I recently got a text from a good friend of mine who is a University Strength and Conditioning Coach. He is the Head Coach for all sports and works directly with the baseball team. For 2.5 months (about 3 cycles) he used the 5/3/1 BBB training plan and reported the following:
Average Increase:
- Squat - 33 pounds
- Bench Press - 13 pounds
- Deadlift - 20 pounds
This was also during Fall Ball, so essentially they were somewhat in-season. He had to make some modifications to the training days to accommodate practice but kept the training very simple. The pitchers also followed the program and all were clocked faster at the end of the program. To quote him, "We don't treat the pitchers like glass. They have to be the strongest guys out there."
He also helps train several professional baseball players who use similar style programs, very dependent on their age and level. Keep training simple, train with balance and remember - if you can't do push-ups, chin-ups, run and jump, you probably don't need to do a fancy, sport-specific program. Get the basics down first!
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Small Changes Big Impact
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