Collegiate Baseball In-Season Training

Collegiate Baseball In-Season TrainingDavid J. Szymanski, PhD, CSCS, *DLouisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana

© National Strength and Conditioning AssociationVolume 29, Number 4, pages 68–80

Keywords: baseball training; strength/power training; resistancetraining; conditioning; agility; rotator cuff; medicine ball training

Introduction

Baseball strength and conditioninghas changed considerably over thepast 10–15 years. Although it is

now hard to believe, at one time baseballcoaches did not want their players to liftweights for fear of becoming “too bigand bulky.” The days of playing to getinto shape and not performing sometype of resistance training and condi-tioning are long gone. Furthermore,even though the game may take hours toplay, baseball is a quick, powerful, reac-tionary sport that takes a relatively shortperiod of time per play (1). The longestamount of time that one play may take,such as an inside-the-park home run, is

approximately 17 seconds. The remain-ing plays last from approximately 0.3 to4.5 seconds, depending on whether it isa swing of the bat or a sprint to first base.

Today, if a player is not training to be-come stronger, faster, and more power-ful during the off-and preseason, hewould be lagging behind those who did.However, the way in which one trainsfor baseball is, to some degree, still amatter of opinion based on personalplaying and coaching experiences, whatone reads in strength or research jour-nals, or what one reads on the Internet.In order to develop a sound trainingprogram that addresses both offensive

and defensive movements, one needs toknow and understand the relevant sci-ence that will elicit the desired trainingadaptations. In particular, one shouldbe familiar with daily and weekly undu-lating power periodization for acyclic(single) and cyclic (repetitive) sportmovements. Since baseball movementsare powerful, acyclic (hitting or throw-ing movement), and cyclic (sprinting),it is important that readers understandthese concepts. Readers are encouragedto read about strength training peri-odization strategies written by Bompaand Carrera (3), Coleman (5), and Pliskand Stone (15). This information willprovide guidelines to attain optimalperformance outcomes and may offsetpossible injuries.

In order to become stronger, faster, andmore powerful, a year-round periodizedtraining program must be designed andimplemented. Periodization is a com-prehensive training plan that typicallydivides the training year into 4 differentphases: postseason/active rest, off-sea-son, preseason, and in-season (4, 14).This article will address the in-seasontraining of collegiate Division I (DI)baseball players and should not be exact-ly replicated for other levels of play. In-season training for other collegiate play-

s u m m a r y

In-season baseball training is very important to maintain players’ strength/power

and conditioning. However, there are numerous training approaches used to ac-

complish these goals. The purpose of this article is to display actual in-season

baseball strength and conditioning programs used for various positions at the

Division I collegiate level. Furthermore, readers may want to evaluate their own

program, learn some new ways of training players, and possibly make some ad-

justments to their players’ in-season program.

68 August 2007 • Strength and Conditioning Journal

ers (DII, DIII, NAIA), high school, andprofessional baseball players will be dif-ferent. Therefore, if one trains baseballplayers that are not at the DI level, theyshould modify this program to meet the

daily schedule, time restrictions, and thevarious training facilities they will use.

The in-season training phase for eachlevel of competition is a different length

of time. For the collegiate player, it maybe from February to mid-June. At theDI level, the scheduled season is typical-ly 16 weeks, with an additional 4 weeksif a team gets to the College World Se-ries. For the high school player, it maybe from March to May. For the profes-sional player, it may be from March toOctober. Thus, strength coaches musttake the duration of the season into ac-count and adjust their program accord-ingly. Furthermore, strength coachesmust examine how often the player willactually be playing, hitting, and throw-ing. Is it 3, 4, 5, or 6 days a week? Acomponent that seems to be often over-looked by strength coaches is theamount of throwing players completeper day and season. This is typically dueto the collegiate strength coach’s verybusy schedule of training other universi-ty sport teams. They are not usuallyaround the athletes as much as the base-ball coaches and do not know what is oc-curring at baseball practice on a dailybasis. For some baseball players, thismay substantially affect their strengthtraining sessions. At the DI collegiatelevel, most players throw 6 days a week.Therefore, all of these variables must belooked at closely before designing an in-

