Strength and Conditioning

Strength & Conditioning for BASEBALL and SOFTBALL

By Steven C. Zawrotny, MS, CSCS

Because exercise, nutrition, and food supplements are known to affect peo-ple differently depending upon the choices, combinations, intensity, timing, gen-eral health, genetics, and effort expended, among other factors over which BASEBALL FIT Hitting & Pitching Academy has no control, no guarantee is therefore made as to the outcome or favorable results of any program, product, or information provided herein. User is advised to consult their physician before beginning any function or activity described herein and to obtain such physician’s specific approval for the conducting of any activities described herein. In consideration of being provided the materials within, the user of such materials specifically certifies that s/he understands that participation in any function or activity set forth herein involves risks and dangers which could result in serious bodily injury in-cluding permanent disability, paralysis, and or death. User understands that such risks and dangers may be caused by their actions or inactions, the action or inaction of others participating in the activity, the condition in which the ac-tivity takes place, or the negligence of the releasees, specifically BASEBALL FIT Hitting & Pitching Academy and it’s agents and employees. With full knowledge, the user fully accepts and assumes all such risks and all responsibility for the losses, injuries, or damages as a result of participation in any activity set forth herein. User further understands and agrees that par-ticipation in any activity described herein is at user’s own and sole risk. The user hereby releases BASEBALL FIT Hitting & Pitching Academy and its agents or employees from any liability, of any kind or nature, resulting from user’s use of these materials, programs, or products or participation in any activities de-scribed herein. Copyright 2005. All Rights Reserved. These contents may not be shared, for-warded, or transmitted in any form, except for personal use. Intellectual prop-erty violations in the form of plagiarism, especially where the plagiarized mate-rial is offered for sale, will be met with legal action.

Disclaimer

© BASEBALL FIT Hitting & Pitching Academy www.BaseballFit.com 405.373.3253

http://www.baseballfit.com

DISCLAIMER ABOUT THE AUTHOR 1 ARM & CORE CONDITIONING 2 STRENGTH TRAINING 4 FLEXIBILITY 11 POWER/PLYOMETRICS 13 ENERGY SYSTEM CONDITIONING 21 PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 22


Contents



Steve is a former NCAA Division 1 college pitcher and current Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. He has more than twenty years of com-bined experience as an athlete, coach, and physical fitness specialist. As an all-star high school pitcher growing up in the Los Angeles, California area, he was re-cruited by some of the top college baseball programs in the west. Attending Brig-ham Young University (BYU) on a baseball scholarship, his career there was cut short due to an arm injury. He then became a graduate assistant baseball coach at BYU before going on to coach at the high school level, including successful Var-sity, AABC, and American Legion programs. A few of his players have gone on to play in college and professionally. Steve is available for Baseball & Softball-Specific Personal Coaching and Skills Development, specializing in baseball/softball bat speed development and baseball pitching instruction for individuals and teams in the Oklahoma City, OK area. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone, 405.373.3253.

Certifications/Education/Professional Experience

• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National

Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) • Member, Baseball Special Interest Group, NSCA • BS, Physical Education, Brigham Young University • MS, Business Management, Lesley College Graduate School • Former United States Air Force Physical Fitness Instructor • Former Head Chef and Weight Lifting Instructor, National Institute of Fitness

(NIF) • CPR/First Aid Certified by the American Red Cross • Director of Training for BASEBALL FIT Hitting & Pitching Academy, a sports

training service specializing in baseball and softball specific strength, condi-tioning and skills development

About the Author page 1


Arm & Core Conditioning Page 2

B aseball and softball players, regardless of age or ability, need to learn how to properly care for their bodies in general and throwing arm in particular. It is important that these concepts are implemented early in an athlete’s career. Injuries that likely could be prevented too often end careers, sometimes even developing into a lifetime debilitation.

