How much stuff can you do at a time?

Hoovedawg 2007-06-30 16:32:34 UTC #1

Iwas wondering if anyone had a way to balence all of the following things with out being overworked.

Throwing/Pitching
Hitting
Weight lifting-Upperbody
Weight lifting-Lowerbody
Pylometrics
Stretching
Conditioning-Jogging, Intervals, Sprinting
Core Training-Abs, Obliques, lower back
Rotator Cuff

When ever i try to make a summer program I end up having an hour or two of training 6 days per week. Is this too much and will my body have enough recovery time? I don't mind the work but I hear about overtraining a lot.

Steven_Ellis 2007-06-30 16:43:59 UTC #2

It's a lot, but it's not uncommon for real serious athletes -- usually college and pro guys -- to train a couple hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week during an off-season. I actually used to train a little more than that. But I also got tons of rest and ate very clean. I also stretched before and, more importantly, after my workouts. And I immediately chased each workout session with a protein/creatine/glutamine/HMB shake. (I tried to get it in me within 30 minutes after finishing the program.) Then I'd even take a nap in the afternoons. Sometimes, I'd divide the workouts, eating lunch and taking a nap in between morning and afternoon workout sessions. Didn't have much of a life ... but didn't care.

You can do it and recover ... but you really need to be smart about sleep, nutrition, and stretching.

Bower 2007-06-30 17:05:38 UTC #3

lol didn't have much of a life. A kid from the town next to me at a pretty big school (it's with a group of the biggest high schools in the state) and he was a starting shortstop in 8th grade on varsity. I go to the same winter camp/program that he went to when he was younger. I was talking to someone who knew him and they said that his junior and senior year he quit basketball and volleyball and got up at 5 in the morning drove to a gym and worked out for an hour and a half before school every single morning before school. After school he'd go to batting cages and hit and talk baseball with the guys that run the camp that I go to. The kid got picked in the 26th round of the MLB draft this year i think the Padres maby? He got a full ride scholarship to a D-1 school and will go with the Padres minor league team I believe. He wanted an education before he went to the majors b/c he was drafted his freshman year of college.

SP1B 2007-06-30 18:48:35 UTC #4

Right now im willing to do anything to improve myself when it comes to baseball. Im training just about everyday too and ive seen big changes in velocity and my overall appearance. I love pitching and I really want to go on to play college ball and hopefully professional baseball, but I doubt it could happen. A kid that went to my school this last year just got Drafted. He went number 24 overall to the Rangers. Hes been playing on USA National Teams and all that since he was like a young kid. He's always been good. I dont know how someone like me, who's average at best right now, could ever do anything like that, or reach the college baseball level. I didnt even make the JV team this year (Only 5 freshman made it, but still... Ive been playing since i was four, why couldnt i make it!?) But I guess you just gotta work your hardest and you never know what can happen...

My Favorite Quote actually came from Kevin Durant the other night.
"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard."

Also, something Mr. Ellis said made me think. I workout just about every day, but I usually dont go to bed until like 2 in the morning (just because it is summer, lol). Is this bad? I know it is not good, but is it effecting me when it comes to working out and baseball?

Steven_Ellis 2007-06-30 19:30:21 UTC #5

The most basic explanation as to why sleep is important: Your muscles repair themselves when you sleep. The more you sleep, the quicker you'll recuperate and get stronger.

Going to sleep at 2 a.m. isn't a big deal if you're sleeping in until about 10 or 11 the next morning. Athletes really need 8 to 9 hours of sleep daily.

SP1B 2007-06-30 19:44:40 UTC #6

Oh alright. That is when i usually wake up. But im going to try to go to bed early just because I wake up tired still. Thanks for the help

Also, one more thing. It probably should be in the Workout forum, but while we're on the topic: I am going to be up at FSU from tomorrow to Friday at Drum Major Camp (gotta love band...). Anyways, I wont be able to work out the whole time, which is going to make me feel really guilty, lol. Will this week of rest be good for me? Or is a week too much rest?

centerfield2150 2007-06-30 20:02:20 UTC #7

A deloading or easy week is necessary every 4 to 6 weeks and really puts your body in tip top shape.

I took my deloading week this week and have felt great. Got invited to a showcase through my summer league and had noticably more pop at the plate (still warning track power though) and felt more velocity on the mound. (Although it's killing me that I didn't get to see what I hit on the gun, haha). My catcher felt like it was a significant different even.

I've read that basically the weeks up to the deloading week are really just preparing your body to get better. It's during that easy week that you truly gain strength and your phisique improves.

I would say I saw noticable boosts in my baseball skills although my lifts will have to wait until monday morning until I find out how that goes.

Powerlifters are known to not do any lifting for two weeks before their meets. Then they go in and destroy their personal records with the best lifts of their careers.

I imagine drum major will lots of hard work out in the sun. The band at my school works crazy hard in the 100 degree heat. It's not as if your sitting and watching TV all week.

If your so inclined you could probably do some pushups and lunges before you go to bed each night.

Good luck man, hope it goes well.

SP1B 2007-06-30 20:13:38 UTC #8

Yeah we'll probably do a lot, but nothing compared to a workout. Plus, i am playing legion now, and we just had like a week off so my next games are saturday and I should be Starting one. So I think it would be smart to use this as my Deloading week. It is the only way I can justify taking a week off, lol. Do you think doing like you said (Pushups, situps, lunges, etc) would be a bad idea if I do make it my deloading week? Like, should I do practically NOTHING (besides of course conducting, which you could say works the arms lol, and light running which im sure we'll be doing)?

centerfield2150 2007-06-30 20:42:12 UTC #9

I've seen different methods:

Same intensity, but cut volume.
Cut intensity and volume.
Avoid the gym completely, but remain active and still doing stuff that week. (Probably a category you could fall into)

I'm on vacation for soon and I'm feeling the same way. I'm trying to determine how to still accomplish something, but hey an easy week would actually fit in nicely.

Bower 2007-07-01 15:24:25 UTC #10

A very successful coach's camp I go to told us one time that "The most naturally gifted athlete won't go as far as ones who's not but works hard."

If you read it that won't make much sense but what he was saying was that most natural athletes who are good but don't work hard never train hard enough to become a pro or college athlete. The ones who aren't naturally as gifted will work harder to become a better athlete and those are the ones that will make it farther not the athletes who don't ever have to do anything and still make all their high school teams. Now if your naturally gifted and you work hard then you will go far no doubt.

Pfessa 2007-07-01 18:08:32 UTC #11

There is no single answer to whether a consciencious workout player will get to the majors vs. one who has a rubber arm, drinks beer and gets batters out. My son was in the first category, his roomie in the second. The roomie retired last seaon with 2 world series rings. Roger Clemens admired my sons workout program and at 38 he hasn't changed. A big factor in anything is how you feel about yourself when it's over. All players have to look in the mirror, make their own decisions and avoid injury. Of course the pitcher must get outs and the batter helps himself best when he hits the ball over the fence. Pardon the soapbox but it is what it is.