01 FoundationMeasure first. Then earn the gain.Goal, calendar and starting assessment
The assignment
Add useful mass—not just scale weight
Coordinate this plan with the college staff.
The Eckerd strength coach, athletic trainer, baseball coaches and sports dietitian have final authority. He should share this page with them before starting; team programming, medical history, fall practice and game schedules override this template.
Late July through April
Six-phase development calendar
1
July 27–August 9
Baseline & technique
Establish maintenance intake, test movement quality, record performance baselines and learn the lifts without chasing fatigue.
2
August 10–October 4
Hypertrophy accumulation
Build muscle with controlled volume, moderate loads and consistent eating. Maintain sprinting, throwing and medicine-ball work.
3
October 5–November 29
Strength-hypertrophy
Use heavier sets while retaining enough volume to continue growing. Reduce gym volume if fall baseball activity is substantial.
4
November 30–January 3
Maximum strength
Increase force production with low-to-moderate rep work. Do not grind through ugly repetitions or sacrifice throwing quality.
5
January 4–opening day
Power & preseason
Cut volume, maintain strength and emphasize speed. End the planned surplus and arrive fresh, explosive and baseball-ready.
6
Opening day–April 30
In-season maintenance
Lift twice weekly around the game schedule, fuel performance at maintenance calories and prevent unwanted weight loss.
Weeks 1–2
Establish the starting point
Collect these data before changing too much
- Morning body weight every day; use the seven-day average.
- Waist circumference at the navel once each week.
- Front, side and back photos under consistent conditions.
- DEXA, Bod Pod or consistent skinfold assessment if available through school.
- Standing broad jump, 10-yard sprint, chin-ups and selected strength lifts.
- Seven days of normal food intake before imposing a calorie target.
- A preparticipation review with the athletic trainer; discuss allergies, GI issues, medications and prior injuries.
02 FuelEat for the work.Calories, macros, meals and Florida hydration
Fuel the work
Nutrition protocol
Daily macronutrient ranges
Repair and muscle growth · about 2.0–2.15 g/kg.
Energy, food quality and dietary adequacy.
Fuel lifting, sprinting, hitting and throwing.
Match the lower workload without compromising recovery.
The estimate is not a diagnosis or fixed prescription. If his seven-day baseline shows a different maintenance intake, start only 200–300 calories above that number. Do not “eat back” calories reported by a watch.
Protein distribution
Breakfast35–45 g
Lunch40–50 g
Pretraining25–40 g
Post-training40–50 g
Before bed30–40 g
Eat every three to five hours when practical. Food comes first; shakes are a convenience.
Training-day meal template (scale portions to the target)
Eggs plus egg whites, oatmeal, berries, banana and milk.
Greek yogurt, granola, fruit and a bagel when additional carbohydrate is needed.
Six to eight ounces of chicken, beef, turkey or fish; two cups cooked rice or pasta; beans; vegetables; olive oil or avocado.
Bagel with turkey, banana and milk—or a comparable meal with 30–40 g protein and 75–125 g carbohydrate.
Six to eight ounces of lean beef, chicken, salmon or pork; a large serving of potatoes, rice or pasta; vegetables and fruit.
Cottage cheese or Greek yogurt with cereal, fruit and nuts.
Two to three hours before training
- 30–40 g protein.
- 75–125 g carbohydrate.
- Moderate or low fat.
- Avoid an unusually high-fiber meal immediately before sprinting.
During and after training
- Water is normally sufficient for a lifting session under 60 minutes in a cool environment.
- For long, hot or double sessions, use fluids with sodium and 30–60 g carbohydrate per hour as tolerated.
- Within roughly two hours: 35–50 g protein and 80–125 g carbohydrate.
- A normal meal is preferable; a shake simply improves convenience.
Build a Florida heat plan from his sweat rate.
On representative practices, record body weight immediately before and after, fluid consumed and urine produced. As a simple starting point: about 16 oz two to three hours before, 8 oz 15 minutes before, 4 oz every 15–20 minutes during, then 16–20 oz per pound lost afterward. Avoid both large dehydration losses and forced overdrinking; the sports dietitian should individualize sodium and fluid needs.
03 TrainBuild it. Convert it. Keep it.Off-season split, in-season lifts and progression
Off-season four-day split
Baseball-specific resistance training
This is the Phase 2 base week—not four identical months.
Use the phase loading bands below to change sets and repetitions. Before each session: 5–8 minutes of easy movement, dynamic hips/ankles/thoracic spine, shoulder-blade and cuff activation on upper days, then 2–4 progressive warm-up sets. Perform sprints, jumps and throws first while fresh. Rest 2–4 minutes on main lifts and 60–120 seconds on accessories.
