landmine press

Off-Season Baseball Workout – Phase 4 – Week 2, Day 1

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During this month of the off-season, Phase 4 will focus on the following key goals:

  • Assess Phase 3: Review and adjust the general strength program based on progress and any needed modifications.
  • Advance Strength Exercises: Increase intensity of strength exercises where suitable.
  • Balance Upper Body Training: Maintain a balance between upper body pulling and pushing exercises. For some players, it may be beneficial to limit pushing exercises or to use a 2:1 ratio of pulling to pushing exercises.
  • Enhance Power Movements: Add volume to power-focused exercises like medicine ball drills and plyometrics.
  • Prioritize Flexibility and Recovery: Regularly incorporate soft tissue and flexibility work.
  • Throwing Load: If you have not yet started a throwing program, now is the time to pick the ball and glove up again. Any throwing program should have the ballplayer throwing 3-5 times per week by the end of the off-season. (If you need guidance in setting up a throwing program, check out ARMing for Success.)
  • Add Baseball-Specific Conditioning: If not yet included, consider introducing baseball-specific conditioning exercises.

Phase 4 builds on Phase 3, so a deload or recovery week may be helpful before starting, depending on experience level and fatigue. Younger or less-experienced players may not need as much rest, but experienced players might benefit from a week to recover. Ultimately, assess how you feel and adjust accordingly.

Use the following workout as a template and adapt it as necessary for your specific needs. As always, if you need direction in making this off-season baseball workout work for you or your team’s needs, please feel free to connect with me at any time.

Overall Goals for Off-Season Training – Recover from the previous season, rehabilitate existing/nagging injuries, and develop a strength and conditioning foundation for the following training year.

Pre-Training

Soft Tissue Work

  • Glutes
  • IT Band
  • Quads
  • Groin

Pre-hab

Complete one set of each exercise back-to-back until one set of each movement is complete. Then, return to the start and complete any movements with additional sets. Minimal rest between exercises.

  • Half-kneeling Rotations – 2 x 5 each side
  • Sumo Squat to Stand – 2 x 10
  • Scapular Wall Slide – 2 x 10
  • Stability Ball Kneeling Rollout – 1 x 10

Dynamic Warm-up

Complete one set of each exercise back-to-back until one set of each movement is complete.

  • Walking Lunge – 10 yards
  • Reverse Lunge with Reach and Lean – 10 yards
  • World’s Greatest with Rotation- 10 yards
  • Inch Worm – 10 yards
  • Lateral Lunge – 10 yards each direction

Exercises/Movements

Complete the following movements in order. Exercises grouped together should be completed in a superset fashion – back-to-back with minimal rest, taking a longer rest after the second exercise is complete. Rest 30-60 seconds between sets.

  • Depth Jump – 4 x 5
  • Step-behind MB Rotational Chest Pass – 4 x 5 each side
  • Trap Bar Deadlift – 4 x 4
  • Half-kneeling Landmine Press – 3 x 8 each
  • DB Split Squat – Back foot elevated – 3 x 8 each
  • TRX 1-arm Rotational Row – 3 x 8 each
  • Glute/Ham Raise – 3 x 10
  • TRX Windmill – 2 x 12
  • Half-kneeling Cable Chop – 2 x 5 each, 5 sec hold/rep
  • Supermans – 2 x 10

Post-Training

Soft Tissue Work

  • Hip Flexor
  • IT Band
  • Mid/Upper Back
  • Pec Minor/Major

Stretching

  • Hamstrings
  • Groin
  • Piriformis Stretch
  • Sleeper Stretch

*Need a substitution for an exercise? Feel free to reach out here to let me know how I can help.

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