69August 2007 • Strength and Conditioning Journal

Table 1Weekly Progression of In-Season Training Program for Core Exercises

Week Intensity Sets Reps % of 1RM Rest Loading Pattern

1 H 4 6 65, 65, 65, 55 90 sec Low

L 4 6 50, 50, 50, 40 90 sec

2 H 4 6 75, 75, 75, 65 90 sec Medium

L 4 6 60, 60, 60, 50 90 sec

3 H 4 6 80, 80, 80, 70 90 sec High

L 4 6 65, 65, 65, 55 90 sec

4 H 4 6 70, 70, 70, 60 90 sec Download

L 4 6 55, 55, 55, 45 90 sec

Note: Core exercises are multi-joint movements such as squats, Romanian deadlift,1 dumbbell (DB) row, and DB bench press. Last sets are “down” sets performed with maxi-mum effort and executed as fast as possible. Perform “hard” day for starting and closingpitcher’s lower body and upper body days. Perform “hard” and “light” days for middle-reliefand position players’ full-body resistance training program.1RM = one repetition maximum,H = hard, L = light.

Figure 1. Standing twisting wall throw: (a) starting position (loaded); (b) twist and throw; (c) catch ball and decelerate. Throw ballagainst wall in the opposite direction.

a b c

season training program. The reason forthis statement is to make strengthcoaches aware that they will need to beflexible and make modifications to theirprograms at some point in time.

Individual PositionsIf a sport-specific periodized strengthand conditioning program is not imple-mented into a baseball player’s daily in-season program, the strength gains thatwere developed in the off- and preseasonwill begin to diminish within 1–4 weeksof cessation of training (11). Therefore,strength coaches must consider the needs

of each position before implementing anin-season program. There are 2 generaltypes of players: pitchers and defensiveplayers. However, each of these positionscan be further broken down. There arestarting, middle-relief, and closingpitchers. Additionally, there are outfield-ers, infielders, and catchers. Each ofthese players has different caloric expen-


Table 2Example of a Collegiate Starting Pitcher’s 5-Day Rotation Program

Days 1 & 6: pitch 1. Throwers 10 rotator cuff program (active recovery): 1–2 sets of 15 reps

2. Ice: 15–20 minutes (optional)

Day 2: recovery (light) 1. Moderate intensity (65–75% HRmax) jog (20poles: left field to right field line) or swimmingpool (any stroke except freestyle & back stroke):20 minutes

2. Rotator cuff & upper body exercises (performedfor recovery)a. Throwers 10 rotator cuff program (2–5 lb

DB): 1 × 10b. 1-arm DB row (25 lb): 1 × 10c. Push-up plus (body weight): 1 × 10d. DB hammer curls (10 lb): 1 × 10e. DB triceps extension (10 lb): 1 × 10

3. Medicine ball:Torsoa. Standing torso circles (5 kg):2 ×10 (warm-up)b. Standing figure 8: 2 × 6c. Standing twisting wall throw: 2 × 6 (Figure 1)d. Seated twists: 2 × 10 (Figure 2)e. Seated trunk rotation: 2 × 6 (Figure 3)

Day 3: hard 1. Throw bullpen: 2 × 15 pitches2. Speed endurance

a. 5 × 200 yd (left field to right field corner): 30sec with 60-sec rest

b. 5 × 100 yd (left field to center field): 15 secwith 45-sec rest

3. Agility drillsa. Fetch & catch: 2 × 10 (A form of ball pick-ups)

4. Medicine ball:Whole body (explosively)a. Overhead toss: 2 × 6b. Squat & push: 2 × 6 (Figure 4)

5. Throwers 10 rotator cuff program: rubber tubing(2–5 lb: slow): 2 × 15

6. Lower body workout (hard)a. Squats (core)b. Romanian deadlift (core)c. Pitcher’s step-up (raise leg with hip flexion)d. Lateral lungee. Calf raises (optional)

Figure 2. Seated twist. Rotate side-to-side as fast as possibleusing trunk. (a) Starting po-sition; and (b) end position.Make sure head and shoul-ders rotate.

a

b

ditures, playing frequencies, and physi-cal requirements to play that particularposition. For example, the estimatedtotal caloric cost of playing a 2-hourbaseball game for a 180-pound player is960, 1,080, and 1,440 for fielders, catch-ers, and pitchers, respectively (13). Astarting pitcher may only perform onceevery 5 days, while some relief pitchersand position players may play and prac-tice 6 days a week. At the DI level, thecenterfielder, short-stop, and secondbaseman may typically be fast and quickwithout demonstrating true homerunpower. The other outfielders may also befast and quick, but demonstrate morehomerun power. The corner players (firstand third basemen) and catcher usuallyare not as fast as the players “up the mid-dle” but may be more powerful hitters.

