Baseball Training Program

Select the training level:

11-14 Year Old 15-18 Year Old College and pro

Introduction

The year-round (Annual Plan) training program for baseball players is designed to develop all the necessary physical abilities  for all players, such as :

a)      11-14 years olds

b)      15-18 years olds, and

c)      college / professional players

The suggested training program assumes a highly dedicated player, one who wants to be the best ever, whose prime objective is to improve all the necessary abilities to better the game, to play a quality game never achieved in the past. Your level of improvement and athleticism will be commensurate with the time you dedicate to your physical training. Please follow our program and the results, the quality of your game, the rate of improvement will speak for itself.

  1. The basic outline of the program

The suggested training program considers a three months preparatory (pre-season) phase. The program will offer you a weekly training program for the duration of this phase, for the development of abilities such as strength, speed , agility and quickness, flexibility, and endurance. During the competitive phase, when league games and play-off are scheduled, a maintenance program will be suggested. Similarly, after the completion of all the planned games, a transition (off-season) phase will follow, when an informal training is scheduled so that a complete detraining of your conditioning is avoided.

The main objective of the training program for the preparatory phase is to ready yourself for the competitive phase, when exhibition and league games are scheduled. The competitive phase is followed by  4-6 (8) weeks of transition phase, when the main goal is to remove physical and mental fatigue, relaxation,  and informal training.

Since the duration of the preparatory and competitive phases may vary in different parts of  the country / states / provinces, the program does not refer to a specific  month, but rather to the number of months comprising that phase (Figure 1). As such, the preparatory phase is three months long, the competitive is from month 4-10, and the remaining time (months 11-12) the transition phase.

Figure 1.The  basic outline (periodization) of the Annual Plan

Legend:-Ex.=exhibition games

             -AA=anatomical adaptation type of strength training

            -MxS= maximum strength training using heavier loads, such as 60-95%, or     

             over

           -P=power, or explosive type of exercises where the load is lower (< 50%) but

            the action is as fast and explosive as possible

           -a blank space means that during that phase of training that particular physical

            ability is not trained (i.e. speed is not trained during the weeks of 1-7)

NOTE: since for the 11-14 years old  we are not  suggesting a MxS phase, this group of players will perform just  AA training throughout the preparatory phase.

The proposed training program starts with four weeks of  Anatomical Adaptation (AA) phase, a term specifically selected to remind you that the early part of the strength training program is dedicated to develop all parts of the body, muscles and ligaments / tendons, for the main purpose to work on the foundation of strength training, but also to prevent injuries. Working with lighter weights, without much strain, the muscles and ligaments are progressively fortify them to withstand the strain of heavier weights used during the following strength training phases.

The AA program is organized in a form of Circuit Training (CT), a popular training method, where the muscles are consistently alternated, so that they can faster and better recover between stations. First week of the training program also represents the beginning of  endurance training (aerobic) and overall flexibility.

During the first week of training we are proposing two tests: 1. medical control, to verify your state of health, since a good athlete is a healthy athlete. A medical control is also suggested after the season of games is over, so that your health is re-evaluated as well. Medical controls must be consistently assessed so that eventual medical problems could be detected on time and addressed to by your physician..2. test flexibility and  maximum strength (MxS),  or the maximum load you can lift in one attempt, or 100% of your strength capability. This information is very important so that you can use it to calculate the suggested load for specified exercises.

Other testing dates are suggested for week 5: for  MxS, and anaerobic endurance, and week  8: for   MxS, agility and quickness, and  anaerobic endurance.  Power (P)  and flexibility should  be tested at the beginning of Power phase, namely in week 11.

The AA training if followed, especially for the more mature players, by six weeks of maximum strength ( MxS) followed by five weeks (week # 11-15) of power (P) training. The  main benefit of MxS is that the body learns to recruit higher number of muscles fibers, and as a result to improve power, with its positive influence on speed, agility and quickness.

For maximum benefit strength and power gains achieved during the preparatory must be maintained during the competitive phase.  If a maintenance program is neglected it will have a negative effect, or detraining, on  MxS and P, with visible deterioration of power, speed, and agility / quickness.

Speed training, trained both via repetitions of short distance with maximum velocity and specific technical and tactical drills of high intensity, is emphasized during weeks 8-15. During the same time agility and quickness are developed. Improvements in  agility and quickness is the result of   gains in MxS and the introduction of specific drills for agility and quickness. As far as endurance training is concern, after the aerobic endurance base of 7 weeks, anaerobic endurance is developed, both with repetitions of 20-90 seconds and at a later date with specific drills of similar duration.

NOTE : for the description of exercises and their correct  execution, please visit our

Exercise Data Bank.

The structure of the training session:

For an  increased training benefit and better body efficiency prior to a game or training session, we suggest the following structure:

Part 1 : The warm-up has the main scope to prepare your body and mind for the physical, technical and tactical work to be performed during the main part of the session. A good warm-up is performed in this sequence:

                      -10 minutes of easy jogging

                      -5-10  minutes of callisthenics, and

                      -10 minutes of flexibility (stretching), emphasising the ankles, hips,

                        shoulders and trunk

Part 2 :  or the main part of the session comprises all the technical, tactical ,and physical training planned for a given day. For better retention, do the technical /tactical training immediately after the warm-up, when you are still fresh and rested, and your concentration is not yet affected by fatigue. For the remaining part of dailies’ session you can dedicate the time to physical training  needed to improve your game’s effectiveness, such as strength / power, agility / quickness, speed , and endurance.

Part 3: The warm-down consists of activities which can  enhance your recovery from training, such stretching, and  10 minutes of  easy 10 aerobic activity which will make continue to perspire, and as a result, eliminate the burned food stuff (metabolites) from the system.