When training for muscular fitness you need to determine the estimated muscular demand baseball players need. Pitching, hitting and fielding and base running all require a slightly different muscular demand on the athlete. For instance a pitcher requires high flexibility, medium to high strength, medium endurance, medium to high speed and high power. Hitting and fielding require medium flexibility, medium to high strength, low to medium endurance, high speed and high power. Base running demands require medium flexibility, medium strength, low to medium endurance, high speed and medium to high power. This may seem confusing already but it will make sense in a bit.
Next you need to determine the starting weight or “load” for strength training. To figure out the load you will need to find out the maximum weight the athlete can move one time. This is called on repetition maximum or 1RM. There are eight essential resistance exercises that need to be included in the muscular fitness training program. Bench press (chest), bent-over row (upper back and back of shoulders), standing press (shoulder), biceps curl (upper arm), triceps extension (upper arm), squat (upper leg), leg curl (upper leg) and twisting trunk curl or crunches (abdomen).
An alternate way to figure 1RM is to determine how much weight the athlete can lift 6 to 15 times. Below is the estimating chart based on the eight essential exercises.
Estimating 1RM
Weight Maximum Repetitions
Lifted (lbs) 6 8 10 12 15
10 12 13 13 15 15
15 18 19 20 22 23
20 24 25 27 30 31
25 29 31 33 37 38
30 35 38 40 45 46
35 41 44 47 52 54
40 47 50 53 60 62
45 53 56 60 67 69
50 59 63 67 75 77
55 65 69 73 82 85
60 71 75 80 90 92
65 76 81 87 97 100
70 82 88 93 104 108
75 88 94 100 112 115
80 94 100 107 119 123
85 100 106 113 127 131
90 106 113 120 134 138
95 112 119 127 142 146
100 118 125 133 149 154
110 129 138 147 164 169
120 141 150 160 179 185
130 153 163 173 194 200
140 165 175 187 209 215
150 176 188 200 224 231
160 188 200 213 239 246
170 200 213 227 254 262
180 212 225 240 269 277
190 224 238 253 284 292
200 235 250 267 299 308
220 259 275 293 328 338
240 282 300 320 358 369
260 306 325 347 388 400
280 329 350 373 418 431
300 353 375 400 448 462
Once 1RM has been determined you have to select muscular fitness objective – strength, single effort power and short-term endurance, multiple effort power and intermediate-term endurance or long term endurance. Each objective has been identified here are the starting weights to get going:
Objective Resistance Reps Sets Rest
Strength 85% <6 2-6 2-5 min
Power 80-90% 1-2 3-5 2-5 min
(single)
Power 75-85% 6-8 3-5 2-5 min
(multiple)
Endurance 60% >12 2-3 1 min
It’s better to start resistance programs with less weight, fewer sets and higher repetitions in order to give the athlete a chance to learn the correct techniques. After about four weeks move to the recommended objectives listed above.
Beginners should train two to three times a week, intermediates three to for times a week and advanced four to six times a week. Advanced athletes can train year round, four to six times a week during the off season, three to four times per week during preseason and three to four times per week during the season. Once the athlete can do two to four more reps over the target weight in the last set in two consecutive workouts increase the weight