ObjectivesAn effective periodized in-season pro-gram must accomplish 4 objectives:(a) address the appropriate energy systems, (b) maintain the player’sstrength/power, (c) assist in the recov-ery process, and (d) reduce the chanceof injuries so players remain on thefield. Physiologically, baseball move-ments are quick, powerful movements,which emphasize both of the anaero-bic energy systems (16, 17). Approxi-mately 80% of the energy is suppliedby the ATP-PC system, 15% by glycol-ysis, and 5% from oxidative phospho-rylation (aerobically) (9).

To maintain strength, speed, andpower, but at the same time have a pro-gram that is position-specific, function-al, and aid in the recovery process, astrength coach must control intensity,volume, frequency of training, andspeed of movement, in addition to hav-ing days of rest for players. Intensityrefers to the strength of the stimulus,volume refers to the amount of workcompleted, and frequency is how oftena training stimulus is applied (5, 10).Speed of movement refers to how fast orslow an exercise is performed. It is rec-ommended that the eccentric (down or


Table 2 ContinuedExample of a Collegiate Starting Pitcher’s 5-Day Rotation Program

Day 4: moderate 1. Low/moderate intensity plyometrics (optional)a. Squat jumps: 2 × 10b. Standing long jumps: 2 × 6 consecutivec. Ice skaters: 2 × 10

2. Sprints a. 5 × 60 yd (8 sec with 60-sec rest)b. 5 × 30 yd (4 sec with 30-sec rest)

3. Medicine ball:Throwinga. Chest pass: 2 × 10b. Twisting woodchop throw: 2 × 6 (Figure 5)c. Speed rotations: 2 × 6 (Figure 6)d. 1-Leg overhead balance throw: 2 × 10

(Figure 7)4. Throwers 10 rotator cuff program: 2 × 15 (ballistic)5. Rice bucket routine: 2 × 30 sec

a. Forearm flexion/extensionb. Wrist pronation/supinationc. Wrist ulnar/radial deviationd. Grabbing

6. Upper body workout (hard)a. 1-arm DB row (core)b. Alternating DB bench press (core)c. DB hammer curlsd. DB triceps extensions

Day 5: light 1. Light intensity (50–65% HRmax) jump rope (various jumps): 6 × 50

2. Ladder drills: various movements3. Balance beam (optional)

a. Pitcher’s squat: 2 × 10 (Figure 8)b. Pitcher’s toe touch: 2 × 10 (Figure 9)

4. Abdominal/low back routinea. Oblique crunch: 2 × 15b. Slow bicycles: 2 × 30c. Double abdominal crunch: 2 × 25 d. Superman: 2 × 15

5. Scapula exercisesa. Scapula push-up: 2 × 10 (Figure 10)b. Scapula dips: 2 × 10c. Reach backs: 2 × 10 (Figure 11)

6. Body blade routine (switch exercise every 30 sec:optional)a. Shoulder pressb. Internal/external rotation at 90°c. Internal/external rotation at 0°d. D 2 flexion/extensione. Lateral raisef. Front raiseg. Biceps curh. Triceps extension

D = diagonal, DB = dumbbells, HRmax = maximum heart rate

negative) portion of the lift be slow andcontrolled while the concentric (up orpositive) portion of the lift be as explo-sive as possible (2). One reason for thecontrolled eccentric action duringupper body exercises is because themuscle involvement in throwing islargely eccentric, especially after ball re-lease (8). The deceleration phase of thethrowing motion eccentrically activatesmany of the posterior upper body mus-cles to slow the arm down (8). Behm (2)states that eccentric training has beenfound to be more effective than concen-tric training alone in strengtheningmuscle. Since baseball movements arequick and powerful, players should beencouraged to perform the concentricportion of the lift explosively (2). Behmalso states that regardless of the velocityof movement, it is the attempt to per-form a powerful movement thatachieves the high-velocity, specific-training effect.

