What does off season mean. The Off-Season: Importance, Impact, and J. Cole’s Upcoming Album

What is the importance of the off-season for athletes. How does off-season training benefit performance. What questions surround J. Cole’s new album “The Off-Season”. How does the off-season concept apply to music and sports.

Understanding the Concept of Off-Season

The term “off-season” is commonly associated with sports, but its significance extends beyond athletics. In essence, the off-season refers to a period of time when regular activities or competitions are not taking place. This concept plays a crucial role in various fields, including sports, entertainment, and even business.

For athletes, the off-season is a critical time for preparation and improvement. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not a time for complete rest or inactivity. Instead, it’s a period dedicated to enhancing physical qualities and laying the groundwork for future success.

The Vital Role of Off-Season Training for Athletes

Off-season training is fundamental to an athlete’s development and long-term success. During this period, athletes focus on building strength, power, endurance, speed, mobility, stability, and flexibility. These physical qualities are essential for enhancing performance during the competitive season.

Why is off-season training so important? The primary reason is that it allows athletes to apply more training stress without the risk of compromising competition performance. During the competitive season, the focus shifts to maintaining strength and power while avoiding excessive stress. This means that significant adaptations in physical qualities are limited during this time.

Key Benefits of Off-Season Training

• Increased muscle mass and strength
• Enhanced muscle contractile capacity (power)
• Improved fat utilization as fuel
• Greater capacity for maximal muscle contraction (speed and power)
• Increased androgen receptor sites for better muscle growth

To achieve optimal results, experts recommend that off-season training programs should last at least 10-12 weeks. This duration allows for progressive overload and adaptation, leading to significant improvements in physical qualities.

The Principle of Overload in Off-Season Training

Central to effective off-season training is the principle of overload. This concept states that for muscles to increase in size and strength, they must be forced to contract at near-maximal tensions. As muscles adapt to a particular stimulus, the intensity or volume of the training must be increased to continue promoting growth and improvement.

How does overload lead to physical improvements? When muscles are subjected to progressive overload, several adaptations occur:

1. Muscle fibers increase in size (hypertrophy)
2. The cross-sectional area of muscles expands, leading to greater contractile capacity
3. Metabolic changes occur, enhancing the body’s ability to use fat as fuel
4. Neuromuscular adaptations improve the efficiency of muscle contractions
5. Hormonal responses are optimized, promoting muscle growth and recovery

Balancing Rest and Training in the Off-Season

While the off-season emphasizes training and improvement, rest and recovery remain crucial components. Athletes must strike a balance between pushing their limits and allowing their bodies to recuperate. This balance is essential for preventing burnout, reducing the risk of injuries, and ensuring long-term athletic development.

How can athletes effectively balance rest and training during the off-season? Here are some strategies:

• Incorporate active recovery days into the training schedule
• Prioritize sleep and nutrition to support recovery
• Gradually increase training intensity and volume
• Listen to the body and adjust training as needed
• Engage in cross-training activities to prevent monotony

The Off-Season Concept in Music: J. Cole’s “The Off-Season”

Interestingly, the concept of the off-season has found its way into the music industry, as exemplified by J. Cole’s upcoming album titled “The Off-Season.” This creative use of the term raises intriguing questions about how musicians might apply off-season principles to their craft.

In the context of music, the off-season could represent a period of intense creative development, skill refinement, and preparation for future releases. Just as athletes use the off-season to build their physical capabilities, musicians might use this time to experiment with new sounds, perfect their techniques, and create a backlog of material for future releases.

Questions Surrounding J. Cole’s “The Off-Season”

• Was “The Off-Season” planned from the beginning of J. Cole’s recent project cycle?
• How does this album fit into the larger narrative of J. Cole’s career?
• What will happen to previously released singles like “The Climb Back” and “Lion King on Ice”?
• Does the album title suggest a thematic focus on preparation and growth?
• How might J. Cole’s approach to the “off-season” differ from that of athletes?

The Impact of Off-Season Work on Career Longevity

Whether in sports or music, the work done during the off-season can have a profound impact on career longevity. For athletes, proper off-season training can help prevent injuries, improve overall fitness, and extend their competitive years. Similarly, for musicians, using periods between album releases or tours for skill development and creative exploration can help maintain relevance and artistic growth.

How does off-season work contribute to career longevity? Consider these factors:

• Allows for recovery and prevention of burnout
• Provides time for addressing weaknesses or developing new skills
• Enables experimentation and innovation without immediate pressure
• Builds a foundation for sustained success over time
• Helps maintain motivation and passion for the craft

Applying Off-Season Principles Beyond Sports and Music

The concept of the off-season and its benefits can be applied to various fields beyond sports and music. In business, for example, companies might use slower periods to invest in employee training, streamline processes, or develop new products. In education, teachers could use summer breaks to enhance their skills, create new curricula, or engage in professional development.

How can individuals in different professions incorporate off-season principles into their careers? Here are some ideas:

• Set aside dedicated time for skill development and learning
• Use periods of lower workload to plan and strategize for busier times
• Engage in cross-disciplinary experiences to broaden perspectives
• Reflect on past performances and set goals for improvement
• Collaborate with peers to share knowledge and foster innovation

The Psychological Benefits of the Off-Season

Beyond the physical and skill-based advantages, the off-season offers significant psychological benefits. For athletes, it provides a mental break from the intense pressures of competition. This period allows for reflection, goal-setting, and mental preparation for the challenges ahead. Similarly, for artists like J. Cole, the off-season might offer a chance to step back from public scrutiny and reconnect with their creative motivations.

What are some key psychological benefits of the off-season? Consider these aspects:

• Reduced performance anxiety and stress
• Opportunity for mental recovery and rejuvenation
• Time to develop and refine mental strategies
• Enhanced motivation through goal-setting and visualization
• Improved work-life balance and personal growth

By recognizing and leveraging these psychological benefits, individuals can emerge from the off-season not only physically prepared but also mentally stronger and more resilient.

Strategies for Maximizing Off-Season Productivity

To truly benefit from the off-season, whether in sports, music, or any other field, it’s crucial to approach this period with intention and strategy. Simply going through the motions or taking a complete break may not yield the desired improvements. Instead, a structured approach to off-season development can lead to significant gains.

How can individuals maximize their off-season productivity? Here are some effective strategies:

1. Set clear, measurable goals for the off-season period
2. Create a structured schedule that balances work, rest, and personal time
3. Seek feedback from mentors, coaches, or peers to identify areas for improvement
4. Experiment with new techniques or approaches in a low-pressure environment
5. Document progress and reflect regularly on achievements and challenges
6. Collaborate with others in your field to share insights and motivate each other
7. Invest in education or training to expand your skill set

By implementing these strategies, individuals can transform the off-season from a period of inactivity to a crucial phase of growth and development.

The Role of Technology in Modern Off-Season Training

In today’s digital age, technology plays an increasingly important role in off-season training and development. For athletes, advanced fitness tracking devices, biomechanical analysis tools, and virtual reality training simulations can provide valuable data and enhance the effectiveness of their off-season regimens. In the music industry, artists like J. Cole might leverage digital audio workstations, online collaboration platforms, and social media to refine their craft and stay connected with their audience during the off-season.

How is technology shaping modern off-season practices? Consider these innovations:

• Wearable devices for tracking physical performance and recovery
• AI-powered training programs that adapt to individual progress
• Virtual reality environments for skill practice and scenario training
• Online platforms for remote coaching and mentorship
• Data analytics tools for identifying trends and areas for improvement

By embracing these technological advancements, individuals can gain deeper insights into their performance, optimize their training, and make the most of their off-season efforts.

The Economic Impact of the Off-Season

The concept of the off-season has significant economic implications across various industries. In sports, the off-season can affect ticket sales, merchandise revenue, and athlete contracts. For musicians like J. Cole, the period between album releases or tours can influence streaming numbers, concert ticket pre-sales, and brand partnerships.

How does the off-season impact the economy of different industries? Let’s explore some factors:

• Fluctuations in revenue for venues, teams, and supporting businesses
• Shifts in consumer spending patterns during on and off-seasons
• Investment in training facilities, equipment, and personnel for off-season development
• Marketing strategies tailored to maintain engagement during quieter periods
• Diversification of income streams to balance seasonal fluctuations

Understanding these economic dynamics can help individuals and organizations better navigate the financial aspects of the off-season and plan for long-term sustainability.

The Future of Off-Season Training and Development

As our understanding of performance optimization grows and technology continues to advance, the future of off-season training and development looks promising. We may see even more personalized and data-driven approaches to off-season work, blurring the lines between active seasons and downtime.

What might the future hold for off-season practices? Here are some potential trends:

• Integration of artificial intelligence for personalized training programs
• Increased focus on mental health and holistic well-being during off-seasons
• Virtual and augmented reality tools for immersive skill development
• Cross-industry collaboration to share best practices in off-season optimization
• Sustainable and eco-friendly approaches to off-season training and development

As these trends evolve, individuals and organizations that stay adaptable and embrace innovation will be best positioned to leverage the off-season for continued growth and success.

In conclusion, the concept of the off-season, whether in sports, music, or other fields, represents a crucial period for growth, preparation, and reflection. By understanding its importance and implementing effective strategies, individuals can transform the off-season into a powerful tool for long-term success and career longevity. As exemplified by J. Cole’s upcoming album “The Off-Season,” this concept continues to inspire and challenge us to make the most of our time, both in and out of the spotlight.

The Importance of the Off-Season –

Whether you’re a youth, recreational, or elite athlete, significant pressure is placed on competition preparation. With many athletes competing in multiple sports and for multiple teams, often, the value of a “training” off-season is lost in the performance objective. Notice the adjective used before off-season in the previous sentence, “training”. Off-season doesn’t mean sitting around doing nothing. Yes, rest is an important part of the off-season, but the focus should be preparation for the next competition season.

The main objective of the off-season is to develop physical qualities (strength, power, endurance, speed, mobility, stability, and flexibility) to enhance the next competition season. This is achieved through progressive resistance and conditioning training. Strength training is beneficial only as long as it forces the body to adapt to the stress of physical effort (1). If the stress isn’t sufficient to overload the body, then no adaptation can occur (1). During competition season, the goal of physical training is to maintain strength and power while not applying too much stress. Therefore, little to no adaptation in physical qualities occurs. During the off-season, more training stress can be applied without risking a poor competition performance.

As stated previously, in order to observe improvement in physical qualities there must be overload. This means that in order for muscle to increase in size and strength it must be forced to contract at tensions near maximal (1). This also means that as muscle responds and adapts to a particular stimulus, the stimulus must be increased (i.e. increase resistance or number of repetitions). So what happens as a result of strength training (overload) to improve physical qualities? To name a few: 1) Increased muscle mass leading to increased muscle strength. 2) Increased cross sectional area of the muscle leading to increased contractile capacity of the muscle (increased power). 3) Increased capacity to use fat as fuel.  4) Increased capacity for maximal muscle contraction (increased speed and power).  5) Increased androgen receptor sites, increasing the effectiveness of androgens in promoting muscle growth.  As you can see, a quality off-season program can increase strength, power, speed, and help with body composition. To see the best benefit, the off-season program should last at least 10-12 weeks.

So instead of joining another team, playing an additional sport, or adding another race to your schedule, you may see the greatest performance benefit from off-season training. A time to focus on improving your physical qualities and overloading your muscle in ways the competition season will not allow.

