Baseball Player Magazine

I asked Lauren to elaborate on what she meant when talking about “building and strengthening the foundations of the game”.

“Sure! There are many aspects that can be addressed during this time period to become a better player. Some of the key things to focus on are:

•  Making any major changes needed in your swing

•  Learning new pitches for pitchers

•  Improving mechanical deficiencies

•  Building a good base of strength

•  Improve your running and agility techniques

•  Building a good cardio base

The major focus should be basics, basics, basics! Anything having to do with major technical changes, improvements, and learning new techniques takes time and practice to master. During this time you should also be focusing on building that strong foundation of strength and cardio. As the off-season continues, that focus will shift from a learning phase to more of a refining phase of any major changes or new skills to be ready for the season.”

I continued to ask Lauren about her experience with progression in strength and conditioning throughout the off-season, and this is what she said: 

“As I mentioned before about skill development, and the progression from the learning phase to the refining phase, the same is true with the strength and conditioning aspect. Once you have built your foundation of strength and aerobic capacity, you then continue by focusing on developing more explosive strength (power) and speed/agility (sprint work, footwork, etc.) Looking back, our coaches always reinforced the concept of progression, during our off-sea?sons. This means being taught to learn new skills and techniques from a generic/big picture early in the off-season to more specific/refinement later in the off-season and pre-season. One more thing… HAVE FUN! Without that what’s the point in doing all of this work!”

So as you see by starting your training now during the off-season, your body and mind will be in prime shape when your team takes the field for the first time in the spring. You will probably find yourself hitting the ball farther and harder and your reflexes will be quicker, allowing you to make plays you may not have been able to make last season.

For softball, the most important muscles you need to hone for hitting are your legs and abdominal area. To get these muscles softball-ready, short powerful reps are recommended.

As a novice or beginner you will want to break up these exercise sets, and not do them all in one day. If you do too much at once, it is likely that your muscles will be overworked and you will get less of a workout towards the end of your routine. This will waste your time and may put you in a situation that might cause injury. It is recommended that you lift every other day, and do cardio on your off days. It is also a good idea to rest your muscles, to allow for healing and recovery. For example a typical week may consist of Monday, Wednesday, Friday lifting with cardio on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays while taking Sunday off. You can mix up these days to meet your schedule, but make sure to work out regularly if you want to impress your teammates come game time.

As with any routine, the weight you lift is 100% based on your body. Do try and increase your weight every few weeks, so that you are getting stronger and working your muscles out to their max. It is recommended that you consult with your primary care physician before starting a serious exercise program. If you are a beginner, it is recommended that you consult a certified trainer or strength and conditioning coach to instruct you on the proper technique in lifting and speed drills to avoid risk of injury. And remember Lauren’s advice and “HAVE FUN!”