Program DesignAs stated earlier, the DI collegiate base-ball season is 20 weeks long if a team goesto the College World Series. In order toperiodize the in-season training pro-gram, five 4-week microcycles that re-peat are used. Microcycles are short

training phases that typically last 1 week,but may be as long as 4 weeks, dependingon the training program (5). The first 3weeks of core, strength/power training(multi-joint exercises such as squats, 1-arm dumbbell row, and dumbbell benchpress) are progressively increased in in-tensity each week. The fourth week is adownload or reduction in intensity, al-lowing for a brief restitution period (15).For players that will perform 2 days offull-body resistance training (middle-re-lief and position players), there are“hard” and “light” days, which differ inintensity by 15%. The starting and clos-ing pitchers will perform hard days fortheir programs, which have separatelower and upper body days. During eachweek, the players are performing 4 sets ×6 reps of each core exercise. The last sethas a reduction in intensity of 10% fromthe percentage used in the first 3 sets.The reason for the decrease in intensityfor the last set is to allow the player toperform with maximum effort and exe-cute the exercise as fast as possible.Therefore, there is the combination ofstrength and power within the same set.This 4-week progression is based off ofstrength training periodization strategiesreported by Bompa and Carrera (3),Coleman (5), and Plisk and Stone (15).


Figure 3. Seated trunk rotation: (a) place ball behind back; and (b) rotate to other sideof body to pick-up ball and repeat.

a b

Figure 4. Squat and push: (a) beginningposition; (b) descent (parallelsquat position); (c) explosivelyjump and release ball.

a

b

c

Plisk and Stone (15) refer to this type ofcycle as “summated microcycles.” Theydescribe 2 benefits from this type oftraining. First, “it increases the probabil-ity of converging training effects whileminimizing the likelihood of overstressor accommodation/involution problems(15).” Second, “it adds an aspect ofinter-mesocycle contrast that may stimu-late adaptation over the long term (15).”Auxiliary (single-joint) exercises, such as

biceps curls, triceps extension, and fore-arm exercises are performed at 2–3 sets ×6–10 reps (5). For an example of the 4-week progression see Table 1. This mi-crocycle is then repeated 4 more timesover the course of the season.

A periodized in-season training programwill integrate exercises that addresssport-specific flexibility, mobility, bal-ance, coordination, footwork, agility,

strength, speed, power, trunk stability,and torso-rotation strength. This articlewill describe how to train pitchers andposition players with various exercisesand pieces of equipment. Designing anin-season program that has high, medi-um, and low loading pattern days oftraining will allow players daily varia-tions and the ability to control intensityand volume of training (3). This will re-duce the chances of over-training and aidin recovery. Also, having off days, whereno training or playing occurs, will assistin a player’s recovery. This should reducethe chance of injury because the programaddresses all of the sport-specific compo-nents mentioned previously in a compre-hensive, periodized training plan.

In each of the different tables, one mayread the word “optional” next to a drill orexercise. This is where the strength coachor player will have the ability to decreasethe total training volume, especially to-wards the latter part of the season whenthe player may need less work and morerecovery so they can perform optimally onthe field. If a baseball team makes it to theCollege World Series, volume should beslightly decreased while maintaining in-tensity. Furthermore, in Table 1 all exer-cises, sets, and reps are listed. In the othertables, if one reads the same general head-ing, such as “Medicine ball: Torso,” thesame exercises, sets, and reps are to be per-formed by that specific player. However,it is recommended from experience thatthe medicine ball routine progressivelyvary from week to week. For whole bodyand torso medicine ball exercises, use 3, 4,5, and 4 kg balls for weeks 1–4, and fordouble-arm throwing medicine ball exer-cises use 2, 3, 4, and 3 kg balls for weeks1–4. This keeps the program progressive,consistent, and manageable, while at thesame time attempts to mimic the move-ments of hitting and throwing a baseball.Also, make sure that rotational andthrowing medicine ball exercises are per-formed on both sides of the body for bal-anced strength/power development.Throughout the in-season program it isrecommended that players use dumbbells