Throwing a baseball is not an act the human body is very well designed for. As simple as it appears, the overhand throw is a complex, multifaceted activity. Throwing a ball subjects the entire arm to a severe overload condition which is primarily the result of internal rotary torque generated concomitant with extreme rotation of the humerus, the large bone of the upper arm. One study showed that the dynam-ics of throwing subject this bone to torsional loads greater than those required to cause it to fracture! (1) Hardly a season goes by that we don’t hear of a pitcher who breaks his arm (humerus bone) while throwing a pitch, a further testament to the tremendous force generated by the act of throwing. In addi-tion, as the arm moves forward to the release point during a throw, the high degree of internal rotation of the humerus generated by powerful contractions of the large internal rotator muscles - the teres ma-jor, latisimus dorsi, pectoralis major, and subscapularis may produce abnormal strains on the vital neurovascular structures around the shoulder.(2) As far as the arm is concerned, throwing a baseball is a bit more problematic than it appears. THE CONUNDRUM OF THROWING It is well established that to throw a ball with high velocity along with properly conditioning the arm for that activity, one must throw a lot. Yet too much throwing - overuse - often leads to arm injuries such as tendinitis, impingement, bursitis, muscle tears, the maladies listed above and more. In addition, a lack of strength, or an imbalance of strength, particularly in the shoulder and elbow muscles, often leads to tendon and ligament problems, bone chips, stress fractures, and the like. So how do coaches, parents, and players deal with these complex issues? The answer is simple, if not easy to achieve - with proper strength, power, energy system, and flexibility training of the structures of the arm, legs and trunk (known collectively as the body “core”). The idea of “an ounce of prevention being worth a pound of cure” certainly applies here. With appropriate conditioning the arm and body become more able to withstand the stress of throwing. Add to this goal the benefit of augmented athletic performance. While the data is mixed on the effect resistance training has on throwing velocity (2), other studies have shown that a properly designed strength training program can prevent a decrease in throwing velocity. (3) (That possibility alone war-rants the implementation of an appropriate strength training program). Yet the key reason a pitcher should perform resistance training is to strengthen and increase the endurance of the arm muscles (primarily the rotator cuff) for the rigors of throwing a baseball or softball. [Note for ALL ball players: Proper throwing mechanics are absolutely critical for keeping the arm healthy and strong. Poor technique can overwhelm even the best-conditioned athlete. While I am well versed in biomechanics and proper throwing technique, teaching these skills is beyond the scope of this booklet I recommend the reader acquire one of the many fine books currently available on developing throwing skills.]



I referred earlier to the concept of “core training.” Pitching a baseball involves a three-link chain of body “parts” - arm, trunk, and legs - carefully synchronized in their activity to produce a high velocity throw. One study of the biomechanics of the overhand throw indicated that 46.9% of throwing velocity could be attributed to the stride and trunk rotation, with 53.1% due to arm action. (4) In other words, the legs and trunk contribute almost as much to throwing velocity as the arm itself. This indicates the critical importance of “core stabilization” training of the lower back, abdomen, quadriceps (front of up-per leg), hamstrings (back of upper leg), and hip flexors. Yet another study illustrates two important facts about baseball pitching and the human body:

Baseball is considered metabolically to be an anaerobic activity. Yet, lactic acid (LA) buildup is not a limiting factor in baseball pitching, as LA production equals its clearance. Anaerobic demand is therefore low so training to improve anaerobic capacity should not be a high priority. (5)

This same study showed that during a simulated pitching performance, the physiological re-sponses which occur during the pitching of a game correspond with an intensity equal to con-tinuous exercise at 45% of VO2 max (maximum oxygen uptake). At such a low percentage of VO2 max, it is not believed that oxygen uptake becomes a limiting factor. It appears that the energy supplies of pitchers are sufficiently replenished during the rest time between pitches and between innings. (5)

Whereas baseball pitching is the most physically demanding baseball position, it follows that the re-maining positions are even less aerobic and anaerobic in nature. So if the aerobic and anaerobic de-mands of baseball pitching are insignificant, how should ballplayers structure their conditioning? Around activities emphasizing strength, power, and flexibility. That is precisely what this booklet will help softball and baseball players to do, regardless of age, sex, or ability level.

1) Yamada, H. and F. Evans. Strength of Biological Materials. Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins,

1972. 2) Gainor, Piortowski, Puhl, Allen, and Hagen. The Throw: Biomechanics and Acute Injury. The

Am J. of Spt Med., March-April 1980. 3) Jackson, J. B. The Effects of Weight Training on the Velocity of a Thrown Baseball. Master’s

Thesis, Central Michigan University, 1994. 4) Toyoshima, S., T. Hoshikawa, and M. Miyashita. Contributions of the Body Parts to Throwing

Performance. In: Biomechanics IV R.C. Nelson and C.A. Morehouse, eds. Baltimore: University Park Press, 1974. Pp.169-174

5) Potteiger, Jeffrey A., Daniel L. Blessing and G. Dennis Wilson. The Physiological Responses to a Single Game of Baseball Pitching. J of App Sci Res, 1992, Vol 6, Number 1, p.17.


Arm & Core Conditioning Page 3


Strength Training Page 4

Appropriate strength training for baseball and softball is based on a few simple principles:

1) Brute strength is not a requirement for high level performance. 2) Imbalances in strength, development and flexibility can lead to injury. 3) The goal of a baseball/softball lifting program is to develop power to aid on field performance -