By: Lauren Higgins, M.S., CSCS, FMS

SPARC Sports Performance Coordinator

References

Brooks, G.A., Fahey, T.D., Baldwin, K.M. (2005). Exercise physiology: Human bioenergetics and its applications. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

9 burning questions we have about J.

Cole’s ‘The Off-Season’ album

At long last, fans have a release date for the next J. Cole album. On Tuesday (May 4), the North Carolina rhymer shared both the cover and the release date for The Off-Season, which is set to drop on May 14. We have a release date and cover, but the only problem is just about everything else about the project is unknown, and the logistics of the album only raise more questions.

Cole first teased The Off-Season with a semi-cryptic Instagram post he uploaded last December. In it, we see notes for The Fall-Off Era that includes his feature run, Revenge of the Dreamers III, The Off-Season, It’s a Boy and The Fall-Off. Collectively, these notes, Cole’s previous songs and his most recent album announcement ask the questions of how these pieces fit together. Now, it’s time to try to make sense of it all by asking the right ones.

Here are nine big questions we have about the upcoming album.

1. Was The Off-Season Planned From The Beginning?

Naturally, there aren’t a ton of details about The Off-Season, but at least from the outside looking in, it feels kind of like an audible. Remember, the album Cole teased on “1985 (Intro to the Fall Off)” was The Fall Off, and “The Climb Back” and “Lion King on Ice” were two songs he announced were the first two offerings from the project. If releasing The Off-Season as his KOD follow-up album was always the plan, why would he unload two singles from The Fall-Off instead? There’s a chance this is all part of Cole’s master plan, but it seems more likely that he hasn’t been sure of when and where a lot of these songs he recorded would go and, at least to some extent, he’s been making things up as he goes along.

2. What Happens to “The Climb Back” and “Lion King on Ice”?

Is Cole still planning to put “The Climb Back” and “Lion King on Ice” on The Fall Off? Considering that he’s releasing The Off-Season in about a week, it feels like it would make more sense for the only two new songs he’s dropped in the last two years to appear on his incoming album. If he waits a year or so to drop The Fall-Off, it will have been two years since he dropped the two tracks, which is a pretty long time in rap years.Then again, there’s always the chance that Cole goes Future style and releases The Off-Season and It’s a Boy — assuming it’s a musical project — right before The Fall-Off in quick succession. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be that long of a wait. These things feel like a possibility, but for now, it seems like “The Climb Back” and “Lion King on Ice” could be going the bonus track route on whatever project they’re housed on.

3. How Will the Album Be Connected to The Fall Off? Will It?

Based on the notes Cole shared on Instagram, The Off-Season is part of a trilogy with a project called It’s a Boy and The Fall Off. But, how are these projects thematically connected? Specifically speaking, with The Off-Season? His KOD song “1985 (Intro to The Fall Off)” is one that outlines the career arc of a composite SoundCloud rapper, which, in today’s landscape, can have a pretty sharp downward turn. Considering the song’s subtitle and its theme, it feels like that could be a rough indicator for The Fall-Off’s subject matter. So, the question is, how would short-lived, trendy rap careers relate to an album called The Off-Season? Is there even a connection in the first place? Chronologically speaking, if it is indeed a musical project, wouldn’t it make more sense for It’s a Boy to be more directly connected to The Fall Off? But, how could it be with its title? One question just leads to more, and that’s probably just the way Cole likes it.

4. What Will It Be About?

Generally speaking, especially over his last three full projects, J. Cole releases have a theme. 2014 Forest Hills Drive was focused on his upbringing, 4 Your Eyez Only saw him take on the persona of a drug dealer who was a loving father, and KOD is about the perils of drug use and excess. So, that leaves us with the question: What the hell is The Off-Season going to be about? There are a couple of clues.

The cover for the album sees Cole on an outdoor basketball court with an inflamed hoop behind him. When you combine that with the title — an apparent allusion to the period when athletes aren’t playing sports — there’s a clear sports theme. Previous releases like The Warm-Up and Friday Night Lights also reference sports, and there are correlations to his career. The Warm-Up was the beginning of his ascent and Friday Night Lights dealt with small-town issues and it was released a year before his debut album. So it looks like there’s a chance The Off-Season is a reference to a new or past phase in Cole’s career. It could also be a partial allusion to The Fall-Off, with the “off” part being a way to say that “this is the season someone or something will fall off.” So, many questions, so many possibilities, and Cole’s the only one with the answers.

5. Will He Talk About His Attempt to Go to the NBA?

Last summer, Cole announced his intentions to try his hand at an NBA career, a long-delayed dream he cast aside to pursue a career as a rap superstar. Needless to say, the decision paid off, but Cole still finds himself asking what if. Now, we’re asking whether he’ll rap about his hoop dreams deferred and his renewed pursuit of them. Has he been working on his jumper? Did he ever take the Detroit Pistons’ offer to let him try out for the team? Can he still dunk? The fans need answers, and there’s a chance they’ll get them on his new project.

6. Will It Have Features?

The impending release of a new Cole album means there’s a chance it will have features, which means one of the world’s longest-running internet jokes is at stake. Since he dropped his 2014 Forest Hills Drive album almost seven years ago, Cole’s made his solo projects a solitary affair, with the only guest being Kill Edward, who is actually just him with his pitch electronically altered. According to legend — and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA ) —each of Cole’s last three solo albums have gone platinum or better without features. With each release, fans would tweet about Cole’s solo accomplishments to the point it became a meme. Now, the question is, will he break his streak?

Back in 2018, Cole went on an epic guest verse streak that saw him body any and everybody on their own songs. It’s not a direct connection, but that did make it seem like he was open to doing collaborations with a lot of artists. Unfortunately, after appearing on Gang Starr’s 2019 song “Family and Loyalty,” he said that would be his last feature. Now, that’s not the same as him having guest spots on his new album, but it does feel like it could be a hint that he’s still more comfortable flying completely solo. Still, there’s a chance those 2018 hangout sessions with Drake yielded some kind of collab for the new album.

for the love of god i am begging you to please have at least one (1) feature i cannot take the “J Cole platinum with no features” discourse again https://t.co/PJ50lXV2ND

— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) May 4, 2021

7. Will Kill Edward Be On It?

Kill Edward, Cole’s alter ego based on his stepfather who left his mother years ago, first made an appearance on J. Cole’s KOD album when it dropped three years ago. On KOD, Edward is a device meant to speak on drug addiction and depression — themes addressed a lot on the album. Now, there’s a chance he’s just an album-specific character. He hasn’t been heard from since and unless The Off-Season is about drugs in any way, it feels unlikely that he’ll appear on the new album. That said, there’s still a chance he will.

8. Since This Album Is Coming Out in a Week, When Will The Fall Off Be Released?

The Off-Season is incoming, so when can we expect The Fall Off? Cole hasn’t given any information on that. The aforementioned songs “The Climb Back” and “Lion King on Ice” were announced as the first songs for The Fall Off last summer, but now, with The Off-Season and presumed project It’s a Boy set to come out before The Fall Off, it seems like we could be at least a year away from the album Cole first teased three years ago.

9. Does It’s a Boy Have Anything to Do with The Off-Season, and Is it Even a Musical Project?

When Cole shared notes with his release plans on Instagram, most people assumed that It’s a Boy is either a mixtape or a new album. But, what if it’s none of those things? Because it was slid in between The Off-Season and The Fall-Off, people took it to be part of a trilogy, but is it really connected to the other two projects? These are two questions that can’t really be wiped away after they surface. For the first one, it feels totally possible that It’s a Boy is actually some kind of film rather than any EP, mixtape or album. Remember, Cole released a short documentary for the anniversary of ROTD3 last year. The title It’s a Boy suggests that it could be about his family. Remember, Cole himself has said that he’s got two children with his wife. Maybe it’s a documentary on fatherhood? Considering the title and the seeming lack of title theme connectivity with The Off-Season and The Fall Off, it seems like there’s a good chance the project isn’t a new collection of songs. If this is the case, it’s likely not connected to those albums in any direct way.

6 Rules To Maximize Your Offseason

Whether you compete or not, the fall and winter months have long been designated the world over as the bodybuilder’s “offseason.” The term carried over from other sports like football and baseball, when athletes take time off from practices and games. But honestly, the term is a misnomer, because competitive or serious recreational bodybuilders never really stop working—we just shift our focus.

No more shredding it up for the stage or beach; it’s time to make more strategic improvements to your physique. Maybe you want more overall mass, or to improve a specific part of your body. Using your offseason properly can be the difference between continual improvements and looking the same year in and year out.

Whether you compete or not, your goal as a bodybuilder should be to make the absolute best of every time of year. To that end, here are six rules to help you take advantage of the offseason and emerge into the warmer months with a stage-ready physique.

1. Set Specific Goals and Write Them Down

Your first order of business in the offseason should be to draw up your game plan. As the saying goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” It is critical that you take the time to write down your plan so that you have a record of what you want to achieve. Otherwise, you may end up flailing about and hoping for the best, which is just like hopping in your car and driving around with no destination: You just end up wasting time and gasoline.

Think about what you want to improve about your physique. Do you want to work on one part of your body? Or maybe you want to add more overall size. If you want to add size, set a realistic goal for how much muscle you want to add over the next 4-5 months. If you’re just starting out training, you might be able to gain 10-20 pounds in five months, most of it muscle. If you’ve been training for 5-10 years or more, reel back your expectation to maybe 5 or 10 pounds.

This might not sound like much to people who’ve based their expectations on misleading before-and-after ads, but results like those aren’t realistic.

If you’ve noticed that one of your muscle groups is lagging behind the rest of your body, come up with a plan to train these weaker areas more often and with more volume and intensity. You can be extremely specific here, such as setting a goal of adding one full inch to your arms or two inches to your thighs. The more specific your goals, and the more passionate you are about achieving them, the greater your likelihood of success.

2. Don’t Fall Into the Bulking Trap

This probably should have been at the top of the list, because “bulking up” is by far the most frequently violated rule. I ought to know; I spent every offseason for about 15 years gorging on loads of bad food—along with the good stuff—while watching those ever-larger numbers tilt the scale.

However, I was kidding myself: No, my face wasn’t starting to look like a chipmunk. That jelly roll around my midriff definitely wasn’t getting bigger.

It’s easy to fall into the trap of bulking. Technically, any kind of added weight will give you more bulk. But unless you’re getting accurate body-fat tests every couple weeks or so, you can fool yourself into thinking that most of the weight you’re gaining is muscle mass, with maybe just a little bit of fat. It used to perplex me years ago when I would get heavier and heavier each bulking season but still weigh roughly the same every time I dieted down. I couldn’t figure out what happened to all that “muscle” I’d gained. I told myself I must have overdieted and lost all the weight. In reality, I had gained a little muscle mass and a lot of lard.

Arnold used to say that true bodybuilders should always be able to see their abs and serratus. That’s a great general guideline. Lee Haney told me once that he never gained more than 15-20 pounds over his contest weight—and this was a man who competed at 250 pounds.

If you compete—or just look your best—at 180 or 200 pounds, you have no business gaining 30-40 or more pounds in the offseason. If you start tilting the scales and getting those chipmunk cheeks, tighten up your diet and kick in some more cardio. It won’t hurt your muscle gains at all, and it will nip your fat accumulation in the bud.

