Hi guys, I’ve been on this site for some months now and I enjoyed keeping track of my training for indoor track so I thought I’d do the same for baseball season. While speed training will be tougher to implement during a season where I should be relatively fresh for all the games, plus surviving tryouts for a week, my program will be more strength based with baserunning drills mixed in. Between track and baseball I will have two weeks to train real heavy before tryouts. Any comments would be much appreciated. here’s the program i ran over the winter -> http://www.charliefrancis.com/community/showthread.php?t=21818
Here’s my plan for the two weeks in between track and tryouts:
Sunday
-Hard Throwing
-Batting Drills
Monday
-Hitting Lesson
-Light Throwing
Tuesday
-Outfield Speed
-Lower Weights:
PC 5x3
Squat 5x7,5,3,3,3
RDL 5x10 light
-Upper Weights:
BB Bench 5x6,5,4,3,3
Pull Ups 5x10,10,8,8,8
BB Shrug 5x5
Cable Row 5x8,6,4,4,4
-300 reps core
Wednesday
-Tempo
-Lower Weights:
Quad Ext. 3x10,8,8
Hamstring Curl 3x8,6,6
Calf Raiser 3x10,8,8
X-Band 3x20 each way
-Upper Weights:
Shoulder Front 3x10,8,8
Shoulder Back 3x8,6,6
BB Bicep Curls 3x8,6,6
Tricep Ext. 3x10,8,8
-500 reps core
Thursday
-Warm up
-light swings
-1000 reps core
Friday
-Base Running
-Lower Weights
PC 5x4
Squat 5x8,6,4,4,4
RDL 5x5
-Upper Weights
DB Bench 5x8,6,4,4,4
Lat Pull Downs 5x8,6,4,4,4
DB Shrug 5x8,6,4,4,4
BB Row 5x5
-300 reps core
Saturday
-Tempo
-Lower Weights
Quad Ext. 3x8,6,6
Hamstring Curls 3x10,8,8
Calf Raiser 3x8,6,6
Hip Abductions 3x10 each
-Upper Weights
Shoulder Front 8,6,6
Shoulder Back 10,8,8
DB Bicep Curls 3x10,8,8
Triceps 3x8,6,6
-500 reps core
i think ill be able to handle the weight lifting because i dont really hit any muscles in the same way two days in a row, plus during the fall i handled tons of weightlifting with running, so if a lot of the sprinting volume is dropped i think my body will benfit from all the lifting
By baserunning I was thinking of simulating what i would have to run in a game, something like 4x4x30m with 30sec-1min in between reps and full recovery between sets. and then for outfield drills i would structure a work out where runs would consist of me sprinting from a fielding position in certain directions, then some plyos to improve diving ability and jumping.
any suggestions?
goals for the year would be to start all games, bat leadoff, bat over .300, score every game and steal a lot of bases. i wouldnt mind hitting one out either 
so on fridays im gonna swap in front squats for squats and on tuesdays im gonna swap in deadlift for RDL. ill start lifting again this tuesday (Feb 23) but im planning not on running for the week to give my legs a little rest after a long track season
2/21
weigh in -> 135 lbs
throwing
front soft-toss
static stretching
notes:
-its my first time throwing in months so i took it pretty easy, i only revved up for one or two throws and was only tossing from about 60ft
-i count swinging and throwing as core exercises
I was also leadoff hitter (and centerfielder) back in my days in the Venezuelan Criollitos league.
For the baserunning drills 4x4x30m. do them from your “jump” position. I led my Venezuelan league in stolen bases in my senior year, and doing reps from my jump position really helped me get the reaction down for stealing bases in the game … though I think I wasn’t particularly close to getting caught stealing except just one time, which I was called out but had barely beat the throw - the umpire saw different.
I always thought and felt what I had to work on was getting down the first “turn” and first few acceleration steps down as fast as I could. At least from the psychogical point of view practicing that a lot made me ready to just execute automatically during the real situation.
