In-season training and getting started
Introducing a re-worked program we will be using to develop foundational strength and power as the new baseball season opens up.
Things at FYSTS have been in a discovery phase as I have experimented with different approaches to posts and topics. The spring baseball season is upon us, and I am trying to get caught up with the new schedule and demands that come with it. As such, I apologize for the absence of content over the past month.
My son has been itching to get going with a new workout program, and with the new season upon us, my focus has been on finding the right balance between training and preparation to play. With youth sports becoming a year-long endeavor, “off-season training” is not as cut and dry as one might think.
As he is still only playing 13U baseball, I believe that his ideal focus would be to learn and practice fundamentals, build foundational strength, and continue to develop power.
We will focus on a three-day-a-week program with the following topics of emphasis:
Foundational strength: We will be working on core lifts, such as deadlifts, squats, and presses, to build overall strength. Our focus will be on proper technique and gradual weight increases as he masters the basics.
Functional training: During this day, we will work with exercises that use single-arm and single-leg movements to simulate strength activities that are more familiar with what an athlete experiences on the court or field.
Medicine balls: We will work on rotational and other explosive movements that align with baseball athletes’ throwing and swinging motions on both sides of the diamond. We do not have a wall in our house that would handle throws against it, so we will have to do this at the practice facility, where they have large masonry tile walls to work with!
On a related topic, my son is almost 13, and with that age comes new opportunities. I signed him up for a gym membership at a local gym to take advantage of the equipment and space it provides. The kids grow up too fast!