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Volume 1 – sample highlights (2001)
Rhonda Revelle’s Pre-season Conditioning Program for Softball/Baseball Reveals in V.1#1:
It only makes sense to incorporate a conditioning program that has drills and activities that involve speed, power and agility with short, intense and stimulating game like actions. For example, in softball for every 3-10 seconds of activity, an average of 15-30 seconds of rest follow. In volleyball, it is about 6 seconds of activity to 14 seconds of rest. Football has 5 seconds to 45 seconds of work to rest. For sports that are predominantly power based (anaerobic), it is critical to achieve the proper activity to rest ratio. A good rule of thumb is for every 1 second of activity, allow 3 seconds of rest.
Conditioning activities should not exceed 12-15 seconds in duration.
Vern Gambetta’s Long Toss Training Progression for Arm Strength Development
Reveals in V.1#5:
Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday (Note: adjust the distances based on the training age of the athlete. The key indicator of proper distance is if the ball is thrown on a line rather than lofted.) This program can be done as part of practice right after warm up based on the principle previously stated. Total time is about 10 minutes. It is important that coaches really coach this activity by emphasizing the crow hop and a good follow through over the front leg. The person the player is throwing to should see the numbers on the thrower’s back on follow through.
Day One: Play catch throwing the ball on the line at shorter distances. Work on follow through with a crow hop. Start at 30 feet move to 60 feet, 90 feet and 120 feet.
- [beg] Ten throws at each distance
- [Inter-adv] up to 20 throws at each distance especially in the off-season.
Volume 2 – sample highlights (2002
Lori Sipple’s Mid-Season Conditioning on a Four Day a Week Softball
Pitching Schedule Reveals in V.2#2:
You want to maintain what you have built in the off-season. In the off-season do more exercises and work a little heavier. We work twice a week on the legs, twice a week on the upper body. During the season a player might be lucky to get in one day of each. With multiple games during the week, when do you lift? You don’t want to do it on game day or the day before. What I have done is to modify the program to be more functional. We do medicine balls the day before the game rather than going into the weight room. The exercises we do are more general and not specific to the pitching motion. You have to realize that pitching in a game is a workout in itself. If there are a hundred pitches in a game that’s like doing a hundred curls and lunges. So during the season we don’t want to overload these motions. You might do more decelerator work, such as triceps and hamstrings, things that work the back part of the body. The front is very involved in the pitching motion. In the early season we cut down training from four days to two. We also reduce the number of exercises from seven or eight exercises to maybe four or five if we’re lucky.
Scott Ford, Darlene A. Kluka, Ph. D., William L. Hines, M.D.’s Contact Zone Focus: A New Visual Approach to Successful Hitting Reveals in V.2#4:
The traditional visual approach to locating the contact event in this situation is to “watch the ball” or, in this case, “watch the snowball” as it moves along its flight path from release point to contact point. Theoretically, if you have the snowball in focus along its entire flight path, you will then have the snowball in focus when it hits the window. Thus, the contact event will be in focus when and where it happens. Locating the contact event requires the refocusing of your eyes from far- to near-vision in order to keep the snowball in focus from start to finish. This is Variable-Depth of Focus (VDF) input.
Fixed-Depth of Focus (FDF) input accomplishes the same objective of visually locating the contact event, while using a different visual approach. Instead of focusing on the snowball and tracking it to the window, the eyes are prefocused on the window itself, scanning the window’s surface for the contact point. Rather than locating the contact event by focusing on the ball, you locate the contact event by focusing on the contact zone.
Volume 3 – sample highlights (2003)
Gene Coleman’s Pre-season Conditioning Guide for Catchers Reveals in V.3#3:
Catcher Camp Conditioning
Initially, we start with 15 minutes of activity. By the time we are at week four we are up to 45 minutes. The camp is set up in a series of work stations using a variety of equipment. All stations are movement specific or energy system specific to what a catcher will do during the season. At the end they do a few sprints with the position players just to work straight ahead running. The circuit is set up anywhere from five to 10 stations. Athletes move continuously from station to station. Exercises are added to each of the stations as the time increases from 15 to 45 minutes. At 45 minutes the athletes are exhausted. But, by introducing a ball to many of the activities we are able to make it fun for them.
Rob Childress’s Shoulder and Elbow Strength Improvement and Maintenance Program Reveals in V.3#5:
This is an elbow and shoulder strength development and maintenance program. This program is used across the country as a rehabilitation program. We do it to be more proactive, making it a requirement for the pitchers to do three times a week the year round. It is done after practice or during the day between classes. We take the equipment to do the exercises on the road with us. We believe that by doing these it helps prevent injury to our players. This program is done the day after the players pitch and twice again during the week.
