There are two phases to an offseason, the transition phase and the preparation phase. The off-season encompasses both recovering from the previous season and laying the groundwork for a successful season ahead.

The transition phase is the time after the final event of the year, usually between two weeks and two months, where you finally have time to rest, spend time at home or with your family. During this time, it is important to stay fit but not continue to push your body constantly.

The preparation phase starts directly after the transition phase and leads up to the first event of the season. In this phase, the mind and the body are back in the game and ready to crush workouts in the gym and training days in preparation of the upcoming season. Training should always move from less specific to more specific as the phase moves along. The more generic training, distance runs, weight training are great to condition the body, eventually you can target specific exercises or muscles particular to your sport.

#1 It is important to start this phase slow and address any situations that were left over from last season (injuries, weaknesses or imbalances). If you suffered a broken limb or torn ligament in the prior season, it is imperative to make sure that part of the body is up to par with the rest of the body via physical therapy, stretching, chiropractic care etc. As you begin training in a linear fashion, your body will choose to make specific compensations, to help you advance in your sport – temporarily. These compensations can also cause muscles imbalances, loss of mobility or lead to larger injuries if not properly addressed before beginning training.

#2 After addressing any limitations of the body, it is great to establish or redefine your goals. You can’t feel accomplished if you don’t spend time addressing what your goals are. All it takes to achieve this is a talk with yourself. Where do you see yourself this season? What are your long-term goals? Short term? According to a study conducted by Dr. Gail Matthews at the Dominican University in California, “You are 42% more likely to achieve your goals and dreams, simply by writing them down on a regular basis.” When writing these goals, take a moment to think back to the past season and have an honest look at what held you back. Dig into it. Think about what held you back, put it on paper and decide what changes you need to make today to create a better outcome in the upcoming season.

#3 Hopefully, you’re starting to feel motivated and have an idea of what the gym or training days need to look like in order stay competitive in the upcoming months. You can train all day and all night, but if you aren’t fueling your body correctly, you’re wasting your time. You are what you eat.  If you expect your body to perform all out, and give 100%, you HAVE to nourish it and feed it what it needs to function. Ryno Power’s product line was created to support the body Before, During and After training and/or race days. Before you begin your workout, Ryno Power Motivation capsules or Gladiator pre-workout are a must!! Both options are a great source of caffeine, to get your day started, yourself motivated and to be sure of a clean workout. During your workout, run or ride, we suggest Hydration Fuel with an optional Carbo Fuel for added pure complex-carbohydrates (a great source of energy without added fats). After you have finished your training or racing it is imperative to repair your muscles and get yourself ready to crush it again tomorrow. The Ryno Power line suggests a Protein powder (commonly enjoyed with Almond Milk) that boasts 27g of protein, and/or Recovery capsules comprised of 13 BCAA’s, EAA’s, AKG’s and more! Other combinations that can be used Before or During training would be the Endurance capsules or Electrolyte capsules. The Endurance capsules helps to increase V02 (the maximum volume of oxygen that the body can deliver to the working muscle per minute), eliminates lactic acid and ultimately helps you train longer, harder and faster!

#5 If you’re following this plan correctly, by now you have your body back to full-strength, you have set your goals, created a supreme supplement regimen specific to you and are ready to continue crushing the workouts. It is time to work on the two main components of training to prepare for racing season: Endurance, Threshold output. Working on endurance is important groundwork for the rest of your regimen. The more developed the aerobic system functions, the more efficiently you can process energy. The better that energy is processed, the faster you’ll go before going anaerobic. You’ll also recover faster and gain more from higher intensity workouts. You can focus on this during the preparation phase of the off-season to leave more time for focusing on your threshold output. There are many ways to achieve it, but however you want to raise your output at lactic threshold (the intensity at which the lactic acid begins to exponentially increase), you’ll end up getting more out of yourself in the long-run. To continue to raise your threshold, leaves more opportunity to perform at an advanced rate more often.

#6 Last but not least, HAVE FUN! No matter what your off-season consists of, make sure to wake up, enjoy the day, and appreciate all that life has to offer. It’s time to dig in, and get better. You got it!!