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!