CONDITIONING

Conditioning needs to be approached with the same motivation and organization as the competitive season. Without proper conditioning, muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones are more likely to suffer injury. This is especially true for the pitcher because each pitch generates tremendous force and stress on the athlete’s body, particularly the shoulder and elbow. A lack of conditioning contributes to poor performance and inconsistency. Proper conditioning cannot, however, be obtained in the 4-5 weeks of preseason practice. A well-planned, year-round program is needed to minimize the risk of injury and prepare for peak performance during the competitive season. The saying, "You must condition to play, not play to get into condition" describes a philosophy that is used by successful athletes.

Essential to all baseball players is year round and off-season conditioning program. Players should progress gradually in their conditioning so that they are not throwing, as well as hitting, running, sliding "too hard", "too fast", too far", "too quickly", predisposing themselves to injury. A structured program should be followed for the greatest benefit. A year-round program helps to prevent injury and a maintenance program helps to prevent recurrence. The training program should follow an interval fashion. The athlete should not be training at a competitive (high) level throughout the year; the training program should be formulated so that the athlete reaches peak fitness during the competitive season (Periodization). Off-season conditioning programs should address conditioning, strength training and flexibility. During the off-season, the exercise program is at a lower level, thus allowing tissue healing; and the program should peak right before the competitive season. Training at a high level throughout the year will only lead to injury. The table below will assist in formulating a year-round training program, which will be safe and effective.