Bodybuilding isn’t only activity that can be used for building bigger muscles and reducing fat, but also for increased performance in sports like youth baseball. Regardless, how well-versed you’re about the rules of the game or have the best youth baseball bats, if you don’t have a general strength training routine to improve your performances, it will be hard for you to win games.

Besides, developing strength, bodybuilding training can also prevent injuries while playing baseball. For example, strengthening the rotator cuff muscles and the core muscles will help the players to increase their strength for a faster pitch or throwing the ball and stronger batting ability. Also, increased leg strength will also help players to run field and sprint faster from base to base. The programs that will be presented here consist of various isotonic, isometric, stretching, sprints, isokinetic exercises, and many other drills.  Depending on the position the player’s play, the coach might instruct players to emphasize different elements of the program to focus on particular body parts.

To illustrate, pitchers need overall strength, endurance and flexibility with additional emphasis being put on the rotator cuff muscles and shoulders. Meanwhile, infielders, outfielders, and catchers need more strength and flexibility in the legs.

The main goal of this weight training program is to improve the overall strength and endurance of all major muscle groups of the body. The program has two components:

 

  • Off-Season/Pre-Season Training
  • In-Season Training

 

Off-Season/Pre-Season Baseball Weight Training Program

In this program our main goal is to gain strength and balance out all the weaknesses.

Weeks 1-3

Workout A – Monday/Thursday:

 

  • Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Chest Dips: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Wide Grip Pullup To Front: 3 sets of 10-12 repetition (60 second rest)
  • One Arm Dumbbell Rows: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Overhead Triceps Extensions: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Triceps Pushdowns: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)

 

Workout B – Tuesday/Friday:

 

Superset: Two exercises have to be performed consecutively without taking any break or rest.

  • External Rotations: 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions (no rest)
  • Internal Rotations with Cable: 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Bent Over Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Upright Rows (Shoulder Width Grip): 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Wrist Curls: 3 sets of 15-25 repetitions (60 second rest)

 

Triset: Three exercises have to be performed consecutively without taking any break or rest.

  • Bicycle Crunches: 3 sets of as many reps as possible with slow deliberate movement (no rest)
  • Swiss Ball Crunches: 3 sets of as many reps as possible with slow deliberate movement (no rest)
  • Hanging or Lying Leg Raises: 3 sets of as many reps as possible with slow deliberate movement (60 second rest)

 

Workout C – Wednesday/Saturday:

 

  • Leg Extensions: 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Squats: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Leg Press: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Walking Lunges: 3 sets of as many reps as possible with slow deliberate movement (60 second rest)

 

Superset: Two exercises have to be performed consecutively without taking any break or rest.

  • Lying Leg Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (no rest)
  • Dumbbell Stiff Legged Dead lifts: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)

 

Superset: Two exercises have to be performed consecutively without taking any break or rest.

  • Calf Press: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (no rest)
  • Seated Calf Raises: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (60 second rest)

 

Weeks 4-6:

 

Workout A – Monday/Thursday:

 

Superset: Two exercises have to be performed consecutively without taking any break or rest.

  • Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (90 seconds)
  • Wide Grip Pull-up To Front: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (90 seconds)

 

Superset: Two exercises have to be performed consecutively without taking any break or rest.

  • Chest Dips: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (90 seconds)
  • T-Bar Rows: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (90 seconds)

 

Superset: Two exercises have to be performed consecutively without taking any break or rest.

  • Dumbbell Curls: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (90 seconds)
  • Close Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (90 seconds)

Superset: Two exercises have to be performed consecutively without taking any break or rest.

  • Reverse E-Z Curls: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (90 seconds)
  • Triceps Pushdowns: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (90 seconds)

 

Workout B – Tuesday/Friday:

 

  • External Rotations: 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions (60 seconds)
  • Internal Rotations with Cable: 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions (60 seconds)
  • One Arm Laterals: 3 sets of 12, 10, 8 repetitions (60 seconds)

 

Triset: Three exercises have to be performed consecutively without taking any break or rest.

 

  • Seated Military Press: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (60 seconds)
  • Bent Over Laterals: 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (60 seconds)
  • Upright Rows (Shoulder Width Grip): 3 sets of 10, 8, 6 repetitions (60 seconds)
  • Wrist Curls: 3 sets of 15-25 repetitions (60 second rest)
  • Bicycle Crunches: 3 sets of as many reps as possible with slow deliberate movement (60 seconds)
  • Swiss Ball Crunches: 3 sets of as many reps as possible with slow deliberate movement (60 seconds)
  • Hanging or Lying Leg Raises: 3 sets of as many reps as possible with slow deliberate movement (60 seconds)

In-Season Baseball Weight Training Program

In this program our main goal is to maintain the gains achieved in the off-season and pre-season training program.