Now after doing track, I see that what would have helped more then anything for those first few steps would been strength training lol.
You won’t really be able to improve any area significantly in such a small span before the tryouts, but I’d make sure I’ve gotten batting and fielding unrusted in time for the tryout, which will be the major factor in the coach’s decision.
I don’t think I’m saying anything that haven’t thought about as a baseball player, this is just a sum up of my experience from my days playing baseball.
Re : running
If you are going to take a week off, I’d take it off completely, though in face of the proximity of your tryout, that wouldn’t be a good idea.
If you keep doing heavy legs weights you won’t be resting your legs. If you don’t take it off completely but want to “rest” or “unload” in some way, do light weights only and tempo only for running related drills (not sprint reps).
For the weeks pre-tryout I’d focus on tempo or even intensive tempo along with your usual extensive tempo (would be interesting to know what our sprint experts think about this - maybe we should make a thread on this).
I say the tempo is very important because as important as what skills you have will be in the tryout, I think in a tryout situation it’s as important or even more important then your skills, in particular for some coaches, is how you sustain your effort through the whole tryout. And you definitely want to be able to recover quickly from wind sprints and stuff like that which are tough in tryouts, and in which as a runner you should excel.
thanks for the post aln, i agree that i will probably take it easy on the legs entirely this week. i cant really afford to take it easy upperbody or core wise, but its not like my arms are too worn down from track anyways. i think tryouts are almost a formality at my skool because the roster is pretty much what everyone predicts it will be before tryouts, regardless of how people look at them, so the three weeks i have before tryouts are really just trying to prep for the season. i would like to do some short sprint stuff mainly to get the footwork down, because i will not have blocks in the outfield or basepaths 
and honestly, i am almost sure i am by far the fastest runner on the team, so even last year when i was much slower and more out of shape, i was winning the wind sprint stuff, so i am more concentrating on what will help me once i can start stealing bases and hitting
as for the first three steps thing, i think stealing bases will be much easier for me this year in my hs league because in track, my avergae race improved by .2 and my strength changed from top speed to my start. i contribute this to probably increasing my squat 100 lbs and powercleaning for the first time this fall
o yeah, and what was your first move from ur “jump” position? i hear a diff opinion on this for everyone. i feel like a drop step with ur right foot is necessary because otherwise ur front leg will be turned inwards, but many coaches say first step with the left. can this even be done?
2/22
30 min BP Session
light tossing
2/23
4 min erg (2:25 ave 500m)
push ups and a few bb bench reps at 135 lbs and 150 lbs (bench press warm up)
Pull Ups 5x10,10,8,8,8
Barbell Shrug (deadlift grip) 3x5@165 lbs (in front),2x5@135 lbs (in back)(sets alt. between in front and in back)
Cable Rows 5x8,6,4,4,4@140 lbs
Barbell Bench Press 5x6,5,4,3,3@160 lbs
500 reps core
(all lifts above were super-setted with the core reps in between super sets)
DB Shoulder Press 3x8,6@35 lbs,6@40 lbs
2x2 min jog (done in between sets of shoulder press)
(school’s gym)
2/24
4 min ellyptical
light warm up set of all exercises
DB Pec Flyes 3x10@25 lbs,6,6@30 lbs
DB Side Shoulder Raise 3x10@20 lbs,6,6@25 lbs
DB Cuban Rotations 3x10,8,8@15 lbs
