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Workout Program Plus Skills Training

BL Bill L.100+ posts
My son is a freshman in high school and will be lifting weights for the first time. He is 14 and will turn 15 in March.

My question is how to balance or incorporate baseball skills training in coordination with strength/speed and conditioning.

Here is what I am thinking.

M-F He would incorporate a BFS type program for strength and conditioning with the school.

Once a week he would see a hitting instructor and this would be after a workout typically on Thursdays. There would be a few hours of recovery time before hitting. We would also take swings outside in the cage weather permitting or inside on his swing away on other days after workouts. He would do band work for his arm as well.

On Saturday Mornings he would see a trainer to specifically work on speed and agility. No baseball skills most Saturdays.

We were resting his arm Nov. and Dec. He pitched quite a bit this fall and had no arm problems but I thought it was a good idea to rest a couple months.

We will start light throwing in January indoors and outdoors weather permitting. Slowly ramp up to long toss three days a week plus pitching practice. This is all while he continues to hit and work out 6 days a week. Pitching has not been his primary position. He typically plays SS, 3B, 2B and right field. He will start at 2B for Varsity HS team as of now.

Does this sound doable? We always worked on Baseball skills but now he has to get faster and stronger in addition to working on baseball skills.

How do other kids plan their work to get it all in? His school work still comes first!



Thanks, Bill
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S smalltownmom100+ posts
Wow. It sounds as if he's working hard! Our son is a year older and we found out after the beginning of freshman high school season that he began taking more control of his schedule, and it began to include his friends and fellow ballplayers more, and his dad less.You might find that same thing occuring gradually, especially with the spring season. Our son has conditioning at his high school on T-TH. He meets 2-3 fellow ballplayers after school to hit and run on M-W . He also pitches, so is on a throwing break. F he has a big workout-agility, strenth conditioning. On the weekends he goes out with his dad. He hits and fields- infield and OUTFIELD. He plays the corners, but he gets his running in this way and loves it. He doesn't throw hard or long, just tosses ball after he fields it. This is the one time he still lets dad in, and I think they really enjoy that time. He also plays a best 2 of 3 raquetball match with my husbamd each Sunday. Our son has only beaten husband once, which amazes me. They come home drenched. Our son also started freshman year. The kids were older, but they accepted him and son just naturally gravitated toward wanting to spend baseball time with them, and it has worked out. School work does come first though.
BOFBOF10,000+ posts
Looks like a pretty good plan Bill. Just remember that core and legs are a priority for baseball players and the typical workout is sometimes upper body focused mass building focused. If he is a pitcher make sure he stretches also.

Like smalltownmom mentioned his schedule will control when he can do certain activities, so be flexible. Remember also that there a days that they just need to rest and recover.
N NDD100+ posts
He needs to stretch even if he is not a pitcher. Flexibility is vastly important for position players as well and IMO the most overlooked aspect.

The Kid does strength/conditioning Monday through Thursday at school before lunch with the team. We work skill 4-5 times a week depending on weather and how he feels. We will take a day off if he's tired. What we do for skill depends on what he did in S&C. For example if he worked legs, we don't move that much.

He fields at least one bucket of balls each session. We long toss 2-3 times a week. If he did upper body, we work short and quick release on throwing.

Some days we take off for ice cream.
N NDD100+ posts
One other thing. A couple of years ago we started the Jaeger long toss program. I became a huge believer in pulling the cable before picking up a ball. Since we started that, he hasn't had any arm problems at all, not even soreness unless we laid off for several days. And we throw a LOT. Well, he broke the Jaeger band, so I went looking for something a bit more substantial.

We ordered a silver one from Oates Specialties. We got the Ultimate Pitcher Resistance Tubing and we couldn't be happier. Great piece of kit.

I don't regret starting with Jaeger. The band lasted 2 years and the video is worth the price of the whole thing. The Oates is simply a step up.
BL Bill L.100+ posts
Great Input! Thank you.

Up north it is really tough to long toss until March at the earliest. We will have some indoor time but it is not the same. The indoor workouts will begin right after the first of the year. We already do the Jaeger bands and he was one of only a few whose arm stayed healthy all year. I am a big fan.

The last and final goal is for him to put on up to 20 lbs. this winter while working out. His frame can easily accommodate 20 lbs. Any suggestions on diet and such? I am guessing lots of steak and potatoes. Should we add a supplement to assist in adding muscle and gaining weight?

Thanks,


Bill
BL Bill L.100+ posts
Chocolate milk and bananas it is.

We have found a trainer he likes. The trainer will see him once in a while to check on progress and review his diet.

I know when I was in my youth that I ate baked potatoes with lots of butter and a LOT of bananas when I worked out.

I was also reading where a good fruit smoothie with a little whey protein may be good too.

So maybe he can have a little variety.

How much chocolate milk are we talking? I think I saw somewhere that 16 oz. Geez that sounds like a lot.

Bill
BL Bill L.100+ posts
Hi NDD and thanks for asking.

He has been at it for about a month now. He has gained at least 5 lbs. His muscle tone is vastly improved.

He is hitting the ball a lot harder in practice with his wood bat.

We will start throwing tomorrow.

He has been doing speed and agility training once a week and we are ramping that up to twice a week beginning this week.

His goals are very specific. Throw 75 mph across the Diamond by start of HS season, run a 7.4 60 or better by June this year (End of freshman season)

He already hits for average with very very few Ks so now the goal is more doubles in the gaps. Especially to right center.

At the end of the season (8th grade) he was throwing 69+ across the field and running 7.9 60. I think the goals are attainable with hard and focused work.

If he does not reach these goals he will see little if any playing time at Perfect Game WWB or BCS this summer. He is up against some very tough competition.

He loves the Chocolate milk too!


Bill
N NDD100+ posts
The Kid got his physical for this ball season. He put on 15 pounds of muscle and grew two inches since the last one.

He moved to short and his range has probably 1.5 what it was at the end of summer. His school program has a weightlifting program for baseball players in the off-season. They work 4 days a week. Big lifts, agility, speed and flexibility. I think it is a really good program with a dedicated coach. He's smoked right now - today was legs. Squats, lunges, plyo work, sprints, etc.

He worked with SE on hitting a couple of days over the holidays and Steve helped him a bit with throwing as well. It made a huge difference in the throwing already.

I've never seen him better prepared to start a season and he's chomping at the bit.

I can't wait...
N NDD100+ posts
Bill,
Any updates?

The Kid got a new S&C coach this year. Former minor league player. Dude is fast and HARD. He is smoking them like cheap cigars, but oh the teaching. He is actually working with them on their running mechanics! Teaching them how to run as baseball players! I almost cried.

And mindset out the wazoo. I got a good feeling...
BL Bill L.100+ posts
HI NDD,

Again thanks for asking.

He has been working hard and is starting to see some results.

His numbers from a very recent tryout were a big improvement. Best 60 time was a 7.15 and velocity across the field was 74-77.

He will play through October and then we will shut it down as far as skills training. Beginning in Nov he will be getting up early and working for an hour before school and 3 days a week after school he will be seeing a trainer who is the assistant trainer for an mlb club.. We are also picking up a used Bowflex for cheap that he can use on days he does not see the trainer.

His goals for spring are to try and crack a 7.0 - 60 and 80+ mph across the field as a Sophomore.

We played down south a lot this summer at Perfect Game and I was amazed at the level of play for 2013 and 2014 grads. As a fan it was fun to watch. As a Dad is was quite humblingSmile

Bill

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