Training Checklist - Be in Top Softball Shape for 2009

Ah, yes, this is cool stuff. I've been focusing on getting coaches ready for the upcoming season with the bootcamp, but of course, players can do lots to get ready too!

Here's a great article from Dan Huff at Baseball Strength:


To help you get your pre-season training set up properly, I've developed the following checklist(s) to make sure that you have all of the necessary components in your program.


Here is your checklist for the rest of the off-season.

• 3 Full Body Strength workouts/week
• 2 speed training sessions/week
• Daily Stretching and Mobility work

It's really that simple!


Well, maybe we need to go into a bit more detail.


3 Full Body Strength Training Workouts must include:

All Free Weight Training

Lower Body Leg Dominant Movements (Ex. Squats)

• Double Leg
• Single Leg

Lower Body Hip Dominant Movements (Ex. Straight Leg Deadlifts)

• Double Leg
• Single Leg

Upper Body Pressing Movements (always use neutral grip)

• Chest Press
• Shoulder Press

Upper Body Pulling Movements (2x as must as the pressing)

• Horizontal pulling (ex. Rowing)
• Vertical puling (ex. Pull-ups)

Core Training

• Rotation
• Anti-Rotation
• Flexion
• Extension

2 Speed Training Days must include:

Acceleration Training

• Work on technique of the first 3 steps
• Solid forward lean
• Drive the knees up and forward
• Keep the toes under the knees
• Strong piston action on lower leg (no cycle action)

Multi-Direction Training

• Lateral shuffles
• Crossover running
• Deceleration
• Stop-and-go change of directions
• Positive shin angles

Daily Stretching and Mobility Work must include:

Muscle Density Work

• Foam Roll
• Tennis Ball
• The Stick

Static Stretching

• Every Body Part
• Do the easy stretches once
• Do the difficult stretches two or three times

Active Mobility

• Move every body part through its full range of motion

Remember that not every workout needs to include every component of strength and speed, but every component must be included at least once each week.

Not sure what all those things are? I'm sure you've got questions on the checklist so be sure to let us know what we can clear up for you in our discussion forum!

Your Dynamic Warm-Up Guide is Ready

The Dynamic Warm-Up resource I told you about in this other post took a little longer to go live than originally thought.  However, I did receive word that it IS ready now!  

You've probably heard about Dynamic Warm-Up or Dynamic Stretching before.  It's the type of warm up that's known to be MORE effective at preventing injuries than the good ol' static stretch.  Also, it's been known to increase speed, power, and agility for game time.  Static stretching, on the other hand, has shown to REDUCE speed and power.

If you're looking to make the switch to Dynamic Warm-Up, but aren't sure how, Marc Dagenais' new Dynamic Warm-Up for Softball will give you all the information you need to help you deliver awesome softball performances AND keep you injury free.  

Marc also addresses the very important shoulder and arm area that many other resources tend to leave out.  If you google Dynamic Warm-Up you'll probably be able to find many examples of exercises to do.  However, most will NOT cover the shoulder/arm area that is so key in softball.  This is because most of the freebie resources our there are geared toward, or done by, people involved in "lower body" sports like basketball, soccer, or football where throwing isn't a big a major part of the sport.  Preventing shoulder and arm injuries, however, is super important in fastpitch softball and Dynamic Warm-Up for Softball will show you the exact warm-up exercises to do to properly warm up the shoulder/arm area and get it ready for top performance.  

If you've ever wanted specific instructions and demonstrations on exactly what warm-up exercises to do (and what order to do them in) for best softball performance, help is here.  You'll also find out how to properly use static stretching in your training since it does have it's place.  Learn how to enhance performance with effective warm-up, reduce injuries, and use the techniques that the best players in the world are using to prepare for game time.  All the information you need is available to you, click here to get it.