It’s official. The World Series is over and the baseball off-season has begun. When starting to train for the upcoming spring, it is essential that every player has a plan. Training without a plan is inefficient and not as productive as training with one. To help the baseball players who are struggling to lock down a program, I am here to help. When developing an off-season program, it is first important to set some goals. Some goals may include adding muscle, losing weight, building speed, developing power, and injury prevention. This off season program that I am going to outline doesn’t include specific workouts, it just lays out what I believe to be the most effective plan. Later on, in a future article, I will highlight some exercises and workouts to include in this off-season program.
Today is November 13th. Hopefully many of you baseball players have already begun training and developed a nice base. I always suggest taking two to three weeks off after the season ends to rejuvenate the body.
August: school starts and summer baseball is finishing up for most players
Mid September: Training starts
Off-Season Baseball Conditioning Program Outline (6 days per week)
Mid September – October: Basic Weight Lifting Program (3 days per week) and Cardiovascular Endurance Program (3 days per week) This should give you a good base for when you hit the crucial off-season months.
November – December: More Intense Weight Lifting Program (4 days per week) and start building towards more anaerobic conditioning (2 days per week). Also begin to lift heavier weights to add muscular strength.
January – February: Perform Fast Twitch Fiber Muscle Training (i.e. Dynamic Workouts and Olympic Lifts) 3 days per week. Speed and agility work (3 days per week).
March: Season begins. Weight Lifting should be decreased to 2 full body workouts twice per week. Conditioning should be done at the field (i.e. sprints, poles, etc.)
I also want to note that it is very important to work on increasing flexibility throughout the off-season. Warm up before every workout and stretch after. Not only do you want to be strong and fit for your season, but you also want to be able to maintain your health for an entire season.
Devoting an hour each day (6 days per week) to your fitness will definitely help your performance when the season arrives. Hopefully this off-season conditioning program layout will give you the guidance you need to having the best season of your career. Good luck and train hard.