Volume 4 – sample highlights (2004)
Sheri Kempf ‘s Favorite Exercises of the Coaches, Speed Drills Reveals in V.4#1:
The catcher plays a big role in this exercise. Their job is to get the ball back to the pitcher as quickly as possible. The pitcher strides out, throwing the ball as fast as possible. The catcher, standing up, returns the ball. The pitcher hustles back to the rubber and gets her feet into position. The feet should be back in starting position when the ball hits the pitcher’s glove. To increase the speed, use two balls, with one in the catcher’s hand before the pitch. Do sets of 12 to 20 reps.
These are guidelines for times that we want our players to reach. On an average, you can allow 3 seconds per pitch. Some more advanced pitchers are able to considerably cut the average times, however. Here are the times to shoot for:
- 10 pitches average time 30 seconds.
- 12 pitches average time 36 seconds.
- 15 pitches average time 45 seconds.
- 20 pitches average time 60 seconds.
We work up to six sets of 10, five sets of 12, four sets of 15 or three sets of 20, with 30-60 seconds rest between sets.
Mark “Lunch” McKenzie’s Programming for Young Hitters Reveals in V.4#2:
Rod Carew had a huge influence on my approach to hitting. He literally allowed me to give him a hitting lesson. He could tell me where I was giving incorrect information to the athletes. The big difference between the elite and the normal athlete is that the average athlete who might make it to the high school level is a one-piece athlete. Most kids that come to me, boy or girl, young or old, are one-piece athletes they use their whole body to perform simple physical tasks. What I mean is if you ask a player can you do a push-up, and they say yes. I ask the bigger kids what they can bench-press and then ask them what they weigh. I want them to understand that it makes no sense that they are able to bench-press hundreds of pounds or do a push-up and press their own body weight, for them to use their entire body swing a 17-34 ounce bat. At the collegiate level some kids can bench-press 300 pounds, it’s still only a two-pound bat. If the baseball/softball player needs all their strength to swing the bat, they will be vulnerable to trick pitches and hit off balance.
Volume 5 – sample highlights (2005)
Tim Maxey’s Things You Should Know Before Individualizing Your Baseball/Softball Conditioning Program Reveals in V.5#1:
There are a lot of factors involved with individualizing a conditioning program. You must look at what players can tolerate. If you have an eleven- or twelve-year-old, you must know they cannot tolerate the same load a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old can. The biggest key is that you must monitor your players’ workouts, their workloads, and what they are doing on the field. One rule of thumb is if you add something, you must take something away. If you are increasing practice time and also increasing game time, you must pull back a little bit in your training and focus on major exercises (I’m referring to in-season). You can’t be hardheaded when your athletes need less work. This is the biggest problem strength and conditioning coaches have during in-season workouts particularly in baseball and softball, which have longer seasons with a lot of playing time. You think you need to do more but again remember the principle, if you add something, you need to take something away. Not doing so is the biggest mistake people make especially with younger players.
Jeff Mangold’s New York Yankee Case Study—In-season Body Fat Reduction Conditioning Program for Baseball and Softball Pitchers Reveals in V.5#2:
The program is performed three to four times a week based on travel schedule and the volume of pitching. Top priority in the program is body fat management and reduction; therefore, the first thing done is low impact aerobic training on an elliptical or Stair Master trainer. The objective here is to burn calories and this is done for 20 minutes. We have to make sure that the training zone is low enough so we don’t overly fatigue him, which helps assure that he has success and comfort in doing it and isn’t afraid of this type of training during the season. Relief pitchers don’t know when they are going to pitch. It’s important that they “buy into” the program and have confidence in it. We want it to enhance performance and not be a negative. We make sure we start with light poundage in the circuit. We want the players to get used to the program and look forward to it. Once players start to lose body fat, they start feeling better about themselves, which makes the program that much more effective.
Volume 6 – sample highlights (2006)
Teena Murray’s University of Louisville Softball DIAMOND SPEED — Combining Mobility Mechanics Acceleration and Quick Reaction Reveals in V.6#6:
Most athletes have never been taught how to run. They run however their body happened to feel comfortable moving as a child, which isn’t always pretty or effective! Though softball players are not track athletes, the return on investing time teaching running mechanics can be significant. Since it takes an elite athlete 5-6 seconds to hit top speed, it’s clear that a softball player’s focus needs to be acceleration speed rather than top-end speed. Getting out of the box, stealing, tagging up and charging a fly ball can all be positively impacted by learning to accelerate more effectively. Consequently, at U of L we spend considerable time working on acceleration mechanics and training the nervous system with a wide variety of plyometrics and fast leg drills. In particular, we teach and emphasize the first four steps. Our players constantly hear that the first 3-4 steps will make them or break them on the field. They understand that acceleration speed is a function of stride frequency and force production- applying force in to the ground with the balls of the feet- and they understand that our work in the weight room prominently impacts our movement capabilities.
