Live Strong

In conversations with a few of our contributors, they have asked us to be a bit more detailed on the daily conditioning program during the school year, so that it can be applied to our popular 3-Part Series we published throughout this week. This post is a preview of a series on health and nutrition we will run next week.

Many strength and conditioning experts will have their own ideas and routines, and it would take three pages to give you all of the details...Plus, we are not licensed trainers...So, we have provided you an outline to use as a training template below. While you can do long toss, stretching, hitting, fielding and most core drills on your own, ask your conditioning coach at school or at the gym or a place like Velocity Training on the actual details as it relates to speed drills, equipment and amount of weight you should use. Or, just go to the right hand column of this site and click on the many different web sites that offer baseball training techniques and subscribe to their services.

Why is this important? Mostly to become a stronger player and above all to avoid injury...You are at the stage of your life as a High School Position Player or Two-Way Player, where you will be playing over 100 ball games a year, especially in the warm weather states where baseball is just about a year round activity. You need to be in top physical condition to be able to withstand that kind of schedule. Whether you pitch, play infield or outfield, you need to strengthen your legs, core, and turn your arm into an Iron Mike. You need to have a schedule and stick by that schedule everyday. As we mentioned in our 3-Part Series, take advantage of your schools facilities and work out at least two hours a day everyday with a different routine every other day. Also,it is very important that you eat a small snack prior to your school work-outs and then come home and eat a big, nutritious dinner. Consult your school trainer on the types and number of meals you should be eating every day. Because you are working out every day, be sure to drink at least 10 (8oz.)glasses of water everyday too..

Here's a sample schedule:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Stretch, band work, core conditioning....20 minutes
Long Toss....20 minutes
Hitting...200 swings Wood bat only
Speed conditioning...30 minutes
Weights...Upper body...30 minutes

Tuesday, Thursday
Stretch, band work, core conditioning....30 minutes
Fielding drills...30 minutes
Hitting...300 swings Wood bat only
Weights...Lower Body...30 minutes

Saturday, Sunday
Games, fall, winter ball wood bat only even in games when they use metal, you should use only wood and work on hitting the ball in the sweet spot.

We hope this helps...Trainers, specialists are welcome to comment on this post.