3. Don’t Stay Too Lean

This rule doesn’t apply to many people. But I include it because I’ve known bodybuilders preoccupied with staying as close to contest condition as possible year-round.

These were not fitness models who had to be ready for a photo shoot with only a couple days’ notice. They were just men and women who craved the attention and accolades they got from being perpetually ripped, and couldn’t imagine losing their precious cuts for even a couple months. I even know one guy who had a custom license plate that said “STYRPT.” Needless to say, none of these people ever learned how to develop a better physique.

There are two very simple mathematical formulas all bodybuilders need to understand and apply: If your goal is to lose fat, take in fewer calories than you expend. If you want to gain muscle, take in more calories than you expend. Finding out how much you as an individual can play with that baseline amount of calories is where the real work starts.

4. Work on Strength

Lord knows I love eight-time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman. But his smash-hit training video The Unbelievable warped the minds of millions of bodybuilders around the world. In the video, Ronnie uses astoundingly heavy weights—the famous 800-pound squats and deadlifts, 200-pound dumbbell presses, 500-pound barbell rows, and so on. And he does it just a few weeks out from competing in the Mr. Olympia contest.

Ronnie’s video gave many bodybuilders the terrible idea that the final stage of contest prep is the ideal time to try to get stronger by pushing and pulling maximum weights. No, no, no!

When you’re getting ready to compete, you’ve lowered your carbs and calories. You’re doing a lot more cardio than usual. You’re probably exhausted from poor, fragmented sleep. And your joints feel like they’re ready to break.

Put this all together, and you have a recipe for injury. Many bodybuilders do, in fact, get hurt this way. Instead, do your heaviest lifting and push your numbers in the offseason, when your body has ample fuel and is in a far better position to recover fully and make gains.

5. Use More Intensity Techniques

This rule is closely related to the last. Intensity techniques like forced reps, dropsets, rest-pause, supersets, and giant sets are indeed powerfully effective at taking your muscles into unaccustomed zones where they have no choice but to adapt and grow.

It needs to be emphasized, however, that muscles grow only when they are able to fully recover from a given workout and the stresses you subject them to. Intensity techniques amplify that stress above and beyond typical straight sets taken to failure. Think about it: When is your body in an optimal state to recover from training? It’s when you’re eating plenty of good food and getting plenty of good rest—in other words, during the offseason.

Nevertheless, most bodybuilders continue to throw in more intensity techniques when they are dieting—when they’re eating less and sleeping less due to the deleterious effects a racing metabolism has on sleep quality. By all means, do your heavy straight sets in the offseason. But if you also like to incorporate intensity-boosting techniques, do them when your body is in the best position to profit from them.

6. Set a Date to Start Cutting

Last but not least, set a time limit on your offseason. Our bodies eventually adapt to just about anything we throw at them. But once we reach our limit, results can slow to a crawl, then grind to a halt. That’s why after dieting for more than, say, 10-12 weeks, we discover that fat loss becomes tougher and tougher to achieve.

The same principle holds true with the offseason. After a while, your body will get used to eating copious amounts of food and training heavy. You can keep banging your head against a wall and expecting a different result. But as people love to point out, that’s the definition of insanity.

Instead, put a deadline on your offseason. Use the start of a new month such as March or April to mark the end of an offseason phase and the start of a cutting phase, when you really clean up your diet and bump up the cardio. Your goal from that point on is to maintain the muscle you built over the offseason, while continuing to lose fat.

It might seem contrary to the core meaning of bodybuilding to intentionally stop focusing on gains for even a day, much less for 3-4 months. But, believe me, doing so will effectively “reset” your metabolism. Once you return to higher calories and reduce your cardio volume and intensity, your newly reset body will begin gaining once again.

None of these rules will be hard for you implement. Apply them, work hard, stay focused and motivated, and I promise you that your body will show the results next spring and summer.

J. Cole ‘The Off-Season’ Album: Everything We Know

J. Cole is back on social media. And you know what that means. It’s official: The Off-Season is on its way, we’ve finally got an album cover and – even better! – a release date.

Yesterday, the reclusive rapper took to Twitter (not before first testing whether it still works, tweeting “Is this thing on”) to post a cover image and reveal The Off-Season is coming on May 14. “Just know this was years in the making,” he tweeted alongside an image of him standing before a basketball hoop in flames.

Cole doesn’t take to social media unless it’s absolutely necessary and promo-related so we know it’s real. Rumors of a May release date had already been swirling after Dreamville artist, Bas, took to Instagram last week to tease a release date. The post, which has since been deleted, paired a photo of Cole recording in the studio with the caption “The Off-Season. pack your bags. in two weeks.”

This was the first hint from the Dreamville camp at a release date since J. Cole first shared his album rollout plan late last year.

When J. Cole takes to social media, you know it’s deliberate. So, when the rapper posted a cryptic photo to Instagram in December detailing a list of unreleased albums and teasing impending retirement, we had no reason not to believe him.

What the Dreamville boss dubbed the “Fall Off-era” seemingly involves dropping two other projects before releasing his previously-teased and highly-anticipated (and final) The Fall Off album.

Cole’s post included a trajectory of projects with some already completed entries crossed out. For instance, “Features” appeared to be done, likely referencing the tracks he has guest-starred on since his last solo album, KOD, in 2018.  Then his Dreamville compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III, which dropped last year, also appeared crossed out on the list.

These entries were followed by two as-yet-unreleased projects, The Off Season – which we should be getting any day now if Bas is to be believed – and It’s A Boy, leading up to The Fall Off. 

However, another detail that had fans scrambling was Cole’s caption, which hinted at retirement. “I still got some goals I gotta check off for’ I scram…” he wrote. Unfortunately, this isn’t news. Last year, he published an essay titled “The Audacity” in which he discussed retirement.

“… A long-term plan of becoming the best rapper I could possibly be before hanging up my jersey, leaving nothing on the table when all was said and done. The seeds for ​The Fall Off were planted …” he wrote. “The fire that was once dying out has returned, and for that I’m grateful. On my career bucket list, there remain a few more items to check off before I give myself permission to enter whatever the next chapter of my life may be. “

With The Off-Season right around the corner, we can’t help but feel a little bit anxious. If the completion of these last three projects really means Cole will retire, are we even ready for new music yet?

In-Season vs. Off-Season Training – Do’s and Dont’s

The biggest mistake I see athletes make is performing the wrong type of training at the wrong time. You may make gains, but you’re more likely to peak at the wrong time.

Use the following off-season and in-season training guides to ensure that you’re spending time on workouts that will help you perform your best in clutch situations on the field or court.

Guide to Off-Season Training

Lift heavy. This is the best time to build functional muscle, gain weight and acclimate your body and joints to carrying a heavier load.

Since you don’t have to be overly concerned about soreness and overtraining, you can push your body harder. It’s OK to work out longer (60 to 90 minutes) with higher volumes (i. e., sets & reps). You can also incorporate slow negatives (i.e., eccentric training) and isometric holds, which are extreme strength builders but are too stressful to perform during the season.

You have nothing else at stake, so work toward getting bigger and better for the season to come.

However, you can’t neglect your sport—this is the worst thing you can do. Even if you’re playing less frequently, it’s better than not playing at all, because your body will remember the motor skills and movements of the game.

Avoid too much specialty training, such as instability or isolation work. These have their place, but they should make up only a small portion of your workouts. You’ll already be challenging your body with increased volume and intensity, so you don’t need to go crazy varying your exercises.

Guide to In-Season Training

Spend more time on the field than in the weight room. Use strength training to supplement your sport-specific drills and training.

Lift weights after practice if it’s on the same day. If you have a late practice, work out on an off day or early in the morning. This will preserve your energy and your neurological responsiveness so you can still play your best.

At the start of the season, you can use heavier weights and higher training volume. But as the season progresses, you should taper your training to preserve your performance for the playoffs or important competitions. Focus more on unloaded speed work, dynamic exercises and lower training volume.

Also, the quality of your joints and connective tissue will degrade during the season. To prevent an injury, perform mobility work and foam rolling exercise regularly, and address your weak links. For example, a hockey player might strengthen his groin to prevent a muscle pull.

Read more:

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“Off” season training. what the heck does that mean? – EK Endurance Coaching

Every Fall I talk about the same thing. Over and over. Why? well, people still ask, athletes still don’t know, and every year there are new athletes, new dreams new goals and new ambitions.

  I wrote this first article many years ago. I have made some additions and updates, it needs more updates i’m sure. This is the first of 3 articles and they address what I feel is the most important time of year and the most important training you will do all year!   every year people ask my clients how they are so strong in spring and how they seem to never burn out, never get injured, and improve every single year.  the next 3 articles will get you in the right track.

It’s the “Off Season” what do I … not do?

          article one in our 3 part series.I get this question often this time of yr. “how do you NOT train?” Especially for the competitive cyclist or triathlete who has been racing all summer, sometimes every weekend, not training hard and racing all the time can feel very strange.The Off Season:First off I want to stress the word “OFF” in off season. Off means   Off! The first and most important aspect of your next season is being totally fresh and completely motivated for next season. Now is the time to start that process.
Less is better here. Catch up on work, family, and drop off the bike at the shop for a tune up. Have them check it over for cracks in the frame along with full safety check. Racing is very hard on your equipment. The key with this phase is to make sure you are 110% ready to start training come the start of your program. The under trained, over motivated athlete will beat the perfectly training under motivated athlete every time! Come the beginning of “base training” you should be itching to train. It should be all you think about, so when its 20 degrees and freezing rain, your pumped up and ready to put in a solid training effort! This is also the best time to sit down with your coach and/or teammates   to discus what your goals will be for next year. How did you perform this year? What was good? What was bad? What will have to be different with your preparation for 20, etcUpdate:

Ok some terms we need to get straight.  “Base” is not a verb. it is not an type of training. it describes a time frame. some coaches use other terms like foundation phase, etc. so just drop it from your vocab.   “Speed” is also NOT a type of training but lets say it is. speed is relative  take two athletes tell them to do “speed work” of their choice and you will see totally different workouts.  I always say “start with the science, then work in the real world, your resources, etc”  what energy zones are you    training? what are you focusing on during the training sessions? are you lactate threshold intervals? VO2 int. tempo (Zone 3) work? what? start there. if you want to call it “speed work”, fine.

Here are three easy steps for an effective off season:

1. Off time: Take an extended time of ZERO training. This will be deferent for every one. 2 weeks for some, 2 months for others. How ever much time you need to be totally rested and motivated to train again.
2. Recovery: Any lagging injury’s? Bike not working quite right for the last 2 months, been wanting to   get that nagging cough looked at. Do it!! Get a message go to the doctor, dentist, what ever you need to do to feel 110 percent physically and mentally for the next season. This is active recovery, taking   aggressive action towards healing. These are the most important aspects of off season training.
3. Maintenance training: After this you may be ready to train but your program doesn’t start for another month. What to do? Many pro’s and age groupers alike will take part in “unstructured training ”Its best to make is something different than your primary sport, try something new. It will most likely improve some skills needed in your primary sports. Just stay active, (cross training) will maintain your base fitness and, depending on your activity, can address your weakness leaving you fit, motivated and with stronger limiters than you had last year. A perfect way to start your next season!!
4. Cross Train! Go Mt. biking , running, play basket ball, tennis whatever you like and have put off  for the past summer. Working on stuff like this will help keep you injury free next year.
5. Most important have fun! Do those old training rides you did when you first started riding. Plan a trip. I have done a few long rides with friends in the fall that have proved to be lots of fun and great endurance training.