Acceleration + Lower A
Horizontal force, lower-body strength and posterior chain.
Rotational power + Upper A
Press-pull balance, scapular control and trunk transfer.
Recovery + skill
Mobility, easy movement and assigned baseball practice.
Jumps + Lower B
Vertical power, unilateral strength and frontal-plane capacity.
Rotational power + Upper B
Explosive pressing, pulling and shoulder-support work.
First-base skill + starts
Pick footwork, reactions, crossover steps and easy recovery.
Complete rest
Physical and neurological recovery.
Monday — Lower Body A
10–20-yard acceleration2 × 3; full rest
Standing broad jump3 × 3
Trap-bar deadlift4 × 5
Rear-foot-elevated split squat3 × 8 / leg
Barbell hip thrust3 × 8
Seated or lying leg curl3 × 10
Calf raise3 × 10–15
Pallof press3 × 10 / side
Tuesday — Upper Body A
Rotational medicine-ball scoop toss3 × 4 / side
Neutral-grip dumbbell bench4 × 6–8
Weighted chin-up or neutral pulldown4 × 6–8
Half-kneeling one-arm landmine press3 × 8 / side
Chest-supported row3 × 8–10
Face pull2 × 12–15
Cable or band external rotation2 × 12–15
Farmer carry3 × 30 yd
Thursday — Lower Body B
Box jump or countermovement jump3 × 3
Front squat or safety-bar squat4 × 6
Romanian deadlift3 × 6–8
Lateral lunge3 × 8 / side
Nordic curl or assisted Nordic3 × 5–8
Copenhagen plank3 × 20–30 sec / side
Heavy sled push5–6 × 20 yd
Friday — Upper Body B
Medicine-ball shot-put throw3 × 3 / side
Landmine push press4 × 4 / side
Incline neutral-grip dumbbell press3 × 8
One-arm cable row4 × 8 / side
Neutral-grip pulldown3 × 8–10
Push-up plus2 × 10–15
Rear-delt raise2 × 12–15
Suitcase carry3 × 25–30 yd / side
Baseball work takes priority.
For a first baseman, high-intent throwing, hitting and demanding field work should be coordinated with upper-body lifting—not casually added on top. Do skill work before lifting when quality is the priority, reduce pressing when shoulder or elbow fatigue carries into throwing, and use the team’s arm-care plan.
Opening day through April
In-season strength maintenance
The job changes once games begin
Stop chasing soreness and new scale weight. Use two 35–50 minute full-body sessions per week, normally separated by at least 48 hours, to preserve strength and power. The Eckerd staff places them around games and travel. Keep 2–3 clean reps in reserve and never let a lift degrade game readiness.
Full Body A — strength emphasis
Countermovement jump3 × 3
Trap-bar deadlift3 × 3–5
Neutral-grip dumbbell bench3 × 5–8
Weighted chin-up or pulldown3 × 5–8
Rear-foot-elevated split squat2 × 6 / leg
Pallof press + external rotation2 × 10 each
Full Body B — power emphasis
Rotational medicine-ball throw3 × 3 / side
Front or safety-bar squat3 × 3–5
Romanian deadlift2 × 5–6
One-arm landmine press3 × 5 / side
Chest-supported row3 × 6–8
Lateral lunge + suitcase carry2 sets each
Normal one- to three-game weekComplete both sessions; place the more demanding lower-body work early enough to avoid game-day soreness.
Four-plus games or heavy travelLet the performance staff reduce each lift to 2 work sets or use one full-body session plus one 20-minute microdose.
Readiness is poorIf warm-up jump, bar speed or arm feel is clearly down, cut sets before adding intensity. Do not make up missed volume.
In-season nutritionMove to observed maintenance calories, keep protein at 190–205 g and place most carbohydrate around practice and games.
How the work evolves
Loading, progression and deloading
01Baseline
Main lifts2–3 × 8–10
Accessories2 sets
Leave 3 reps in reserve. Own the technique.
02Hypertrophy
Main lifts3–4 × 6–10
Accessories2–3 × 8–15
Mostly 2 reps in reserve; roughly 8–12 challenging weekly sets per major muscle group.
03Strength + size
Main lifts4–5 × 4–6
Accessories2–3 × 8–12
Keep 1–2 reps in reserve and preserve sprint and throw quality.
04Max strength
Main lifts4–5 × 3–5
Accessories2 × 8–12
No grinders. Stop before technique or bar speed breaks.
05Power
Main lifts3–4 × 3–5
Accessories1–2 sets
Cut volume 35–50% and move submaximal loads rapidly.
06In-season
Main lifts2–3 × 3–6
Accessories1–2 sets
Maintain intensity, minimize fatigue and follow the game schedule.
