Off-Season Workout Routine
Monday – Chest & Back (Shoulder routine optional)
Aerobic warm-up – 5-10 minutes of cardio (aerobic): Choose 1, or combine a few to equal 5-10 minutes total
Treadmill jog
Elliptical machine
Stationary bike
Stair climber
Rowing machine
Ladder climber
Static/ballistic stretch – 5-10 minute, full-body stretch
Chest – Choose 1-3 exercises for 1-3 sets of 10-14 reps
Flat bench press
Dumbbell incline press
Flat bench dumbbell squeeze press
Weighted pushups
Walking pushups
Flat bench dumbbell fly
Incline bench dumbbell fly
Close grip flat bench press
Close grip pushups
Wide grip pushups
Cable fly
Plyometric pushups
Back – Double the number of sets for whatever you chose to do for your chest, and heavier weight with less volume is acceptable. For example, if for chest you did 3 exercises of 1 set each (3 sets total), and 12 reps each set, for your back, choose 3 exercises for 2 sets (6 sets total), 8-10 reps, or choose 2 exercises for 3 sets (6 sets total), 8-10 reps per set.
Lat pull-down
Seated rows
Overhand pull-ups
Close grip overhand pull-ups
Wide grip overhand pull-ups
Underhand chin-ups
Close grip underhand chin-ups
Wide grip underhand chin-ups
Bent-over underhand barbell rows
Bent-over dumbbell rows
Shoulder routine (optional)– Do your J-band work, and/or a dumbbell Jobe routine (high volume, low intensity)
Sprint work– Do 8-20 sprints ranging from 10-100 yards. For longer sprints, do fewer. For shorter sprints, do more. Sprint down and walk back. The walk time is your only rest time, but don’t dog it on the walk back!!!
Cool-down – 5-10 minute static/ballistic stretch; hydrate; refuel immediately (protein bar, protein shake, nutritious snack)
Tuesday – Agility & Core
Dynamic warm-up – 5-10 minutes of anaerobic exercise. Choose several exercises to equal 5-10 minutes total
¾ speed jog/sprint in place
Walking lunges
Walking tow-up grabs
High knees (in place, or moving forward)
Backward ¾ speed jog/sprint
Bodyweight squats
Quick skips
Power hops
Lateral knee-ups (Heisman)
Side shuffle
Karaoke
Static/ballistic stretch – 5-10 minute, full-body stretch
Agility– We’re looking for explosive movements with minimal rest in-between exercises. A good rule of thumb, double the rest for however long the movement takes to complete. For example, if a movement takes 5 seconds to complete, rest for 10 seconds, then repeat the movement. The more you’re able to mix up your routine, the greater the benefits you’re likely to see, so keep your body guessing! Shoot for 15 minutes your first time out, and see if you can’t tack on a little extra the following week.
Plyometric training (box jumps, burpees, squat jumps)
Cone (pylon) training
Ladder drills
Stadiums
Tire drills
Play basketball (don’t just shoot around – have an opponent)
Play tennis (again, don’t hit balls into a wall – have an opponent)
Core – Do 5-25 minutes of core exercises. Choose from the following list, but take minimal rest in-between exercises (10 seconds or fewer).
Sit-ups
Crunches
Side crunches
Suitcases
Heel grabs
Straight leg raises
Bicycle kicks
Scissor kicks
Straight leg toe touches
Back extension
Opposite arm/opposite leg
Plank
Plank crossovers
Supermans
Medicine ball slams
Medicine ball side toss
Russian twists
Cool-down – 5-10 minute static/ballistic stretch; hydrate; refuel immediately (protein bar, protein shake, nutritious snack)
Wednesday – Legs
Dynamic warm-up – 5-10 minutes of anaerobic exercise. Choose several exercises to equal 5-10 minutes total
¾ speed jog/sprint in place
Walking lunges
Walking tow-up grabs
High knees (in place, or moving forward)
Backward ¾ speed jog/sprint
Bodyweight squats
Quick skips
Power hops
Lateral knee-ups (Heisman)
Side shuffle
Karaoke
Static/ballistic stretch – 5-10 minute, full-body stretch
Quads– Choose 2-3 exercises for 1-3 sets of 10-14 reps
Free-weight squat
1-leg squat (only if controlled squat rack slide is available)
Step-back dumbbell lunges
Walking dumbbell lunges
Leg sled
Leg extension
Hamstrings– Try to match the volume & intensity (you may be able to go a little heavier with fewer reps) for whatever you chose to do for quads. Keep in mind that many exercises (e.g. squats & leg sled) will hit both your quads & hamstrings.
Romanian barbell deadlifts
1-leg dumbbell deadlifts
Leg curls
1-leg curls
Box squats (toes out; wider stance)
Barbell hip thrust
Calves – Wear them out with good form. Many of the movements will take dozens of reps with body-weight only, so add dumbbell resistance when appropriate. Stay hydrated, or you will cramp!!!