Update:

I’ll be straight up. this is a bit of a teaser. Article 2 and 3 have much more substance, mush more specific “do this” and a bigger call to action. So hang tight it’s coming next week!

9 Off-Season Marketing Strategies for Seasonal Businesses

Whether you own a food truck, a boutique guest house on the beach, an outdoor adventure shop, or a pool cleaning business, you’ve likely experienced the challenges of the dreaded “off-season.” Once the peak season ends, a slow period begins, where many businesses come to a halt. But don’t let seasonal slumps get you down. The off-season is the perfect time to concentrate on your marketing efforts.

Why off-season marketing is important to your business

Building your brand isn’t achieved overnight. Once you’ve established a name for yourself in the industry, it is important to maintain and grow your audience for future success. If you want continued success during your next peak season, an off-season marketing strategy is key for two particular reasons.

It creates top of mind awareness.

Consider brands like Coca Cola, Apple, or Rolex. One thing they all have in common is strong brand identity. This was achieved by creating a product and a brand that are captivating, inspirational, and memorable. Think about what sets your business apart from its competitors and use that as a hook in your off-season marketing strategy.

Creating this kind of memorability requires hard work and consistency. Therefore, it’s important to stay in touch with your audience, so you don’t completely drop off the map. The work you do to build your brand during the off-season keeps your company’s name in the mind of potential future customers.

It puts you ahead of the competition.

Building your brand’s image takes time, money, and hard work, so what better time to tackle a full-blown marketing strategy than in the off-season? To really understand your brand, potential customers must see your marketing everywhere.

By marketing off-season, you give yourself time to engage with your audience. You can also educate potential leads on what your company offers and what makes it better than your competitors. Once your peak season hits, you’ll have established a relationship with people who understand the benefits of your business. This puts you ahead of competitors who will wait until the peak season to reach out to their audience.

How to market your business during the off-season:

Wisely utilizing your off-season can benefit you in the long term and set your business up for success when the peak season hits. Read on to learn what you can do during the off-season to keep your business on people’s minds all year round.

1. Grow your database during the peak season.

While business is booming in the peak season, this is a good time to grow your database. Gather a list of past customers as well as potential customers who have shown interest during your peak season. Once the season ends, you can use this fresh list to engage and connect with your customers and keep your business top of mind. With your list of potential customers, use email marketing to reach out. If done correctly, your email marketing efforts can convert these new leads into customers by the time the next season hits.

Make sure your website is also up-to-date, especially if you want customers to take your business seriously. Your website needs to be well managed, while your content should display plenty of calls to action. A good tactic is to promote offers and specials that past and potential customers can redeem during the off-season. This shows that you value your customers and also gets feet through the door during those quiet months.

2. Customer reviews matter.

In today’s information age, potential customers have access to almost anything on the internet, and that includes reviews of your business. Customer reviews play an integral part in a customer’s buying journey, with many basing their decision on other people’s experiences. During peak season, gather customer reviews (in whichever way you see fit) and use this to promote your product or service. By using these reviews when they are still new, customers will have a better idea of what to expect.

Use these positive reviews on all forms of promotional material you have, including your website, social media pages and updates, your email marketing, blog posts, and more. Social media platforms like Instagram are great for posting reviews, images of customers enjoying your product or service, or any promotions throughout the off-season. By styaing active online, customers will remember your business when the time is right.

Sources: Really Good Emails

3.

Continue to create good content.

Just because it’s the off-season, does not mean your content has to suffer. You may not have time to create good quality, relevant content while business is buzzing, so use this time to get to work updating the content on your website, social media pages, email marketing, and any other promotional material. Even in the off-season, you can still create compelling content that your audience will love. This helps to add credibility to your brand, set your business up as an expert in the field, and build good relationships with your target audience.

4. Get social.

You should stay connected to your customers and leads throughout the year—not just during the peak season—and social media is one of the best and easiest ways to do it.

On top of your website, potential customers browse your social media feeds to get more information on your business, from your updates to your photos and general engagement with the audience. This means that your business should start taking social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and LinkedIn very seriously—after all, these platforms are where most customers get their information.

Use your social media platforms to engage with followers, promote special offers, show off reviews, share exciting content, run competitions, and generate hype for the next season.

Sources: Really Good Emails

5. Don’t forget email marketing.

While email marketing can be successful year-round, do so with caution during your off-season, as your recipients may not be in the mood to engage with off-season promoters. Use email marketing during this period, but not as frequently as you would during peak times. When you do send out emails to your database, be sure to deliver high-value content that piques the interest of potential customers when the season picks up again.

6. Generate hype for the peak season.

Just because your product or service is not necessarily relevant during the off-season, it doesn’t mean you can’t generate interest and excitement about your business. Generate hype around your business by delivering cool, fun, and unique content to people’s inboxes, on your website, and through social media platforms.

Combine all the previous pointers to generate the right kind of interest and excitement for things to come. Use this time to advertise early bird specials, off-season discounts, fun promotions, and more. These off-season specials put you top-of-mind to your audience and also get feet through the door during a time when you need the business the most.

Source: Really Good Emails

7. Consider the locals.

Never forget about the locals. If your business is tourist-driven, it means that you could only be targeting out-of-towners looking for a unique experience or product that only your business can provide. But what about the locals? Once the visitors leave, you will have to depend on the locals to keep things going until the peak season hits once more.

By offering special sales and discounts to locals, you expand your target audience and bring in some business after the majority of the crowds leave. In this way, you maintain a good relationship with customers who are there to support your business throughout the year.

8. Tend to your backlog.

Perhaps you have a lengthy to-do list that you haven’t had a chance to get to because business has been good. The off-season is the perfect time to tackle things you’ve been putting off. This can include cleaning up your database, revamping your website, boosting your social media profiles, and researching potential new leads. Instead of closing up shop during the off-season, use this time to improve your resources that will free your time during the busy season and boost your marketing arsenal and profits when peak season comes around.

9. Consider your niche audience.

Sometimes working with a smaller target audience is more effective for your business. Instead of targeting the masses, take the time to focus on the smaller, dedicated audience you know will come back. Trying to grab everyone’s attention can be counterproductive, as your efforts can go unnoticed. However, your niche audience will appreciate the attention if you find unique ways to generate interest and drive purchases. Engage with your niche audience to make them feel valued and they may quickly convert into regular customers.

Wrap up

Just because the season is over, does not mean your marketing has to be. By using this period to your advantage, you can build your brand while engaging with past customers and encouraging potential customers.

Key takeaways:

• The off-season may not be bringing in much business, but it is the perfect time to concentrate on your marketing efforts
• If done correctly, off-season marketing can boost your sales and profits for the next season
• Off-season marketing creates top of mind awareness and gets you ahead of the competition
• There are many considerations and avenues you can implement to develop a successful off-season marketing strategy

Email marketing is a good way to generate interest and keep your brand top of mind during the off-season. Check out this guide that lets you create your email marketing plan and build completely branded, customized emails automatically—perfect for launching your email marketing campaigns during the off-season.

90,000 What is Sutton’s “off-season” | My road to Kona

Originally from the “Home of Triathllon” blog from January 5

This is my 30th offseason, and if my experience has taught me anything, it is that “offseason” is the hardest time for coaching. work. Athletes can get nervous – arguing with the coach, counting the days, hours and minutes, until they are allowed to return to “real” work.

Due to restrictions on access to swimming pools and other sports facilities due to quarantines for many athletes, the whole of 2020 was already an off-season.However, we must admit that this period was a great opportunity for serious strength training. So is moral stability.

People often do not understand that the physical strength and fitness of athletes is the easiest part of coaching. Swimming, cycling, running faster is one thing, but being in a state of mind that you can keep in focus on a race day is a completely different skill.

Usually in the off-season our team is divided into 3 categories of athletes:

1) Athletes doing developmental work with their weakest and usually least favorite discipline.

2) Athletes who have shown weakness in training and / or racing during the year and are not yet mentally strong enough to reach the next level.

3) Athletes who have shown great courage in training and racing throughout the year, but who need to be kept from overtraining.

Make no mistake. Athletes who reach the top do so because they are fanatical about fixing their weaknesses. It takes a lot of willpower. For athletes in our team, it is often not training that is difficult, but the moral and volitional efforts necessary to adapt to a new technique, a new way of training, and then maintain the discipline in order to adhere to something that at first seems completely incompatible with everything familiar and learned earlier. …Those who develop willpower to adapt to new training conditions make a qualitative leap to the next level and see how their “weak” legs turn into “strong” ones.

It is no coincidence for me that athletes from the second group also usually complain that they need a break in the off-season to recover from a “tough year”. I don’t give it to some people because they don’t deserve it. I put them in hard training in the offseason because to be a good athlete you have to work hard.If your first wish after losing a race is to say “ I tried my best ” rather than “ How can I get better ?! ”we still have the willpower to achieve this result.

Athletes in the third group have their own set of problems, as they are terribly resentful when they are told to “rest!” or if their training is not hard enough. They like to explain to me that they need to improve in one area or another: “ This victory was average, I almost lost ” or “ You know, I was lucky in that race, I won only because of that. .. “, etc. And the most common answer of all: “ You used to always train me almost to death while everyone else was resting, so now has changed? ‘

The answer is simple. They were too weak and did not have the inner strength then to become victors. They’ve learned from hard work and self-sacrifice that champions don’t care about doing everything “perfectly,” but know that they have to do everything “at any cost” on competition day.

This is why champions rest and enjoy their off-season vacations.

Off-season training and nutrition I 5 athlete’s mistakes

After the end of the competition season, many athletes allow themselves to relax. Indeed, regardless of whether you are a performing athlete or just an amateur, if you train, gain muscle mass and dry it out, then your training process is divided into several stages: the off-season period (mass gain) and the period of work on the relief (fat burning).

Do not confuse the off-season with a good rest from training. During the off-season, the athlete must progress and prepare for the upcoming season. And during rest, he gives his body time to recover from physical and psychological stress, completely disconnecting from the usual rhythm of activities. The training process becomes easier, instead of heavy 5-6 workouts per week, you can switch to a three-day split.

Very often athletes do not distinguish between off-season and rest time, mistaking one for the other.As a result, their shape deteriorates and the results remain unchanged. To avoid this, you need to clearly analyze your training program and not make mistakes.

1. Do not modify in training

When there is still a lot of time left before competing in the competition, the thought arises that while you can do it in an easy mode and not overexert yourself with hard workouts. But this attitude to training quickly becomes a habit, and a couple of weeks before the competition, the athlete observes insufficient muscle mass or the lag of any muscle groups.

The off-season is a period of hard and intense work on your body. While gaining mass, you need to train as hard and voluminously. Each approach must be completed to the point of muscle failure.

Any single workout must be hard. If in the lesson you frankly did not finalize, then consider that you have wasted this time. There is no muscle growth without stress for the body.

2. Non-diet

Building a beautiful body directly depends on the quality of your nutrition.During the off-season, it is very important to adhere to a certain dietary regime. Don’t overload sweets and fast food. Many athletes do not progress during this period precisely because they deviate too often from a healthy diet. As a result, further fat burning or “drying” becomes an ordeal. For the same reason, athletes cannot bring their form to the required parameters and they have to resort to extreme methods of weight loss. This negatively affects the general well-being and performance of the body.