Double-progression rule
- Select a load that allows the bottom of the rep range with two clean reps still available.
- Add repetitions over subsequent sessions.
- When every set reaches the top of the range with good form, add approximately 5 lb upper body or 5–10 lb lower body.
- Return to the bottom of the range and repeat.
Use a 3:1 loading rhythm off-season
After three progressive weeks, reduce working sets by roughly 40–50% for one week. Keep the movement patterns and moderate loading, but allow fatigue to dissipate.
Preseason and in-season deloads follow practice, game and travel load instead of an automatic calendar.
Gain is under 0.2 lb/week for two weeksIf food adherence was at least 90%, add 150–200 calories per day, primarily carbohydrate.
Gain exceeds 0.75 lb/week for two weeksRemove 150–200 calories per day; one unusual weigh-in does not trigger a change.
Waist rises about 0.5 inch in a monthHold or reduce the surplus and have the sports dietitian reassess body composition and food quality.
Weight rises while sprint or jump performance fallsReturn to maintenance for at least a week and review fatigue, body composition and training load with staff.
Target range is reachedAdd or remove calories until the seven-day average stays within roughly 1–2 lb; do not keep bulking into the season.
Weight and strength both stallAudit adherence, sleep, stress and recovery before adding more training.
Stay athletic
Speed, conditioning and throwing integration
First-base speed prescription
- Two short acceleration exposures each week in the off-season.
- Emphasize 5–20-yard starts, including crossover and lateral-to-linear reactions.
- Use six to eight high-quality total efforts per session.
- Full recovery between efforts; do not turn speed work into conditioning.
- Optional 20–30-minute easy bike or incline walk once weekly.
Throwing and field-work integration
- Use the team’s position-player throwing and arm-care program.
- Consolidate hard throwing and upper-body lifting when practical.
- Practice picks, short-hop reactions and footwork while fresh, not after fatiguing conditioning.
- Protect true recovery days.
- Do not independently add a weighted-ball velocity program.
- Reduce pressing if shoulder or elbow fatigue carries into throwing.
04 Recover & measureProtect the adaptation.Sleep, pain rules and the weekly scoreboard
Adaptation happens here
Recovery standards
Stop and involve the athletic trainer.
Sharp pain, altered throwing mechanics, persistent loss of velocity, nighttime shoulder pain, neurological symptoms or loss of elbow extension should not be treated as ordinary soreness.
Scoreboard
Track the variables that matter
05 SafetyUse the guardrails.NCAA supplement rules, summary and evidence
Optional—not foundational
Supplement rules for a college athlete
Potentially useful
- Creatine monohydrate: 3–5 g daily, no loading required, only if cleared by school staff.
- Whey or casein: only for convenience—and still clear the exact product with school staff.
- Electrolytes: useful for heavy sweating, heat or long sessions.
- Vitamin D, iron and other micronutrients: only from dietary assessment or laboratory-guided need.
NCAA eligibility warning
The NCAA states that there are no NCAA-approved nutritional or dietary supplements and warns that products may be contaminated with banned substances not shown on the label.
Every product and medication should be cleared through the athletics department before use. Third-party testing can reduce risk but cannot eliminate it.
Avoid SARMs, prohormones, “test boosters,” proprietary muscle-building blends and unlabeled stimulant products.
The protocol in one paragraph
After a seven-day baseline, begin near 3,500–3,700 calories on training days only if that creates a modest surplus, reach 190–205 g of protein, and target 0.25–0.50 lb per week. Lift four days per week off-season, retain short acceleration work, and transition from hypertrophy to strength to power. By opening day, move to maintenance calories and two low-fatigue full-body lifts weekly. The conditional goal is 215–218 lb with stable waist, speed, power and arm health—and to preserve that useful mass through April.
Evidence base
Selected references
- American College of Sports Medicine: 2026 Resistance Training Position Stand — goal-specific guidance for strength, hypertrophy and power.
- International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise — protein requirements for exercising individuals.
- Common Questions and Misconceptions About Creatine Supplementation — evidence supporting daily creatine monohydrate dosing.
- NCAA Banned Substances and Supplement Warning — eligibility and contamination guidance.
- NCAA Performance Hydration Fact Sheet — fluid timing, sweat-loss monitoring and post-exercise replacement.
- NCAA Fueling During Exercise Fact Sheet — carbohydrate during prolonged or intense sessions.
- NCAA Sleep and Wellness for Collegiate Athletes — eight-hour sleep recommendation.
- Resistance-Based Training and Throwing Performance in Baseball Players — systematic review.
- Offseason Workout Recommendations for Baseball Players — baseball-specific off-season training review.
This page is educational and is not individualized medical care, injury rehabilitation or a substitute for the athlete’s school performance and sports-medicine staff.