Standing calf raises
Seated calf raise machine
Leg sled toe press
1-leg sled toe press
Jump rope
Cardio work– Do 10-15 minutes of jogging, riding a stationary bike (regular bike is ok), elliptical machine (with minimal to no resistance), step machine, mountain climber, rowing machine, kenpo karate, zumba (you may look funny doing it, but do whatever it takes to keep your workouts from becoming monotonous)
Cool-down – 5-10 minute static/ballistic stretch; hydrate; refuel immediately (protein bar, protein shake, nutritious snack)
Thursday – Stabilization/Flexibility/Mobility & Core
Dynamic warm-up – 5-10 minutes of anaerobic exercise. Choose several exercises to equal 5-10 minutes total
¾ speed jog/sprint in place
Walking lunges
Walking tow-up grabs
High knees (in place, or moving forward)
Backward ¾ speed jog/sprint
Bodyweight squats
Quick skips
Power hops
Lateral knee-ups (Heisman)
Side shuffle
Karaoke
Static/ballistic stretch – 5-10 minute, full-body stretch
Stabilization/Flexibility/Mobility– The goal for today is maintenance. If we’re feeling sore, we may do something in terms of cardio and stretching. If we’re feeling stronger, we may push ourselves with a yoga routine. The following routines are in order of intensity, i.e. if you’re feeling sore, do something towards the top of the list, if you’re feeling great, challenge yourself towards the bottom of the list.
15-minute jog followed by static/ballistic stretch
Stability ball workout
Bosu ball workout
Balance pad with weight ball workout
Yoga routine (20-90 minutes)
Core – Do 5-25 minutes of core exercises. Choose from the following list, but take minimal rest in-between exercises (10 seconds or fewer).
Sit-ups
Crunches
Side crunches
Suitcases
Heel grabs
Straight leg raises
Bicycle kicks
Scissor kicks
Straight leg toe touches
Back extension
Opposite arm/opposite leg
Plank
Plank crossovers
Supermans
Medicine ball slams
Medicine ball side toss
Russian twists
Cool-down – 5-10 minute static/ballistic stretch; hydrate; refuel immediately (protein bar, protein shake, nutritious snack)
Friday – Shoulders/Arms
Aerobic warm-up – 5-10 minutes of cardio (aerobic): Choose 1, or combine a few to equal 5-10 minutes total
Treadmill jog
Elliptical machine
Stationary bike
Stair climber
Rowing machine
Ladder climber
Static/ballistic stretch– 5-10 minute, full-body stretch
Shoulders – Most days, you will want to incorporate your J-Band, and/or dumbbell Jobe routine as a warm-up. There’s a good chance that J-bands and Jobes will be enough of a workout by themselves. For any overhead lifting, have a spotter, and for ALL shoulder exercises, choose a weight that you can DOMINATE with perfect form for high reps (12-18). Start out with very light volume (small number of exercises/sets), and gradually increase during the off-season. I suggest doing J-bands and Jobes only during a season, as a number of chest, back, and triceps exercises will indirectly hit your shoulders.
J-Bands routine
Dumbbell Jobe routine
Military press
Upright rows (elbows stay above your hands)
Seated dumbbell clean
Clean & press
Bent over lateral raise
Lateral plank walk
Machine shoulder press
Dumbbell reverse fly
Biceps- Choose 1-3 exercises for 1-3 sets of 10-14 reps
Barbell curl
Standing dumbbell curl
Curl up, hammer down
Hammer curls
Concentration curls
21s
Incline bench dumbbell curl
Cable rope hammer curl
Isometric dumbbell curls (hold one halfway while full range on the other)
Triceps- Double the number of sets for whatever you chose to do for your biceps, and heavier weight with less volume is acceptable. For example, if for biceps you did 3 exercises of 1 set each (3 sets total), and 12 reps each set, for your triceps, choose 3 exercises for 2 sets (6 sets total), 8-10 reps, or choose 2 exercises for 3 sets (6 sets total), 8-10 reps per set.
Dips
Dumbbell laying triceps extension
Bent over dumbbell triceps kickbacks
Cable pull-downs
Rope cable push-downs
Bent over rope cable skull crushers
Barbell skull crushers
Forearms – Wear them out with good form.
Dumbbell wrist curls
Barbell wrist curls
Standing behind the back barbell wrist curls
Reverse wrist curls
Grip crush (roll dumbbell from palm to fingertips)
Rice bucket
Sprint work– Do 8-20 sprints ranging from 10-100 yards. For longer sprints, do fewer. For shorter sprints, do more. Sprint down and walk back. The walk time is your only rest time, but don’t dog it on the walk back!!!
Cool-down – 5-10 minute static/ballistic stretch; hydrate; refuel immediately (protein bar, protein shake, nutritious snack)
Saturday – Off
Sunday – Off
Ryan Speier is a professional pitching instructor in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He played professionally for 12 seasons, was a member of the 2007 National League Champion, Colorado Rockies, and has coached at the NCAA Division-I level. Ryan is a dad, husband, and follower of Jesus Christ. Find Ryan on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/CoachSpy23
Share this post on:
