Creating Your Own Workout Plans

The following post is a reply to a player I had a few years back who was looking to create a different weight lifting plan. I thought it would make an interesting blog post. Proceed with caution and always consult a professional before trying anything on here.

This is developed from a lot of personal trial and error over the last 15 years, a lot of reading, a lot of research, and a little bro science. I wish someone was there when I was 15 to tell me to stop wasting time and energy on certain things and focus on other things that actually help. 

This is not an opinion… getting results from lifting is simple math:

lift (correctly) + rest (adequately) + eat (healthy)= better results, better attitude, better life

 

My best advice is to show up every single day. Eventually you will like it and you will look forward to it. You have to trust results will come… again, simple math.

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Basic fundamental laws:

You must perform difficult lifts.

  • Other lifts can be supplement but cannot replace your main lifts.

You must push yourself

  • You should probably get a partner of some kind. If you don’t need a spotter you are not reaching failure enough.

You must use good form

  • It is a misconception that good form is to ONLY prevent injury… this is true but you use good form because it gets you better results. Building strength through full range of motion will allow you to tear down muscle. 

You must stay away from machines (well… at least don’t build your workouts around them)

  • You can supplement your lifts with machines but the main lifts need to be free weight.

You must eat

  • The only way to get your body to grow is to eat. If you drive a Ferrari you probably don’t throw the cheapest unleaded fuel in it with regular oil changes from Jiffy Lube. It would  still run but not how you want it to. Your body is the same way… You put bad fuel in and it will run but not how you want.

You must sleep

  • Probably the most ignored law. I would make it your goal for 8 hours a night. You don’t get results from moving weights you get results from recovering. Do not cheat recovery!   —Also remember, if you are out late one night you don’t get the same kind of sleep having to deal with alcohol in your system. Your body has to recover from the alcohol alone along with your workouts. I would be very wise about this. Pick and choose your moments. You cannot get great results and be out all night… it just doesn’t work. I would say even once per week greatly hinders your development. If you are going to do it anyway I would space 1 time every 2 weeks and make sure you are getting electrolytes that night too (Emergen C packets work well). The dehydration process would take up another page so just trust me when I say your body doesn’t work dehydrated and definitely doesn’t get swole dehydrated. Focus on quality sleep that allow you to reach the REM phase (http://www.wikihow.com/Get-More-REM-Sleep).

child-sleeping-clipart-child-sleeping-clipart

Building the Workout

Warming Up

First I would start with a productive warm up.   I really feel like jumping rope is a great option here. It is great for footwork and I personally swear by it. When I was 18 I made an effort to get faster and this was one of the focus points. You can do numerous foot quickness workouts but this is my logic – You can take your jump rope anywhere, you can work intervals or distance, you don’t need much space, and when you get good it is actually a skill that is impressive.

I really believe you should stick to 3 ways to increase your speed and treat it like gospel. 1. Jump rope 2. Run timed sprints (like 40 yards not suicides, this isn’t cardio this is speed development) 3. I built a rope course (like an old school football rope course). If you have someone who really knows their stuff then stick with their plan…. But either way just trust me on the jump rope and sprints.

I would start with a jump rope ladder

(all with two feet (basic jump rope)

:15 second on :15 off

:30 on :15 off

:45 on :15 off

1:00 on :15 off

:45 on :15 off

:30 on :15 off

:15 0n :15 off

rest

Then I would go timed

Start with 3:00 – if you screw up get right back to it.

-when you can go 3:00 without messing up move to 4:00 on the next workout.

 

Your blood should be pumping by now and your body should know it is about that time.

 

I would then go through an active warm up like we do before practice.

 

Daily Lifts:

A few things to keep in mind:

  1. When you lift you are developing your central nervous system. So, without getting into detail, this is why we stick to free weight lifts. We are training to be an athlete. When you get under the bar and get ready to move it your body prepares to move it by stabilizing the weight.  When you are in a machine the body doesn’t need to prepare the same because the weight is very secure through the track of the machine.

Example: instead of squatting you do leg press (still a good workout depending on the situation) and quad extensions. You get your legs really strong but your body isn’t used to sending the right message on how to move the heavy weight. So you now have big, “dumb” muscles (or you lack functionality). Why does this matter? When we develop like this we open ourselves up to injury because we are not developed in an athletic movement.

So all tough, core lifts involve using more of your body in a natural setting.

  1. A Muscle is developed through contracting (squeezing the hell out of it) and stretching it. But it is important you know what you are trying to achieve as a baseball player. In my opinion you should focus on a combination of movements you should have elements of Power (how explosive you can move the bar), Strength (how much weight you can move), and Hypertrophy (making your muscles actually look like you workout).  Here is a chart for muscle development (stole this from Elliot Hulse):screen-shot-2016-12-13-at-1-45-27-pm

(sorry about the quality – check out his youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/user/elliottsaidwhat)

Remember details – if the sets and reps match a hypertrophy lift then the tempo, rest, intensity and time under tension should too.

Example: you are performing a single arm bent over row. It is your 5th back exercise of that day and you want to make it 3 sets of 12. You should count 1, 2, 3 on way up, hold, then go 1, 2, 3 down for all 12 reps. The weight should be about 75% of your max and you have to be into set 2 in 60-90 seconds. This matters!

