Baseball: An annual plan

Planning a ProgramThe ideals, goals and progressions

of a baseball strength training plan over 12 months

What is baseball?

Baseball – America’s pastime: is a sport of many intricate tactics and elements.

It is mainly a high velocity, high intensity sport

Physical Components of Baseball

Speed/Acceleration

Power

Strength

Rotational Power/Flexibility

Stability (both throughout the body and shoulder/scapula)

Annual Plan: September - August

Notable dates

Nationals take place for this squad in early/mid January, which is halfway through their club season

The next, and most important for athletes in this squad is the Major League camp that takes place in July

Factors to be aware of...... The athletes taking part in this squad are considered junior sub-elite

athletes

Age ranges from 14 yrs to 19 yrs old

Many of the athletes that first join the squad have a training age of zero years, but as they reach senior level of the group they will have a training age of up to 5 years

The major goal for these athletes is not actually to represent Australia, but to go to the USA and attend college on a scholarship or sign a major league professional contract

Thus most of their training is about preparing them for the rigours of the US college system and/or professional baseball

Macrocycles

This baseball squads’ season doesn’t fall into a regular season with a single peak period, therefore follows a block periodisation

The squads two primary competitions fall during the off season and halfway through the competition phase

Making it difficult to program in linear periodisation with offseason/preseason/competition/playoff/postseason cycle or Hypertrophy/Strength/Power/Resorative Phases

Season Post-XmasHypertrophy and General

Preparation/Strength

Build robustness, particularly through upper body for returning squad members

Teach correct movement patterns and build strong athletic base for new squad members

As well as introduce to basic strength exercises

Off Season/Pre-MLBAAPStrength

High volume throwing program at on-field training, thereby necessitating a decrease in upper body work in gym

Building into strength by lowering reps and increasing load

Squad members heading to MLB camp will taper into a more power focused program before heading away

Strength/Power

Pre-seasonHypertrophy

Building muscle through whole squad to create a robustness for upcoming season to help athletes handle the load

Still focusing on movement patterns and techniques, specifically in new squad members

Pre-season

Strength

Building on previous strength work to build a solid foundation for upcoming power block

Giving athletes a basis to improve performance and increase strength in baseball specific movements

Season Pre-XmasPower

Focus is on increasing power output, to improve throwing, hitting and running abilities

Training block consists of high intensity training while reducing training load

MesocyclesGenerally each block in the mesocycle runs for 4 weeks

With each week assigned a % 3RM for the 1st two “core” exercises

Week 1 is 75% 3RM; while week 2 builds into a 3RM of 85%; week 4 becomes the “heavy” week with a 95% 3RM; finally week 4 is a recovery week with a 70% 3RM

MicrocyclesThe weekly plan is broken up into 3 sessions: Monday,

Wednesday, and Friday

Monday and Wednesday are assigned Strength 1 and Strength 2 respectively

Strength 1 and 2 focus primarily on strength and any other physical component for that block

Friday is assigned Power 1 and focuses primarily on power exercises, or any explosive/plyometric work

Session PlanSession begins with warmup

Two “core” lifts start workout working off %RM for that week

These are followed by as many as four up to six “accessory” exercises which target the focus of that particular block

Session is completed with mandatory stretching and/or foam rolling

Conclusion

In conclusion, the aim of this presentation was to provide an insight into the reasoning behind the periodisation and progression of a state junior sub-elite baseball squads’ annual plan

Thankyou