The Highland Games Off-Season: Build the Engine
The off-season is where Highland Games athletes are built.
This is not the time to chase personal records in the field or worry about competition distances. It is the time to add muscle, get stronger, build work capacity, and improve technique with every implement you have access to. The strength you build now becomes the foundation for everything you'll do when competition season arrives.
My philosophy is simple:
The weight room builds the engine. The throwing field teaches you how to use it.
During the off-season, every workout has a purpose and every exercise has a place.
Each lifting session follows the same progression:
Olympic movement
Loaded carry
Main strength movement
Supplemental strength movement
Bodybuilding and work-capacity work
The Olympic movement always comes first because speed and power require a fresh nervous system. The carry comes next to build total-body strength, grip, stability, and work capacity. From there we move into the primary strength lift of the day, followed by a supplemental movement that supports it. We finish with lighter bodybuilding work to build muscle, improve structural balance, and strengthen areas that heavy barbell work may miss.
Although there are very few events in the Highland Games that involve carrying an implement, carries are one of the most valuable training tools available. They improve grip strength, strengthen the trunk, increase work capacity, and build muscle in ways traditional bodybuilding exercises simply cannot replicate.
As the season approaches, the program changes.
During the pre-season, the carries are removed. The bodybuilding work is gradually reduced as well. Instead of adding more accessory exercises, the athlete performs an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) on the final set of the primary strength movement. This allows strength to continue improving while reducing overall fatigue. The Olympic movements remain in the program because explosive power must always be maintained.
The reason for this transition is simple: the closer we get to competition season, the more important the throwing becomes. The weight room supports the throws—it never competes with them.
Throwing with Purpose
Many athletes spend the off-season trying to throw farther every week. I don't.
The purpose of off-season throwing is to improve technique, not prove how far you can throw.
Early in the year, I would rather make hundreds of technically sound throws than chase a handful of personal records. Better movement patterns will pay bigger dividends over the course of a career than squeezing out an extra few inches in December.
During the off-season, throwing volume stays relatively high while intensity remains low.
Most throws are performed with implements that are approximately 35% of competition weight. The goal is to develop rhythm, timing, balance, and speed without creating unnecessary fatigue.
As the pre-season begins, that changes.
Throwing volume gradually decreases while intensity increases. Implements become progressively heavier, generally ranging from 60% to 85% of competition weight, depending on the objective of the session. Higher-intensity throwing days require lower volume, while lower-intensity technical days allow for more repetitions.
Weekly Training Structure
The weekly schedule is straightforward:
Monday: Lift
Tuesday: Throw
Wednesday: Lift
Thursday: Throw
Friday: Lift
Saturday: Throw
Sunday: Rest
I prefer taking Sunday completely off. It gives the body a chance to recover before beginning another training week.
Each throwing session has a specific purpose.
Day 1 focuses on speed and technical development. Select the four events that need the most work and perform 8–10 quality throws in each.
Day 2 focuses on timing, footwork, balance, and finishing positions. Again, choose the events that need improvement and make every repetition intentional.
Day 3 brings everything together. Throw every implement you have access to, performing approximately five quality throws with each one. The goal is to reinforce good movement across every event, not chase distance.
Take your time between throws.
A Highland Games competition is not a conditioning event. You'll often have around five minutes—or more—between attempts. There is no reason to rush practice and turn it into conditioning. Throw with the same pace and focus you'll use in competition.
Build the Base
I prefer higher training volume during the off-season because it allows me to improve multiple qualities at the same time.
I can build strength.
I can add muscle.
I can increase work capacity.
I can improve movement quality.
I can strengthen the foundation that every successful throw depends on.
When competition season arrives, the goal is no longer to build the engine. The goal is to express it.
Build the base now.
The distances will come later.
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