Figure 5. Twisting woodchop throw: (a) beginning flexed position; (b) rotation;(c) bring ball over head; and (d) explosively throw ball to the ground in front of head.

a b

c d

(DB) for various upper body exercises.This is because the act of throwing inbaseball is unilateral, one side indepen-dent from the other. Making sure thatboth arms are individually addressed isimportant because the amount of throw-ing a player has completed will affect howsore the throwing arm is from day to day

or week to week. Using DB also allows theneutral grip (palms facing in) to be ad-ministered to the bench press movement,placing less stress on the shoulder capsuleas the exercise is executed. However, ifyou do not have DB, use the barbell and

make modifications to the exercise if nec-essary. Modifications can be made byplacing a wooden board(s) or rolled uptowel (3–6”) on the sternum. When thebarbell is lowered, it should touch thewooden board or towel, then be lifted to


Figure 6. Speed rotation: (a) startingposition (catch ball thrownfrom partner); and (b) rotateto other side of body and re-lease ball back to partner.Make sure to keep arms fullyextended.Then rotate backto original position to re-ceive another chest pass.

a

b

Table 3Example of a Middle Relief Pitcher’s Program

Monday (moderate) 1. Sprintsa. 5 × 60 yd (8 sec with 60-sec rest)b. 5 × 30 yd (4 sec with 30-sec rest)

2. Agility drillsa. Fetch & catch: 2 × 10

3. Medicine ball:Whole body a. Underhand toss: 2 × 6b. Squat & push: 2 × 6

4. Throwers 10 rotator cuff program (rubber tub-ing: 2–5 lb): 2 × 15

5. Full-body workout (hard)a. Squats (core)b. Romanian deadlift (core)c. 1-arm DB row (core)d. Alternating DB bench press (core)e. DB hammer curls f. DB triceps extension g. Calf raises

Tuesday (game or off-day) 1. Pitch2. Throwers 10 rotator cuff program: 1–2 × 10

(recovery)

Wednesday (off-day or practice): hard

1. Low/moderate intensity plyometrics (optional)2. Speed endurance3. Balance beam (optional)4. Medicine ball:Throwing5. Scapula exercises: 2 × 106. Rice bucket routine: 2 × 30 sec

Thursday (moderate) 1. Sprints2. Ladder drills3. Medicine ball:Torso4. Throwers 10 rotator cuff program (rubber

tubing: 2–5 lb): 2 × 155. Full-body work-out (light)

a. Squats (core)b. Romanian deadlift (core)c. Seated rows (core)d. Alternating DB incline bench press (core)e. DB hammer curls (optional)f. DB triceps extension (optional)g. Calf raises (optional)

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday (Games): Possibly Pitch

DB = dumbbells.

the starting position. This will prevent theathlete from placing additional stress (im-pingement) on the shoulder capsule sincethe bar cannot be lowered to the chest. Fi-nally, in agreement with Toyoshima (20),the most important areas of the body tofocus on for baseball training are the legs,

trunk, and throwing arm. These areas dic-tated how exercises were selected and theorder in which they were placed in thisprogram. This is important for both of-fensive and defensive purposes since mostall movements in baseball require power-ful, full-body rotational movements.

Starting PitchersAccording to Potteiger and Wilson (16,17), pitching involves intermittenthigh-intensity contractions of relativelyshort duration. Due to the intensitylevel and duration of pitching, the pre-dominant energy system required dur-ing pitching is the ATP-PC system (16).Thus, when designing an in-season pro-gram for a starting pitcher, the coachshould develop the pitcher’s anaerobicenergy systems with a consistent dailytraining program that becomes progres-sively less intense as the pitcher getscloser to his next start. This way thestarting pitcher has a scheduled routineand knows what to expect prior to eachperformance. Furthermore, the programmust be position-specific and functional.This is accomplished by integrating exer-cises that address flexibility, balance, foot-work, agility, strength, power, torso-rota-tion strength, and the pitcher’s throwingarm (1, 4, 6, 7, 10, 14, 17, 19, 22).

