Freak Fitness

No More Off-Season

As the competition season comes to an end and, for most athletes, a long and tedious off-season begins, a common question I receive is how a competitor can stay lean all year round.

Before I provide some ways to stay in reasonable condition all through the off-season, I must first declare that it’s impossible to maintain the stage-ready state for an extended period of time. As much as we all love that Saran-wrapped, dry, shredded look, for most competitors, it’s nearly impossible to hold that state beyond that final week dry-out/carb-up leading up to the show.

With that said, I see no reason why competitors can’t hold a balanced bodyweight that’s no more than approximately 10 percent above their weight one week out from competition. And then, based on their goals for the off-season—muscle gain or simply physique refinement—competitors should proceed in a strategic and specific manner from that point until pre-competition preparations begin again.

To help you stay lean all year round:

Be Consistent
To keep progressing in the off-season, the number one rule is to stay consistent with following a structured meal plan. This worked for your competition prep, so of course it’s going to work in your off-season. This means regular meal prep, eating five to seven meals a day, and making sure you’re eating enough of the right foods to achieve your goals.

Never Stop Training
I know this may sound obvious, but I’ve known too many competitors who feel that because they’re not going to be back onstage for another 12 months, they can afford to take a few months off to “recover.” These same competitors are the ones that show up year after year looking the same and leave each year wondering why everyone else got so much better. Don’t be that dumbass!

Keep Workouts Intense and Fast-Paced
Unless you need to heal a nagging injury or plan on doing a powerlifting meet in the off-season, both which require slower paced workout style, muscle and metabolism respond best to intense stimulus. The more advanced a competitor you are, the more intense your workouts must be. Don’t use the “off-season” to slow things down because all that’s going to do is slow down your progress.

Find Ways to Stay Focused
Vision boards, dairies, workout logs, being around positive and like-minded individuals, and following your bodybuilding idols on social media are just a few ways that you can stay focused on your short-term and long-term goals all through the off-season. It’s amazing how powerful it can be to get a shout-out from Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates!
Work with Your Coach in the Off-Season Too
My clients who work with me all year round make more progress year to year than those who just work with me the last 16 to 20 weeks before a competition. Working with me year round allows me to continuously monitor their progress, make adjustments on an on-going basis, and thus keep them on track all year.

In conclusion, bodybuilding isn’t just a part-time sport. It’s a year-round sport in which to become successful, you must always be on your game, always push yourself to a new level, and always want to become your ultimate best. That can’t happen by only working on it four months of the year. To become legendary, to become a freak, you have to work on it every damn day!

For more information on what it takes to have a prodctive off-season, check out THIS article!