Training with proper intensity and volume in-season.
Choosing proper training intensity and volume in-season can be challenging. Too much can leave you sore and take away from your performance on the field, while too little can cause a loss of strength and power, which can also take away from performance on the field. Both can potentially lead to injury if done over a long period of time. So what is enough? How do you strike the right balance?
In-season training in baseball is a bit of give and take. Coaches have to understand that there are going to be days where your athletes feel great and days where they feel awful simply based on the ebb and flow of the game and training schedule. As a coach, it is your responsibility to be able to adjust on the fly. The programs written are not etched in stone, they should be malleable and adjustable to each given athlete and circumstance.
Understanding how long training attributes can be retained and having a source of measuring readiness (questionnaires or technology) all can help to guide programming and give coaches the freedom to adjust an athlete’s program on the fly. For example, if last week an athlete hit multiple sets of deadlifts over 80-85% of their one rep max, and this week their coach had 87-90% programmed, but the athlete is showing signs of fatigue, there is nothing wrong with adjusting intensity or volume in that given session. Absolute strength attributes have been shown to be able to be retained for 30 days +/- a few days. Therefore, if that athlete has to live around 65-75% intensity in that session, that is fine. If anything, the coach may be assisting that athlete to train through fatigue and show them that they can still train without hampering performance and mitigating soreness.
During any given week, it is important to track and understand the total volume of weights moved in sessions. If during the week an athlete is able to get two total body training sessions in, it is my experience that this should be enough to retain and potentially increase strength and power attributes in-season. It is important to understand which days can be heavier and which need to be lighter based on each athlete's playing schedule. Additionally, sprint volume is an important piece that can easily be overlooked. Most athletes are not going to love lifting and sprinting in-season, but as a coach you have to find a way to keep pushing them to get it done!
Sprint volume is highly dependent upon position and playing time. Athletes who play every day and have a lot of in-game sprint volume do not need to touch as much high speed sprinting in training. Whereas those who are not everyday players or those who have not had much in-game sprint volume should be exposed to high speed sprinting at least 1-2x/week to maintain speed/power attributes. Speed and power training attributes have been shown to only have a retention window of 5-7 days. Therefore, if coaches do not expose an athlete to high speed sprinting during the week, and they did not get it in game, coaches are potentially increasing that athlete's risk of injury and decreasing performance. Both sprint volume/intensity and lifting volume/intensity should be monitored to aid in mitigating injuries.
Overall, choosing proper intensity and volume in-season is tricky. It is a small piece of the art of coaching. Micro-dosing lifts and sprints during the week is a way to keep volume up, but coaches have to make sure their athletes are getting enough total volume during the week using this method. It is imperative to track total volume to have an understanding of when the last time an athlete touched a certain percentage of weight lifted or speed attained. Every athlete is unique and each needs different stimuli, but it is the coach’s duty to learn each athlete's needs and address them appropriately. Be cognizant of how your athletes are responding and adjust accordingly.
Keep asking questions, keep investigating what works, keep pushing the needle forward, and good things will happen!
In Good Health,
Mark Jesse Jr., MS, CSCS-RSCC, USAW-2, RPR, PN
Articles for Reference:
- Frantz, Travis L. MDa; Van Matre, Brandon T. MAb; Palmer, Tyler S. MAb; Ruiz, Matthew D. PhDc. Seasonal changes in body composition in collegiate baseball players. Current Orthopedic Practice 30(3):p 235-238, May/June 2019. | DOI: 10.1097/BCO.0000000000000747
- Crotin, Ryan L.; Bhan, Shivam; Karakolis, Tom; Ramsey, Dan K.. Fastball Velocity Trends in Short-Season Minor League Baseball. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 27(8):p 2206-2212, August 2013. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31827e1509
- Wong, Regan1; Laudner, Kevin2; Amonette, William3; Vazquez, Jose1; Evans, Daniel4; Meister, Keith 1,4. Relationships Between Lower Extremity Power and Fastball Spin Rate and Ball Velocity in Professional Baseball Pitchers. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 37(4):p 823-828, April 2023. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004330
- Szymanski, Jessica; Szymanski, David J; Britt, Andrew T; Lowe, Hannah E; Hsu, Hung-Sheng; Gilliam, Shane T; Potts, Jeff D. Relationship Between Strength, Power, Lean Body Mass, And Baseball-Specific Skills. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 24():p 1, January 2010. | DOI: 10.1097/01.JSC.0000367221.07859.43
- https://www.elitefts.com/education/the-coachs-guide-to-programming-and-periodization-residual-effects-compatibility-and-the-needs-analysis/