functional strength. This is not to say that in the process of doing this kind of workout and activity, you won’t develop a solid, fit physique. You certainly can. It’s just that this is more of a fortunate by-product of your base-ball/softball specific training, not the main point. This first series of workouts covers 18 weeks. Each of these workouts is divided into hypertrophy (muscle growth), strength, and power phases. This is followed by an in season-maintenance workout to help maintain, if not build upon, gains made in the pre-season. Be sure to start each workout with 10-15 minutes of warmup. This can be a combination of flexibility exercises, very light weight lifting, and jogging. The onset of sweating is a good indication of readi-ness for harder work. Strength Training Phases All of the lifts you will be doing in this workout can be divided into two types: Compound Lifts and Peripheral Lifts. Compound lifts use large muscle mass and more than one joint, such as the bench press, squat and lat pulldown/bent over row. Peripheral lifts involve only one joint, such as biceps curls and knee extensions. Compound lifts, using multiple joints, are capable of handling heavier weight and therefore produce greater overall strength. Peripheral lifts, while generally limited to a smaller muscle or group of mus-cles, are still capable of great development in size and strength. Rep ranges in these workouts will re-flect these anatomical differences and hence the amount of weight lifted. HYPERTROPHY, PHASE #1: Use a weight you can do correctly for 3 sets of 8 reps with 50-75% of 1 RM. “50-75% of 1 RM” means use the weight equivalent to between 50 and 75% of the most you could lift one time. So, if your best 1 RM for the arm curl is 100 lbs, you would start your arm curl workout with between 50 and 75 lbs. If you’re new to weight training, or haven’t done any lifting for a good while, start on the lower end of the percentages. There’s plenty of time to increase the amount of weight you use, so ease into this type of training. For the hypertrophy phase, you will never do more than 12 reps. When you can do any exercise 3x12, add 5 lbs (upper body lift, back and ab) or 10 lbs (lower body lift). Do this set/rep regimen for 6 weeks, then move on to the strength phase. STRENGTH, PHASE, #2: Use a weight you can lift correctly for 3 sets of 4-8 reps at 80-90% of



1 RM. For this phase, you will never do more than 8 reps. When you can do any exercise 3x8, add weight as prescribed above and start the lift over at 4 reps. This phase lasts 6 weeks. POWER, PHASE, #3: Use a weight you can lift correctly for 3 sets of 2-4 reps at 85-95% of 1 R/M. Do not exceed 4 reps per set. When you can do any exercise 3x4, add weight as prescribed above. This phase lasts 6 weeks. From here, you move on to the maintenance/in-season program. MAINTENANCE/IN-SEASON PHASE: Use a weight you can handle properly at 80% of 1 RM for ALL lifts. Rep range is 6-8. Do TWICE per week during the season with at least one day of rest be-tween workouts. When you can do any exercise 3 X 8, add weight as prescribed above. FOR YOUTH LEAGUE PLAYERS, 14 years of age and under: The National Strength & Condi-tioning Association maintains that children as young as 7 can safely begin training with weights IF em-phasis is placed on proper form and NOT the amount of weight lifted. In addition, young lifters and others not experienced with proper lifting technique should engage in these activities only while under the supervision of a competent strength coach. Young lifters should keep reps in the 12-15 range. The minimum age for participation in Plyometric Training (p. 13) is 16. FOR USERS OF THE BATSPEED AND ARM STRENGTH PROGRAMS: Each of these spe-cialized workouts can be effectively integrated into this overall Strength & Conditioning Program. Do the skillwork in these workouts before any strength, power, or energy system training. The strength and flexibility work from the bat speed and arm strength regimens can be done as part of the general strength workout contained in this booklet. Feel free to email me with questions at [email protected]. You can also learn more about how to work all of these programs together at this link: http://www.BaseballFit.com/baseball-skills.htm




http://www.baseballfit.com/baseball-skills.htm

Hypertrophy - Phase #1, 6 weeks: 8-12 reps, all exercises. 50-75% of 1 RM. Perform on 3 non-consecutive days per week. Rest periods between sets and exercises is 1 minute.

Exercise Wt Used M W F Bench Press ______ X 8 X X Bench Press ______ X 8 X X Bench Press ______ X 8 X X Bent Over Rows ______ X 8 X X Bent Over Rows ______ X 8 X X Bent Over Rows ______ X 8 X X Knee Extension ______ X 8 X X Knee Extension ______ X 8 X X Knee Extension ______ X 8 X X Leg Curl ______ X 8 X X Leg Curl ______ X 8 X X Leg Curl ______ X 8 X X Arm Curls ______ X 8 X X Arm Curls ______ X 8 X X Arm Curls ______ X 8 X X Curl Ups (Abdomen) ______ X 8 X X Curl Ups (Abdomen) ______ X 8 X X Curl Ups (Abdomen) ______ X 8 X X

Exercise Wt Used M W F Standing Triceps Extension ______ X 8 X X Standing Triceps Extension ______ X 8 X X Standing Triceps Extension ______ X 8 X X Good Mornings ______ X 8 X X Good Mornings ______ X 8 X X Good Mornings ______ X 8 X X Bent Over Laterals use no more than 10 lbs. ______ X 8 X X Bent Over Laterals ______ X 8 X X Bent Over Layerals ______ X 8 X X Wrist Curls ______ X 8 X X Wrist Curls ______ X 8 X X Wrist Curls ______ X 8 X X Standing Lateral*, DB ______ X 8 X X Standing Lateral, DB ______ X 8 X X Standing Lateral, DB ______ X 8 X X Reverse Wrist Curls ______ X 8 X X Reverse Wrist Curls ______ X 8 X X Reverse Wrist Curls ______ X 8 X X

Emphasis in this stage is two-fold: for the player who is new to resistance training, or has not lifted in some time, this is a good way to break in the body to this new stress. Secondly, the rep/rest regimen is ideal for muscular development which will help serve as a foundation for the more rigorous lifting to fol-low. You need to write down your reps and weight used in all of your workouts so you can track your pro-gress. Feel free to copy and use these blank sheets. * Be sure to use a neutral or palm up grip. DO NOT use a palm down grip! Can Sit or Stand.




