For many athletes, the off-season is viewed as a time to rest and recover. The races are over, the big events are behind you, and the intense training load drops off. But what if this time could be your secret weapon for getting stronger, leaner, and more powerful than ever?
You see, there’s a big difference in having time off, and having an “off season”. Of course, we all need rest and recovery and a break from formalised training. And how long this should last will depend on you as an individual and your circumstances and where you’re headed next. But having a structured off season is of massive benefit after this little hiatus…
Why the Off-Season Is Prime for Strength Gains
Winter is the perfect opportunity to focus on strength gains, improve muscle efficiency, and refine body composition, because you can afford to spend a little more time playing and experimenting in the gym without it impacting your race specific training and prep.
During the competitive season, the focus is often on endurance and maintaining performance. That means calories, carbs, and energy are geared toward fuelling long hours of training or back-to-back race weekends. But in the off-season, things shift.
The lower training volume allows your body to recover, repair, and focus on building strength and muscle. This is the time to improve your muscle efficiency, size, and strength—but only if you’re eating to support those goals.
Many athletes mistakenly think the off-season is a time to cut back on food. “I’m training less, so I should eat less,” is a common mindset. But here’s the truth: Building muscle requires fuel. Strength gains come from not only lifting heavier but also giving your body the right nutrients to repair and grow.
People also make the mistake of thinking that training in the gym has a lower intensity factor or training stress than some of the more tangible numbers that come out of your endurance workouts. But here’s the thing; just because you can’t record it on your Garmin, doesn’t mean it wasn’t a really valuable and potentially highly loaded workout!
The Role of Nutrition in Strength Building
While strength training takes centre stage, your nutrition strategy is what will make – or break – your success during this period. Here’s why…
1. Protein for Muscle Growth
Protein is king when it comes to muscle building. Just as when you jump in the pool or onto the bike, or grab your trainers for a run, when you hop in the gym and start chucking heavy stuff about, you’re creating stress, tiny little damages and tears in your muscles which need repairing. It’s this stress and strain which triggers your body into rebuilding itself and being smart about it: “Let’s rebuild this stronger than it was before so it won’t break so easily when he/she gets back in the gym again! Clever us!” But the building blocks of this process, are protein.
Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight* to maximise muscle protein synthesis. Spreading your protein intake evenly throughout the day and making sure each snack and meal you have contains some protein (focus on a fist sized portion at every meal to start with) ensures your body has a steady stream of amino acids available for repair and growth.
*I always apply a rough macro target for protein because it tends to be the one people struggle to get enough of when trying to actively build muscle or alter body composition. But remember, nothing should be wholly numbers focused and this is just a guide based on the science we have available, to help you start thinking about how to get started on your goals! The numbers here vary hugely because the more precise figure will depend on how lean you are, what age group you’re in and what type of training you’re engaging in.
2. Carbs for Strength and Energy
Carbohydrates get a bad rap, especially if you’re somebody thinking of going a bit leaner (AND NOTE THAT NOT EVERYONE SHOULD BE DOING THAT). But if you’re serious about strength gains, you need carbs to fuel your workouts. We think of those gym workouts as not needing carbs because they don’t seem to us to be aerobic activities, but here’s the thing: If you don’t have energy stores in your muscles i.e. glycogen, then you will never realise your strength potential because you’ll never be able to fully activate that muscle! So limiting carbs is limiting your potential for strength gains!
Instead of cutting carbs, focus on timing them. Before your strength sessions, get some carbs in to power through your lifts. Post-workout, replenish glycogen stores with a mix of protein and carbs to kickstart recovery.
3. Fats for Hormonal Health
Healthy fats are often overlooked because people don’t appreciate they’re purpose and function, but they play a key role in maintaining hormonal balance, which is crucial for muscle growth and recovery. Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular, help reduce inflammation and support muscle repair. Include sources like salmon, flaxseeds, and walnuts to keep your body primed for strength gains.
Body Composition: Building Muscle Without Adding Excess Fat
One of the biggest concerns athletes have in the off-season is gaining unwanted fat. It’s a fine line to walk – consuming enough calories to build muscle without going into a massive calorie surplus that leads to fat gain.
When it comes to muscle building, you don’t need to eat in a huge surplus. A modest calorie surplus of 200–300 calories per day is typically enough to support muscle growth without adding excess body fat. This allows you to gain lean mass gradually, while keeping your body composition in check.
Tracking your macros can help ensure you’re hitting the right targets. By adjusting your intake based on how your body is responding, you can fine-tune your nutrition to maximise strength gains while minimising fat accumulation.
But at the end of the day, remember that a little fat gain during the off season could actually be GOOD FOR YOU and with the right attitude and approach to your food, it doesn’t have to be a permanent change…although many before you have actually found a little fat gain to be helpful to them as endurance athletes!
Making Nutrition Your Off-Season Advantage
The off-season is your window to grow. Whether your goal is to build muscle, increase strength, or improve body composition, your nutrition needs to be as intentional as your training.
Strength training is only half the battle – what you eat will determine how effective that training is. The athletes who thrive in the off-season are the ones who treat it as a time for progress, not pause.
So, as the temperatures drop and the race calendar clears, take a breath. Relax. And then regroup. Because after that, it’s time to level up, set new goals, and fuel your strength from the inside out. Winter isn’t for resting, it’s for quietly planning the next battle strategy…
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