If you're too busy for in-season training...

In this entry of the Athlete Development Journal, Dr. Zach Guiser helps you train your mind, build your body, and fuel your soul, specifically addressing the athlete who thinks they are "too busy" for in-season training.

First, he tackles Training Your Mind by reframing "busyness" not as a negative, but as a necessary stressor to build work capacity. He uses the analogy of a waitress in a small town versus a busy New York City restaurant to illustrate how high-volume work eventually becomes manageable through adaptation. He explains that students who stretch themselves in high school often thrive in college because they have built a higher capacity for work .

Next, he dives into Building Your Body by analyzing the dangers of stopping training during the season. He outlines three main benefits of continuing: staying healthier (carrying your "shield"), performing better in the playoffs, and achieving better long-term progress . He cites Patriots wide receiver Matthew Slater, noting that the team was squatting 80% of their maxes during Super Bowl week. Dr. Guiser describes a graph showing that stopping training is like taking "two steps forward and one step back," whereas continuous training leads to exponential compound growth . Finally, he Fuels Your Soul with a quote from economist Thomas Sowell: "There are no solutions, only trade-offs" . He encourages listeners to accept that every choice—whether chasing excellence or choosing family time—comes with a cost, and avoiding the "what ifs" is the ultimate goal.

Everything in these newsletters, podcasts, social media, and on our website is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice for you or your athlete. Consult directly with a healthcare professional .

IN THIS EPISODE:

• 00:00 - Introduction
• 00:46 - Train Your Mind: The Waitress Analogy & Building Work Capacity
• 02:51 - Build Your Body: Why In-Season Training prevents "One Step Back"
• 04:12 - The Matthew Slater Example: Squatting Heavy on Super Bowl Week
• 05:21 - The Graph: Visualizing Long-Term Progress vs. Stagnation
• 06:29 - How to Make It Work: Individualized, Tiered, and Flexible Training
• 08:12 - Fuel Your Soul: "There Are No Solutions, Only Trade-Offs"