Regardless of the type of pitcher (start-ing, middle-relief, or closer), the coachmust also take into consideration thenumber of pitches thrown during theprevious game, the number of days be-tween pitching appearances, and post-


Figure 8. Pitcher’s squat: (a) beginning position; and (b) execution of 1-leg squat.

Figure 7. One-legged balance overhead throw: (a) starting position, and (b) end position.

a b

a b


Figure 9. Pitcher’s toe touch: (a) beginning position; and (b) end position.

a b

Figure 10. Scapula push-up: (a) starting position; and (b) end position. Retract scapula in bottom position.

a b

Figure 11. Reach backs: (a) starting position; and (b) end position. Body weight is balanced by stabilization of the shoulder as theeyes follow the free-hand while body twists.

a b

pitching muscle soreness. Generally,starting pitchers throw anywhere be-tween 100 and 130 pitches per game. Amiddle-relief pitcher may throw between30 and 60 pitches, and a closer maythrow between 5 and 30 pitches. If apitcher has an unusually long inning,meaning more than 25 pitches in an in-ning, this may adversely affect the pitch-er’s performance during the remainder ofthat particular game. Furthermore, that

pitcher will probably have more sorenesson days 1 and 2 post-pitching because ofthe increased demand on their throwingarm. The starting pitcher’s program listedin this article is an example of a collegiate5-day rotation (Table 2). If a startingpitcher has less or more than 5 days be-tween starts, the program must be alteredto prepare the pitcher for his next start.For descriptions and illustrations of theThrowers’ 10 Program, see Wilk (23).

Exercises can be performed with rubbertubing or dumbbells between 2 and 5 lbs.For variations of training the shouldercomplex, see Jeran and Chetlin (12).

All conditioning for every pitcher is to beperformed on the field during practice.This is most time efficient since oftentimes pitchers are standing around “shag-ging” baseballs hit during batting prac-tice. From a pitcher’s perspective, this isnot very productive. If the pitchers are di-vided into 2 groups, one can conditionwhile the other shags. When group 1 isfinished conditioning, they go shag whilegroup 2 conditions. If modifications tothe conditioning program need to bemade, such as running inside, do so in agym, indoor track, or on a treadmill. Re-sistance training can be performed earlyin the morning before classes begin orafter practice. It is up to the head coach tomake that decision. It is the author’sopinion that resistance training should beperformed in the morning before collegeclasses start because players are usuallytired and hungry after practice. This isnot conductive for an optimal resistancetraining session. Estimated maximalheart rate (HRmax) for conditioning isdetermined by taking 220 minus the per-son’s age. Coaches can control exercise in-tensity while conditioning by havingplayers work out at various percentages oftheir HRmax. Based on research not yetpublished by this author, it is recom-mended that pitcher’s hard and moderateday intensities be between 70% and 85%of age-predicted HRmax. The condition-ing times for the 200, 100, 60, and 30yard runs listed in this article correspondto this heart-rate intensity range.

Relief PitchersThe training program for middle-reliefand closing pitchers are variations of thestarting pitcher’s program. With the DIcollegiate schedule, games are usuallyplayed on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, andSunday. Therefore, the resistance train-ing schedule for these pitchers should beon Monday and Thursday. Which day ismore physically demanding on the


Table 4Example of a Closing Pitcher’s Program

Monday (light) 1. Light intensity (50–65% HRmax) jump rope (various jumps): 6 × 50

2. Ladder drills: various movements3. Balance beam (optional)4. Abdominal/low back routine5. Scapula exercises: 2 × 10

Tuesday (game or off day) 1. Pitch 2. Throwers 10 rotator cuff program: 1–2 × 10

(recovery)3. Treadmill jog (light-to-moderate intensity:

recovery)a. 50–75% HRmax

4. Ice: 15–20 minutes (optional)

Wednesday (off day or practice): hard

1. Speed endurance a. 10 × 100 yd (15 sec with 45 sec rest)

2. Agility drillsa. Fetch & catch: 2 × 10

3. Lower body workout (hard)a. Squats (core)b. Romanian deadlift (core)c. Pitcher’s step-upd. Lateral lungee. Calf raises

