Summer is recruiting season for most high school ball players, and they obviously need to perform at their best. However, it is important to understand that while playing baseball makes athletes better at playing baseball from a technical viewpoint, it does not help them get stronger or able to maintain specific training adaptations as the season progresses. This is generally due to the fact that… Continue reading “How to Stay in Shape w/ In-season Workouts During Summer Ball”
With baseball season quickly approaching, we are beginning to see everyone’s idea of what a great in-season baseball workout is being posted all over the internet. While some of these are quite good, unfortunately others are either too heavy on volume and intensity or are so light the athlete is better off taking the day off. I always tell my athletes that once the season begins, what we are really doing is managing a controlled fall. In other words, playing sports technically makes athletes better at playing their sport, but it does not make them stronger or even able to maintain specific training adaptations as the season progresses.
In my opinion, baseball players can and should be training hard in season, as long as throwing and exercise selection are taken into consideration and they’re training in the correct strength-zones. Enter velocity-based training (VBT) for in-season baseball workouts. Continue reading “In-season Baseball Workouts with Velocity-Based Training”
The reality is that during the season many pitchers may have difficulty getting to the gym more than 1-2 x’s per week. So here at RPP, we recommend supplementing your in-season training with some strength / mobility work that can be done at home or at the field. These exercises are designed to maintain your strength and mobility without creating any residual soreness that could effect on-field performance. It’s not as efficient as coming into the gym and getting your reps done but it’s better than not doing anything at all… much better. Continue reading “4 Simple Ways to Maintain Lower Half Power In-Season”
At this time of the year, after a full off-season of strength training, upcoming tryouts and practices, erratic throwing schedules, sitting on the bench in a kyphotic posture, waiting to get your reps on the mound are a few of the variables that can wreak havoc on an athlete’s body and more importantly his arm. There are several considerations when you’re looking to maintain your strength and mobility with in-season baseball workouts. Continue reading “What to Consider with In-Season Baseball Workouts”
Every off-season I see dedicated athletes spinning their wheels and settling for ineffective baseball strength training programs, simply because the location is convenient, or they’re feeling pressure from the travel coach. The reality is that often they’re experiencing mediocre gains or no gains at all when they should be improving dramatically. Bottom line is if your performance has remained the same year-over-year your training probably SUCKS! A customized baseball strength training program goes a long way towards improving your level of performance. Continue reading “Baseball Strength Training at RPP, Why and How it Works”
As strength coaches, our goal is to not only improve an athlete’s performance but also keeping our athletes healthy during the season. This is not unlike a race car that comes out of the gate blazing and after 100 laps requires a “pit stop” to try to address wear and tear. Continue reading “Command and Control — Case Study: Butler’s Josh Loeschorn”
As far as athletic performance goes, it’s getting clearer and clearer that strength, speed and power are king (click here for Part 1). That’s why maximizing training protocols for a sport with movements as quick and explosive as baseball is paramount. Increasing strength and power involves:
Continue reading “Training the Force-Velocity Curve with VBT… How it Works — Part 2”
Getting strong in the off-season to prepare for great performance on the field is paramount, but let’s not forget that it’s the athlete that finishes the season as strong as he started that usually reaps the most reward. Drops in velo, both on the mound and off the bat, as well as injuries, can all be a result of not training in-season. So, you basically are the creator of your own destiny. Continue reading “In-Season Training… Starting Hard, Finishing Harder”
Here in Part 3 of this 2017 “Best of” series, are this year’s most popular articles on strength and conditioning… Continue reading “The Best of 2017 – Strength and Conditioning Articles”
As we get closer to the end of another year here at RPP, it seems like a good time to reflect back on 2017, and provide you with a glimpse of where we might be headed in 2018. Continue reading “Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Headed”