Strength, Phase #2, 6 weeks: 4-8 reps on BOLD exercises; 6 - 10 on all others. 80-85% of 1RM on BOLD exercises. 50-75% of 1 RM on all others. Perform on 3 non-consecutive days per week. Rest pe-riod is 2 minutes between sets and exercises.

Emphasis in this stage is on increasing the intensity of the work. Reps are dropping while weight is increas-ing. As much as possible, use a poundage closer to the 75% (or 85%) of 1 RM number while still complet-ing the correct number of reps for these exercises. * Be sure to use a neutral or palm up grip. DO NOT use a palm down grip! Can Sit or Stand.

Exercise Wt Used M W F Bench Press ______ X 4 X X Bench Press ______ X 4 X X Bench Press ______ X 4 X X Bent Over Rows ______ X 6 X X Bent Over Rows ______ X 6 X X Bent Over Rows ______ X 6 X X Back Squat ______ X 4 X X Back Squat ______ X 4 X X Back Squat ______ X 4 X X Leg Curl ______ X 6 X X Leg Curl ______ X 6 X X Leg Curl ______ X 6 X X Arm Curls ______ X 6 X X Arm Curls ______ X 6 X X Arm Curls ______ X 6 X X Curl Ups (Abdomen) ______ X 6 X X Curl Ups (Abdomen) ______ X 6 X X Curl Ups (Abdomen) ______ X 6 X X





Power, Phase #3, 6 weeks: 2-4 reps on BOLD exercises; 6 - 10 on all others. 85-90% of 1RM on BOLD exercises. 50-75% of 1 RM on all others. Perform on 3 non-consecutive days per week. Rest periods be-tween sets and exercises is 3 minutes.

Emphasis in this stage is developing greater power in the two main compound lifts which further strengthen the body core, as well as continuing to strengthen all the peripheral muscles and tendons. * Be sure to use a neutral or palm up grip. DO NOT use a palm down grip! Can Sit or Stand.






IN SEASON MAINTENANCE PHASE: 80% of 1 RM for ALL lifts. Rep range is 6-8. Do TWICE per week during the season with at least one day of rest between workouts. The exercises highlighted are good choices for using dumbbells along with barbells. Rest periods between sets and exercises is 1.5 minutes.

Exercise Wt Used MW F Standing Triceps Extension ______ X 6 X X Standing Triceps Extension ______ X 6 X X Standing Triceps Extension ______ X 6 X X Good Mornings ______ X 6 X X Good Mornings ______ X 6 X X Good Mornings ______ X 6 X X Bent Over Laterals use no more than 10 lbs. ______ X 6 X X Bent Over Laterals ______ X 6 X X Bent Over Layerals ______ X 6 X X Wrist Curls ______ X 6 X X Wrist Curls ______ X 6 X X Wrist Curls ______ X 6 X X Standing Lateral*, DB ______ X 6 X X Standing Lateral, DB ______ X 6 X X Standing Lateral, DB ______ X 6 X X Reverse Wrist Curls ______ X 6 X X Reverse Wrist Curls ______ X 6 X X Reverse Wrist Curls ______ X 6 X X

Emphasis now is primarily on maintaining the strength gains made, possibly even increasing these gains. Workouts are dropped to two days per week to allow for skill practice and games. It is important to continue with strength work, however. As the season wears on, there can be a tendency to slack on these workouts, but as the post-season/playoffs approach, this is when you want to be at your best. A season of competition wears everyone down, so the player who can maintain higher levels of strength and conditioning has an edge over his/her opponents who do not. Dumbbells are particularly good for this phase as they generally allow for a greater range of motion than barbells or machines. Also, the change to dumbbells introduces a new stimulus not only to the mus-cles involved, but to the mind as well. * Be sure to use a neutral or palm up grip. DO NOT use a palm down grip! Can Sit or Stand.





The exercises shown on this page are appropriate for use in this workout. Any variation including barbells, dumbbells, and machines is acceptable.

