As this blog post is being written, we are in the midst of preparing for the Summer baseball season in Ontario. At our facility, this is one of the busiest times of the year as everyone is in peak training mode. Over the course of the offseason, after many years of observation, we see a steady rise in the number of individuals that pass through our doors as the season looms closer. This makes total sense. However, we see an almost immediate disappearance of the vast majority of clientele once the season begins. And although this makes sense from an outside perspective, it is seemingly the opposite from what would make total sense if athletes and coaches were truly concerned with performing at peak capacity throughout the duration of their season.
So we beg the question: Why?
The answer: Lack of awareness.
It is not necessarily a lack of awareness that training in-season bears importance, rather it is a lack of awareness as to how athletes should train in-season. Especially in the weight room. The weight room is as much of an asset in-season as the practice field and the bullpen. But why is it utilized to a far lesser degree?
If you observe the in-season regimens of the best athletes at the highest levels of any sport, you will see that their training rarely tapers off in-season, rather it picks up. That being said, you will observe a drastic shift in the style of training they adhere to. As opposed to training heavy, slow, strength-based movements, athletes will begin to focus more on maintenance of strength and power as well as velocity-based training methods in order to ensure they are not losing significant strength over the course of the season while simultaneously ensuring they are able to transfer that baseline of strength into power and explosiveness.
Baseball is, after all, a sport where power and explosiveness is highly sought after. And yes, even on the mound. As the average fastball velocity in the MLB continues to climb year over year, so does the importance of ensuring you will be able to achieve that type of elite velocity. And if your goal is to play at that level, you will require elite level velocity to suit.
But now back to my initial thought… where did all the people go? Out of the weight room and into the cages?
Nope. They’re nowhere to be found.
The other key observation here is that training as a whole falls off the table. Not just in the weight room. When we work with pitchers during an offseason program we are able to help them realize significant gains in strength, velocity and overall durability. But once the programs wrap up and they head off to compete for their teams, there is a significant decline in the amount of preparation, throwing and overall training that occurs.
As athletes and coaches/trainers, it is important to understand that in order to operate at peak levels, your training needs to support that. And your training can only support peak levels of performance if it doesn’t fall off during an in-season phase. You will be running on the fumes of your offseason training before you know it and it won’t last long.
So what should you do to combat this?
PLAN.
Develop a plan or hire someone to develop a plan for you. Do some research and observe what the best at your respective position are doing during their in-season phase and mirror their daily habits.
Put together a throwing program that will maintain your offseason workloads and build towards game day. Ensuring you are at your weekly peak on the date of your scheduled start. If you are a bullpen pitcher, ensure your plan reflects the fact that you almost never know when you will see the mound. If you are a two-way player, your throwing workloads need to account for the fact that you will be throwing from your position and on the mound.
In summary, ensuring you will be performing at the highest levels of your game requires a plan that will support those levels. Your level of preparation needs to match your expected level of performance. After all, a failure to plan is a plan to fail.
Want help developing your in-season plan? Sign up for our In-Season Performance Program or our Collegiate Summer Program. If you have questions about either, please submit an inquiry below.
