FITNESS - In-season strength training an exercise of personal choice

Baseball players continue to be more aggressive with strength training during the off-season. Position players and pitchers understand that a stronger athlete is a better athlete and train throughout the months leading up to the baseball season. But what about once the season starts? Should they continue with weight work, or shut it down once the season commences?

Each player must be attentive to what their body is telling them. Certain individuals have no difficulty maintaining a strength program during the season and it’s beneficial. Other players experience inconsistencies in how their body feels from day to day and week to week if they continue training. Periods of feeling stiff, sore or sluggish may cause adverse physical and psychological effects that hinder performance and force the player to think twice before entering the weight room.

If a player decides to continue weight training during the season, he should adapt his workout objective to maintain strength rather than build strength or muscle mass. A system of lower weights and higher repetitions should be instituted. Instead of working out three or four times per week, a player should cut back to two or three times per week depending on his work and practice schedule.

Players should also consider circuit training when they work out during the season. Circuit training consists of performing an exercise or two for each body part, rather than isolating a specific muscle region or two for the entire workout. Hammering away at back and bicep muscles, for example, can extend the period of recovery for those muscle regions and hinder performance. Core exercises, specifically the abdominal region, can be continued on a regular basis.

It’s in the best interest of pitchers to continue preventative exercises for their rotator cuff. Maintaining strength in the small muscles surrounding the rotator cuff can stave off soreness and potential injuries. Cardiovascular training is also important to increase their durability on the mound. Pitchers should also be wary of strength training exercises that require lifting weight above their shoulders. A simple loss of balance or flawed technique can result in a shoulder strain.

As mentioned, each player has to learn what is best for his body. The time for experimentation is during the pre-season. Because players are practicing every day, they’ll get a sense of what their body can or can’t handle and devise his program accordingly. Don’t wait until game competition begins to determine if an in-season strength training program suits your body and your game.

Note: Most professional and collegiate baseball players use an in-season strength program because their seasons are longer than high school athletes. Because they’re playing six or seven games per week, traveling and eating at inconsistent times, they lose weight and muscle mass due to the intense and disruptive game-schedule. A high school season of lesser games (overall and per week), minimal travel and more consistent diet schedule provides much better conditions to maintain weight and strength through the season.