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1. Bench Press 2. Bent-Over Row 3. Squat 3A. Knee Extension 4. Leg Curl 5. Arm Curl 6. Curl-Ups 7. Standing Triceps Extension 8. Good Mornings 9. Bent Over Laterals 10. Wrist Curls 11. Sitting or Standing Lateral Raise, DB 12. Reverse Wrist Curl




Flexibility Page 11

Don’t underestimate the importance of flexibility for both the upper and lower body. Studies show that flexibility itself can increase throwing velocity, so its value to the throwing athlete cannot be mini-mized. Additionally, flexibility can help reduce the incidence of injury. As a natural consequence of activity, particularly the rigorous movements involved in strength training, throwing, and running, muscle fiber suffers rather extreme damage at the micro-cellular level called micro-trauma. This mi-cro-trauma is a normal part of physical exertion and it heals, but the muscle-tendon unit becomes more fibrous (less elastic) over time from this repeated cycle of damage and repair. This consequent shorten-ing and loss of flexibility can lead to problems for athletes, most of which can be avoided by appropri-ate flexibility work. The following exercises are very adequate for generating a good level of overall flexibility. Hold each position just at the point of discomfort for 10 seconds. As you continue to do these exercises, that point of discomfort will be felt further out, increasing the range of motion in the joint. Start with 3 reps increasing eventually to 5 reps for each joint being stretched. This kind of work is ex-cellent as a warm up for most any type of rigorous exercise, including the resistance training in the pre-vious section.

LOWER BODY

All Exercises, 3-5 sets X 10 seconds, each limb

Low Back Stretch Low Back, Hamstring Stretch Hurdler’s Stretch Butterfly



UPPER BODY

All Exercises, 3-5 sets X 10 seconds, each limb Shoulder/Triceps Stretch, behind head Shoulder Stretch, front of body Trunk Twister Criss-Cross Stretch, front of body


Flexibility Page 12


Power/Plyometrics Page 13

The name of the game for high performance in baseball and softball is POWER TRAINING. In fact, if the only training you were to do from this booklet were from this section, you would benefit greatly. Power is defined as functional strength - the ability to exert strength (perform work) over a distance greater than that of simple range-of-motion resistance training. This type of training is decades old in other sports such as football and track and field. In fact, much of what has been learned from those sports translates very well to baseball and softball. For example, training to throw a javelin is very much like ball-throwing training. Much of what is done on the ball field requires a great deal of power. For example, swinging a 30 oz. bat or throwing a 5 oz. baseball requires very little strength. But swinging the bat fast enough to drive a 6.5 oz. softball more than 300 feet requires a great deal of functional strength - power. Among the most productive training methods for developing power is Plyometric Training (PT). PT effectively conditions an athlete to combine maximal speed and strength resulting in improved performance. A few things to keep in mind about Plyometric Training: • No special equipment is required for these workouts • Perform PT on grass or other “soft” surfaces to reduce chance of injury. DO NOT perform these

exercises on concrete or asphalt or similarly hard surfaces • PT is not an augmentation to, or replacement for, energy system conditioning. Energy systems are

to be trained separately in their usual fashion • An ideal time to introduce this type of conditioning is during the off-season or preparatory period

of a periodized program • PT is subject to the same exercise design factors as any other type of conditioning, i.e., frequency,

duration, intensity, mode, appropriate overload for progression, rest periods and warm-up/warm-down

• Assuming weight training and energy system conditioning are also taking place, schedule the PT

workouts around the more intense of those days. Schedule the two-days-per-week this training re-quires on non-weight-lifting days, or perform PT in the morning and energy system training in the afternoon/evening

• Due to concerns over epiphyseal-plate closure and younger athletes, PT should be reserved for

more physically mature players. A suggested cutoff for participation in this type of training is 16 years of age.

Follow the workout as specified. It will gradually get harder, with the early phases setting the stage for the more difficult work ahead. It starts at a beginner level, with intensity increasing each week. These workouts have a pre-season component lasting 18 weeks and an In-Season/Maintenance Phase. If, as



you advance through the workout, you find the next stage too difficult, remain at your current level for an additional two weeks and then try the next level again. Even if you don’t advance all the way through the workouts, you will benefit from all the work you do accomplish.

PT WORKOUT, PRE-SEASON, WEEKS 1– 12 Perform 10-15 minutes of warm-up/stretches such as marching, skipping, jogging, lunging, jogging, etc. Perform flexibility/dynamic stretch movements closely related to the activities to be performed. Rest 15 seconds between sets and four minutes between PT exercises. For the upper body drills using balls, medicine balls of various weights are the preferred types of balls to be used. Start with the

WEEKS 1 & 2

UPPER Body LOWER Body

DAY ONE Chest Pass 2 X 10 Side Throw 2 X 10

Both Ankle Foot Hop 2 X 10 Squat Jump 2 X 10

Jump and Reach 2 X 10

DAY TWO Repeat Day One Repeat Day One

Throws/workout - 40 Contacts/workout-60

WEEKS 3 & 4


DAY THREE Chest Pass 2 X 12 Side Throw 2 X 12



DAY FOUR Repeat Day Three Repeat Day Three

Throws/workout - 48 Contacts/workout -72

WEEKS 5 & 6


DAY FIVE Chest Pass 3 X 10 Side Throw 3 X 10



DAY SIX Repeat Day Five Repeat Day Five

Throws/workout - 60 Contacts/workout - 90




WEEKS 7 & 8


DAY SEVEN 2 hand Overhead Throw 2 X 10

Clapping Push Ups 2 X 5

Tuck Jumps 2 X 10 Double Leg Hop 2 X 10

Lateral Hops 2 X 10

DAY EIGHT Repeat Day Seven Repeat Day Seven


WEEKS 9 &10


DAY NINE 2 hand Overhead Throw 2 X 12



Lateral Hops 2 X 12

DAY TEN Repeat Day Nine Repeat Day Nine


WEEKS 11 & 12


DAY ELEVEN 2 hand Overhead Throw 3 X 10



Lateral Hops 3 X 10

DAY TWELVE Repeat Day Eleven Repeat Day Eleven


lightest ball available and gradually work up to heavier balls. Absent these, start with volleyballs or soccer balls and work up to basketballs.