  1. Keep track of your workouts in a journal. What did you do? How much weight? How do you feel? DO THIS! It will help.
  1. Get in a routine. Make yourself lift at the same time every day no matter what. If you lift some nights and some mornings you will tend to run into conflicts and not go. Remember this is priority number 1. Treat it like priority number 1. You would never miss a game during the year… you will never miss a lift in the offseason.

How to make your workouts:

  1. Experiment with your own.
  2. Use borrow some of your strength coaches patterns (if you have a school strength coach)
  3. Get online and look some up (I like Cory Gregory on twitter – @corygfitness)
  4. Do different types from time to time (I would have 1 day a week where you get a crossfit workout and give it a shot, maybe a P90X or insanity) This helps keep it fresh.

irongladiator-s-arena-2012-ibpa-power-on-the-plains-squat-sezeai-clipart

Remember your body will try to adapt to whatever you do. Keep it guessing using.

I would lift 6 days and take 1 off… This is assuming you are taking one day for a change of pace lift (like crossfit or something).

 

 

 

Major Lifts

Squats

Pull ups

Dips

Deadlifts

Presses

Cleans

Rows

 

All workouts should have at least a couple of these movements. These movements make your body go into stress mode and help your body produce testosterone. Testosterone in your friend in this process.  It is a good rule of thumb to use the equipment that nobody else uses… at a popular fitness center they always have an open squat rack, but you will wait in line for the preacher curls or cable machines. I would keep track of your max in these workouts. These will directly let you know if you are getting stronger or not.

 

How much can you squat?

Deadlift?

Bench?

Incline?

Clean?

Row?

How many pull ups?

How many dips?

How many consecutive push ups?

 

—-

Here is an example with single body part splits this is how I would do it if I were you. You will get the hang of lifts you can and cannot substitute. If you have questions about that stuff just text.  Please remember you are on your own mission. Don’t listen to broscience from your buddy even if he is jacked. You can take some advice but don’t let it change your mission. THIS WILL WORK.

 

Monday

Focus: Chest

Incline Bench – 5×5

Bench – 5×5

Dumbbell Incline Bench – 3×15

Superset with clap push ups- 3×20 (go to your knees if cannot finish normal)

Dumbbell fly (or machines if easier on shoulders) – 3×15

Slow tempo push ups – 3×10 (3 sec up/3 sec down)

End with ab work then 1 min of push ups (write down number)

 

Tuesday

Focus: Back

Conventional Deadlift – 5×5

Weighted Pull ups – 5×5

Heavy seated rows – 3×5

Lat pull downs – 3×20

Max effort pull ups

End with forearm work

 

Wednesday

Focus: Legs

Back Squat: 2×5 then 3×15 (with good depth and tempo)

Front squat 3×15

Walking lunges: 2×10 each leg

50 body squats, lunge 20 yards, 50 body squats (do this 3 times)

End with ab work then 1 min push ups

 

Thursday

Focus: Shoulders

Hang clean – warmup 1×5,1×4,1×3,1×2, 1×1(should be your max)

Push press – 5×5

Seated Arnold press – 3×15

Standing lateral raise – 4×20

SS with standing front raise – 4×20

Run the rack with shoulder shrugs – start with 80s and drop 10# until you are at 20s. (do this twice)

End with forearm work

 

Friday

Focus: Legs and Back Day 2

Back squat 5×5

Front squat 5×5

Leg press (if available) – 3x 1 minute (don’t stop for a minute.. max reps)

Weighted pull ups 3×5

Barbell bentover rows 3×12

Walking lunge 20yrds, 10 pull ups, walking lunge back (do this 3 times)

End with ab work then 1 min of push ups

 

Saturaday

Focus: Change pace

Work on your form with deadlifts 5×1. Then find your max.

Work on your form with Power cleans 5×1. Then find your 1 rep max.

 

21reps-15reps-9reps (so do 21 pull ups, 21 hang cleans, 21 push press, then 15, then 9. Try to go through with no stopping… but you don’t have to. ) Time yourself… try and beat your last time.

Pull ups

Hang clean

Push press

End with long stretch

 

Sunday Off

 

If you are not getting really, really sore then you are not using enough weight.

images

This is a tough week but will be easier as you go through. The truth is that you can get good results doing less of a workload but you need to be on point with your weight selection. This way will definitely force your body to grow. The more experience you have in weight training the more simple it gets. I would rest assured that if you a loyal to this process you will have worked harder than anyone in the league. Especially if you have speed training included. This is such a great feeling and an advantage going into the year.

So that is a good start for the questions you had on lifting and why it is important. I will end with some youtube references. Check these out before starting. It is also free information for your own sake.

Joey D motivating you to use good form:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=weak+point+training+series

This series is a great start to show why you have to pay attention to detail.  

Deadlift form-

Mike Dolce Power Lifts-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5L2D2ZglCk

Deadlifting is very dangerous if you don’t do it right.

Dolce Breakfast Bowl

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iJOgMuB4YM

 

Elliott Hulse videos- I would watch one a day if I were you:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=yo+elliott

They are good and will help you understand why lifts work. You can get into his philosophical stuff too if you want but I really like his lifting videos.

Every time you even consider taking an unnecessary day off remember not just the people you are trying to prove wrong but those you are trying to prove right!

Good luck! I look forward to your questions and updates.

 

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