Baseball Season

[theborn_athlete]

This year is my final year in high school. I've played baseball for my high school since freshman year and being a senior this year, it's my time to shine. The baseball season will start late April and I want to be ready. My school has always had a good baseball program, but we have never been able to capture the elusive provincial championship. So I figgured a big part of performing well this year is being in good shape for the season.

First I'll give you a little background. I started at SS last year and hit #4. For those of you that don't follow baseball, that's a power position. At 5'10 170 lbs, I'm not your typical #4 hitter. I adopted the position mid-season last year because I'm a clutch, good pull-contact hitter and I'm pretty fast.

Despite being a #4 hitter on a team destined for a provincial championship, I didn't receive the respect in the league that I thought I deserved. Rarely did pitchers pitch around me, and I wasn't considered a real threat for the long ball to pitchers.

This year I want to change that. I want to go into camp (early April) stronger, faster and with an ability to hit the ball out of the ball park consistently. The problem however is that I'm not really sure what I need to do to prepare myself.

I've been working out all along, but I've realrly been slacking off lately. I play hockey 5-6 nights a week and I haven't been getting into the gym much. I think I will also get a pass to the batting cages so I can work on the technical aspect.

So basically what I'm looking for from you guys is a routine. Hockey is beginning to wind-down and I will now be able to get into the gym 2-3 nights per week.

If more info is needed, just ask.

 

[theborn_athlete]

Espi,

This is going to sound like I'm not willing to change, but I truely am... However dumping the hockey isn't really an option since I'm the captain of my Varsity team. The good news however, is that we should be done within the month. And about the creatine, I did cycle it a few months ago, however I'm now on Accutane and I know that one of the things tested in my monthly blood tests is creatine levels, so I'll have to look into seeing if it is safe for me to take it.

Now enough with all the negativity. Aside from the hockey, I will cut the cardio and begin doing sprints. Now sprinting is something that I could do 5 days a week in the school gym, so I'm not really sure how often I should be doing it / how many sets etc.

And as for the weight training at the gym, what types of exercises would you suggest? I have been doing a 3-day split around the big 3 exercises, but since I haven't been getting into the gym 3 days a week, the results have been very slow this year, if not non-existant.

This is what I've been doing inconsistantly:

Day 1: Chest/Tri's
DB Press
Dips
DB flyes
Skull crushers

Day 2:Back/Bi's
Deadlift
Pull-ups
Rows
Bicep Curls

Day 3: Legs
Squats
Leg Curl
Ab Work

Now as I read more and more about weightlifting, I'm starting to realise that perhaps I am not advanced enough to need a 3-day split. I was thinking perhaps a Full-body workout or something; but you guys are the experts, so let me know what you think.

 

[Damocles]

you can sprint 5 days a week easily, just take it easy two or three of those days.

So, run 100's and 200's, maybe a 300 eventually... If you run hard one day, run easy the next. Run repeats... that is, run a hundred meters, rest a bit, run a hundred again, rest a bit... Rest a little longer after you run four times.

Running 'hard' isn't the same as 'all out,' though. Go for like 70, 75 percent of your max effort, for the first month or so. After that, you can go 'hard' at like... 80 or maybe 85 percent of your max, but you've gotta keep doing recovery days in between, or you'll blow your hamstrings out.

With baseball, with the running part at least, the sprints are so short that the most important part will be the first five steps. Practise short sprints too... like... five, ten yard sprints. You need to get up to speed right away.

Oh! Warmup too! Jog for a mile or so, and do some dynamic stretching before you sprint. It's really important to warmup for a sprinting workout. Hamstrings are pretty resiliant muscles, but when you hurt 'em, they hurt for a long time.

Check out plyometrics, too. If you've never done them, you'll want to ease into them. They're great exercises for sports, but they're harder to do and they have a higher risk of injury.

Aaaaand... I'm not an expert. No way am I an expert. I'm just some guy sitting on a computer... and taking my advice COULD result in severe injuries... and they're just your own fault Just so you know what you're getting into.

 

[Quagmire911]

As Espi said your split had merit, there could however be many ways of doing it. It should be something like this:

DAY 1(eg. Monday)
Squats 2 x 5
Squats or Leg Press 1 x 15 (lighter weight)
Good Mornings or Stiff Leg Deadlifts or Sumo Leg Press 2 x 10-15
Glute Ham Raise or Pullthroughs or Hyperextension 2 x 8
Calf Raises 2 x 10

DAY 2(eg. Wednesday)
Incline Press 2 x 5
Dumbbell Press (Flat/Decline) or Dips 2 x 8-10
Shoulder Press 2 x 8-12
Tricep Exercise 2 x 10-15

DAY 3(eg. Friday)
Deadlifts 2 x 5
Row or Chinup/Pulldown 2 x 8
Bicep Curl 2 x 8-10
Forearm Exercise 2 x 10-15

If it isn't, then I 'd change to the above. I'd also consider doing box squats instead of squats with a box at 1-2" below parallel, this builds explosiveness and power.

I'd keep the reps lower on the main exercises as well, I see no reason in doing higher reps. You are trying to condition yourself for strength and power.

Sprinting also seems like it would be a great addition. However I would think 5 days would be way too much as it would dampen CNS output. I would try out three days doing sprints and another two days doing lower intensity cardio like rowing at a medium intensity for 30 minutes. You have to listen to your body. If you don't progress in the weights room, then you know you are doing too much.

Good luck,

Quagmire

 

[Damocles]

Sprinting also seems like it would be a great addition. However I would think 5 days would be way too much as it would dampen CNS output. I would try out three days doing sprints and another two days doing lower intensity cardio like rowing at a medium intensity for 30 minutes. You have to listen to your body. If you don't progress in the weights room, then you know you are doing too much.

Five days a week is not too much. Trust me. Five days at max effort is way, way too much, but three days at moderate, or moderately high effort, with two days at minimal to low effort is not too much. I'm talking about minimal to low effort sprinting... if you run 100m in 20, 25 seconds, you're practising technique much more than actually working out, and technique is a really important part of short sprints.

If he's running four, one hundred meter repeats four times, he's only running one mile total, and if it's at 70 percent of his max output, he's really not putting a huge amount of stress on his body. It's not the kind of workout you'd do year round, either. It's alright for six, maybe eight weeks, then you ease off for a while.

 

[Quagmire911]

Five days a week is not too much. Trust me. Five days at max effort is way, way too much, but three days at moderate, or moderately high effort, with two days at minimal to low effort is not too much. I'm talking about minimal to low effort sprinting... if you run 100m in 20, 25 seconds, you're practising technique much more than actually working out, and technique is a really important part of short sprints.

If he's running four, one hundred meter repeats four times, he's only running one mile total, and if it's at 70 percent of his max output, he's really not putting a huge amount of stress on his body. It's not the kind of workout you'd do year round, either. It's alright for six, maybe eight weeks, then you ease off for a while.

Fair enough.