If you have ever trained, worked with or been around competitive athletes, you know one thing about them. When it’s game time, they bring it. Full speed ahead, non-stop, balls to the wall, go go go. Because of this mentality, when athletes and coaches set up training programs, they often do it the same way, full steam ahead starting at their first training session. However, it takes a carefully constructed plan to prepare their bodies for the upcoming off-season and in-season workouts, as well as practices and the competitive season. This time period is often referred to as the General Physical Preparedness Period or GPP.

Typically, following the competitive season of any sport an athlete will take a few weeks off, and depending on post-season play, maybe more than that. This post-competition period is commonly referred to as the Active Rest period. During this time, an athlete is encouraged to do anything active that is not related to their sport, or the weight room, in any way. We don’t want them to sit on the couch for a month, but we also need to give their bodies a rest. You will commonly hear about athletes playing golf, scuba diving, surfing or going on trail hikes during this time. Nothing too strenuous, but enough to keep the blood pumping so they hold onto some level of fitness.

And that’s why it’s important to remember that athletes suffer short-term memory loss. Coming out of the Active Rest period, all they remember is what they used to be able to do. I could squat 500 lbs, I could snatch 100 kilos, my vertical jump is 40 inches, etc, etc. Yes that’s what you could, but what you can do today, after a full competitive season and a few weeks of Active Rest, are none of those things. We need to build them back up. The purpose of the GPP period is to get the athletes body prepared to get back to competition level fitness. Because if it were up to them, they would start off right where they left off, balls to the wall training, and once their competitive season rolls around, all we would have is a broken down athlete.
So following this Active Rest Period comes the GPP period. Make no mistake about it; this may be the most important training cycle of the year. If you want to be able to excel in off-season workouts and pre-season practices, as well as staying injury free, then including a GPP phase into your training is a must.

GPP will reacquaint the athletes with body weight movements, weight room exercises, as well as improve their work capacity and mental focus with a reality check of what their bodies really can do, not what they think it can do. The workouts will always begin with an extended dynamic warm up. Here’s a typical warm up I use for our GPP sessions:

Dynamic Warm Up

2 minutes Jump Rope
Body Weight Squats x10
Body Weight Good Mornings x10
Forward Lunges x10
Lateral Lunges x10 (5 each way)
Walking High Knee Pulls x10 (5 each way)
Walking But kicks with a Grab x10 (5 each way)
Glute Bridges x 10
Supine Leg Kicks x 10 (5 each way)
Seated Side leg Swings x10 (5each way)
Iron Crosses x10 (5 each way)
Fire Hydrants x 10 (5 each way)
Push Ups x 10
Groiners x 10 (5 each way)
Chain Breakers x10
Shoulder Circles x 10 (5 forward, 5 backward)
Jog 20 yards
Backpedal 20 Yards
Lateral Shuffle x 20 yards
Light skip x 20 yards
Power Skip x 20 yards

As each session has a dynamic warm up, immediately following that, each session will also have time dedicated to improving, re-acquainting, and re-mastering all the important exercises that will make up the core of your off season workouts. In general, those exercises are the Olympic lifts as well as the back squat, deadlift, military press, and bench press. It is important to keep in mind that the exercise selections should mimic the exercises that you plan on incorporating in the off-season and in-season workouts. For me, these are entirely sport dependent.

After the technique work is finished, the daily workouts will begin. I typically will have my athletes do 3 GPP sessions per week. Each session will be a total body workout. For the first 2 weeks of GPP, our total body workouts will be limited to body weight exercises. No external loading. Full ranges of motion. We will perform these exercises circuit style in big or small groups. Here are 2 examples of these workouts:

Workout 1

Workout notes: For workout 1, you will perform one set of each exercise in each group and then repeat that group for the given number of sets. After all sets of the group are completed, you will then move onto the next group and perform the exercises in the same manner.

