Nearly all softball related injuries are caused by collisions, improper sliding techniques and lack of conditioning. Unfortunately, due do practice time constraints, many fastpitch coaches do not incorporate strength and conditioning drills into their routine leaving conditioning and fitness drills as the responsibility of the player. But for the player who wants to be successful on the field, a off-season and in-season conditioning program can produce results within a few weeks.
The female softball player needs a program that is geared towards athletes and not bodybuilding. A peak performance athlete needs a workout that is tailored to their sport and requirements that will emphasis the muscle groups and exercises that most benefit them.
A successful fitness conditioning routine should incorporate aerobic activity and strength training. An aerobic workout increases the heart rate and blood circulation for an extended period of time that improves the body's efficiency to consume oxygen, conditions the heart, and tones the muscles throughout the body. Strength training leads to greater speed and power for short duration performance in high intensity activities such as swinging a bat, chasing down fly balls, or running the bases.
Just as important as aerobic and strength training is the rest time between workouts in order to enable the muscles to repair and grow. With careful planning, an athlete can do strength training 2 to 3 times per week intermixed with cardio and agility training to give their muscle groups 48 hours of rest while continuing to increase their overall athletic performance.
Marc Dagenais at Softball Performance has created a new web site that is dedicated to training youth softball athletes that want to excel. Marc has been coaching women's competitive fastpitch softball for 20 years at all levels of the game including the college and the international levels in addition to be a certified strength and conditioning specialist. He's also well versed in the areas of sports psychology, sports nutrition and injury management. But what I find most impressive is that he offers a service to custom design a strength and conditioning program to meet your specific wants and needs.
As a travel softball coach, I have used several of Marc's products over the years, including his dynamic warm-up and 21 day express workouts. I have found his products to be well written and, with a little thought, easily incorporated into softball practices.
To learn more about this athletic training program, click here.
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