In-Season Training

[ScooterLibby]

Tennis starts in a couple of weeks, with 3 hour practices 6 days a week, with a lot of spontaneous 2 court suicides and long runs during the practices.

I've been doing SS since April 08 (but would back off and deviate from the actual program whenever the season would get intense and I would lose weight and get a lot weaker) and my lifts from the novice program and the advanced novice program look like this:

April 08
Height: 5'10
Weight: 145

Squat: 135 3x5
Bench Press: 115 3x5
Overhead Press: 75? 3x5
Deadlift: 135 3x5
Power Clean: 95 5x3

This week:
Weight: 170
Squat: 315 1x5, 2x4 (pussed out)
Bench Press: 175 3x4 (wasnt strong enough for 5th reps)
Overhead Press: 117: 2x4, 1x4 (once again wasn't strong enough)
Deadlift: 395 1x2 (yet again)
Power Clean: 170 5x3

So my question is as follows: What should my programming look like during this upcoming season, given my age (19), level of experience (this week included my first stalls in a while), and level (/lack of) of strength? I was thinking I could keep with SS novice until the pathetic performance of this week.

I have screwed up my strength at least 4 times before because of tennis and am not trying to do that again, any help is appreciated

[Mark Rippetoe]

Why would your programming need to change during season? Is there a scheduling problem you failed to mention?

[ScooterLibby]

Why would your programming need to change during season? Is there a scheduling problem you failed to mention?



Nope, I was just wondering if I'd be able to recover workout-to-workout with all of this tennis

[spangler]

Why would your programming need to change during season? Is there a scheduling problem you failed to mention?

I hadn't asked the same question because I figure it has been answered, probably hundreds of times, and I simply hadn't spent enough time looking for the answer yet. I have wondered the same thing.

My situation isn't quite the same as the original poster, I'm 33 and have been following the novice SS program for 6 weeks now. I was glad to find a program designed for newbs since it was exactly what I needed as an athlete who has never done any lifting before in my life. Since off days are important, indeed critical, how does (in my case) a pickup soccer game or 2 hour soccer practice a few times a week fit in there? Is the answer to simply play your sport and keep lifting as best you can?

With how extensive the books are and the wealth of information on forums like this, I wouldn't have asked yet without doing more searching around. However since he asked the same question I had on my mind I thought I would chime in.

Thank you,
-Andrew

[Mark Rippetoe]

Recovery is easier accomplished by novices in general, since the ability to work hard enough to produce sufficient stress that it becomes a problem has not yet been developed. A kid in school playing tennis at the high-school level should not have problems unless he eats like a typical HS kid, i.e. shitty, and doesn't sleep enough. An older guy playing soccer at a higher level might have problems, but again this depends on training advancement, sleep, and diet, the things which contribute to recovery.

[JLascek]

I don't approve of the fact that you've done this program on and off since April of last year and only yielded a bodyweight gain of 25 pounds.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Neither do I, by the way. Dammit.