WEEKS 13 & 14


DAY THIRTEEN 2 hand Jump Throw 2 X 12

Clapping Push Ups (modified) 2 X 8

Squat Jumps (modified) 2 X 10 Single Leg Lateral Hops 2 X 10

Single Leg Push off 2 X 10

DAY FOURTEEN Repeat Day Thirteen Repeat Day Thirteen


WEEKS 15 & 16


DAY FIFTEEN 2 hand Jump Throw 3 X 10



Single Leg Push Off 2 X 12

DAY SIXTEEN Repeat Day Fifteen Repeat Day Fifteen


WEEKS 17 & 18


DAY SEVENTEEN 2 hand Jump Throw 3 X 12



Single Leg Push off 3 X 10

DAY EIGHTEEN Repeat Day Seventeen Repeat Day Seventeen





IN-SEASON MAINTENANCE

Feel free to substitute any of the exercises from the pre-season workout into your PT maintenance regi-men. The above-named exercises are suggestions only.

PT EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS, UPPER BODY While these exercises are quite simple to perform, requiring minimal skills, it is important that they be executed correctly and at maximal effort for optimal power development. .

Performed twice weekly


DAY ONE Side Throw 3 X 10 Clapping Push Ups

3 X 8

Tuck Jumps 3 X 10 Single Leg Bounds 3 X 10

Single Leg Lateral Hops 3 X 10

DAY TWO Repeat Day One Repeat Day One


Chest Pass - Position athletes 10 feet apart. If being done individually, stand 10 feet from a wall. Initial throwing position is with both hands on the ball with the ball held in against chest, elbows flexed. Begin throw with a “cocking” action towards the body (the countermovement, or pre-stretch) and then forcefully extend the arms, propelling the ball forward to the partner or wall. The partner should catch the ball with both hands and the arms fully extended and receive it by allowing the momentum of the ball to push the hands into the chest so as to achieve the initial throwing position. When this occurs, the ball is immediately propelled back to the partner (wall), who repeats the same process

Side Throw - Position athletes 10 feet apart (or 10 feet from wall). Hold ball with both hands positioned over one shoulder or to the side. Begin with a countermovement, propel ball with both arms fully extended. When receiving return throw, catch it with both hands and over the opposite side/shoulder. Immediately repeat the throw.




Two Hand Overhead Throw - Position athletes 10 feet apart (or 10 feet from wall). Starting position is with both hands on the ball, both arms extended directly overhead. Begin throw with a counter-movement. Throw ball towards partner/wall keeping arms extended. Catch return throw overhead with both hands and immediately throw it back. These two pictures show a couple of simple variations of the two-hand overhead throw, with even more emphasis on developing trunk flexion, rotation and power. The balls can be thrown to a partner or against a wall. Plyometric (Clapping) Push Ups - Assume standard push up position. Lower body slowly; as chest touches ground, forcefully push the body up and clap the hands. As the hands come apart, let them land on the ground at their original placement and immediately lower the body. Repeat. Modified: For added intensity:, start on knees in upright position. Allow yourself to fall forward, catching your-self with your hands which are placed on the floor in normal push-up position. As you are lowered into a push-up, forcefully explode back up. Start over again back up on knees, repeat

Two Hand Jump Throw - This movement emphasizes both the lower and upper body. Athlete takes ball in both hands with pronated grip (palm down). Start with a counter movement (knee dip). Explosively extend knees, jumping upward while pushing the ball upwards. For variety, hold ball with a supinated (palm up) grip. Taking a wide stance, bend at the waist and swing ball downwards and back between legs. Forcefully swing hands for-ward and upward while jumping straight up as high as possible. At the same time, pro-pel ball straight upwards or back behind head. You can even measure how far behind the head the ball travels and track progress.

Squat Jump - Assume a 1/2 squat starting position with hands placed behind head or back, feet shoulder width apart. Jump straight up forcefully and return to starting spot. Immediately re-peat the movement. Modified: For variety and increased intensity, make this same jumping movement with a bar across the shoulders or dumbbells in the hands.

LOWER BODY




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Double/Single Leg Hop - This movement is both vertical and horizontal. Assume shoulder-width stance. Swing both arms first backwards, then forwards while slightly flexing the knee(s). Jump as far forward as possible and immediately jump again for assigned number of reps.