Thursday (moderate) 1. Low/moderate intensity plyometrics (optional)2. Sprints3. Medicine ball:Throwing4. Throwers 10 rotator cuff program: 2 × 155. Rice bucket routine: 2 × 30 sec6. Upper body workout (hard)

a. 1-arm DB row (core)b. Alternating DB bench press (core)c. DB hammer curlsd. DB triceps extensions

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday (games): possibly pitch (discuss with head and/or pitching coach)

DB = dumbbells.

pitchers is up to the strength coach.Based on experience, Monday is moredemanding (hard), while Thursday islighter due to the long, 3-game weekendseries. It is imperative to make sure thatthe players are recovered for the week-end conference games, since opportuni-ty for success in these games is vital tothe baseball coaching staff. Each of the 2days is a full-body resistance trainingprogram focusing primarily on themulti-joint exercises. For the upperbody, multi-joint pulling exercises arealways performed before multi-jointpushing exercises, since the muscles thatpull are predominantly the active mus-cles during arm acceleration and decel-eration (8). The largest amount of forcethat the arm must overcome occurs ec-centrically when the arm decelerates.The muscles that decelerate the throw-ing arm after ball release are the rotatorcuff muscles, latissimus dorsi, rhom-boids, teres major, biceps, serratus ante-rior, and posterior deltoid (8). So, moreemphasis is placed on pulling and rota-tor cuff exercises since it is the muscleslisted above that are not only required tothrow, but are typically most sore ondays 1 or 2 after throwing. This also de-emphasizes the overdevelopment of thepectoralis major and anterior deltoids,which, if too large, may impede or de-crease looseness of the throwing shoul-der, maximal external rotation of theshoulder, and throwing velocity.

In addition to understanding how totrain pitchers, it is equally importantfor the strength coach to communicateand discuss with the head and/orpitching coach what is the best plan ofattack for each pitcher. The middle-re-lief and closing pitcher’s programs list-ed in this article are examples of a col-legiate program (Tables 3 and 4).Remember that every pitcher’s situa-tion is different. Thus, individual vari-ations (intensity, duration, frequency,and mode of exercise) to a pitcher’sprogram must be modified to maintainthe pitcher’s strength/power and allowtime for recovery. Furthermore, the

pitcher will know that you are flexibleand looking out for his best interest.This will develop the personal rela-tionship that has trust and understand-ing at the forefront.

Position PlayersLike pitchers, the predominant energysystem for position players is the ATP-PC system. Thus, the periodized in-sea-son strength and conditioning program


Table 5Example of a Daily Training Program Designed for a Collegiate Position Player

Monday ( hard) 1. Trunk Stability: Pillar bridges (2 × 30 sec)a. Right sideb. Left sidec. Prone

2. Speed training (optional)a. Accelerations: 4 × 30 yd (jog, stride, and sprint

10 yd each)b. Starts: 4 × 10 yd (focus on double-leg lateral

push with cross-over step)c. Sprints: 4 × 30 yd (4 sec with 40-60–sec rest)

3. Medicine ball:Torso4. Throwers 10 rotator cuff program: 2 × 155. Full-body work-out (all are core exercises): Hard

a. Weight box jumps (compounded withsquats)

b. Squats c. Romanian deadlift d. 1-arm DB rows e. Alternating DB bench press

Tuesday (game or off day)

Wednesday (off day or practice): hard

1. Low/moderate intensity plyometrics (optional)2. Agility drills (2× each)

a. Z-drillb. 5-10-5 (pro agility)c. N-drilld. L-drill

3. Medicine ball:Whole body4. Abdominal/low back routine

Thursday (moderate) 1. Trunk stability: Pillar bridges (optional)2. Base Running (3× each)

a. Home plate to 1st baseb. 1st base to 3rd basec. 2nd base to home plate

3. Medicine ball:Throwing4. Scapula exercises: 2 × 105. Full-body work-out (all are core exercises): Light

a. Squats (compounded with box jumps)b. Body weight box jumpsc. Glut/hamstring raisesd. Seated rows ee. Alternating DB incline bench press

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday (games)

DB = dumbbells.

