffs.
We need to maintain and even improve muscle mass and strength over the course of the season. With a hectic schedule of games and travel, this is our focus when choosing to train following a game. With the nervous system in a compromised state, we aren't going to work on power, speed, or anything explosive.
2. Use Familiar Movements
As mentioned before, the nervous system is going to be shot following competition. This isn't the time for players to be learning new movements and figuring out what an exercise on the board means. Come in, lock in for the lift, and get on with the rest of the evening.
Other than correcting form, I shouldn't be coaching much. I like choosing movements that athletes already know and have done many times.
3. Keep the Format Consistent
I always keep the format for the post-game lifts consistent. This way, players know what to expect after the game. If I've always got 1 or 2 complexes for a total of 4-6 exercises in our training session, but then I suddenly have 4 or 5 complexes and 10-12 exercises, they aren't going to take that kindly. The following is the format I have used consistently over the past years.
- Lower Body
- Upper Body Push
- Upper Body Pull
- Accessory (Core, Groin, Hip Flexor, Shoulder Health, etc)
- Accessory (Core, Groin, Hip Flexor, Shoulder Health, etc)
Athletes will complete this circuit style to keep flow in the room as well as allow them to complete the session quicker.
4. Volume Management
Looking at the game schedule ahead as well as the difference in playing time between athletes can help guide your decision making when it comes to volume in a post-game lift.
For the format under bullet point 3, a common prescription would be 2-4 rounds. However, if we have 4+ days between games we could shift this to 3-5 rounds. If we play in two days, it could shift lower to 1-3 rounds. If we're playing a back-to-back, I don't recommend post-game lifting. Instead, I stick with a cool down that I put on the board.
For individualization, a simple check of minutes played can help determine what to prescribe an athlete. If you have access to technology, player load or TRIMP could help you get exact details on work completed in the game. Either way, more minutes or a higher load will get an athlete a lower number of sets and lower minutes/load will get an athlete more sets.
5. Give the Athletes a Voice
I think this final consideration is important because while I will have the same training session on the board for everyone, I don't want to be so stuck in my ways that I can't adjust. Athletes should feel comfortable asking questions and getting modifications when they need to.
For example, I program low reps and high load with the trap bar deadlift, but a player may feel better about themselves doing something like high rep goblet squats. Maybe an athlete picked up a small injury in the game and needs a single arm pulldown with the cable machine instead of pull-ups so that they aren't having to grip a fixed object and fight gravity.
The point is, be prepared to change on the fly. Having a couple alternatives in mind beforehand that fit in the space of your weight room can also help so you're not trying to figure things out on the spot.
Conclusion
Post-game lifting can be a controversial topic. Having good reasoning, a solid training plan, and buy-in from the athletes will help in the decision-making process for your team. When done correctly, I believe post-game training can be beneficial to team performance and injury prevention over the course of a season.
About Nate
Nathan Williams is the strength coach of the Milwaukee Admirals, The AHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators.
Website: nathanwilliamstrength.com
Instagram: @NateWilliamsSC
Twitter/X: @NateWilliamsSC
