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General Physical Preparation: The Key To High-Level PerformanceBy Jon Doyle, MA, CSCS With baseball season just around the corner, many us you are/will be looking for the best possible way to get yourself or your team into the best possible playing shape - without risking injury or boredom. The following is your solution. When it comes to baseball training, certain old-school myth's simply won't die. Low weight/High rep sets, traditional rotator cuff work (if it's so good why is everyone getting hurt?), using balance boards and other silly gadgets, etc. I can go on all day. But what may be the most misunderstood aspect of training, with its fair share of training myths, is conditioning for baseball. To further complicate matters for the strength and conditioning community, general athletics in the form of basic physical education within the school system have been all but abandoned. Many of us are old enough to remember climbing ropes or circumventing obstacle courses in school, but those days have since long been abandoned and replaced by less strenuous work that could never serve as a foundation of general health. While those "quaint" approaches were considered outdated, what they truly did was help pave the way for improved athleticism via enhanced motor skills, overall athletic development and even the psychological process of learning how-to attack challenges and overcome adversity. Within higher level athletic circles the work that is being done now is becoming more and more highly specific to a particular athletic venue without a foundation of general physical development. For instance, to this day young 'ballers work on their extension after contact, but most never have climbed a rope, done a somersault or even considered working on their range of motion. The strength and conditioning community will debate endlessly sets and reps schemes but never take a step back and notice the incumbent athlete can't even do a somersault nor possess the hip and back flexibility to excel in their sport of choice. One particular illustration is also found in training rooms, where debate will meander on what squat styles or equipment are most appropriate and yet few athletes can perform a basic squat-thrust to get off the ground fast. From the vantage of the development of sport specific skills, without a solid base of athleticism to build upon the athlete reaches the ceiling quickly, finds their efforts thwarted and is left to post the painful question that must be avoided "what if?" Simply, we have gradually allowed the basis of our athletic work in the form of generalized physical education to be all but eliminated and the majority of athletes suffer for it dearly in their playing careers. In addition, it is manifested further in the burgeoning population's obesity problems. This is not simply an issue of discussing elite performance but also part of the reason why our nation is dying of obesity! So where does this take us now? Yes, we as a culture have somehow become a generation that drives to the gym to walk on a treadmill, to use selectorized weight equipment even though free weights have always worked better and was more efficient. In a time when we are constantly fed the easy route I will tell you what the great Hall-of-Famer,Frank Robinson said; "Things worth having are worth working for" With this problem squarely in my mind, I began designing my training programs realizing that most of my long-term objectives and training protocols would be severely impeded because of athlete's poor levels of fitness. Athletes at whatever level no longer had the necessary generalized training, basic motor skills, or the work threshold to undergo rigorous work and the fortitude to press on. Training - all training - must first recognize the need for a base or foundation. No great structure can grow without a solid footing and such is true with the development of an athlete. This being said it was apparent to me that to follow the pathway of training that I espoused to I would need to begin incorporating work known as GPP (General Physical Preparation). In training circles today, General Physical Preparation (GPP) has become a bit of a celebrity item of late, mentioned by virtually every self-proclaimed "coaching guru" who has discovered how to cut and paste. Yet, while the term is used widely now, concepts of it are so poorly understood that much of these self-proclaimed "experts" barely possess a solid knowledge of it themselves and seem to throw the term around whenever possible as some "catch-all" marketing phrase. With that said, GPP done properly, can be the hidden gem to improve athletic performance at all levels - no matter age, experience or conditioning level. But like many new concepts of training, they are easily misunderstood and incorporated in an incorrect manner. I see many programs throw the term around to describe a souped-up version on a 1980s dancercise class or to give a coach his entry point into some bizarre sadistic, draconian adventure - both are way off the mark. The eight basic points that GPP has classically targeted revolve around three that are typical concerns for any athlete and an additional five that uniquely work within a balanced training system. The final point is quite possibly the most important of all for team-wide concerns and from a coaching perspective cannot be overlooked.
From a compliance standpoint GPP is typically performed in both (a) Weighted and Today we are going to focus on the non-weighted version of GPP. GPP typically involves "simple" bodyweight calisthenics further broken down into active recovery (i.e. jumping jacks, shuffle splits) along with semi-explosive work (i.e. burpees/ squat thrusts and mountain climbers). Each section of "active recovery" and "semi-explosive" work consists of two consecutive sections of 30 seconds each and thus an entire "circuit" equals two minutes of consistent movement. Foot contacts (sub-maximal) are generally in the 1:1 ratio in Active Recovery (30 movements per 30 seconds) with an acceptable range of .33-.5:1 (10-15 total movements per 30 seconds) and graphically training volume will exhibit a wave type pattern in both time duration and foot contacts. Total foot contacts will vary between 80-90 per two-minute circuit with recovery-based contacts representing 60-75% of that total. Non-weighted GPP will start with 6 minutes of total work without rest in between sets in a highly periodized program that increases total duration over time. However this amount will greatly depend upon the athlete's starting position and if need be adjusted to suit there long terms goals. Recovery work must always be done in equal proportion to semi-explosive work from a timed capacity while always ensuring top quality form in all the movements. Never allow the athlete to do any of the work with poor form or bad postural alignment. Teach the athlete to relax during actions, adjust them to dealing with a multitude of different and simultaneous stimuli and gradually learn to make the difficult easy. Consider this point intensely as it is integral component in teaching the athlete to become conditioned to chaotic and ever-changing environments - which is EVERYTHING in baseball, yet NOBODY trains for it. Ever ask yourself why? If you come up with a good answer let me know as I've yet to hear one. Everyone knows the term "choke" and it's every ballplayers worst nightmare. In order to ensure this does not happen, you must train for it. GPP can be a part of this plan. Teaching your body to control heart rate in an ever-changing, stressful environment will allow those "pressure-packed" situations to seem like 5 o'clock batting practice. In addition, GPP allows for ballistic training, which is vital for baseball. Short bursts of highly-explosive work will translate onto the diamond and into the win column and box score. Most coaches have their players perform endless running to "get in shape". While sprinting is necessary, GPP kicks the crap out of distance running every time. GPP is quicker, less boring and much more applicable to baseball. No to mention it does not bring the risk of repetitive stress injuries that running does and is also easier on the knees. GPP Plan 2 minute rounds Each exercise lasting 30 seconds each - performed in circuit fashion with no rest: A1. Jumping Jacks - 30 reps - 1 per second Now, please understand GPP can be personalized for the level of the athlete. As a general rule we always start off with 1 minute rounds (workload cut in half) following 1 minute rest periods then repeat. Higher level athletes (college and above) can begin with the two minute rounds. Once fitness is improved you should aim to perform consecutive rounds without rest. Once an athlete can perform 12-18 minute of consecutive GPP, he or she will have developed world-class conditioning. And performance on the field will dramatically improve. Part of the above is an excerpt (along with additional info) from the best-selling e-manual called "Diamonds", which is an all-encompasing look into what real, results-producing baseball training should include & exclude. It's a must-have for every player coach and parent. Portions of the info in "Diamonds" can and should be used by young players and they can progress into the other areas as they mature and develop. For the athlete in their teenage years and beyond, "Diamonds" will provide the info you need to take your training to the next level. To lean more about "Diamonds" baseball training e-manual click here.
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