Both Ankle Foot Hop - Begin with a countermovement (slightly dipping the knees). Propel the body straight up using only the ankles as much as possible. Land in the starting spot and immediately repeat the movement.

Jump & Reach - Assume shoulder-width stance. Begin with a countermovement (knee dip) jump ver-tically as forcefully as possible, reaching upwards with both hands. Land in the original spot and imme-diately repeat. Can swing one or both arms to propel body upwards




One Leg Push Off - Stand to one side of a box or step with one foot on the ground and the other on the box/step (#1 above). The inside of the foot on the box/step should be near the box/step’s closest edge. Double arm action. Jump up using the foot on the box to push off. Land with the same foot on the box; this foot should land just before the ground foot. Immediately repeat the movement For variety and increased intensity, raise the level of the box or step. To take it up yet another notch in difficulty, upon pushing off of the box, propel yourself across the box, landing on the foot you used to push off with. (#2 above). Immediately repeat the movement in the opposite direction with the other foot. This is one of the best plyo drill players can do to increase lower body power that will directly, positively impact on-field performance.

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Lateral Hops, Double Leg and Single Leg - Athlete stands with both feet shoulder-width apart. Begin movement with a double arm swing, slight dip of knees. Jump is sideways over a real or imaginary barrier or mark in the ground. Upon landing, athlete immediately jumps back to the original position. The difficulty of this movement is increased the higher the athlete jumps.




Energy System Conditioning Page 21

Because baseball/softball is not an aerobic sport, as discussed in Chapter 1, this type of conditioning work be given minimal emphasis. It will be more beneficial to focus instead on interval training to con-dition the anaerobic energy system (ES). An excellent “side effect” of interval training can be an in-crease in running speed, if the effort expended during sprint training is close to 100%. At less than all out effort on each sprint, you’ll still condition yourself anaerobically but with less effect on sprint speed. Lastly, studies show that combining aerobic work (LSD running) with anaerobic work (weight lifting, sprinting) reduces the effectiveness of the anaerobic training, so I recommend that you do no aerobic work. Warm up with 10-15 minutes of light jogging and flexibility exercises. If you’re doing this right after your power work, you should already be warmed up and can start immediately. The distances can be run in a straight line, or on the base paths. Base path distances listed are major league baseball dis-tances in brackets; so you can adjust downward according to the field size you play on, but keep the reps and rest periods the same. In addition, to help this speed/conditioning work translate more directly to the ball field, begin your sprints as if leading off of a base, getting ready to steal. Practice a good pivot and crossover step as your initial move into your sprint. PRE-SEASON If weight lifting M,W,F, do this workout twice weekly after the strength or power work. Week 1-4: 100 yd dash [or 120 yds, home-to-home] X 10 reps with 60 second rest between sprints. Week 5-6: 80 yard dash [or 90 yards, home to 3B] X 10 reps with 45 second rest. Week 7-12: 60 yard dash [home to 2B] X 10 reps with 30 second rest. Rest between reps should be of the active type, as in briskly walking back to the original starting point. Avoid merely standing and waiting for the next rep. Pick-Ups – 25 X 2 (two sets of 25). Find two fence posts about 10 feet apart. Start by touching both hands to the ground, then quickly shuffle-side-step to the other pole, touching both hands to the ground again, then shuffling back quickly to the beginning pole. Stay up on the balls of your feet. IN – SEASON M - 10 X 60 yd – 45 second rest, 25 pick ups TH – 8 X 60 yard – 30 second rest, 25 pick ups Again, rest between reps should be of the active type. The days of the week the workouts are done can vary. See the next section, Putting It All Together, for a complete overview of how each of these con-ditioning workouts can be combined. Depending on the number of games played in a week during the season, energy system conditioning can be reduced to once per week. The strength and especially power training should be given preference over this work.



Putting it all Together Page 22

Now that you’ve seen each of the parts to this program, the following charts illustrate a week’s worth of both types of workouts. Remember, the main goal of the pre-season workout program is to build strength and conditioning, with the main goal of the in-season workout being to at least maintain those S & C gains while improving game skill. PRE-SEASON WORKOUT PLAN IN-SEASON WORKOUT PLAN

S – Strength F – Flexibility P – Power ES – Energy System

OFF DAYS: These can be any two days of the week, and don’t have to be consecutive. Keep in mind that your body grows and adapts AFTER the workout. It is during this rest time that the body repairs the damage you’ve imposed on it. In addition, you’ll be spending a lot more time in practice, skill work, and games which adds further stress to the body. All of this can be adjusted according to your preference and game schedule. Game days can be “OFF” days. Pitchers may want to do their workout right after they finish that day’s game performance.. Wednesday is a “light” day, with only flexibility work being performed. The key thing is to keep up all aspects of this program so as to keep the conditioning level high towards the end of the season. At the end of the season is when many players are “running down,” getting tired. Yet the end of the regu-lar season also marks the beginning of the payoffs for those fortunate enough to make it. You need to be at the top of your game for that! Do the skill work (dry swings, throwing) from the bat speed and arm strength programs (if you’re do-ing these workouts) before any strength, power, or energy system training on your usual days. NOTE ON ES TRAINING: If there are too many games/practices in a given week to get all of your strength and conditioning work in, drop first an ES session, strength next, and power last. Power work is the most beneficial of all to softball and baseball players. ES training, while important, contributes the least to on-field performance with power training making the greatest contribution. Lastly, be sure to eat properly and get plenty of sleep. To be at the top of your game requires a great deal of dedication. Take good care of your body and enjoy the results on (and off) the field!