Chris Joyner’s Lean and Clean: The Long Term, Comprehensive Approach to Developing Young Baseball Players — Developing a Routine Reveals in V.6#7:
Routine has many aspects including running, agility work, strength training and nutrition — essentially, all aspects of the conditioning process. Travel is always a consideration that disrupts routine. Here we have to adjust as best we can and provide the players with the opportunities to get in their work. The routine for pitchers is significantly different than for field players. The challenge is not providing the exercises that need to be done, rather it is to establish when to do them. In the case of five-day rotation players, there are things that come up, which may cause them to miss a start. This alters their routine and adjustments need to be made.
Volume 7 – sample highlights (2007)
Matthew C. Krause’s Orientating and Adjusting New Players into a Professional Baseball Conditioning System — The Cincinnati Reds Approach Reveals in V.7#4:
When players come to the REDS organization we have group orientations as well as one on one consultation. The education process starts day 1. Interpreters are brought in for those who do not speak English to make sure they understand. Players entering the Reds system come to us with a wide variety of conditioning backgrounds and experience. We have players who have never strength trained; some do not speak English because they are from different countries, some come from a four-year, highly organized strength and conditioning program at the college/university level and some get traded over form other organizations with different S & C goals. We also see everything in-between. We sit down with the athlete and insist on the fact that no matter what program they come from, that the reds system will keep them healthy and continue there on field success.
The first thing we have the players understand is that every player begins at a different starting point and this is a working relationship. Communication is key! This is not a teacher/student relationship anymore, we need to communicate and work with each other. There programs will be tailored to meet the individual goals of each players to make them the best baseball player they can be and get to the major leagues. We find out what type of program the athlete had at their high school or college and we scrutinize it to start the individualization process. We look for safety first. Are the exercises safe to do based on the demands of professional baseball? Are they done correctly. It important to emphasis how to lift rather than how much.
John Rewolinski’s In-Season Lunging for Outfield Strength and Power Reveals in V.7#6:
Stand in correct position and slowly lower (eccentric contraction) in to the low lunge position, feeling a good stretch through the quadriceps and proximal hamstrings. From this position, explosively rise out of the lunge position while stepping forward. The stretch position enhances the explosive move forward. The explosive motion is also enhanced by bringing the trail leg forward, kicking the buttocks and driving the knee upward as the hip flexes. Swing the foot forward in a straight line, avoiding any movement to either side of the heel. This is accomplished by swinging the foot past the opposite leg at knee level and planting the foot in position for the next lunge. Be sure to keep the muscles flexed so that the plant position is precise enough to approximate an outfield stride.
Volume 8 – sample highlights (2008)
John M. Ellis’s Anti-Steroid Intervention Strategy: A Unique Opportunity for Baseball Reveals in V.8#1:
One risk factor, for example, is community transition and mobility. Research shows that kids who move a lot and as a result go to multiple school systems with multiple peer groups are at risk. This “risk” is regardless of ethic, racial or social/economic backgrounds. The survey was itemized in terms of protective and risk factors. From the results we were able to take a look at what are the areas of biggest risk in the county. Our results pointed to (a) low community attachment by our kids, (b) favorable parental attitudes toward some problem behaviors and, (c) friends engaging in problem behaviors. This survey provided us a common language in which to prepare the programs that might fit our needs and also identified the programs that were available.
Brain Grapes’s Lean and Clean: A Long-Term, Comprehensive Approach to Developing Young Baseball Players — Leg Circuit Reveals in V.8#2:
Parents are often looking for a quick fix that they feel a strength and conditioning coach can give their athletes; however, parents must realize there are no short cuts to superstardom. The push and stress by some parents is that my kid has to be lifting heavy. The parents need to be educated as to what strength training entails, which is simply the overload of a muscle to get it stronger. Overload can be running, squats or just certain activities done by the players that they are not used to doing. It will not necessarily take an average athlete and make him or her great because genetics is a major determinant of stardom; however, it can help most athletes improve.
When starting the program, testing should be a consideration. With the leg circuit the tests should be to observe if the athletes pass using proper mechanics. These tests can be the lunge and the squat as described in the circuit. The difference is that rather than worrying about overload, perfect technique is the concern. If an athlete “fails” the test, then the coach should work on proper mechanics before the circuit is implemented. If proper technique is not practiced during the circuit, the chance of injury is increased and that is counterproductive to strength training.
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