Weight Training

[Rolling Hard]

From another thread but I thought it could use it own thread.

My main concern is that when she gets to HS some knucklehead coach is going to have her doing stuff in the weight room which is, at the very least, not very productive and at it's worse, counterproductive.

What stuff would she do in the weight room which is, at the very least, not very productive and at it's worse, counterproductive?

And what could she do in the weight room that would be most productive?

I am hoping to hear replies from multiple sources about best (and the worse) weight training drills for softball hitting strength?

 

[uncdrew]

I've heard from many (here, there, everywhere) that pitchers really shouldn't do bench press, shoulder press and certain other exercises, certainly not at heavy weights.

 

[Vertigo]

I would be very concerned as to lack of proper supervision in Pattar’s mention of working out in high school. Too many kids to one trainer. If lifting with improper form it can very easily cause injury.

I also don’t like when a trainer assumes every kid can do the same lift the same way. Example - because of my DD’s build, she should not be bench pressing with a bar but should be using dumbbells instead. Lifting should not be a one-size fits all experience.

 

[uncdrew]

I would be very concerned as to lack of proper supervision in Pattar’s mention of working out in high school. Too many kids to one trainer. If lifting with improper form it can very easily cause injury.

I also don’t like when a trainer assumes every kid can do the same lift the same way. Example - because of my DD’s build, she should not be bench pressing with a bar but should be using dumbbells instead. Lifting should not be a one-size fits all experience.

We've had 3 girls on the team show up with minor injuries this week. All were from the weight room.

 

[Vertigo]

We've had 3 girls on the team show up with minor injuries this week. All were from the weight room.

Ugh. Sorry to hear that!

 

[Vertigo]

So as far as a great full body/core workout goes, boxing is actually great for this! My kids’ trainer incorporates a boxing day into their weekly workout sessions - it’s also great cardio and a stamina builder.

 

[Cannonball]

I was on the committee at my high school for us to implement real/true "Athletic PE." As some of you might know, many schools have athletic pe but many times that is a joke. We went to high schools that were very competitive and that instituted Bigger, Faster, and Stronger. We switched to that. Our athletes set baselines in various things and the weight room became the focal point for the class. Students kept their baseline measurements and then their progress on computers. On game days, they are to do maintenance activities. which includes some light plyo work. Our district has been very successful in athletics. Our programs is monitored by the coaching staff, the Athletic PE Teacher, and our trainer. In our area, athletes will be competing against other schools that have similar programs.

 

[HunterMO]

Not a fan of HS weights. From my experience, kids are left unmanaged and no one is there helping them with form. DD has to go 2x a week during the Summer as part of the off-season program. They get a daily routine and then get to it. No one is watching pointedly to make sure proper form is being used. According to DD, many lift with no purpose (just go through the motions) and some lift with too much weight.

We've been sending DD to a performance program that the local colleges use for their athletes. The instructor is great and tailors each athletes program based on the sport they play (and their goals within that sport). She's loved it. Her range of motion, foot speed, explosiveness, and overall strength has increased significantly. DD is measured before each session for current baselines and then evaluated at the end to see how much she improved. She'd get none of this through her HS.

Strength/performance training isn't just about getting bigger/faster/stronger, but it's also important for injury prevention. Just don't blindly trust that the HS softball or PE coach know what they're doing in that regard.

 

[Vertigo]

Not a fan of HS weights. From my experience, kids are left unmanaged and no one is there helping them with form. DD has to go 2x a week during the Summer as part of the off-season program. They get a daily routine and then get to it. No one is watching pointedly to make sure proper form is being used. According to DD, many lift with no purpose (just go through the motions) and some lift with too much weight.

We've been sending DD to a performance program that the local colleges use for their athletes. The instructor is great and tailors each athletes program based on the sport they play (and their goals within that sport). She's loved it. Her range of motion, foot speed, explosiveness, and overall strength has increased significantly. DD is measured before each session for current baselines and then evaluated at the end to see how much she improved. She'd get none of this through her HS.

Strength/performance training isn't just about getting bigger/faster/stronger, but it's also important for injury prevention. Just don't blindly trust that the HS softball or PE coach know what they're doing in that regard.

Great post! Also - don’t necessarily trust the college strength trainer, either, if they work with all of the other sports teams and the workouts for all teams are the same. Big red flag!

 

[HunterMO]

My post probably sounded overly negative towards HS coaches. Not meaning to say they're purposefully being negligent. Some know better. Some don't. Just be involved enough to identify those that don't and work with your DD's to understand how to lift safely. Not much different then working with them around hitting, fielding, and whatever else.