It is important to remember that muscle growth is impossible without a building material, namely protein. With a preference for simple carbohydrates and fats, many forget to consume their daily macronutrient requirement.

The off-season diet differs from the pre-competition diet primarily in the amount of carbohydrates taken, not protein, that is, during this period you can add more cereals and fruits to your diet without reducing the intake of protein.

In competitive bodybuilding, the off-season is in the summer and winter. If in winter everything is normal with appetite, then in summer it is very difficult to force yourself to eat 5-6 full meals. In this case, protein shakes and gainers come to the rescue. You shouldn’t forget about them either.

3. Insufficient recovery time

Even after a hard workout in the gym, the work on building your muscles is still ongoing.Therefore, it is necessary to give the body a sufficient amount of time to recover. Don’t oversaturate your exercise program. When you know what to expect in the evening, such as a bike ride with friends or family, you don’t have to go to the gym and do extra cardio workout. If you train too hard and often during the offseason, you are likely to get overtrained shortly before the competition. It is necessary to increase the intensity of exercise directly during the period of fat burning. It is at this time that additional aerobic and strength training is added.

Along with good nutrition, sleep is important for quality recovery. Sleep should be long so that in the morning you do not feel a breakdown. And this applies not only to competitive activities and professional athletes, but also to ordinary people.

4. No cardio training

This is a very common mistake of almost all athletes – to turn off intense cardio loads during the period of muscle gain. There is a stereotype that cyclic training can be damaging to quality growth. Many make excuses, claiming that the muscles will “crumble” from running. Only it is not so. Cardio helps to strengthen the cardiovascular system, remove excess fluid from the body and accelerate metabolism. By adding just 3-4 cardio sessions for 30 minutes, you can easily do more sets and reps during the main strength training, you will feel better and will not gain excess fat along with the mass.

However, in everything you need to know when to stop.You should not be as zealous with cardio loads and torture yourself on treadmills. This can lead to fatigue, injury, and slower growth in body volume.

5. Poor motivation

To avoid losing motivation after the next competitive season, you need to clearly formulate your goals for the upcoming recruitment in advance. Many athletes neglect this, and as a result, do not focus on the lagging muscle groups.

Periodically review your old performance photos and compare your past performance with the current one. Do not forget that your main task is to achieve the best results and present the best form in the coming season.

90,000 eating habits and behavior in Traditional Chinese Medicine – Traditional Chinese Medicine

Off-season – behavioral and nutritional features in Traditional Chinese Medicine

First, a little “math”

Offseason is the fifth season in Chinese tradition. What does this mean? In contrast to the Western tradition, the system of forming the seasons of the year in the Chinese tradition has five seasons instead of four.The fifth season is Offseason. Since 72 days are allocated for each season, we get: Winter (72 days) + Spring (72 days) + Summer (72 days) + Autumn (72 days) = 288 days or 366-72-72-72-72 = 78 days remains in each year for one, fifth season. True, the season is calculated not from 78 days, but from 72 days. Why so, I will not disassemble this today, but I suggest that those who wish to study the Chinese calendar in detail by reading a wonderful book on this topic. So, we have 72 days in the Offseason. Since there are four main seasons, each Offseason is eighteen days between seasons 72/4 = 18.

To correctly calculate the start date of the Offseason, you need to do the following. Take the start date of any season, for example, 2013 Summer starts on May 5th. Putting back 18 days and finding that the Off-season between Spring and Summer starts on April 17th. Why is that?

Let me quote from one of the sites dedicated to Chinese medicine:

“In Zhang Zhi Bing’s” Classics of Categories “(1624) it is said:” The spleen belongs to the element Earth, to which the Center belongs, whose influence manifests itself for 18 days at the end of each of the four seasons, and he himself does not belong to any season. “
In Discourse on the Records from the Golden Palace, Zhang Zhong Jing said: “At the end of each season the Spleen is strong enough to withstand pathogens and therefore in the cycle of seasons the element Earth corresponds to the late stage of each season.”
Although the element Earth is often associated with “late summer” or “Indian summer” (the Chinese consider it the fifth season), it also corresponds to “late winter” and “late spring” and “late autumn”.

Those who study Chinese tradition know that each season has its own governing element.The off-season is governed by the Earth * element, and therefore lifestyle, behavior and nutrition are associated with the organs for which the Earth element is responsible. This is the system of organs of the Stomach and Spleen, or in another way the system of meridians of the Stomach and Spleen.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this season, which is responsible for the Spleen system, is very important. The reason is that the Stomach and Lungs are responsible for replenishing the postnatal Qi of the human body. And the Spleen for immunity.If the Spleen or Lungs do not work well, then the person cannot adequately replenish the expended energy and, sooner or later, gets sick. Therefore, the strengthening of the Spleen and Stomach is so important in Chinese medicine.

The off-season is a unique time when you can significantly improve and strengthen your health if you follow a few simple rules.

By the way, the rules of behavior, nutrition and lifestyle are the same for all periods of the Off-season, that is, for the periods between spring-summer, summer-autumn, autumn-winter and winter-spring.

The only exception is the Off-season between summer and autumn. It is worth considering that this is the season for fruits and vegetables. Therefore, if you are doing well with digestion, you should not deny yourself fresh fruits and vegetables, despite the recommendation to eat mostly cooked food in the Off-season. Therefore, the off-season between summer and autumn is a small exception to the general rule.

So, what should be done to strengthen the Spleen during this period?

Off-season nutritional features

1. There is less.This is the most important rule.
2. Do not eat in the evening. That is, after 19.00.
3. Eat more cereals and sugary root vegetables. Up to three times a day.
4. Do not eat raw, dry, sour foods. That is, all food must be thermally processed.
5. The off-season sauerkraut and pickles period ends. The only exception to this is lemon. It strengthens the Stomach.
6. Drink less fluids.
7. Do not eat cold food. That is, the food should be warm.
8. Reduce or eliminate the use of dairy foods.
9. Those who cannot live without it can fry or cook Adyghe cheese or mozzarella in the Off-season. Or make such dishes as cheesecakes and casseroles from fresh cottage cheese.
10. Do not drink chicory or coffee. But it is very useful to drink a decoction of dates. It can be prepared in this way: put 2 – 3 dates in water and cook for 15 – 20 minutes. Drink water. Eat dates.
11. Honey is possible. But it is best to choose cold varieties, such as acacia honey or sweet clover honey.
12. Dried apricots and figs should not be eaten during this period.
13. Cedar nuts are recommended in the off-season.
14. This season’s tea is black pu-erh.
15. Since the spleen loves sweet foods, it is a good idea to add moderate sugar to each meal.
16. Of the fruits, sweet apples are the most suitable for the season. If raw (apples are the only exception here), then no more than one apple per day.
17. From drinks it is recommended to drink dried fruit compote.
18. Beans can be eaten every day, but not more than one tablespoon.

It is important to know that the Spleen fundamentally “loves” three types of food:

1. Cereals . The main grains of the spleen are millet, buckwheat and pearl barley. Moreover, during this period, cereals are not only possible, but even very useful to eat 3 times a day. Hercules is not good for the spleen. Rice by its properties is neutral in this season.
2. Sweet root vegetables : potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, cooked onions.Pumpkin is also very useful.
3. Meat and meat products . Especially from meat products, the following are recommended during the off-season: beef and beef-based broths. Quail eggs.

Off-season spices

Green cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh ginger. Crush and add to food when cooking. This is the order in terms of the usefulness of the spice for the Spleen.

Features of behavior in the Off-season

1. You have to walk a lot.It is advisable to walk at least seven kilometers per day. Why is it important? The fact is that the Spleen system is strengthened through strengthening the legs. Therefore, long walks are especially indicated in this season.
2. Do any exercise from yoga, qigong and other wellness systems to strengthen the legs.
3. The spleen is very fond of music. Therefore, listening to good music is especially useful in the off-season. It is not for nothing that one of the rules of Ayurvedic nutrition is to listen to harmonious, beautiful music while eating.
4. Physically, do not overwork. It is also not useful to overwork mentally. The fact is that the Spleen is always weakened with strong mental and physical exertion. And there are 4 periods of 18 days a year – Off-season, when you need to take care of yourself a little so that you feel great the rest of the time!

And in conclusion, as an illustration, I would like to give you a quote from the ancient medical “Treatise on the inner Yellow Emperor Huang Di”:

“The middle generates moisture.Moisture gives rise to the element of soil, soil gives rise to sweetness, sweetness gives rise to the spleen. The spleen gives rise to muscles, and muscles give rise to lungs. The spleen controls the mouth. At the heavenly level, it is moisture. On earth, this is the element of the soil. In the human body, these are muscles. Among the organs of the zang is the spleen. Among the flowers, it is yellow. Among the sounds is the sound of the gunas. Among the voice modulations is singing. Among the movement disorders is hiccups. Among the openings of the body is the mouth. Among the flavors, it is sweet taste. Among the emotional aspirations is thoughtfulness.Thoughtfulness destroys the spleen. Irritation overcomes thoughtfulness. Moisture destroys muscles. Wind beats moisture. “

Good health and excellent mood!

* Reflection of the name Off-season we find in one of the diagrams explaining the U-Xing system.

U-Xing is a system of interconversion, influence, enhancement and suppression of the five main Primary Elements of the Chinese tradition: Fire (Summer), Metal (Autumn), Water (Winter), Wood (Spring), Earth (Off-season).In this diagram, all Primary Elements form a cross. The earth is in the center and equidistant from each of the elements. That’s really true Between the seasons! Therefore, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the path to the health of any human organ lies through strengthening the Stomach and Spleen, since they represent the Earth element in our body and are responsible for filling the qi and human immunity. This is the root of understanding the restoration of health: at the beginning of each correct treatment approach is strengthening the Stomach and Spleen, and only then the treatment procedures associated with the main symptoms….

Compiled on the basis of the seminars of A.Yu. Dvoryanchikov.

Author: Ilya Liventsev

90,000 Messi has changed his mind about leaving Barcelona this offseason

Barcelona captain Lionel Messi will most likely officially announce that he will not leave the club in the current transfer window and will remain in the team for another season, until the expiration of his contract with the blue garnet. This is due to the fact that the Catalans flatly refuse to negotiate a possible transfer of the Argentine.

The saga of Lionel Messi’s departure from Barcelona this offseason was undoubtedly the main event in the football market, but did not last too long.

Events developed rapidly. The Argentine striker, the club’s record-breaking goalscorer in its history, did not make public statements about his retirement, but at first there were persistent rumors about his desire to leave before the new season, and then it became known that

Leo notified the club via bureaux, the official document flow resource in Spanish football, that he would like to leave the team.

The decision to leave Barcelona, ​​where he spent the entire professional and part of his youth career, Messi, according to insiders, was finally made after the defeat to Bayern in the Champions League quarterfinals with a score of 2: 8. This was the last straw, but there were much more prerequisites. Among them – the dismissal in winter of head coach Ernesto Valverde, as well as dissatisfaction with the transfer and internal policies of the club. The footballer has lost respect for the president of the Catalans, Josep Bartomeu, and the Barsagate scandal only contributed to that.