M T W TH F S S S, F P, ES, F S, F P, ES, F S, F ES, F OFF

M T W TH F S S ES, P, F S, F F ES, P, F S, F OFF OFF



NOTES

Training Tools & Information to Improve Your Game

Baseball/Softball Throwing Program to Condition Arm and Increase Throwing Velocity: A workout program designed to increase the throwing strength and velocity of any player who makes overhand throws. Includes a strength and flexibility program for the rotator cuff. If you’re ready to turn your arm into a ROCKET LAUNCHER, this simple and effective program will show you how to do that! $14.99 Baseball/Softball Program to Increase Bat Speed & Hitting Power: A workout program designed to increase bat speed and hitting power. In-cludes tips and ideas on bat grip and stance to help increase hitting power, wood bats vs. aluminum, mental practice and more. A proven hit-ting workout with unique and vital information to help your game you won’t find anywhere else! $14.99


Markwort Speed Sensor 9" Baseball-White Cover Press start, throw the ball, and the LCD indicator displays pitch speed in MPH upon im-

pact. Official size and weight of a regulation baseball and used as a training aid for any age or skill level. Measure distance between pitcher and catcher with included measuring string and

enter one of 8 predetermined distances into Speed Sensor (20', 30', 40', 46', 50', 60.6', 70' and 80') . GripSense technology begins to re-cord the speed automatically the moment the ball is released. For pitching throwing training

only, NOT TO BE HIT WITH A BAT OR THROWN AGAINST HARD SURFACES!

Measures speeds up to 120 MPH.

29.95 + $7.00 s/h


BASEBALL FIT Strength & Conditioning

To order any of these products, use your credit card online at http://www.BaseballFit.com , fill in a copy of this form and mail a Check or Money Order to: BASEBALL FIT 11204 Dover Ct. Yukon, OK 73099 OR call us at 405.373.3253 _____ BIG Z Power Hitting Training System - ADULT* $64.95 + $10.25 s/h each. Order this size if your game bat is 30 oz in weight. If you’d like a CUSTOM size bat, add $10 and specify the weight in ounces you require. _____ BIG Z Power Hitting Training System - YOUTH* $54.95 + $9.25 s/h each. Order this size if your game bat is 20 in weight. If you’d like a CUSTOM size bat, add $10 and specify the weight in ounces you require _____ BOOKLET: Baseball/Softball Throwing Program to CONDITION ARM & INCREASE THROWING VELOCITY $14.99 plus $2.85 s/h. _____ BOOKLET: Baseball/Softball Program to Increase Bat Speed & Hitting Power, $14.99 plus $2.85 s/h _____ RADAR Baseball, $29.95 + $7.00 shipping/handling _____ Set of Three Weighted BASEBALLS, $24.95 plus $7.00 shipping/handling each _____ Set of Three Weighted SOFTBALLS, $30.95 plus $8.00 shipping/handling each NAME ___________________________________________________ EMAIL _______________________________ STREET ADDRESS_______________________________________________________________________________ CITY _____________________________ STATE _____ ZIP __________ PHONE ( _____ ) _________________

http://www.BaseballFit.com [email protected]

Strengthen your BODY - Elevate Your GAME

WEIGHTED BASEBALLS - 4 oz, 5 oz, & 6 oz baseballs. These are the proper weights of balls for a baseball player to use in conjunction with the Baseball/Softball Throwing Program to Condition Arm and Increase Throwing Velocity. SET OF ALL THREE - $24.95 + $7.00 s/h

WEIGHTED SOFTBALLS - 5.2 oz, 6.5 oz, & 7.8 oz softballs. These are the proper weights of balls for a softball player to use in conjunction with the Baseball/Softball Throwing Program to Condition Arm and Increase Throwing Velocity. SET OF ALL THREE - $30.95 + $8.00 s/h

The BIG Z Power Hitting Training System is the first bat speed training program that offers OverLoad, UnderLoad, and GameLoad training with a single bat. Pictured to the left is the ADULT bat ($64.95 + s/h), with the YOUTH on the right ($54.95 + s/h). This complete training system includes the Bat Speed Training Program (a $9.99 value) Will help you swing 6 to 8 miles-per-hour faster and drive the ball 40 feet deeper in as little as 6 weeks. VISIT http://www.baseballfit.com/bat-speed.htm to learn more about this exciting new training device.

* Both the ADULT & YOUTH Big Z Power Hitting Systems include a FREE copy of the Bat Speed Program, a $14.99

value



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