Circuit 1
1A Chin Ups 3x8
1B Step Ups 3x8
1C Mountain Climbers 3x15 each leg

Circuit 2
2A Push Ups 3x15
2B Lunges 3x 12 each leg
2C Burpees 3x12

Circuit 3
3A Dips 3x8
3B Hip Extensions 3x15
3C Double Unders 3x10

Workout 2
For workout 2, you will perform 1 set of each exercise and then immediately start back at the first exercise with no rest. You will continue in this manner for the given number of sets.

Big Circuit (3x through)

1. Bodyweight Squats x20
2. Diamond Push Ups x10
3. Pull Ups x 8
4. Crunches x20
5. Russian Twist x 20 each side
6. Step Ups x 20 (10 each leg)
7. Lunges x20 (10 each leg)
8. Moving Back Plank x20
9. Moving Side Plank x40 (20 each side)

After 2 weeks of bodyweight exercises, we will then begin to externally load the athletes as well as introduce low-level plyometrics. For weeks 3 and 4, each week will have 1 barbell, 1 dumbbell, and 1 bodyweight workout. The barbell and dumbbell workouts will be Javorek style complexes. (A complex is a group of exercises performed one right after another with no rest between exercises, but a set rest time between each giant set. The rest period we use is 60-120 seconds, depending on the athlete and sport.) There will be little to no weight on the bar, with the emphasis being placed on technique as well as speed through the complex. I know that sounds a bit like I want to have my cake and eat it too, but the reality is that you can move through the complexes fast, with good technique if your technique work during the sessions has been going well. Here is what a full week of workouts would look like during week 3 or week 4:

Workout 1- Barbell Complex x 5 sets, 6 reps each

RDL
Bent Over Row
Hang Clean
Front Squat
Push Press

Workout 2- Dumbbell Complex (light) x 5 sets, 6 reps each
Lunge
Squat Push Press
Lateral Lunge
High Pull
Upright Row

Workout 3- Bodyweight Complex x 5 sets, 6 reps each
Pull Ups
Dips
Glute Ham
Chin Ups
Push Ups

Following week 4 it’s now time for our final phase of GPP. During weeks 5 and 6 both the dynamic warm-up as well as the technique work will stay the same. However we will now move towards more traditional, I hate to use this term but I will, bodybuilding/ hypertrophy workouts. I know what you’re thinking, bodybuilding workouts for an athlete? Relax; it’s only 2 weeks and it’s the best way to begin to introduce volume and load to the body. It’s not enough time to see any change in mass of the athlete. These workouts will begin to introduce a lot of the accessory movements you will use in your off-season and in-season programs. Pull ups, chin ups, dips, unilateral lower body movements, glute ham raises, they will all be in there and they will follow the more traditional 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps scheme. Rest times will be 60-90 second between exercises and you will finish all the sets of the exercise before moving onto the next exercise. Here are 2 examples of workouts we will perform during weeks 5 and 6:

Workout 1

DB Bench Press 3x10
Bent Over Barbell Row 3x10
DB Bulgarian Squat 3x10 each leg
Glute Ham Raise 5x5
DB Military Press 3x10
Optional Gun Show Work

Workout 2

Chin Ups 3x10 (or 30 total reps over the course of the workout if the athlete cannot perform 10 in a row)
DB Inc Bench Press 3x10
Inverted Row 3x10 (or 30 total reps over the course of the workout if the athlete cannot perform 10 in a row)
DB Walking Lunge 3x10 each leg
DB Shoulder Series (Front, Lateral, and Rear Delt Raise) 3x10 each exercise, circuit style
Optional Gun Show Work

The key to a successful GPP phase is remember that when you are training athletes you are training for specific goals and specific time periods as well as training to enhance specific qualities that will improve their performance in their given sport. That is why we move on from the GPP period with athletes, because it’s GENERAL preparation. As we get closer to the competitive season, we need to specifically prepare the body for certain things that the athlete will do or encounter in their sport.

Just a quick note: If you are not training athletes, you can manipulate the sets and reps and the load and these GPP workouts can work for anyone looking to improve general fitness.