Recall that in the winter it turned out that the company I3 Ventures, working in the field of IT services, hired by the club allegedly to monitor publications about blue garnet, wrote posts in support of Bartomeu through its social media accounts and at the same time spoke negatively about the most authoritative players of the team: Gerard Pique, Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Messi himself.

At the same time, the club paid € 1 million for the services, although the real cost of such services on the market does not exceed € 100 thousand.Moreover, Bartomeu split the payment into six contracts with tranches of less than € 200,000, which allowed him to proceed with the deal without board approval.

Bartomeu himself denied all the allegations, saying that I3 Ventures showed inappropriate initiative and excessive zeal, and the audit conducted by PWC did not reveal any violations, but right now the Spanish police are interested in this case and may file formal corruption charges against the President of Barça. Curiously, the news that Messi will nevertheless remain at the club for the coming season followed those in which it was said about the ongoing investigation into Bartomeu.

In the end, Messi was simply disappointed in the sports project that the blue garnet now have, and does not believe that the club will be able to win the Champions League in the coming years. At 33, he finds it impossible to wait.

In the player’s contract, valid until next summer, there is a clause on the possibility of leaving in the offseason without any compensation, and, having sent a notification by bureaux, the Argentine considered himself free of obligations.

Therefore, Leo did not show up for the team’s mandatory medical testing in the offseason or for the first training sessions.

Only Bartomeu, who has said more than once that Messi, who has done so much for Barça, will be able to leave the club at any time he wants, when it came down to it, flatly refused to even consider the possibility of the player leaving for less than a compensation amount equal to € 700 million The thing is that there is a clause on free care, but it was in effect only until June 10. This year, all plans were confused by the coronavirus, and Messi decided that not only the end of the season was postponed, but also the duration of the exit option, but the club was hooked on the date.The truth is on the side of Barcelona, ​​because in Spanish law, when it comes to contracts, there is a binding to a specific date, not a specific event, that is, the end of the season after the end of the Champions League.

It is still difficult to imagine what the outcome of the case would have been if it had gone to court, but the footballer’s side wanted to resolve the issue peacefully through negotiations, for which his father and agent Jorge Messi flew to Barcelona. He met with Bartomeu, but if the President of Barça discussed the extension of the contract, then Messi Sr. is only leaving this summer.He even told the press at the end of the meeting that his son would not stay at the club.

All these days, the media reported on a substantive interest in the striker from the French Paris Saint-Germain and the English Manchester City. The terms of the future contract and the willingness to pay € 100 million as the player’s transfer price were also named.

But at the same time, there was news in the press that neither the one nor the other club was ready to pay. In any case, rumors surfaced on September 3 that Leo had changed his mind and was ready to stay at Barcelona for another season.Already on September 4, this was confirmed by his father. It seems that the statement is ready that the Argentine will remain in the team for the season, as he considers it wrong to sue his native club, and then he will leave as a free agent. In this development of events, Barcelona will not receive a cent for the player. The club still hopes that in March, when the presidential elections are held and the leadership changes, the new top managers will have the resources to convince Messi to renew the contract.

Reuters even published news that Messi had made a statement, but deleted it a few minutes later, reporting an error.

In any case, the denouement is close and it remains to wait for the real statement of Lionel, who, by the way, during all this time has not uttered a single word for the media, still remaining in the shadows, but without leaving the team chat … The last turn in the case lies in the response of Jorge Messi to the Spanish La Liga, which officially supported the position of Barcelona, ​​clarifying that the player’s contract with the club is valid, and the compensation is equal to € 700 million.

Messi Sr. wrote a letter to La Liga addressed to its president, Javier Tebas, stating that he made an “obvious mistake” as the € 700 million compensation amount has not been valid since the end of last season if Lionel decides to leave the club.

“We do not know which contract they analyzed and on what basis they conclude that the ransom amount is valid. The € 700 million part of the La Liga statement is a mistake ”,

– said in a statement released by Messi Sr. in the media.

La Liga immediately posted a response stating that the compensation is still valid. Which side knows best the terms of the player’s contract remains a mystery.

One way or another, Barcelona are not ready to part with Messi either for € 700 million, or for a compromise amount, which, according to rumors, potential contenders for the Argentine were trying to bargain for.

Travel.ru: “Off-season is the best reason for a budget vacation”

– What should you do if the vacation falls in February or March?

– During this off-season period, travelers have a good opportunity to visit famous cities and exotic countries without unnecessary fuss and for very reasonable money. Hotel prices are falling and airlines are offering large discounts on air travel. As for Europe, this is one of the best periods for educational tourism in European countries.

– During this period, many prefer not to travel far outside the country and travel around Russia. What advice would you give them?

– This year, the most “top” destination is, undoubtedly, the Olympic Sochi. St. Petersburg is not far behind in popularity, as well as the “homeland” of the Snow Maiden – Kostroma. Thus, weekend trips to Kostroma are in great demand among parents with children. On April 4 and 5 in Kostroma there will be a holiday “Fairy Tale in an Envelope” dedicated to the birthday of the Kostroma Snow Maiden.

For example, you can give your loved ones a visit to St. Petersburg on Valentine’s Day – February 14. Even a small vacation in the Northern capital will leave an indelible impression on you and your loved ones for years to come. Every year on February 23, the Day of the Defender of the Fatherland is celebrated on the Palace Square. On this day, everyone can learn the drill step, the rules of a bayonet attack, and talk to representatives of military history clubs. In the evening, all men are congratulated with a festive concert by a Russian pop star.Those who are closer to the foreign stage can be recommended to come to St. Petersburg on March 7th to attend a concert of the British cult band Depeche Mode.

The largest and most significant sporting event of 2014 is the XXII Winter Olympic Games, which will take place in Sochi from 7 to 23 February. If you are a fan of sports, then a trip to the Olympics, undoubtedly, should take place at least once in your life.

– Many tourists, preferring to save money, choose the off-season for traveling in Europe.Can you suggest an option for those who want a good but inexpensive vacation?

– According to Oktogo.ru bookings, the top 10 most popular European countries this season include Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Czech Republic, Estonia, Great Britain, Hungary, Turkey and the Netherlands. Among European cities, London, Rome and Prague are in the lead. In the off-season, many interesting events and holidays take place in different countries. It is also the time of carnivals and colorful shows.

So, you need to go to Italy to catch the Venice Carnival from February 15 to March 4, which is attended by 500 thousand people annually.Italians themselves admit that a lifetime is not enough to see everything in Rome. In the period from 6 to 10 March, it will be possible not only to visit the sights of the city, but also to enjoy concerts in churches and concert halls during the Rome Music Festival.

Prague has long become a favorite place for spending leisure time for Russians. In good weather it is good to walk along the medieval streets here, and in the rain you can always take refuge in the numerous restaurants. Karlovy Vary and other health resorts in the Czech Republic are also an excellent option for “off-season” vacations.By choosing a health-improving vacation in the Czech Republic, Russians will be able not only to improve their health, but also to enjoy the wonderful views of the local nature.

Romantic natures should celebrate Valentine’s Day, February 14, in London. Traditionally, Paris has always been considered the most romantic city, but lately London is increasingly pushing the capital of France off the pedestal. Evening cruises, romantic candlelit dinners, special romantic deals from renowned hotels and restaurants, and shopping will await you in London.

– Most of the inhabitants of Russia, with its predominantly cold winter, think of the sea waves and the gentle sun. Where is the best place to fulfill your dream of a beach holiday?

– Of course, if you are ready to plunge headlong into an exotic vacation, then you can recommend the islands of Bali, Cuba, the Canary Islands, Vietnam and Dubai. Magnificent nature, stunning local flavor, many excursions and types of outdoor activities – everything guarantees a holiday of the highest quality.

For fans of island exoticism, the “Cuban version” is perfect. The average annual air temperature here is kept at around 26 degrees, and the water temperature does not drop below 24 degrees all year round. Cuba is also a long history, vibrant festivals and extraordinary carnivals. A special holiday in February in Cuba is the cigar festival. Everyone will be able to taste new and well-known types of cigars, as well as participate in their auctions.

Diving and nightlife await you in the Canary Islands.Perhaps the most popular among our tourists is the island of Tenerife. The weather here in terms of temperature and climate is practically unchanged in any of the seasons of the year. It is not for nothing that the locals call Tenerife “the island of eternal spring”. This is an ideal place for those who want to bask in the sun, but not “burn out”. From mid-February in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the island, a carnival starts, and every tourist who arrives here can take part in it. Every year, for less than two weeks in February, local residents forget about work and “devote themselves entirely” to the holiday.On January 18, 1980, the carnival was recognized as a holiday of international tourist significance, and more recently it claims to be included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

Another paradise for relaxation during this period is Bali. Since the locals are very fond of holidays, they literally pass here non-stop. Thus, in February and March, the Muslim New Year, the Islamic Festival of Donations and the Hindu New Year – Nyepi, which is celebrated for three days, are celebrated.

Traveling to Vietnam will give you an amazing holiday feeling. It is sunny and warm all year round, excellent conditions have been created for tourists. In February, the weather in the southern part of Vietnam is characterized as the “velvet month”. Tourists looking for warm seas, great beaches and a quiet, peaceful place surrounded by palm trees usually prefer Phu Quoc and Phan Thiet. Also, until February 20, New Year celebrations continue in Vietnam, and tourists will be able to watch carnival processions, festive events and ceremonies dedicated to the Vietnamese new year “Tetu”.

The resorts of the United Arab Emirates are no less attractive. Without a doubt, Dubai as the “trading capital of the Middle East” is the main destination for shopping enthusiasts. Many Dubai hotels offer free transportation that takes tourists to major shopping malls. An excursion to the Palm Islands, often referred to as the 8th Wonder of the World, or to the world’s tallest building, the Burj al-Khalifa (Tower of the Khalifa), 828 meters high, should not be missed. A gastronomic festival awaits tourists in Dubai from February 21 to March 15.

– And if there is a desire to extend the winter and have time to go skiing and snowboarding, breathe in the magnificent mountain air, feel the adrenaline from descending from steep mountain slopes?

– We recommend the mountain resorts of Andorra, Austria and Bulgaria to all winter sports lovers. Prices depend on your budget and expected service. The most affordable option is Bulgaria. Recently, the resorts of Bulgaria have a high reputation among lovers of winter holidays, who are able to appreciate both the quality of the tracks and the level of service.In 2013, Bansko became the best ski resort in Bulgaria, beating Borovets, Pamporovo and Vitosha. In Bulgaria itself, they believe that the quality of skiing here is not inferior to the recognized ski centers of the world, but much cheaper. Accommodation in Bansko is provided both in luxurious new hotels and apartments, as well as in small inexpensive cozy houses and villas.

All ski stations in Andorra are equipped with snow cannons, so skiing is guaranteed in any weather. Among the advantages of Andorra are a good hotel fund, developed infrastructure and qualified ski schools.Popular resorts here include Andorra la Vella, Soldeu – El Tarter and El Pas de la Cassa.

Austria is a kind of ski “Mecca” not only for Europeans, but also for Russians. Innsbruck, Salzburg and other cities and resorts offer a lot of opportunities for a great vacation: 22 thousand kilometers of well-prepared trails and hotels, mostly private, family, with a long history. You can relax and unwind here, swimming in hot mineral springs and indoor pools, walking or riding on snow-covered roads on a sleigh.