 

Monday & Thursday:

 

Monday:

 

  • Incline Dumbbell Press: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (60 second rest)
  • Wide Grip Pull-downs or Pull-ups: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (60 second rest)
  • Dumbbell Upright Rows: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (60 second rest)
  • Concentration Curls: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (60 second rest)
  • Triceps Pushdowns: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (60 second rest)

 

Superset:

  • Leg Press: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (no rest)
  • Calf Press: 3 sets of 15-20 reps (60 second rest)

 

Superset:

  • Lying Leg Curls: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (no rest)
  • Bicycle crunches: 3 sets of 10-25 reps per side (60 second rest)

 

Thursday:

 

  • Incline Barbell Press: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (60 second rest)
  • Low Pulley Rows or One Arm Rows: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (60 second rest)
  • Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (60 second rest)
  • Hammer Curls: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (60 second rest)
  • Triceps Dips: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (60 second rest)

 

Superset:

  • Dumbbell Lunges 3 sets of 13-15 reps (no rest)
  • Seated Calf Raises 3 sets of 15-20 reps (60 second rest)

 

Superset:

  • One Legged Lying Leg Curls: 3 sets of 13-15 reps (no rest)
  • Bicycle Crunches: 3 sets of 10-25 reps per side (60 second rest)

 

Diet Program

One of the main components for increased performance in any sports is nutrition. Nutrition provides us all the materials for energy, growth, endurance, strength, and recuperation. Regardless if you’re players with the best youth baseball bats, it’s impossible for anyone to get any good results from any training program without a good diet. Your nutrition program should have all the important nutrients in forms of protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates, and water.

 

Here’s the list of a diet program for youth baseball players.

 

Good Carbohydrates List

 

They come it two forms.

  1. Simple Carbohydrates
  2. Complex Carbohydrates

 

Simple Carbohydrates:

  • Apples (1 apple)
  • Bananas (1 banana)
  • Grapefruit (1 grapefruit)
  • Grapes (22 grapes)
  • Oranges (1-1/2 orange)
  • Pears (1 pear)
  • Pineapple (3/4 of a cup)

 

Each serving approximately equals 20-25 grams of carbohydrates.

 

Complex Carbohydrates:

 

Starchy:

 

  • Oatmeal (1 cup dry)
  • Sweet potatoes (8 oz baked)
  • Potatoes (8 oz baked)
  • Rice (1 cup cooked)
  • Pasta (8oz cooked)
  • Corn (1 cup canned)
  • Peas (2 cups cooked)

 

Each serving approximately equals 40-50 grams of carbohydrates.

 

Fibrous:

 

  • Broccoli (1/2 cup raw)
  • Carrots (1 cup raw)
  • Cauliflower (1/2 cup raw)
  • Green beans (1/2 cup raw)
  • Lettuce (5 cups raw)
  • Mushrooms (3/4 cups raw)
  • Pepper (1/2 cup raw)
  • Spinach (3-1/2 cups raw)
  • Zucchini (1 cup raw)

 

Each serving approximately equals 6 grams of carbohydrates

 

Good Proteins List:

 

  • Egg whites (10 egg whites)
  • Chicken breast (cooked, skinless and boneless: 6 oz)
  • Turkey (cooked, skinless and boneless: 6 oz)
  • White fish (6 oz).

 

Each serving size equals approximately 35-40 grams of protein.

 

Good Fats List:

 

  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably from can)
  • Organic Flaxseed Oil (which needs to be refrigerated at all times)

Sample Diet For Teenage Males (Normal Metabolism)

 

Meal 1

  • 1 cup of oatmeal
  • 1 piece of fruit such as an apple
  • 10 egg whites
  • 1/2 tablespoon of flaxseed oil
  • Supplements: Multiple Vitamins/Minerals, Vitamin C (1000 mg)

 

Meal 2 (Between 9-9:30am)

  • 1-1/2 scoops of Pro V60 or Lean Body Protein Bar or Lean Body MRP or RTD
  • 3-4 whole grain rice cakes

 

Meal 3 (11:30am to 12:30pm)

 

  • 1 cup of brown rice
  • Serving of vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, asparagus
  • 5 ounces of chicken
  • Supplements: Vitamin C (1000 mg)

 

Meal 4 (3pm)

 

  • 1-1/2 scoops of Pro V60 or Lean Body Protein Bar or Lean Body MRP or RTD
  • 3-4 whole grain rice cakes

 

Meal 5 (6pm)

 

  • 8 ounces of baked potatoes
  • Serving of vegetables such as green beans, broccoli, asparagus
  • 8 ounces of tilapia
  • 1/2 tablespoon of flaxseed oil
  • Supplements: Vitamin C (1000 mg)

 

Meal 6 (8:30 pm)

 

  • Lean Body MRP or 1-1/2 scoops of Pro V60 pre-mixed
  • 1/2 tablespoon of flaxseed oil

 

Water Intake

Drink adequate water throughout the day. If you don’t drink enough water during the training session, then this may threaten your muscle gain and will also hamper your body of getting rid of toxins and others waste produced by the extensive physical activities.

 

Supplements

Supplements are a subcomponent of nutrition and play a crucial role in gaining lean muscle mass, endurance, strength, and increased performance. Some people say that supplements are critical for any training program, but that’s not always true. Supplements work as additions to an already good training and nutrition routine. Supplements will only give results if your diet and training program are optimal and efficient. We recommend using only high-quality supplements for any diet and training program.

 

 

 

Author-Bio

Javier Turner is a regular contributor to many popular sports magazines worldwide and has been a sports reporter for many years.  He owns a best youth baseball bats store and is involved in many sports associations. He used to coach a youth baseball team and is a keen sports memorabilia collector.