How to Properly Condition to Get Ready for the Baseball and Softball Seasons

For sports, like baseball and softball, you should have a clearly defined in-season and off-season for your team. Playing games year-round can put players at risk of injuries and doesn’t give them the time to work on building strength and honing skills that are pushed to the backburner during the season.

During the off-season, both softball and baseball players should focus on strength training for the bulk of the off-season months before beginning to reincorporate skill training in the months leading up to the season. Throwing, for example, is a skill that shouldn’t be neglected for too long. With time away from the mound, there is an adjustment to allow the player to readapt to the stress throwing places on the body. By tailoring your team’s conditioning schedule to these constraints, you could see the greatest improvement in your team’s level of play.

Pomi understands the dedication that high school athletes have towards their sport, so we have done the hard work for you to develop a conditioning schedule that could put your team in the best position to begin your Baseball and Softball seasons.

Baseball Conditioning

The standard baseball season goes from March to August, starting the off-season months in September and lasting until December. This off-season period can be dedicated to taking a break from practicing skills and turning your attention to alternating between speed training and strength training that will make your skills more powerful. Then, during the transitional period between December and March, you can begin applying that power back to core skills.

Speed Training

Baseball is a sport that relies on players being able to use explosive bursts of speed to traverse the bases and score points. Generating that speed quickly and consistently takes practice that can be accomplished during the off-season and carried over to the in-season. So how do you do it?

Warm-Up: Each exercise should be done for 20 yards.

  • Inch Worms

  • Lunge-Squat-Lunge

  • Skips

  • Shuffle

  • Heel-Toe Walks

  • Lateral A-March

  • Lateral A-Skip

Workout:

  • 10-Yard Start Sprints

  • Partner-Banded Shuffle Runs

  • Lateral Medicine Ball Throws (4-6 on each side)

Strength Training

When working on your upper body strength, you should not aim purely for bulk, but strength and flexibility. Unlike football, baseball is a sport where bulk will hinder your ability to effectively play the game. Your team needs the flexibility to put force behind throws and the agility to get to the bases quickly. Following these exercises can help.

Leg Workout:

  • Split Squats 3 x 15/leg

  • Lunges 3 x 15/leg

  • Squat Jumps 3 x 10

  • Goblet Squats 3 x 20

  • Box Squat vs. Red Bands 9 x 3

Arm Workout:

  • Bicep Curls 3 x 20/arm

  • Pull-Ups 3 x Max

  • Kettlebell Press 3 x 12/arm

  • 3-in-1 Shoulders: Front Raises, Side Raises, Rear Raises 3 x 10

  • Romanian Deadlifts 3 x 12

Softball Conditioning

Softball players need just as much conditioning as baseball players do. Just as much speed training, strength training, and the built-up endurance to keep both of those traits for the entirety of a game. With a training course adjusted to softball’s unique style and technique, your team can improve strength by leaps and bounds before the start of the season.

Speed Training

Softball is one of those sports that relies on a player’s explosive speed to make it to each base and score. Not everyone can naturally sprint as fast as a track star, so build up speed over time and through practice. So, how do you do it?

Warm-Up: Each exercise should be done for 20 yards.

  • Inch Worms

  • Lunge-Squat-Lunge

  • Skips

  • Shuffle

  • Heel-Toe Walks

  • Lateral A-March

  • Lateral A-Skip

Workout:

  • Double Contact Lateral Sprints 5 x 15 Yards (on each side)

  • Partner 10-Yard Shuttles

  • Lateral Medicine Ball Throws (4-6 on each side)

Strength Training

Softball players need both strength and flexibility to put power behind their throws, or swings, and still maintain proper technique. By working to build muscle but not bulk, softball players can find the right balance of strength.

Leg Workout:

  • Lateral 1-Leg Mini-Hurdle Hop to Box 6 x 3/leg

  • Box Squat vs. Red Bands 9 x 3

  • Glute Bridges 3 x 8

  • Slider Hamstring Curls 3 x 15

  • Front Plank Drops/Stops 3 x 20

Arm Workout:

  • Kettlebell Swings 3 x 10

  • Pull-Ups 3 x Max

  • One-Arm Dumbbell Rows 3 x 12/arm

  • 3-in-1 Shoulders: Front Raises, Side Raises, Rear Raises 3 x 10

  • Bicep Curls 3 x 15/arm

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These posts are for informational purposes only and should not be considered as specific financial, legal or tax advice. Depending on your individual circumstances, the strategies discussed in this post may not be appropriate for your situation. Always consult your legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. In providing such information, Great American does not warrant that all potential hazards or conditions have been evaluated or can be controlled. The liability of Great American Insurance Company is limited to the terms, limits and conditions of the insurance policies underwritten. ©2024 Great American Insurance Company. All Rights Reserved. Great American Insurance Group’s member companies are subsidiaries of American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG). AFG is a holding company whose common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Policies are underwritten by Great American Insurance Company, an authorized insurer in all 50 states and the DC. Please see Great American Insurance Company’s Legal Disclosures/Terms and Conditions here.  https://www.greatamericaninsurancegroup.com/contact/legal-disclosures

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