Baseball’s Off-Season: Do You Make These Mistakes When You Train?

Pauls Valley, OK (PRWEB) September 25, 2003 -

million contracts are making what baseball players and softball players do in the off-season just as important as what they do in the regular season. Yet, according to Steve Zawrotny, Director of Training for Baseball Fit Hitting and Pitching Academy (http://www.baseballfit.com) and Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with the National Strength and Conditioning Association, “too many people think that ‘exercise is exercise’ and if a training program works for players in one sport, like football, it will also work for baseball or softball players.”

“Such misunderstandings are dangerous and can damage a player’s health and playing career,” explains Zawrotny, author of the Baseball/Softball Strength and Conditioning Program and several other baseball specific training programs.

In order to determine if an off-season training program is appropriate for baseball and/or softball, answer the following 10-point training questionnaire:

1.    Are you dedicating more than 10-15 minutes per session on aerobic conditioning or cardiovascular fitness with special emphasis on exercises such as long distance running or biking?

2.    Does your weight-lifting regimen emphasize building only bulk?

3.    Does your program lack stretching exercises to promote muscle elongation and flexibility?

4.    Does your regimen exclude power development exercises, such as Plyometrics (a training method that helps players develop speed as well as strength conditioning in order to improve performance)?

5.    Does the program lack sprint/interval training?

6.    Do any of the exercises place your shoulder in positions that can weaken or damage this joint?

7.    Are you experiencing excessive pain after workouts?

8.    Does the program cover the Four Phases of Strength Training?

9.    Have all the lifts or drills been fully and properly explained or illustrated?

10.    Is supervision from or access to an experienced strength and conditioning specialist with experience in baseball and softball available to monitor your progress?

Answering “Yes” to questions 1-7 and “no” to questions 8-10 indicate the program could potentially lead to a serious injury and sideline a player indefinitely. If a program has three or more “wrong” answers, Zawrotny suggests that it be reviewed and corrected immediately by a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

Recognizing that many athletes may not have access to or can afford a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Zawrotny applied his thirty-years of experience as an athlete, coach, and physical fitness specialist to develop a year-round strength and conditioning program specifically designed for baseball and softball players. The program guides players step-by-step through a year-round program that includes twelve strength training exercises, eight flexibility exercises, a two-day/week power training program, and a two-day/week interval training program. The program, which sells for $9.99, is available at http://www.baseballfit.com/E-BookSC.htm. In addition, Steve lets players email their training questions to him and uses email to help them with their training programs.

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