Deadly Training Mistake No. 8

One word of advice to start with: picking a random training program from any fitness magazine is a big mistake, because most of these programs are as far as you can be from softball-specific. Most of these programs are either geared at bodybuilders who want to get bigger or at the general population who want to lose fat and tone up. They are not designed to increase performance. Most likely, any generic exercise program will be filled with isolation exercises and non sport-specific exercises.

The same holds true for programs borrowed from other sports. While a well-designed program for volleyball is more likely to benefit a softball player than a generic fitness program for the general population, it will not exactly match the specific needs of a softball player because the demands of the game of softball are somewhat different from volleyball.

Even more important, stay away from football-specific training programs; they have very little in common with the needs of softball players. Most of the time, they are designed to make athletes bigger! I have seen very few football-specific programs that would fit the needs of a softball player.

Also, be aware of personal trainers that claim to design sport-specific programs. Most of the time, they have no idea of what they are doing and have no clue on how to design a good sports conditioning program. I should know because I have worked with a lot of personal trainers over the years and I educate hundreds of them every year! Finally, in addition to not having a clue on how to design a good sports conditioning program, most of them don't know anything about our game and its specific demands.

If you are looking for a local expert to design a softball-specific program for you, you should seek a certified strength and conditioning coach. They should be certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) as "Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist" and should have the credential "CSCS" next to their name. This certification is the hardest one to get in the fitness industry (you need an undergraduate degree just to sit for the exam), and it deals specifically with training athletes. This certification is also required to work as a strength and conditioning coach at the college level. Being a "CSCS" doesn't guarantee expertise or quality but does ensure that this trainer is more likely to know what he or she is doing when working with athletes.