Austrian resorts are renowned for their festivals and entertainment events. From 7 to 12 April, the Mayrhofen resort will host the annual Snow Bombardment Snowboard Festival. All days on the top of the mountain music will sound, and at night the main action will take place.

Basically, if a vacation is planned during the off-season, then the main “problem” is to decide what to choose for vacation this time: a beach vacation, an active vacation in ski resorts, a vacation for fun among holidays and festivals, or shopping.

90,000 Choosing the best solution for each of the AFC teams this offseason – First & Goal

The NFL has had a busy offseason. The owners of big names moved from one city to another, franchise quarterbacks found a new home, and blockbuster exchanges unfolded during the draft – there were many changes, and the league will appear completely different in the fall.

What are the best solutions during the off-season?

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Buffalo

The Bills’ job was to keep the lineup that had stopped just a step away from the Super Bowl.The most important thing was to keep linebacker Matt Milano . This is the Bills’ best linebacker and is transforming their defensive play. He could have received a similar or even improved cash offer at another club, but will now become a fundamental Buffalo player for the next four years. The signing of Emmanuel Sanders and the return of line attacks is good, but Milano will help the team both now and in the future.

Miami

Sign host Will Fuller and draft host Jaylen Wadle. Speed, speed and more speed. Suddenly, Miami’s receiver corps turned from a disadvantage into an advantage, but the main task in the offseason was precisely to provide quarterback Tua Tangovailoa with good goals at the reception. In the person of Wadle Tangovailoa received a former teammate on the team of the University of Alabama, his “Dolphins” were chosen under the fifth overall number. Fuller will miss the start of the season due to a six-game doping ban, but will have to reshape Miami’s offense with explosive speed in the long run.

New England

Decision to start with a clean slate at the tight end by signing Jonna Smith and Hunter Henry. In the previous two seasons, the Patriots tight ends were nothing at all, and the club clearly did not prepare for life after the departure of Rob Gronkowski. Although it is too early to write off Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keane, who were selected in the third round of the 2020 draft, the acquisition of Smith and Henry dispelled all doubts about the competence of the tight end corps. The Patriots’ passing game will be built through them, and they are born to dominate the midfield.Life for Cam Newton (or Mac Jones) will get easier.

NY Jets

The Jets have not had a quarterback threatening a quarterback from the edge since John Abram was traded in 2006. But now General Manager Joe Douglas has given free agent Carl Lawson a $ 45 million contract. The ex-Cincinnati player will not only personally help the Jets pass-rush, but will also facilitate the fate of partners on the defense front. Quinnen Williams will face fewer double blocks, while John Franklin-Myers and Jabari Zuniga will have more space to attack the quarterback.The Jets’ line of defense is not as talented as that of San Francisco, where new coach Robert Sale used to work, but at least the Jets are moving in the right direction.

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Baltimore

Not the most tempting move, and it happened on the eve of the opening of the free agent market, so it went unnoticed. However the signing of Kevin Zeitler’s guard is very important. In the previous offseason, the Ravens had failed to replace retired right-hand guard Marshal Yandu, and it came down to them.Zeitler is now 31 years old and may not be the same as he was in Cincinnati and Cleveland, but he is still a quality performer. He has to stabilize the inside of the offensive line and add with Baltimore’s advantageous line tactics.

Cleveland

In the long term, the pick of cornerback Greg Newsom in the first round of the draft. He is young, athletic and fits into the Browns’ system. He plays in the most important position and can grow into a top player.But right now the answer is different: signing of experienced cornerback Troy Hill . The Browns are rebuilding defenses at all levels, and have paid more for the safety of John Johnson and line Jadevion Clowney, but it’s Hill who will give them versatility, experience and leadership. Hill can plug several holes in the lineup at once and increase the overall level of the secondaries, which will allow Newsom to develop calmly.

Pittsburgh

Ben Roethlisberger agreed to stay for the 18th season and at the same time went to cut salaries. Whether it was his initiative, as he himself says, or the proposal of the club, the main thing is that Pittsburgh saved $ 15 million under the salary cap. This allowed to extend the contract with the receiving Juju Smith-Schuster, line defense Tyson Alualu, and also, possibly, retain the cornerback Joe Hayden. For a quarterback like Roethlisberger, this is a generous move that gives the Steelers the best option in position.

Cincinnati

The Bengals offseason was all about rebuilding Joe Burrow and finding linemen for him.And while most of the action was to keep restarting the attack, signing Riley Riff for a modest $ 7.5 million and dropping Bobby Hart was the most effective of the decisions. Riff is 32 years old, but he has been consistently performing at a good level for ten years now. The decision to sign him fits well with Jonah Williams’ return to the left tackle position, and also allowed the Bengals to consider other options at the top of the draft besides the mandatory line-up option.

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Jacksonville

Reunion of old friends Shaquille Griffin and Reishon Jenkins. The Jaguars needed to bolster their rear defenses, and they did it by signing Corner # 1 (Seattle’s Griffin) and Universal Safety (Chargers Jenkins). This pair has played together since elementary school, so there will be no problems with teamwork. In addition, Griffin is to become the teacher of CJ Henderson, selected in the first round of the 2020 draft, who started his debut season well, but then passed due to permanent injuries.

Indianapolis

Everyone at Indianapolis was shocked in mid-January when Philip Rivers announced his retirement just a year after signing; the club was confident that Rivers would play at least two seasons.Looking for a starting quarterback for the second year in a row, The Colts relied on Frank Reich and his acquaintance with Carson Wentz . Wentz just had his worst season of his career and was put on the bench at Philadelphia. However, Reich is convinced that he can resurrect Crown’s play. The Colts will once again have an athletic quarterback with a strong shot – just like in the days of Andrew Luck. All indications are that Wentz will return to the previous level, which means the Colts will get their quarterback of the present and future.

Tennessee

The Julio Jones exchange is a risk and a price tag so high that no one else was willing to take it. But for a player who is still among the elite of the receiving team, it is worth giving the right to choose in the second round of the draft. Anyway, for a team that is ready to win the American Conference. The fate of the Titans season is all about defense. Many decisions were made there. But even if the defense adds, does that mean it will be able to hold off Kansas City or even Cleveland against Buffalo in January? But now “Titans” are much more likely to feel more confident in a shootout.

Houston

Cornerback is still a problematic position for Houston, but after signing of free agents Terrence Mitchell and Desmond King the situation does not look so bad anymore. Mitchell had his first full season at the Cleveland start last year and had 13 downed assists for Houston for two years and should fit well into Lavi Smith’s zone formation. Even though King has passed in comparison with the 2018 season, when he got into the symbolic national team, he is only 26 years old, which means that a one-year cheap contract is worth the risk.

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Denver

In 2020, the Broncos had a disaster with cornerbacks – continuous injuries and ineffective play. General Manager George Paton didn’t pull the cat by the tail in the free agency market and quickly signed Ronald Darby and Kyle Fuller . Fuller made the symbolic team in 2018 when his current Denver manager Vic Fanggio was his defensive coordinator at Chicago. Paton then spent the ninth overall pick on University of Alabama star Patrick Surten .In just a couple of weeks, the Broncos turned one of the weakest points into one of the strongest.

Kansas City

In the days leading up to the NFL draft, everyone in the league knew that Kansas needed a quality left tackle the most. And Chiefs solved the problem by trading Orlando Brown from Baltimore . The vice-champions gave Ravens their 31st overall pick, believing they would not be able to get an equally talented player at the end of the first round of the draft. Brown gained the necessary experience last season as a left tackle at Baltimore and is considered a potential star in Andy Reed’s offense.

Las Vegas

The Raiders have finally acquired a reputable pass rusher in the person of Yannick Engakue, who gained another 4.5 kg of muscle mass during the offseason and should have a great season. But we will turn our attention to another decision – to move up in the second round of the draft for free safety by Trevon Merig . The “raiders” desperately needed a player in the middle of the field, who could not only see the field well and cover the receivers, but also fall onto the ball and play rallies.Failures in the rear of the defense have plagued the Raiders for more than ten years – in the last season alone, three matches were lost in the last minutes in this way. Merig has the skill set to be useful from day one.

LA Chargers

The signing of the iconic Corey Linsley center was the Chargers’ first move to restart the offensive line. Justin Herbert should be helped by the presence of an experienced and intelligent center that can recognize the front of the defense and adjust the quarterback’s guardianship.Linsley will also soften the process of other offensive reshuffles – guards Matt Filer and Odey Abushi and tackle first-year Rashon Slater will debut in new roles. Throughout the career of General Manager Tom Telesko, the Chargers have had mediocre online play. Maybe the acquisition of Linsley will change something.

Ice Hockey Club Sibir | Kirill Fastovsky: “The main thing in this off-season is

Siberia’s general manager Kirill Fastovsky summed up the off-season and spoke about his feelings after the departure of Dmitry Kvartalnov and Yori Lehter.

– How many nights have you not slept after Dmitry Kvartalnov left?

– The first week was extremely difficult. Attended different thoughts, there was a complete depression. Only thanks to my family I was able to endure all this.

– Is this situation one of the most difficult moments in your career?

– At this stage of your career, yes.

– What was your reaction when you learned about Dmitry Vyacheslavovich’s departure?

– Shock. It was very difficult, and all the leaders and owners of the club were shocked.But nothing, quietly coped with it.

– For whom will the Siberia – CSKA confrontation become more important: for Kirill Fastovsky or Dmitry Kvartalnov?

– I do not like such things, head bumping. But, probably, for Dmitry Vyacheslavovich, this game will become more fundamental.

– How difficult was it to find a new coach?

– This year the choice was very scarce. There were only two coaches with whom I could work, set some goals.

– Did you negotiate with Andrey Skabekla for a long time?

– No, he answered pretty quickly. Here, on the contrary, it took longer for me to make a decision for myself and explain to our owners why it was worth stopping at this particular candidate. Because they insisted on another specialist.

– Why did you believe in Skabelka?

– At that time, I understood that the main asset of Siberia was the 80 percent formed line-up, the team’s play. The main thing in this offseason was not to break it all, not to harm, but to develop.In this regard, Skabelka’s candidacy came in handy.

– Igor Matushkin became Skabelka’s assistant. Did he come to the club on the recommendation of Andrey Vladimirovich?

– So it is customary that the head coach calls his assistants, these are his people, his subordinates. Another thing is that the club sometimes takes part in this process, proposes someone. For example, if you are interested in having local specialists in the coaching staff. We were in favor of both Andrei Tarasenko and Konstantin Kapkaikin staying to work with the team.In principle, Andrei Skabelka was familiar with Andrei Tarasenko, they played in the same flight in Yaroslavl, won the championship, so Skabelka had no objections to these candidates.

– How did you come to the candidacy of Eduard Rabe as a fitness coach?

– This candidacy was proposed by Andrey Skabelka, who worked with Eduard last season at Torpedo. The negotiations were difficult enough, but we are pleased that they were crowned with success. Rabe is a very strong specialist.I have been told about this before, but I had to make sure myself. Now I can state this fact.

– Another departure this offseason is Yori Lechtera.

– This was the second hit, I was lucky with them this year. The only thing I knew was that Lehtera might leave, about a month before it happened. We negotiated with Yori and the agent for a long time, but by and large everyone was waiting for his decision. Unfortunately, one fine morning I opened the mail and saw a termination agreement.It was another shock, but this situation was easier to cope with, because I was prepared for it, although until recently I did not believe that this would happen. Then there were the next sleepless nights, many hours of conversations with scouts, agents, coaches about replacing Yori.