DB Overhead Tricep Ext. 3x10@35 lbs,6,6@40 lbs
2xDB Curl 21s@25 lbs,20 lbs
100 reps core
10x10 sec ab vacuums
3xcardio exercises getting heart rate to 130,then 160 bpm
2 min cool down on bike
rolling
(local apratments gym)
ice quad (bruise)
2/25
4 min erg warm up
1000 reps core
rolling
ice quad
2/26
4 min erg warm up
A. 80 various med ball throws
B. BB Incline Bench Press 5x8,6,4,4,4 (115,125,130,130,135 lbs)
B. T-Rows 5x5 (155,167.5,167.5,167.5,167.5)
B. Lat Pull Downs (wide grip) 5x8,6,4,4,4 (130,130,130,130,140 lbs)
B. DB Shrugs 5x10,8,6,6,4 (75 lbs)
C. 100 reps core
D. High Cable Crossovers 3x10,6,6 (50,60,60 lbs)
D. Bentover Raise 3x10,8,8 (12,15,20 lbs)
D. BB Bicep Curls 3x8,6,6 (60 lbs)
D. Tricep Ext. 3x10,6,6 (110,120,130 lbs)
E. 100 reps core
F. 4 min ellyptical
notes:
-hot tub and light upper body massage at night
2/26
ice quad bruise
2/27
weigh in -> 136 lbs
20 baseball swings
static stretching
ice quad bruise
notes:
-will start lower lifts again this week, ill do a light day on tuesday, then ill be full steam with lower weights by end of week
-ill start sprinting again end of week and be going full steam by next week as far as running
3/1
light warm up
30 min BP session
light throwing
notes:
-lower back felt tight/fatigued while swinging, probably means im tensing up my midsection too much while swinging, gotta relax more
3/3
A. Pick-up volleyball as a warm up
B. 100 med ball throws (core)
C. PC 5x1@160
C. BP 5x5@160
C. Chin Ups 5x15,12,12,10,10
D. BS 5x3@225
D. High Cable Rows 5x8,6,4,4,4@130,110,110,110,110
D. 5x40 reps core
E. RDL 5x5@135
E. BB Behind Shrugs 5x5@135
E. 5x40 reps core
(school’s weight room)
notes:
-squat form has gone downhill, but was getting better by the fifth set
-sometimes i cant get my body to go full effort on cleans, maybe i just need to increase rest between sets. i failed at 160 on my second rep, but then mentally psyched up and did fine for the next 4…
-will do a light tempo session tomoro for the first time in a couple weeks, will give the legs a rest weight wise for a couple days
-probably couldve done 6 or 7 reps at 160 on the bench, thats pretty good for me, maybe my max is close to what is was this fall already
3/3
A. 4 min erg warm up
B. 100 med ball throws
C. 5x~150m@20 sec (1 min rest)
D. 100 reps core
E. DB Front Raise 3x10,6,6@25,30,30
E. Skull Crusher 3x10,6,10@65,75,65
E. 3x50 reps core
F. DB Hammer Curls 3x10,6,6@30,35,35
F. DB Rear Lateral Riase 3x10,8,8@15
F. 3x50 reps core
G. Easy Batting Drills
(school’s weight room)
notes:
-first time “sprinting” in a while, not sure excatly on the distance i ran, but it was 20 sec worth (i ran two staright aways and a curve in the far outside of the outside lane on a 150m track)
-im sore all over from yesterday, humph, i thought i got over the soreness stage during the winter so i mustve regressed since then a little 
-first two sets of skull crushers were with poor form, but i really felt it on the last one when a coach corrected my form
3/4
School Pacer Test
4 min warm up jog
180 med ball throws
6 min abs circuit
4x100 reps core
20 swings
rolling sore muscles
static stretching
notes:
-i was planning on doing 5 sets of 100 core reps, but then found out that my school is still fitness testing in gym class tomoro, and part of the test includes 47 crunches
-6 min abs circuit is as follows:
1 min flutter kicks (first 30 sec with hands under butt)
1 min 30 sec V crunches (30 sec on each side and back)
30 sec front plank
60 sec jackknives
60 sec russian twists (no med ball, 30 sec just back and forth, 30 sec crunching inwards at top)
1 min superman holds
-school pacer tests was part of fitness testing and was 100 reps of increasing running speed across the basketball court the short way, not too bad but did make me begin to sweat