Softball Regimen

Conditioning:

            Agility Drills:

            Cariocas (aka grapevines)- rotate from the hips keeping shoulders square and Crossing feet over one another in alternating pattern. http://youtube.com/watch?v=Lj1V3DjA3ZE

            Toy Soldiers- start with arms extended above head. Step forward and kick opposite leg up toward opposite arm while brining that arm down to meet the kicking foot. (This is a slower agility drill focused on improving flexibility)

            Zig Zag Drill- sprint out diagonally 10-15 yards. Abruptly change directions and sprint diagonally in the opposite direction 10-15 yards. Repeat 4-6 times for a set. Helps with explosiveness while running the bases. Try not to slow down before changing directions.

            Sprints and Backpedals- Sprint straight out 10-15 yards then backpedal back to starting point. Repeat 4-6 times for a set.

            1-legged Lateral Hops- Set up on one side of a jump rope or line on the ground. Hop side to side over line/rope on one foot as quickly as possible. Start with 30-45 seconds and work up to 1-2 minutes. Repeat on opposite side. Do 3 sets.

            8-count Body Builders- jumping jack (1,2), squat down-thrust feet out behind you (3,4), push up (5,6), jump feet up to meet hands-stand up (7,8). Do 10-15 eight-counts.

            Toe Taps on Stair or BOSU Ball- start standing in front of stair or BOSU ball and tap toes on top of whichever you are using as quickly as possible. http://youtube.com/watch?v=loOQHxqU7E8

            Distance Run:

            Be sure to get in at least one distance run (about 1-2 miles) each week.

Strength Training:

*Unless otherwise stated, do 3 sets of 15-20 reps with enough weight to fatigue the muscles. This means you cannot do another repetition with good form. If your muscles are not fatigued by 20 reps increase the weight/resistance.

            Legs:

            Quads- Squats, one-legged squats using Smith machine, one-legged step-ups on bench

            Hams/Glutes- lunges, lateral lunges, bridge on ball, bridge on ball with hamstring curl, “butt buster” machine.

            Ad/Abductors- lying side leg raises, ball squeezes, adductor/abductor machine, standing w/leg cuff using cable for resistance.

            Ankles- single leg balance on BOSU ball (30-60 seconds 3 times for a set), jump squats on BOSU.

            Arms:

            Biceps- concentration curls, preacher curls

            Triceps- skull crushers, cable pull-downs with rope, overhead extensions (single arm or both arms at once).

            Forearms- using LIGHT dumbbells (2.5 lbs to no more than 10 lbs) with arms out in front of your body at shoulder height (palms facing the floor) flex wrists upwards toward ceiling. Do 20-30 reps for 3 sets. Turn palm over so it’s facing upwards and with the same LIGHT dumbbells curl wrists upwards toward ceiling with palms facing upward.  Again, 20-30 reps for 3 sets.

            Deltoids (shoulders)- military press (like bench press, but you are sitting upright and pressing the bar above your head), 3-count shoulder raises (using dumbbells start with arms in front of your body and simultaneously raise arms straight out in front of you.

            Lower back to start position then without pausing to rest raise arms out to the sides no higher than shoulders. Return to start position again and bend elbows and row the dumbbells upward until hands are chest height. Lower to start position—that’s one rep)

            Chest/Back:

            Chest- fly, bench press (change things up occasionally by doing incline or decline bench press as well), push ups (regular and diamond).

            Back- reverse fly, seated row, straight arm overhead pull down using cable machine (stand with back against pad and use a straight bar. Place hands shoulder width apart on bar overhead. Using your latissimus dorsi and keeping your shoulder blades pinched together pull bar with straight arms down until your hands are in front of your thighs. With controlled movement release arms back overhead maintaining the pinch between your shoulder blades.)

            Rotational Training:

            *Remember that your power for your swing comes primarily from your core muscles so rotational training and core training are VERY important for a powerful swing!

            Chop- performed by placing a pulley in the highest position on the cable cross-over ( you may also use exercise tubing if you aren’t in a gym setting). Stand on a forty-five degree angle off of the pulley so you are in a pre-stretched position with your hands above your head. Contract the muscles of your trunk to rotate the pulley handle towards the ground on the opposite side. Do sets on BOTH sides of the body. Lift- performed in a reverse motion from the chop. You start at the bottom of the cable cross-over and pull to the top in a high diagonal. Again, do sets on both sides of the body.

Core Training:

            Floor:

            -Flutter Kicks (4-count = 1 rep)

            -Hello dollies modified (do traditional hello dolly then bring legs straight up and pulse to ceiling. Then control movement back down so feet are just off the floor.)

Ball:

            -crunches on ball (add weight?) 25 x 3

            -oblique crunches on ball   25 ea. side x 3 sets

            -opposition raises –lying over the ball with legs straight out behind you raise one hand off the floor and then the opposite leg off the floor. Repeat on both sides of body. Hold 30 sec ea. side.

            -back ext.-prop feet against wall with ball under hips. Keeping back straight lift torso from position of lying over ball to having body in a straight line from feet to top of head. Place hands either crossed over chest or one on each side of your head for added resistance. (15x3)

            -Plank on ball (hold 30 sec x 3)

            -knee tuck from plank (15x3)

            -swimming kicks (15 four counts x 3)

            -reverse crunches with ball (15x3)

            -bridge on ball (hold 30 sec x 3)

            Bosu:

            -scissor crunches (15 ea. Side x 3)