[Sportsandrec] Beginning baseball prescription

[Jennifer Boylan]

Kelly,
That was a very good overview!  One thing I know we have not done before is
use a light bat for speed practice.  We have two players with tenuous lower
backs so definitely have to watch them.  The stopping and starting can be a
killer when you haven't run for a while!  My coach was trying to suggest I
add a step into my swing in batting practice, which I said I thought would
make me lose my balance.  Well, I aim to please so wound up on my behind on
the floor to prove my point!  Not a disabling injury.  Anyway, that is very
kind of you to research on my behalf and I will definitely put your wisdom
into practice.  Oh yeah, when you're asking those guys about baseball stuff
remember we don't do any pitching or throwing so those areas won't apply.
We swing 34-38 oz bats to push that heavy ball.  That's about all the
particulars.  Glad you've strayed from the DL and typed all this.  Take two
aspirin and curse me in the morning!  Smile.

"*I feel good, I knew that I would, now*
*I feel good, I knew that I would, now
So good, so good, I got you Whoa!"*
*James Brown "I Feel Good" *

On Tue, Mar 3, 2009 at 9:17 PM, Thornbury, Kelly <kthornbury at bresnan.net>wrote:

> Jennifer,
>
> Then don't do that.
>
>
>
> Your baseball prescription depends on the part of the "season" you are in
> and how much time you have before the season starts. Usually, a year is
> broken down into an off season (where you do a lot more basic resistance
> training), pre-season (where your exercises get more sport specific),
> in-season (where you do a lot of maintenance exercises and real sport
> specific workouts), then a post season where you rest up. Each of these
> could be several weeks to several months.
>
>
>
> Generally, during the off season is when you are going to work on basic
> core strength (more weight training for all the general muscle groups), and
> a little cardio (baseball isn't really an "aerobic" sport).
>
> In the pre-season you begin to incorporate more sport specific exercises.
> This might include adding sprints, working with both weighted bats and
> lighter bats (one works strength, the other speed, and together they produce
> the power for harder hits). Also keep up with the weights, but not quite as
> much as before.
>
> In-season, focuses on the sprints and bat exercises, and cut the resistance
> training back to a couple of days a week (you just want to maintain at this
> point, and a couple of days a week of resistance training is fine.)
>
> Stretching and flexibility exercises are important during every phase of
> the season. To help avoid injuries, always include a good warm-up, and cool
> down. Stretching is very important post workout, so don't neglect this. The
> core muscles (especially abs, obliques, and the lower back muscles) should
> be worked throughout as well. Various wrist exercises are good to. You can
> generate quite a bit of batting power from the wrists, so include wrist and
> reverse wrist curls.
>
>
>
> Honestly, baseball specific training is not something I've put much
> research into. I'm sitting here trying to imagine different specific
> movements, and in general I think a fair amount of shoulder work, back
> (especially rowing movements), and chest movements are good. Off season leg
> work should include squats, lunges, leg curls, and calf exercises.
> Pre-season and in-season should include those sprints, especially running
> "lines," for training specifically for starting and stopping. High speed bat
> swings (maybe a broom stick or whiffle ball bat) for swing speed.
>
>
>
> Give me a few days to talk to a couple of athletic trainers here who work
> with baseball teams for better advice, because I'm sure I'm missing
> something.
>
>
>
> Hope this helps a little, and it will be more specific later,
>
> Kel "The stumped, baffled, and confused non-baseball player."
>
>
>
>
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