The attached off-season weight room program is a workout that was customized for an elite high school baseball team. Every logistical factor was taken into consideration: equipment, space, time commitments, competency and level of athletes, volume and competency of coaching staff to implement and oversee, etc. The start of each microcycle is exemplified in the program – essentially week one of each microcycle. Each microcycle can be between 2 and 4 weeks long, with changes of volume and intensity throughout with keeping the exercises constant. There was also periodic downloads and unloads within the overall program that was setup to coincide with various off-season events such as tournaments and testing.
Keep in mind that there was also a customized program for warm-ups and joint preparation, speed/movement and conditioning, performance based throwing program, flexibility/mobility/stability, and progressive trunk/spine overload. All of these variables were progressed according to the weight room program to maximize the strength and power gains while minimizing interference.
General Preparatory Phase
The main concept of a GPP is improving joint integrity, setting the base of strength, and improving the quality of isometric strength at end ranges of controllable motion to increase overall range of motion. Note that the tempos are setup on a heavy eccentric loading, a lot of isometric holds, and even some higher tempos on the concentric muscle action to gain the quality of cross-bridge formation. The rotational patterns through the trunk and spine were set in this phase via a lot of heavy tempos, and variations of isometrics throughout the ranges of motion. Note that this phase also is heavy into single joint strengthening, and a lot of non-specific overall strength and stability.
Intensification
The theme of this phase was to increase volume and systematically increase intensity. There are some explosive concentrics (note the 21X tempos) put into this phase to try and build a foundation of pure concentric power. There is also a progressive overload throughout the trunk and spine on each day. While this still not be “sport specific” in terms of that actual motion of the rotations, it is “muscle specific” – meaning that the muscles involved in the dynamic rotation of the swinging motion and/or throwing motion are continuing to be developed in all aspects of a muscle contraction. The ultimate goal is to have the foundation of the eccentric strength, the isometric strength, and the concentric strength/power set to lead into more dynamic and “sport-specific” strength/power in the succeeding phases. Also note the themes of this phase is predicated on a severe increase in volume of the entire posterior chain – upper body pulls, trunk/spine extensors, hip extensors, knee flexors, and even plantar flexors. This is essential to creating an overall balanced athlete – specifically an “overhead” athlete that is absolutely dependent on optimal posture (specifically around the scapulo-thoracic region).
Conjugate-Dynamic
There is now a complete shift to attempting to maximize general vertical power, as well as the specificity of rotational power and reversal/deceleration components of pulling power. The pressing power is not nearly as important for an overhead athlete – note that the “Strength” Upper Body day definitely follows a traditional Conjugate-Dynamic phase – albeit the pressing strength is still with DB’s because of the standard imbalances in the shoulder complex of an overhead athlete. And the pulling strength of the Upper Body day is set into two phases – one day of pure strength, one day of heavy volume. The power portion of the “Dynamic” Upper Body Day is mainly set for rotational and pulling power. The lower body follows more of the traditional Conjugate-Dynamic phase: one day of pure dynamic strength, and one day of absolute strength. The absolute strength is set primarily with single leg work for the hip/quad dominant primary exercises – mainly because of the extreme importance of single leg strength with this sport. Note that the trunk/spine is starting to get a lot more explosive throughout the entire ranges of motion – and there is even an implementation of Landmine exercises (the staple of rotational specificity for baseball players).
Strength/Power
Note that this phase has a certain feel of a traditional strength and power split. Two days of full body strength, and alternating days of full body power. The posterior chain work is placed on the full body power days. Note that the full body power still avoids pressing power – it is mainly focused around general lower body power, upper body pulling power, and rotational power through the trunk/spine. This phase is good for a “peaking phase” that immediately precedes a Pre-Season – or can be modified slightly as a taper into a major tournament or testing event. Since the base of absolute strength, eccentric loading, dynamic eccentric loading, isometric development, posture, and all phases of progressive power development has already been set in the preceding phases – power can now be maximized and realized at the fullest potential.
IMPLEMENTATION AND CUSTOMIZATION
These are purely examples of advanced programs that can be set for an elite high school baseball teams. Each exercise can be tied to the exercise database available on the Bommarito University membership site. BPS has had a ton of requests for programs for teams, small groups, and even individual athletes at the youth, high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Once all of the aforementioned logistical factors are known, BPS can construct a thorough customized program that can be easily implemented and referenced to the exercise database. The team that this program was built for even had coaches attend Bommarito Performance North Miami Beach facility for a day consult as a complete “crash course” of teaching progressions and implementation strategies for the off-season. While this is certainly not required, it exemplifies the true customization that can be made available for an athlete or groups of athletes in any logistical setting.