Offseason Phase | Elite Softball Training

12 Weeks Duration

4 Days / Week

60-75 Min / Session

Build Base Primary Goal

Primary Goals

Build muscle mass (hypertrophy)
Establish strength foundation
Improve movement quality
Develop work capacity
Address mobility limitations

Phase Structure

Weekly Split

Day	Focus	Duration
Monday	Lower Body – Strength	65-75 min
Tuesday	Upper Body – Strength	60-70 min
Wednesday	REST / Mobility	15-20 min optional
Thursday	Power + Core	55-65 min
Friday	Full Body – Hypertrophy	60-70 min
Saturday	Hitting / Skills	As needed
Sunday	REST	Complete rest

Loading Progression (4-Week Blocks)

Week	Volume	Intensity	Notes
1	Moderate	Moderate	Establish baseline
2	High	Moderate-High	Build volume
3	High	High	Peak loading
4	Low	Moderate	DELOAD – reduce volume 40-50%

Repeat this 4-week cycle 3 times (Weeks 1-4, 5-8, 9-12)

Weekly Training Templates

💪 Monday — Lower Body Strength

Warm-Up (10 min)

Exercise	Sets x Reps
Foam Roll (quads, glutes, hamstrings)	2 min
Cat-Cow	10 each
World's Greatest Stretch	5 each side
Glute Bridge	2x10
Banded Clamshell	2x12 each
Bodyweight Squat	2x10

Main Workout

Order	Exercise	Sets x Reps	Tempo	Rest	Notes
A1	Back Squat	4x6-8	3-1-2-0	2-3 min	Main lift
B1	Romanian Deadlift	3x8-10	3-1-1-0	2 min
C1	Hip Thrust	3x10-12	2-2-1-0	90 sec	2 sec squeeze at top
C2	Nordic Curl Negative	3x5	5 sec down	90 sec	Control the descent
D1	Goblet Squat Hold	3x30 sec	N/A	60 sec	Catcher position work
E1	Calf Raise (Standing)	3x15	2-1-1-0	45 sec

Cool-Down (5 min)

Hip flexor stretch: 60 sec each
Pigeon stretch: 60 sec each
Deep breathing: 10 breaths

💪 Tuesday — Upper Body Strength

Warm-Up (8 min)

Exercise	Sets x Reps
Arm Circles	20 each direction
Band Pull-Aparts	2x15
Band Dislocates	2x10
Push-ups	2x10
Scap Push-ups	2x10

Main Workout

Order	Exercise	Sets x Reps	Tempo	Rest	Notes
A1	Barbell Bench Press	4x6-8	3-1-1-0	2-3 min	Main lift
B1	Barbell Row	4x6-8	2-1-1-0	2 min
C1	DB Overhead Press	3x8-10	2-1-1-0	90 sec
C2	Pull-ups or Lat Pulldown	3x8-10	2-1-1-0	90 sec
D1	Face Pull	3x15-20	2-1-1-0	45 sec	NEVER skip
D2	Tricep Pushdown	3x12-15	2-0-1-0	45 sec
E1	Bicep Curl	2x12-15	2-0-1-0	45 sec	Optional

Cool-Down (5 min)

Doorway chest stretch: 30 sec each
Cross-body shoulder stretch: 30 sec each
Sleeper stretch: 30 sec each (see arm care protocol)

🚶 Wednesday — Rest / Active Recovery

Option 1: Complete Rest

Sleep in, recover, hydrate.

Option 2: Active Recovery (15-20 min)

Activity	Duration
Light walk or bike	10 min
Full mobility routine	10-15 min
Foam rolling	5 min

Option 3: Hitting Practice

Tee work (quality reps only)
Combine with mobility work

⚡ Thursday — Power + Core

Warm-Up (10 min)

Exercise	Sets x Reps
Jump Rope or High Knees	2 min
Leg Swings (forward/back, side/side)	10 each
Walking Lunges	10 each leg
Arm Circles	20 each
Med Ball Slams (light)	10

Main Workout

Order	Exercise	Sets x Reps	Rest	Notes
A1	Box Jump	4x5	90 sec	Step down, reset between reps
A2	Broad Jump	4x5	90 sec	Stick landing
B1	Med Ball Rotational Throw	4x8 each	60 sec	EXPLOSIVE – hips lead
B2	Med Ball Scoop Toss	3x8	60 sec	Hip drive
C1	Pallof Press	3x10 each	60 sec	Anti-rotation
C2	Dead Bug	3x10 each	60 sec	Back stays flat
D1	Lateral Bound	3x6 each	60 sec	Stick each landing
E1	Plank Hold	3x45 sec	45 sec	Squeeze glutes

Catcher-Specific Add-On (5 min)

Exercise	Sets x Reps
Catcher Pop-Up Drill	3x5
Ankle Mobility Wall Drill	30 sec each

Cool-Down (5 min)

