And the Battle Begins...

Fall is the time to show the coaches what you have. Its the time to show off your skills and try to earn a spot on the team and possibly a starting job come spring time. Players old and new turn heads, but some also disappoint. With such a large squad this year, the coaching staff has and will have to make some tough decisions on slimming down the roster come the spring. So far, through 2 weeks of practices (4 per weekend), the team has picked up right where we left off. The pitchers expected to dominate have done so, as well as the hitters who are expected to make a big contribution in the lineup. Everyone is looking forward to a great and competitive last 2 practices before the infamous Trinity Baseball Fall World Series begins. The first game is Sunday, October 24th.

Photo taken by Shari Robertson
© All rights reserved 

On a quick note, I was cleared to start doing light lifting, jogging, and some baseball activities today. I was eagerly waiting and excited to get back into the swing of things but am really disappointed that I won't be completely healed and ready to play for the next two practices and the Fall World Series.

Now onto the training. Last post I described supersets and how they are important for muscle strength and size, with also some muscle endurance training. That is what our workout consists of on a daily basis. But also, about 3-4 times a week after workouts we will incorporate long distance and short distance running. Long distance running is most helpful towards pitchers. The running increases endurance and helps with the pitchers throw deep into ballgames. The sprint work is usually done by position players as well as pitchers. To get faster, working out is a part of it, but doing sprints is how you get faster. Here are some examples of good running for long distance and sprint work:

Long Distance:
On track,
Sprint 100 m, 30 second rest
Run 200 m, 45 second rest
Run 400 m, 2 minute rest

Turkey Trot (2 mile jog)

Short Distance:
On football field,
(10) 30 yard sprints, full recovery rest
(10) 60 yard sprints, full recovery rest

(8) 300 yard shuttles: Sprint 300 yards (Down, back, down) 1 minute rest in between

Some of these running drills are very tiring, but in the long run they become very beneficial for speed and endurance. Good luck.

"A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings." - Earl Wilson

A Minor Set Back... Fall Ball Begins

This week is a big week for the Trinity University Baseball team. We start our month of fall ball this Thursday at 2 pm. But I will not be able to participate in practice for at least 2 weeks because I was diagnosed with a hernia around my right groin. I got surgery Tuesday morning and should be out for a few weeks. Hopefully not the whole fall so I can get some at-bats and plays in the field. Anyways I will continue to give advice on training and updates on how the team is looking this fall.

Photo taken by Kelly Woodruff

Last post I talked about the importance of doing leg exercises to build strong leg muscles to endure a long season and perform well on the field. However you also need a strong upper body. When swinging you use your forearms and arm strength to get the bat quickly through the zone and use your shoulder and back muscles to pitch the ball off the mound or throw it across the diamond. The muscles that are key to these successes are your shoulder, rotator cuff, forearm (as a whole, top/bottom), and your upper back (or lats). Last post I mentioned what a W.O.D. or a "Workout of the Day" was and how it is beneficial to baseball players. There is another type of workout that is just as helpful, if not better. They are called supersets. A super set consists of 2-3 lifts that work opposite or the same muscles. Doing more than one workout for a muscle set really builds strength. The way supersets work is you will do one lift, then the other right after. When you finish a round, you can take a short break (no longer than a minute). This is more for improving muscle size and pure strength than muscle endurance (aka WOD). A typical superset looks like this:

(Photo taken by Shari Robertson)
© All rights reserved 

Superset:
Single Arm Row 3x8
Pull-ups 3x10

Forearm Superset:
(45 lbs) Plate Hold 3x Max hold
Forearm Curls 3x15

A normal workout would consist of 2-4 of these supersets. They are a great workout and really build up muscle. Together with WODs, these workouts get you in great physical condition for a long season.

"Any time you think you have the game conquered, the game will turn around and punch you right in the nose." - Mike Schmidt