– Lechtera helped the club financially with his departure by paying compensation.

– In another way, Lechter could not leave, he simply complied with the regulations, otherwise we would not have allowed him to play in the NHL. But Yori in this regard acted extremely decently, honestly and clearly.

– How difficult was it to find a replacement for Lechter?

– There were a lot of options, but someone didn’t like me, someone didn’t like the coaches, and then we came to the conclusion that there was no central striker of Lechter’s level. It was necessary to come up with some other move, and we agreed that it would be easier to find a good winger. Before that, we talked with Jonas Enlund on the phone, asked how he sees the fact that his role in the team will change, and he will become central. In principle, knowing Jonas, it would have been possible not to call him – this is a highly responsible person, absolutely amazing in terms of fighting qualities, a very correct player, so he would have agreed without a call.But we did it out of respect for him, at the same time talked, asked how he spends his vacation.

– Did you have to fight for Turesson? He was wooed in “Ak Bars”, “Salavat Yulaev”.

– There was no fight as such. They wooed him and negotiated with him, but did not agree. We went to Turesson at a time when he had an offer only from Metallurg Novokuznetsk.

– Considering the departure of Kutuzov and Lekomtsev, did you pay special attention to finding defensive players this summer?

– Of course.We were looking for defenders from the very beginning, and we started the search in early spring, and we had been negotiating since May.

– One or two central strikers on the market have been missed. And what about the defenders?

– Also! Very bad. We have a problem with the players on the market in general, and the deficit of central and defenders is simply colossal. If the problem with goalkeepers can be solved at the expense of legionnaires, then it is extremely difficult to cope with the issue of central and defenders. We already have two central strikers and a defender – foreigners.It remains only to take the third central foreigner … By the way, “Siberia” shows very well what kind of players in Russia there are not enough players.

– How did Patrick Hursley move to Siberia?

– We needed an attacking defender who can play defensively. We were not interested in defenders who only score a lot, we were interested in “plus / minus”. In general, there were a lot of proposals from purely attacking defenders, but we did not accept them – we needed a more versatile hockey player.Hursley came up for this candidacy.

– Summarize the work done in the offseason?

– Everything went as planned. The first month the team trained in Novosibirsk, the training camp was aimed at laying the foundation, preparing the players physically. At this stage, there were many exercises on the ground and in the gym, then gradually we turned on the ice, the training became more varied, but still aimed at physical fitness. Then we flew to Riga, where we played two matches, and then went to a ten-day training camp in Finland.Upon returning to Novosibirsk, we conducted a survey of the players, made some conclusions based on the results of the training camp and reduced the squad, after which we went to the Romazan Memorial.

– Are you satisfied with the hockey team that played in the offseason?

– Since we do not have many newcomers, and the coach was matched to the system that we have been preaching and building the previous two years, our task this summer was to hone what has already been developed, make small adjustments and explain how we play. beginners.Actually, this is what we did. In general, the team successfully coped with the tasks, looked good, the players withstood the load and worked very well – the coaching staff had no complaints about the results of the training camp for any of the hockey players.

– In the offseason games, it seems that Andrei Skabelka gives defenders much more freedom in attack than Dmitry Kvartalnov. This is true?

– This is due to the fact that hockey is changing. Now three forwards cannot beat five defenders, so help from the defenders is needed.Anyway, hockey is becoming more attacking. Especially with the introduction of the hybrid forwarding rule – it makes hockey players move more. Physical fitness and good skating are becoming not just the norm for the defender, but an obligatory thing.

– Which player have you enjoyed this offseason?

– I don’t want to personally praise someone, because due to our mentality, the players may feel dizzy if I say their names out loud. But I will say that there are several players who are encouraging.The fans will understand everything themselves and see what a qualitative leap some hockey players have made. In previous years, they did not always make it into the roster, but now they have won a place and they are already demanding a result.

– Have the young players improved this offseason?

– Significantly! So far, I am only a little disappointed by Artyom Karavaev, from whom we expect more. Although he is not that young already.

– By the way, about the farm club “Siberia”, where 4 players from the club’s system have already been sent.Is the fact that the Angarsk Ermak is run by Viktor Laukhin and Alexei Krivchenkov, who are familiar to you from their work in the Snipers, is it a big plus?

– This is a huge plus. I have always tried to ensure that we know the coaches of our farm club, we could negotiate with them. I am very glad that this season we can constantly communicate with both the head coach and his assistant, discuss the prospects of each player, his form. Now, after each match, we receive detailed information on the hockey players we are interested in.I felt how great it was and now I understand the clubs that have a team in the VHL in the system. This allows clubs to choose their own coaches and prepare players for the KHL team system – this is very cool, but it requires serious investments. In the case of Ermak, everything worked out very well for us.

– Have the Legionnaires already adapted to the team?

– Yes, they are happy with everything. In general, we have a very friendly team, and in this regard, all foreigners and their players fit in instantly.It’s great, we managed to create such an atmosphere and everything is fine with it. As for the game, it takes time. At the training camp in Finland, they looked very bright: they gave passes, scored goals, were useful. But there was their usual hockey in which they grew up. Those matches were more needed by our Russian players, because the Finnish teams play very clearly, correctly, according to the scheme – it was important for us to work out our system of playing on them, it turns out very well. But for foreign players, games against Russian clubs were of great value, because they have a different style of play.And at the Romazan Memorial, we noticed that they are not yet very comfortable, they still cannot understand this hockey. The game with Magnitogorsk was especially indicative – the Swedes have never played against such skillful, smart and correct teams, when the opponent makes an incredible number of passes and does not seek to shoot at goal from any position. It was difficult for them, but I have no doubt that the level of skill will allow them to quickly adapt to our hockey.

– After the training camp in Finland, the press started talking about Patrick Hersley as one of the upcoming championship openings.

– I “love” these journalistic clichés. The media like to say one thing, and then if it doesn’t come true, then they simply write: “Well, yes, we were wrong”. I have no right to allow myself to say one thing and then make excuses. I have a slightly different level of responsibility for each spoken word. Therefore, I cannot guarantee that Hersley will be the opening of the championship. We count on this, he has everything to meet our expectations, but everything here will depend on many factors, including the financial situation.It’s just that foreigners are very sensitive to these things. If our guys look at salary delays with understanding, they know that the league guarantees them payments and the contract will be executed by the employer in any case, then foreigners are not ready for this, they are not used to the fact that salaries may not be paid on a certain day, and later. But these are the realities of our Russian life – not a single club is immune from fluctuations. This is all influenced by the political situation and the fact that hockey in Russia is not a business, clubs do not earn money, but only spend it.

– Did you often have to tell players this summer that everything will be fine financially?

– I had a task to calm them down, and I talked to almost everyone, explained the situation. This is my job, nothing special here. In principle, everything is simple with our players – three or four correct phrases are enough, but it is more difficult to speak with foreigners.

***

– What can you say about Sibir’s rivals in the conference? How do you like their activity in the off-season?

– While we do not know what the teams will look like, the preseason tournaments and the championship are two different things.The team can play one game weaker, the other stronger, the composition is constantly changing, the coaches are looking for connections, so it is difficult to say something yet. The only thing, I think, is that Omsk is unlikely to have problems getting into the playoffs this season. The club drew the right conclusions and it is clear that it has strengthened. And all the other competitors, as they were, and will remain – “Neftekhimik”, “Yugra”, “Traktor”. These are the teams that will compete for places from sixth to eighth. You can add “Admiral”, an absolutely dark horse for us “Lada” – except for the composition, we have not seen the team and do not know.It is clear that Metallurg Novokuznetsk will play in their own way – fast hockey, which is very difficult to resist. With this team you need to be focused – a minute, five-minute relaxation will be worth a goal. We understand that in playing with them you need to be extremely prepared and psychological preparation will be important here. Such teams as “Forge” and “Cupid” are very dangerous, and under certain circumstances they can also join the fight for the playoffs – then we will not have a battle for the eight, but a slash.

– Does it bother you that Siberia will not play on their ice with a number of interesting western teams?

– I have already said that I am a supporter of a calendar where all teams have equal sports opportunities. This is not the case today. Moreover, “Siberia” was incredibly “lucky” – during the Eurotour we had to play six games, which means that in six games we will not be able to count on the main players. This can be critical for us.

– Is there an opportunity for dialogue with national team managers?

– We will talk, but even if they only take one or two players, these are still the first two links.

– How are things with the training rink for the club school? They promised to hand it over on September 1, 2014.

– This date was announced before the start of construction, but when it began, the date was shifted to December 31, 2014. However, now there is information that it will be commissioned in mid-November. If this succeeds, the skating rink will become a great help for the school – there will be another ice, an opportunity for additional training.

– What can you expect from “Snipers” in the new season?

– The Snipers are worse this year than last.And this is connected not only with the change of the coach, but also with the change of generations – we had very successful 1994 and 1995, there are a number of outstanding players who will now be attracted to the main team. 1996 and 1997, which will now become basic, turned out to be frankly weak in the Siberia school. So I don’t expect fantastic results. Although I repeat – the main task of the “youth team” is to prepare players for the main team, and not to win a particular tournament.

– Artyom Vladimirov decided to continue his career in America.Did you try to dissuade him?

– I tried to persuade him to stay, but he and the agent decided that Artyom would be better across the ocean and he would make more progress there. This is a very controversial thesis, it is refuted by the previous experience of the hockey players who left there – very few people from the lower leagues make their way to the main teams, since there is no such individual work with each player that is necessary. In principle, physical data allow Artyom to play in America, let’s see if he can withstand this hockey.But for me his departure turned out to be very offensive – we counted on him, hoped that he would become the leader of the “Snipers”, would come out in the first pair and get a lot of playing time. It seems to me that in Novosibirsk he would have received more opportunities for growth.

– Siberia is one of the few clubs that presents a new uniform every season. Is this your initiative?

– We pay tribute to the times and respect the laws of commerce. I believe that this path is correct, because the issues of the profitability of the club are in one of the first places with us.We must take marketing steps to increase profitability and creating a new form, its correct presentation, is one of such steps. It is clear that if the sports result is a failure, then no form, no matter how beautiful, will save. But in a serious professional club, this is one of the biggest income items.

– Do you put the question of profitability before yourself as a manager or are the founders of the club put it before you?

– I put it myself, but they also ask me.The owners of the club believe that we should make a serious contribution to the revenue side, and I agree with them on that. The commercialization of hockey is the path we should all take. Actually for this, the Continental Hockey League was created.

– While developing the design of the uniform, Siberia does not hesitate to introduce something new. Is this a principled position?

– We have never made a revolution. We went to the form presented this year for three seasons. Little by little, details were changed, moving in this direction, and the current shape itself and the choice of these colors is the last final stage.We prepared our fans for it, who are largely conservative. But you need to understand that life does not stand still, and we cannot be guided by what was 20-30 years ago. Everything has changed, right down to the material from which the hockey jersey is made. Now the main trends are towards reducing weight and increasing brightness.

We chose the colors of Siberia’s uniform so that the team would be recognizable. I really wanted it. I used to kindly envy clubs whose names are obvious without reading the TV graphics.

– Are there many such clubs in the league?

– There are several commands. These are mainly clubs with a rich history that have played in the league for many years and people are used to their color combinations.