Chapter List

• Introduction to Peak Conditioning
• Defining Peak
• Setting Goals
• Eating Right
• Getting Rest
• Making Time
• Getting Started
• Weight Lifting
• Aerobic Exercise
• Cross-Training
• Flexibility
• Mental Conditioning
• Peak Technique
• Arms
• Arm Joints
• Hands and Forearms
• Shoulders and Neck
• Chest
• Abs
• Back
• Buttocks
• Legs
• Leg Joints
• Feet
• Bones
• Basic Fitness
• The Core Routine
• Body Shaping
• Advanced Shaping
• Ridding Fat
• The Inactive Man
• The Career Man
• The Traveling Man
• The Family Man
• Partners
• Better Sex
• Bicycling
• Running
• Swimming
• In-Line Skating
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Golf
• Racquet Sports
• Skiing
• Football
• Soccer
• Hockey
• Backcountry Sports
• The Twenties
• The Thirties
• The Forties
• Over 50
• City Living
• Country Living
• Oceanfront Living
• Cold Weather
• Hot Weather
• The 3-Month Program
• The 12-Month Program
• Preventing Injuries
• Caring for Injuries
• Massage
• Preventing Disease
• Rebounding from Disease
• Setting Up a Home Gym
• Choosing a Gym
• Buying Shoes
• Outdoor Equipment
• Questions and Answers

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Baseball

Baseball

Peak Points * Strengthen arm and shoulder muscles to prevent overuse injuries from throwing and hitting. * Do running and sprinting drills to get legs and hips used to the stop-start action of the game. * Start a regular stretching program before the season starts, and continue it until the season ends.

It seems like we men of America came from the womb knowing how to play baseball. Deep in the memory of every muscle in our bodies, it feels like there's pre-programmed instruction on how to swing, catch, throw, slide; even how to pound the mitt, kick the dirt and tug the hat. We know that the moment we step out of the dugout, our bodies will summon those ingrained skills and we will instantly be ballplayers.

If you agree with that statement, then you have already fallen victim to the greatest enemy of the casual ballplayer—nostalgia.

"Just because he played as a kid, every guy thinks that he can go out there anytime and play ball like a kid—and that's what will injure him," says Jim Rowe, a certified athletic trainer and head trainer for the Boston Red Sox.

There is hope for you, and hope for the young champion ballplayer that's still inside you. First, you need to transfer all your old baseball and softball skills from the memory of your 12-year-old self to the physical reality of an older, bigger you. As a kid, you didn't need to do much preparation. As an adult, your body needs pre-training, pre-game stretching and—you knew this was coming—a weight-training regimen. That weight training isn't just to give you strength at the plate or speed in the field, it's also to protect your body from the ravages of the sport.

Building Strength in the Field

"Baseball and softball are very hard on the body—you don't recognize that as a kid," says Rowe, who also serves as physical trainer for the Red Sox Fantasy Camp. "Before guys come to the camp, I try to remind them what baseball is all about. There's lots of stopping and starting, which is hard on the hips, thighs and knees. There's lots of throwing, which is hard on the arms and shoulders, and lots of swinging, which puts a strain on your whole body."

Whether you're a Little League coach or a player on the company softball team, you'll benefit from these pre-season and in-season training tips. They'll get your body used to the physical demands of the sport and help you make the most of your time in the field. Play ball!

Play catch. One of the simplest training exercises is also one of the best. "Just playing catch with someone is a tremendous benefit. It gets you loose for the game, helps you improve your speed and aim, and improves your eye-hand coordination," says Cecil Whitehead, 1990 National Softball Player of the Year, now athletic director for the city recreation department in Valdosta, Georgia.

But there's a catch to catch, an actual training program you should follow, says Rowe. Start slow—play catch for about 20 minutes, three times a week. Stand about 50 feet apart. Start out lobbing balls to one another—just throw in long, slow arcs. Each week, increase the distance by about 10 feet, until you're 100 feet apart. As you get further apart, you'll have to throw the ball a little harder and a little better. "Just take your time," cautions Rowe. "Don't step out the first day and try to throw it 100 feet."

Sharpen your vision. To hit or field well, you need to keep your eye on the ball, so you need sharp visual abilities.

"You can't improve your vision, but you can improve your dynamic visual acuity, which is the speed at which you see the ball and react to it," says Paul Planer, O.D., optometrist and author of The Sports Vision Manual. To help you track balls better, write some letters or numbers on an old ball or beanbag and play catch with a teammate. As you're about to make the catch, focus on the ball and look at the letter or number. After you catch the ball, call out the last letter or number you see.

Peak Hitting Points When you step up to the plate, bear in mind these key elements of form. Perfect them, and you'll get that ball downtown without swinging yourself into a sports injury, according to Cecil Whitehead, 1990 National Softball Player of the Year, now athletic director for the city recreation department in Valdosta, Georgia. 1. Hands: Grip the bat so your middle row of knuckles on both hands lines up. When you're preparing to swing, you should hold the bat so your hands are shoulder-high, away from and to the rear of your body. 2. Arms: Extend your arms as you make contact, not before. Make sure you swing through the ball. On follow-through the bat should wrap around your front shoulder. 3. Hips: The key to a powerful swing. As you swing, turn your hips toward the ball—when you connect, your belt buckle should be facing the pitcher. 4. Legs: Initially, most of your weight should be on your back leg, your knees slightly bent. As you swing, you'll transfer your weight to your front leg—when you connect, your front leg should be fairly straight, your back leg bent. 5. Feet: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Your back foot should be flat on the ground, supporting your weight. As the ball comes at you, point your front foot toward the pitch. When you swing, pivot on the ball of your back foot and the heel of your front.

