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Killer Off-Season Program

K Keater10+ posts
I've spoken with several strength coaches from U.S. colleges in search of the best off-season program. Here is the one I use and it has helped me increase my arm strength and overall power.

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Guidelines:
-Warm up, stretch, and Group #1 Abdominals prior to lifting.
-Practice good mechanics. Do not sacrifice technique for too much weight.
-Lift the weight smoothly with strict control.
-Utilize full range of motion on every exercise.
-Do all of the prescribed sets and reps for each exercise before moving to the next exercise.
-NO lateral pulldowns behind the head.
-Do not try and lift through pain. Know the difference between muscle fatigue and actual pain.
-Complete all exercises unless you have been instructed to avoid certain movements.
-Post workout cooldown... Peform Group #2 Abdominals and spend 15 minutes on a stationary bike. Follow this with a stretching routine.

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Monday: Chest, Biceps, Calves
Flat Bench Press (3 x 15)
Incline Dumbbell Press (3 x 15)
Cable Crossover (3 x 15)
Barbell Curl (3 x 15)
Alternating Dumbbell Curl (3 x 15)
Concentration Curl (3 x 15)
Standing Calf Raise (3 x 15)
Seated Calf Raise (3 x 15)

Wedesday: Back, Shoulders, Triceps
Wide-Grip Pulldown to Front (3 x 15)
Smith-Machine Bent-Over Row (3 x 15)
Seated Cable Row (3 x 15)
Dumbbell Lateral Raise (3 x 15)
Seated Dumbbell Press (3 x 15)
Bent-Over Lateral Raise (3 x 15)
Reverse-Grip Bench Press (3 x 15)
Cable Pressdown (3 x 15)
Machine Extension (3 x 15)

Friday: Legs, Traps
Leg Extension (3 x 15)
Leg Press (3 x 15)
Leg Curl (3 x 15)
Stiff-Legged Deadlift (1 x 15)
Front Barbell Shrug (3 x 15)
Upright Row (3 x 15)

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Abdominal Group #1:
Weight Decline Crunch (4 x 25)
Hanging Knee Lifts (4 x 15)

Abdominal Group #2:
Cable Crunch (4 x 15)
Seated Crunch Machine (4 x 25)

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Running Program

Week 1: 4x10m, 4x20m, 2x30m, 1x40m
Week 2: 4x10m, 4x20m, 2x30m, 2x40m
Week 3: 2x10m, 3x20m, 3x30m, 3x40m
Week 4: 2x10m, 3x20m, 3x30m, 4x40m
Week 5: 2x10m, 3x20m, 4x30m, 4x40m
Week 6: 2x10m, 4x20m, 4x30m, 4x40m
Week 7: 3x10m, 4x20m, 4x30m, 4x40m
Week 8: 4x10m, 4x20m, 4x30m, 4x40m

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Stretching Routine: Hold each stretch for 20-30 seconds.

Side Bends, Rotation, Standing Toe Touch, Twisting Stretch, Standing Groin Stretch, Racer's Stretch, Hip Stretch, Calf Stretch, Spread Eagle Stretch, Yoga Stretch, Shoulder Stretch, Rotator Stretch
Last edited {1}
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K Keater10+ posts
David,

First off... I'm a pitcher. You'll hear a lot of people say that pitchers shouldn't get too big or lift a lot of weight because it will cause injury later on. This is a myth. As long as you lift properly and use a full range of motion, you'll be fine. DO LOTS OF STRETCHING ASWELL!!

I'm currently 6'1 - 205lbs. I used this program last off-season and I went from 180 to 200 in a matter of six months. What I didn't include with this program is that I also did a throwing routine every Saturday and Sunday. Which caused me to increase my velocity by 6 MPH. And my 60-yrd. time went down from a 7.2 to a 6.9.
H Hoss7410+ posts
Why only in the offseason... I know with games you can't lift every other night, but it is almost as important or more important to lift durring the season. What is the point of lifting hard for 6 months and losing it all durring the season when you need it most? The program looks good to me though. Im not so sure about the deadlift though... other excercises you can do that aren't as risky to your back/knees etc..
K Keater10+ posts
Hoss74: Yes, working out in the season is very important. What I do is run 1 mile every day (except days I pitch) and do exercises such as sissy squats, pushups, and dumbbell lunges. I assure you though that deadlifts will not cause injury if done properly. I use the exercise to target my hamstrings and strengthen my lower back. If you find it uncomfortable to do, then simply don't do it.

DeRosa: Everything that you need to know about the running program is right there in front of you. The game of baseball, especially pitching, is all about power and explosion. Running 10, 20, 30, and 40 meters with only 10 second breaks between will definitely have you begging for mercy if done with intensity. Please note that my jog prior to sprinting is 1 mile, and I time it every other week.

Finally... the coach that provided me with this program works at a community college in Michigan. He got it from the famous Dick Groch, who used to coach at the same school, and is now a big part of the recruiting department for the Milwaukee Brewers.
J Jesse10+ posts
Three questions:

Did you also incorporate any baseball-specific drills into this program?

What was the throwing program like?

And generally, a workout routine (with weights) is supposed to be changed every 4 weeks or so, or the muscles get used to it, which leads to the body hitting a plateau. Did this not happen to you, or did you just vary the routine?
Last edited by Jesse
K Keater10+ posts
Jesse,

I did not add any baseball-specific drills into the program. But my throwing program consisted of me throwing on Saturday and Sunday. I threw with a 9 ounce ball on Saturday from half the distance to the mound... only throwing about two sets of 15 pitches making sure to use perfect form. On Sunday, I would throw with a regular baseball and throw two sets of 25 pitches.

It so happens that I did not reach a plateau while using this program for 8 weeks. Although, I did substitute some exercises for others (ie. Incline Lever Press for Seated Cable Row).
Last edited by Keater
L LoneLobo100+ posts
Umm.. the routine is actually kind of awful. Essentially, triceps and biceps get no rest on the program, except for fridays. Generally, chest and triceps and biceps and back are muscle groups that are worked in the same day, because they assist on most of the same lifts. Bench press, for example, is a lift involving triceps and chest.
Also, the legs day is pitiful, it consists almost entirely of machine movements. Try some squats. Finally, the generic setup of 3x15 is going to be awful for hypertrophy. Try 5x5 or 8x3.

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