6 Tips For The Off-Season

It’s just about off-season time! That means it’s time to focus on gaining more mass and bringing up those weak body parts. Like most things, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. In this article I will give you 6 Tips For The Off-Season that will set you up for success. Sound good? Since there’s no reason to wait, so let’s jump right in!

Off-Season Tip # 1 – Don’t Try To Stay Too Lean

There are a lot of lifters that want to gain more mass yet don’t want to lose that 6-pack. Inevitably they end up under-eating and under-gaining. You have to stick with the plan. Whenever you go on a bulking cycle, you will gain a little fat because you are taking in a consistent surplus of calories. 

With a good plan you can end your bulk and have enough time to reclaim your 6-pack in time for the beach or contest season. Not to mention, you’ll show off the gains you worked hard to build during your off-season.

Off-Season Tip # 2 – Set Goals And Track Your Progress

So you know you need to go into it not being obsessive about losing a tight 6-pack. Most likely, you will still see it (more or less) but the lines will be blurred. To make sure you don’t go overboard with your calories and gain too much fat, you have to set specific goals. The key is to monitor your progress by staying on top of how your midsection looks, tracking your daily calories and macros, tracking your workouts, and detailing your supplement intake. You can do this in a training journal or, if you prefer, use an app. 

Progressive Overload

The key to gaining offseason mass is to use the principle of progressive overload. That means consistently adding weight to the bar. You do this using the 2 x 2 rule. This rule says you should increase the weight by 10% for large muscles and 5% for the smaller muscles once you can perform 2 additional reps beyond your rep goal for your last set, for 2 workouts in a row. 

The best way to stay on top of this is to track your workouts in a journal. That way, you can easily see how well you are progressing. Not to mention, you will know how much weight to add, and when to add it. Also, you can track how you felt each workout day, as well as how specific exercises work for you.

In terms of nutrition, you will know if you’re on target by tracking your calories and macros.This should include calories, protein, sugar, fiber, total carbs, fat, and sodium. Even with an app, it can be tedious but you should never guess at your macronutrient intake. Guessing is not accuracy, it’s the easy way out. Plus, by keeping track of your supplement use you will know how well they are working.

Off-Season Tip # 3 – How Long Is Your Bulking Cycle?

Tying right into Tip # 2, you should choose the date when it’s time to end your bulking cycle. It should allow you enough time to get as lean as you would like. As noted, this is where monitoring your progress is critical. If you’ve kept your fat gain to a minimum, you won’t have to work that hard. If on the other hand you allowed yourself to gain too much fat, well, be prepared for some hard work.

When you reach this prechosen date, you’ll need to gradually change over to a cutting cycle. Begin by reducing calories by 10%. Do this every week until you are 10% above the maintenance calories you were eating before your bulk. This extra 10% allows for your new mass gains. Just like you did during your bulking cycle, monitor your progress and adjust calories accordingly. 

Next, add in cardio. If you have not been doing any cardio during your off-season, begin with 15-20 minutes at moderate intensity. Add 5-10 minutes each week. You can also increase the intensity every week. By the way, I suggest you do minimal cardio during your bulking cycle. That will help you keep your midsection tight during your off-season.

Off-Season Tip # 4 – Target Your Weak Points

The off-season is the ideal time to work on any weak points you might have. The key here is to focus on building a balanced physique. This is critical, especially if you compete. To be successful, you have to honestly assess your physique, or have someone with experience do it.  Then, understand the muscle and its function, and target that muscle relentlessly. 

Off-Season Tip # 5 – Dial In Your Nutrition

The off-season should not be an excuse to overload the calories and gain too much unwanted bodyfat. Your goal should be a moderate calorie surplus of about 500 calories above maintenance per day. I would start by multiplying your body weight by 16. This is the average starting point for anyone trying to gain mass. 

As an example, we will say you weigh 180lbs. Therefore, 180 x 16 = 2880 calories per day. Feel free to use an app for calculations, but this is an easy, fast way to do it. However, I do advise using an app to track calories and macros as desired. 

Calories

Ok, so the goal is to eat 2880 calories per day. After 2 weeks, if you haven’t gained, increase your calories by 500 every day for another 2 weeks, and do this until you start to gain. Be patient because everyone has a different metabolism, and you might need a lot of calories to gain. On the other hand, if you find you’re gaining fat, reduce your daily calories by 500. Always reduce carbohydrates, never protein. You can also add cardio 2-3 days a week, if desired.

OK, So What’s My Macronutrient Ratio?

OK, so here’s your macronutrient ratio. Go with 270 grams of protein per day, or 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight. That’s 1080 calories. Next, do the same with carbs. That’s another 1080 calories. The balance would be 80 grams of healthy fat per day, or 720 calories. Finally, I advise spreading the calories over 6-7 small meals/shakes. 

Off-Season Tip # 6 – Use These Supplements!

To help you reach your daily caloric and macros totals, I suggest a lean Gainer such as IForce Nutrition Mass Gainz. The keys to an effective Gainer are as follows: 

• Low Sugar – Avoid any Gainer with excessive sugar. Mass Gainz contains 10 grams per serving offset by 5 grams of fiber.
• Look For A Realistic Amount Of Carbohydrates – Gainers with total carbs in the 100-300 gram per serving range are ridiculous. Think in terms of a reasonable carbohydrate content. Mass Gainz provides 75 grams of total carbs per serving.
• Look For High Protein – I’ve seen Gainers with 25 grams of protein and 200+ grams of carbs per serving, with a good-sized chunk of that coming from sugar. Mass Gainz provides 40 grams of whey isolate and whey concentrate per serving. 

Of course, no supplement regimen is complete without a pre-workout. I suggest Panda Supplements First Blood. This impressive Pre features 10 grams of citrulline, 6.4 grams of beta-alanine, plenty of caffeine, and much more!

From here, I would also suggest creatine, such as AllMax Nutrition Creatine Monohydrate. I suggest the monohydrate version because it’s the original and the one that’s been heavily tested and proven effective. Next, make sure you’re covering any nutritional gaps by including a multi-vitamin in your regimen. Finally, feel free to use prohormones if you really want some serious gains. 

Summary

The off-season is all but here. As you set up your plan, use these 6 Tips to help get off to the right start and the right finish. Keep your nutrition in check, train hard using progressive overload, track everything, and don’t forget to stop by illpumpyouup.com/ and stock up on your supplements!