Round the bases. Baseball and softball put a special demand on the leg joints and muscles. At any given moment, you could have to go from a standing start to an all-out sprint, whether you're trying to shag a fly or steal a base. "That stop-start action really stresses the whole lower body," says Rowe. He recommends sprint drills and running to help pre-train your body. For example, run for a few minutes, then do 30 seconds of all-out sprinting; then run for a few more minutes, then sprint.

Also, you can go to the ball field and run the bases—each trip around the diamond is one lap. Alternate slow laps with sprint laps. "This gets you used to the field, to making fast turns around the bases," says Rowe. As a warm-up, do five to ten laps before each game, or go on off days when the field is empty and do a longer base-running drill.

Be shifty. An essential part of hitting, long-distance throwing and powerful pitching is being able to shift all your weight into the swing or the throw. Do shift drills before a game.

Start with all your weight on the heel of your back foot, then slowly roll forward, shifting the weight to your hips. As you do this, step slightly forward on your front foot. Transfer your weight to your front heel then, finally, to the ball of your front foot. It may look silly, rocking back and forth like that for a few minutes, but you'll see the benefits on the field. "It could help your balance and get you prepared to use all your weight for a swing or throw—without tearing a muscle in the process," says Rowe.

Watch weighted bats. For years you've seen the big-leaguers in the on-deck circle swinging bats with weights on them, preparing for their moment at the plate. Well, this is one example you don't want to emulate.

A weighted bat can actually throw off your timing, says Rowe. More important, you have a weight at the end of a long bat that your arms are swinging. "You don't realize it, but you're putting tremendous strain on your shoulder and arm joints," says Rowe. Don't strike yourself out before you step up to the plate. When you start warming up, use just the bat you're planning to hit with.

Peak Fielding Points When you're shagging flies or snagging grounders, the smoother your fielding, the faster you can get the ball in, and the better your chances of making an out. Next time you put on your glove, review these key points in your fielding form. 1. Head: Make sure you field the ball above and in front of your head—you shouldn't have to catch the ball above and behind your head. 2. Throwing arm: Make sure you catch with two hands so you can get the ball immediately into your throwing hand. Hold the ball in a two-fingered grip. As you throw, follow through so your hand comes down past your front knee. 3. Catching arm: At the same time that you catch and pass the ball to your throwing hand, the elbow of your catching arm should move forward and point toward the target. 4. Legs: As you're preparing to throw, keep your weight on your back leg. Your front foot should be pointing in the direction you're throwing. As you're throwing, take a step forward, shifting your weight to the front.

Stepping Up to the Plates

To increase your power on the field and protect your body from the ravages of play, you need to start your weight training at least a month before the season starts.

"If you're a very serious player, you should be training year-round, obviously. But if you at least give yourself a month or two and work on flexibility and strength training for the muscle groups that will take the most punishment, you'll really get a lot more out of the season. You won't feel nearly as sore after a game, and your performance really will improve," says softball champ Whitehead. "It used to be taboo to work out with weights, but now there isn't a serious player who doesn't do it." Step up to the plates—the weight plates, that is—and get cracking. Use our Core Routine on page 121 as a basis, then add the following:

Stretches

Before a single player shows up at the Red Sox Fantasy Camp, trainer Rowe makes sure everyone has a copy of his stretching routine for players. "After the camp, it's the one thing I hear over and over. Guys are limping around, wishing they'd spent more time stretching before they came," he says. At least a month before the season starts, establish a stretching regimen—three times a week. Hold each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds, and if you have time, do several reps of each stretch. You'll find a full sequence of stretches in Flexibility on page 32. You should also do these.

* Shoulder shrugs without weights.

* Trunk twists: Hands on hips, feet shoulder-width apart; rotate your body from left to right. Don't jerk or bounce—do slowly and smoothly, holding at the farthest point.

Empty-Can Raises

Any sport that involves swinging is going to be tough on the shoulders. Baseball and softball are even harder on shoulder and arm joints because of all the throwing and pitching your arms are required to do.

"You don't want to bulk up your arm muscles, because that can affect your ability to throw the ball with precision," says Rowe. But you do want to get the joints used to your impending activity.

A good exercise is the empty-can raise, in which you raise and twist your arm at the same time, as if you're emptying a can (the motion is explained in full in Racquet Sports on page 216). Never use more than a five-pound weight for this. Do three sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Grip Exercises

Whether you're choking up on the bat or aiming the ball for your cut-off man, you'll need a reliable grip. "Most weight-training exercises for the arm automatically work the hands and strengthen the grip," Whitehead points out.

You might also want to keep a tennis ball, rubber ball or exercise putty by your desk at work. Use it a couple of times a day for each hand—do 50 squeezes per hand.

Wrist Rolls

In baseball and softball, a key to powerful hitting is your ability to "snap" your wrists the moment you connect with the ball. "The greatest hitters have quick wrists and strong forearms," says Rowe. Follow their lead and add wrist rolls to your workout.

Abdominal Exercises

Your abs and obliques hold everything together. "They need to be strong when you twist for a swing or throw," says Rowe. Do sidebends with dumbbells and oblique crunches.

Leg Exercises

In addition to running and sprinting drills, be sure to do plenty of leg exercises, especially leg presses and lunges. Also, do some leg curls to help strengthen the hamstrings along the underside of your thigh. "That's an often neglected area, and it comes into play when you wind up and throw or swing," explains Rowe. "I've seen pitchers pull their hamstrings from pitching because they put their whole body into the throw, and their hamstrings weren't up to the stress."