should be anaerobic. The in-season pro-gram should be designed to maintainthe strength/power and speed gainsmade during the off- and preseason aswell as having download weeksthroughout the season. For resistancetraining, position players should trainon Monday and Thursday if the game

schedule is the same as mentioned earli-er. As discussed previously, Monday isharder and Thursday is lighter. Exerciseorder and selection should be based onwhat is most important for performanceon the field and what would decreasethe chances of injury while in theweight room. Multi-joint exercises per-

formed explosively are vital to musclerecruitment and maintenance ofstrength/power. Remember to use the4-week repeating microcycles describedearlier. The use of resistance training,high-intensity, short-duration intervalsprinting, and low-to-moderate intensi-ty plyometrics will improve the anaero-bic energy systems (18). Again, like thepitcher’s program, training must besport-specific and functional for eachplayer. The training objectives (main-taining strength/power, assisting in therecovery process, and reducing thechances of injuries) remain the same forposition players (Table 5).

For position players, conditioning istypically performed on the field imme-diately after practice. It is scheduled atthis time to allow the strength coach totransition from working with the pitch-ers to the position players. Also, condi-tioning of position players usually oc-curs after practice because the headbaseball coach is usually focusing on thedifferent skills of the game (hitting,fielding, defensive coverages, etc.) dur-ing practice. If the head baseball coachallows it, conditioning could be per-formed during various parts of practice,such as during batting practice. The baserunning described above on Thursdayconditioning could be completed dur-ing batting practice. Conditioningshould be based on anaerobic energysystems and sport-specific running. Asstated previously, resistance training canbe scheduled before classes or after con-ditioning. Again, the author would sug-gest morning workouts for the reasonsmentioned previously.

ConclusionThe ultimate goals of an in-season pro-gram are to keep the players healthy,strong/powerful, and on the playingfield. This will occur if a strength coachdesigns a program that uses exercisesthat strengthen the entire body and aresport-specific to baseball movements. Inaddition to dealing with common in-juries in baseball (e.g., subacromial im-


Table 6Recommended In-Season Weight-Training Exercises

Quadriceps & gluteus maximus

Squat1-leg squatSplit squatStep-upsPitcher’s step-up (leg raise with hip flexion)Lateral lungeV-Squat/leg press

Hamstrings Romanian deadliftGlut/hamstring raiseLeg curlsPhysio ball leg curls

Latissimus dorsi 1-arm DB rowLat pulldown w/neutral grip (unilateral cables)Seated rowReverse grip pulldown Wide grip pulldown (front)Pull-upsChin-ups

Pectoralis major Alternating DB bench pressAlternating DB incline bench press Push-upsPhysio ball DB bench pressBarbell bench press (modify if necessary)

Deltoids DB front raiseDB lateral raiseDB bent-over lateral raise

Biceps DB hammer curlsReverse grip barbell or EZ-bar curlsAlternating DB curls

Triceps DB triceps extensionDB kickbacksTriceps pushdown

Forearms & wrists Forearm flexion/extensionWrist pronation/supinationWrist ulnar/radial deviationRice bucket

DB = dumbbells.

pingement, bicipital tendonitis, and ro-tator cuff tendonitis), the strength coachneeds to know that the muscles, ten-dons, and ligaments of the shoulder cap-sule are critical for the throwing motion(12). Strength coaches should not in-clude exercises that may be more harm-ful to the player than helpful. If theshoulder’s safety is jeopardized by per-forming such exercises as barbell benchpress, dips, overhead press, or DB flies,then it would be prudent of the strengthcoach to either modify that exercise orselect a different exercise that trains thesame muscle group. All 4 exercises putunnecessary stress on a player’s shouldercapsule, which already experiencesenough stress from throwing (1). Tolearn how to modify upper-body exer-cises, see Tyson (21). Furthermore, letplayers choose alternative exercises thatdo not cause them further pain, specifi-cally to the elbow or shoulder. This willallow the player to believe that they arepart of the decision-making process oftheir exercise program, and it will moti-vate them to continue working hard forthe strength coach. Some examples ofrecommended weight-training exercisesfor in-season baseball training are foundin Table 6. Finally, it is the responsibilityof the strength coach to know safe,sport-specific exercises that will main-tain the player’s strength/power and re-duce the chance of injuries throughoutthe long baseball season. ♦

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David Szymanski is an assistant profes-sor and a volunteer assistant baseballcoach at Louisiana Tech University.


Szymanski

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Collegiate Baseball In-Season Training