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Off-Season Training Tracker
- katherine gorham
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
The off-season is where athletes are made, but it’s also where motivation quietly disappears. No game days. No practices. No coach watching. No teammates to regularly run around and have fun with. Just you against you.
That’s exactly why an off-season tracker is such a powerful tool. It turns vague intentions like “I should train more” into something visual, measurable, and weirdly satisfying.
Here’s how to make one that works whether you’re a rugby player, weekend athlete, or just someone trying to move consistently.
Before You Begin: Gather Your Materials
Journals
Normally, I like to use a bullet journal with good binding that I can carry anywhere and keep a pen inside. I've used this bullet journal cover to cover at least 3 times in a row and always had great success! Very under rated feature: the elastic on the front allows me to carry a pen on the inside without it falling out. There is also a pocket in the back to keep a good amount of additional papers in if needed.
I have just started the process of transferring some of my regular journal stuff into a fancy new baby binder [it's just about the same size as a regular journal]. I came up with this idea because I've historically had a hard time rifling back through old pages trying to find a rugby play, drill, or workout I mapped out because I use them up so quickly! I've tried using color coded post-it tabs but that was a bit of a disaster - I ended up with a billion different tabs getting crinkled up and still having to check through every single one to find the info I needed. In these baby binders, you can add dividers just like you would a regular binder, and you can put paper in/out of it so it can be sorted however you like. Inspiration for this idea also came from beautiful journaling videos I saw on Little Birdie Co. [@littlebirdiecanada on Instagram] - you should check them out!!!!
**and for the record, I won't be abandoning my original journal - this is an additional organization tool but I'm not gonna start walking around with a little binder 🤣 I still think the original journal is the best for on the go notes, which is where the majority of mine come from!
Additional Binder Journal Materials:
Writing Utensils
I am a HORDER of writing and coloring utensils hahaha. I have way more than I could ever possibly need but they all serve a purpose!
WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST OF THE BEST. I have a pack of these in my car and in my rugby bag so I have a pen available at all times 🤣. They're pretty sweat and smudge proof and last practically forever.
Unfortunately these specific pens aren't currently in stock, but there are still good additional suggestions on the page for similar pens. It's a rare thing to have a yellow pen that you can actually see the writing with, and these pens are SO smooth.
Can't go wrong with Sharpie!!! Always high quality. These felt tip pens in particular can color things in very well and can hold a defined line at the same time. Especially as a lefty I appreciate that these don't seem to smudge or bleed very much.
Might seem a little pricey for some markers but they're BEYOND worth it. They do it all - can use for writing, coloring, or highlighting. They do bleed a little bit through the page but really not bad. Great variety of colors too!
Useful but Optional Additions
Great for fixing errors - if you didn't notice in my Instagram video, I accidentally colored in January 10th and 11th fully grey and was able to pretty easily cover it up with some washi tape [you can see it if you look closely in the image below]! It's a good combination of tape that sticks well but is also really easy to remove/adjust.
I haven't fully explored this realm yet but I'm excited to!!! There's lots of examples for how to use these through Little Birdie Co.
Okay...let's begin!
Step 1: Choose Your Time Frame
Start by deciding how much of the off-season you want to track.
Good options:
1 month (great for rehab or reset phases)
2–3 months (classic off-season block)
Entire off-season (November → February, etc.)
Once you know the range, draw:
A calendar grid with numbered days
Or stacked mini-calendars for each month
💡 Hand-drawn works better than digital for most people — it feels more personal and harder to ignore.
Personally, I'm going to a big rugby camp/tryout in mid-March, so it was really helpful for me to have the majority of my off season on one page. It's helped me remember how fast the off season goes by and how important every single day is!! I like the bit of "doomsday" vibe it gives by the time I have left before the camp rapidly going by.
Step 2: Pick 3–4 Training Categories (Max)
Keep this simple. Too many categories = decision fatigue.
My four-square setup:
Strength
Cardio
Hydration
Recovery
Assign one color per category. These colors will fill your calendar squares.
Example:
Blue = Hydration
Yellow = Cardio
Green = Recovery
Red = Strength
You’re not tracking perfection, you’re tracking effort.
Step 3: Create a Color Key (This Is the Magic)
Your tracker should answer one question at a glance: “What did I actually do today?”
Draw a small legend explaining what counts for each category and what is going to work best for you.
Doesn't need to be perfect, just intentional.
Strength
Gym workout
PT strengthening exercises
Bodyweight or plyometrics
Cardio
Running
Swimming
Cycling
Anything that elevates heart rate
Recovery
Stretching
Mobility
Ice/heat
Massage, bone broth, sleep focus
Hydration
Hit your daily ounce goal
Electrolytes count
Step 4: Decide How to Fill the Squares
You have options, choose what motivates you. Some people do really well with SMART Goals - Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. Personally, I opted to keep my options a little more open because I didn't want to be defined by a number [that has been a big issue for me in the past]. I still have specific gym, PT, plyometric, and cardio workouts already written out that I use to accomplish each goal so it's not completely open ended but it gives me enough flexibility to choose what's going to work best for me that day.
One color per square → for me it helps to have the same color in the same quadrant every day
Split squares → quarter or half the box to show varying efforts. I personally don't do this on mine, I either complete it or I don't, but I still support this idea!!
Patterns will emerge fast:
Long stretches without strength
Recovery getting skipped
Hydration correlating with better weeks
That awareness is the win!
Step 5: Give Yourself Permission to Rest
Off to the side or at the bottom, add space for:
Sick days
Travel
Injuries
Deload weeks
This keeps the tracker honest. A blank square doesn’t mean lazy, sometimes it means rest was the work. Although I still did workouts and met goals in a time that I was sick, I allowed myself to not track it so I could prioritize rest. I didn't completely neglect my goals throughout that time either. If I could do them then I did them, but I didn't penalize myself for any time off.
Even one color counts. Even five minutes counts. Even “recovery only” days count.
Momentum > intensity.
Why This Works (Especially in the Off-Season)
Visual accountability without guilt
Encourages balance instead of burnout
Shows consistency, not just effort
Makes invisible work visible
By the time preseason starts, you'll be much more ready and able to stick to a schedule of wellness and fitness. In times where I haven't had a routine off season schedule or goals, it can be quite a shock even just returning to twice a week practices.
Final Tip: Make It Yours
Add:
Stickers
Quotes
Inside jokes
Team colors
The more you it feels, the more likely you’ll keep using it. I definitely don't need to color all these things in and add pictures and stickers, but I think the more that I enjoy spending time filling it out and reflecting on it the more successful I'll be!
The reality is that this stuff can get really really hard. Intristic motivation is really freakin' hard. Setting goals is hard. But this also shouldn't feel like a burden that's sucking the fun out of your life. Sometimes it feels like the end of the world dragging myself out of bed or off the couch to the gym, but showing up is always the hardest part by far. Don't fight it, embrace it.
I think some other areas to explore are short term rewards for hitting goals, even as short term as the day of! "Let's get a quick jog in this morning then grab a coffee on the way home." Not threatening or transactional, just planning work and fun at the same time [even if you can't get that jog in, treat yo'self to that coffee anyways and try again tomorrow].
HATE COLORING? CAN'T DRAW IN A STRAIGHT LINE? Fair enough! Here's a template to get you started:
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