Static stretching for hip flexors and shoulders
Deep breathing

💪 Friday — Full Body Hypertrophy

Warm-Up (8 min)

Exercise	Sets x Reps
Foam Roll	3 min
Cat-Cow	10 each
Bird Dog	8 each
Banded Monster Walk	20 steps
Arm Circles with Band	15 each

Main Workout

Order	Exercise	Sets x Reps	Tempo	Rest	Notes
A1	Trap Bar Deadlift	3x8-10	2-1-1-0	2 min	Lighter than main DL day
B1	Bulgarian Split Squat	3x10 each	3-1-1-0	90 sec
B2	DB Bench Press	3x10-12	2-1-1-0	90 sec
C1	Single-Arm DB Row	3x10 each	2-1-1-0	60 sec
C2	Reverse Lunge	3x10 each	2-1-1-0	60 sec
D1	Landmine Press	3x10 each	2-1-1-0	60 sec	Rotational emphasis
D2	Cable Wood Chop	3x10 each	2-0-1-0	60 sec	High to low
E1	Face Pull	2x20	2-0-1-0	30 sec	Always

Cool-Down (5 min)

Full body stretch sequence
Focus on any tight areas

⚾ Saturday — Skills / Hitting

Dedicate this day to softball-specific work:

Tee work (see Hitting Development)
Soft toss
Catching drills
Long toss (see Arm Care Protocol)

😴 Sunday — Complete Rest

Priorities:

Sleep 8-10 hours
Hydrate well
Eat quality nutrition
Light walking okay
Mental rest from training thoughts

Progressive Overload Guidelines

Main Lifts (Squat, Bench, DL, Row)

Weeks 1-3: Add 5 lbs to lower body, 2.5 lbs to upper body each week
Week 4 (Deload): Use Week 1 weights, reduce sets by 1

Accessory Lifts

Weeks 1-3: Add reps first (stay in rep range), then add weight
Week 4 (Deload): Reduce weight 10-15%, maintain rep quality

Power Exercises

Focus on Quality, Not Load

Increase med ball weight only when technique is perfect
Never sacrifice explosiveness for more weight

Sample Week 1 (Establishing Baseline)

Monday Lower Body — Example Weights

Exercise	Target	Notes
Back Squat	Find 8RM, do 4x6 at 90% of that	If 8RM is 135, work sets = 120
RDL	Start conservative, 3x8	Focus on form first
Hip Thrust	Start light, feel glutes	3x10

How to Find Starting Weights

Step 1: Warm up thoroughly
Step 2: Start with empty bar or very light weight
Step 3: Add weight in small increments
Step 4: Stop when form starts to break or speed slows significantly
Step 5: Your working weight = 80-85% of that max

Week 4 Deload Example

Normal Week 3	Deload Week 4
Back Squat 4x6 @ 155	Back Squat 3x6 @ 135
RDL 3x8 @ 115	RDL 2x8 @ 95
Hip Thrust 3x10 @ 135	Hip Thrust 2x10 @ 115

Key Points

Volume drops 30-40%
Intensity (weight) drops 10-15%
Still training, not taking a week off
Should feel easy — that's the point

Catcher-Specific Additions

Daily Mobility (Do Every Day)

Exercise	Duration
Ankle wall stretch	30 sec each
Hip flexor stretch	60 sec each
Deep squat hold	60 sec
90/90 hip stretch	30 sec each

Extra Knee Care (2-3x per week)

Exercise	Sets x Reps
Terminal Knee Extension (band)	3x15 each
VMO Step-Down	2x10 each
Wall Sit	2x30 sec

Testing Protocol (End of Phase)

At the end of Week 12, test the following:

Test	How	Record Here
Vertical Jump	3 attempts, best score	_______
Broad Jump	3 attempts, best score	_______
Med Ball Rotational Throw	10 lb ball, 3 each side	_______
Back Squat 5RM	Work up to max 5 reps	_______
Bench Press 5RM	Work up to max 5 reps	_______

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue	Cause	Solution
Knee pain during squats	Depth too deep, knees caving	Reduce depth, strengthen glutes
Lower back fatigue	Too much volume, poor form	Reduce deadlift volume, focus on bracing
Shoulder pain on bench	Poor setup, too wide grip	Retract scaps, narrow grip slightly
Can't recover between sessions	Not eating/sleeping enough	Increase calories, prioritize sleep
Plateaued on lifts	Need deload or variation	Take deload week, try different variation

Weekly Check-In Questions

Ask yourself each Sunday:

Did I complete all planned sessions?
How is my energy level (1-10)?
Any nagging pain or tightness?
Am I sleeping 8+ hours?
Am I eating enough protein?
What's one thing I can improve next week?

Transition to Preseason

After completing Week 12:

Take 3-5 days light activity (walking, mobility only)
Re-test benchmarks
Begin Preseason Phase

Remember

The strength base built in this phase will support the power development in preseason.