01.05.07
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Click
here to Ask Joe about training. If you send a
question, it may appear on the website. Please do
not submit a question if you do not want the question
published. Only your first name will be used for privacy
reasons.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Submit your email address to subscribe to
our free newsletter.
You can receive our weekly email letting you know
when there are new Questions and Answers. We will
also keep you up to date with upcoming events and
new ways to become a better athlete.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Coach DeFranco,
I can't begin to tell you how much knowledge I have gained since I discovered your website. Your modified Westside program literally changed the way I train forever. My question actually pertains to that program- I noticed that you refer to a lot of football players that have benefited from that program, and I also saw the wrestler & basketball player that were featured in your original article. My question is, What do you do with your baseball players? Should they do something differently because they risk getting too muscular on your program? Thanks in advance and keep up the great work!
Don D.
South Carolina
A: Don,
Before you read any further, read “Myth #9” of this article. This article is one of the most popular articles that I’ve ever written…it gives a very brief explanation of why I feel that baseball players SHOULD lift weights.
Now, every athlete (REGARDLESS OF THEIR SPORT) will have specific goals based on their individual abilities and their genetic predisposition. Some baseball players can definitely benefit from added muscle to their frames; on the other hand, there are plenty of baseball players that are already big & strong enough and they may need to focus more on flexibility & technical work. Again, to each his/her own!
Generally speaking, my philosophy has always been to be as big & strong as possible without interfering with the technical aspect of your sport. Let's look at an example to hammer home my point.
My example is Barry Bonds. Let’s try and forget about all the controversy surrounding Barry Bonds; forget about the steroid scandal, his attitude, etc., and let’s just focus on his physique for a second…
Here’s Barry Bonds as a rookie
Here’s a more recent picture of Barry
Now, unless you have been living in a closet for the past 5 years, you're aware that the added muscle that Barry put on his frame did NOT ruin his swing. In fact, his swing was as sweet as ever after he got bigger and stronger. The only difference is that now when Barry makes contact with the ball, the ball travels a lot further than it did when he was a skinny bastard!
If Barry’s swing changed and he started striking out all the time after he added muscle to his frame, I would say he’s wasting his time in the weight room. But, for Barry, the added muscle helped his game; for others, too much muscle may be a bad thing. Because of this, I feel that it is elementary to make general statements like, “baseball players shouldn’t lift weights because it ruins their swing.” As an athlete, you must know your body better than anyone and be able to organize your training methods to best suit YOUR specific needs!
Speaking of jacked baseball players (by the way, this next guy is 100% natural)…
I would like to hammer home my point a little more by giving an update on our very own baseball “poster child”- Corey Smith. As most of you know, Corey became a “DeFranco Disciple” 4 years ago when he was a 1st Round Draft Pick of the Cleveland Indians out of high school. Since then, he has played as high as AAA ball and he just recently signed a contract with the Chicago White Sox to play 3rd & 1st Base this upcoming season. It’s been a while since he’s been pictured on this site, so I thought I would give everyone an update on his training progress…
Corey Smith – December 2003
205 lb. skinny bastard!
…Although the forearms were still impressive!
Corey Smith – December 2006
241 lbs. & JACKED!
*During the off-season, Corey strength-trains 4X a week (max-effort upper, dynamic-effort lower, repetition upper, max-effort lower), yet he still works on the technical aspect of his game 4X a week as well. This routine, along with changing his diet, has enabled Corey to gain over 30 lbs. of lean mass during the past 3 years, while simultaneously improving his baseball skills!
Hopefully this answers your question as to whether or not baseball players can benefit from my modified “Westside” program.
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Hey Joe,
First time long time... Quick question for ya - Can board presses, chains or bands be used for incline benching? I know that technically they "can" be used, but have you found them to be beneficial?
Thanks,
John
A: John,
I have used incline benching with chains and I like it (you just need to use a longer support chain).
On the other hand, I have found incline benching with bands to be too stressful on the shoulders. I personally screwed-up my own shoulders a couple of times incline benching with bands; so I don’t feel the exercise is worth the risk for my athletes.
I’ve never performed incline board presses. The angle of your upper body in relation to the board just wouldn’t work out.
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: Joe –
I'm a gym nut and an avid hunter. The other morning I was running late
and I grabbed one of your bars on the way out instead of my typical
pre-hunt breakfast. It got me fired up and highly focused in the
critical early morning hours before sunrise. This is key for me because
I'm not a coffee drinker. Everything felt a little bit lighter (even the
deep cycle marine batteries) and the bar did a great job of suppressing
hunger. The importance of this can't be exaggerated when you're sitting
in a tree stand or duck blind for hours, getting rained on, with nothing
else to think about. And they taste so damn good I feel like I'm
cheating eating cake for breakfast. I don't know how you stop yourself
from tearing into them by the case.
Thanks for the great bar, you got a loyal customer! Next time I shoot a
duck I'll send some down to New Jersey.
Adam
A: Adam,
Your first 2 sentences scared the shit out of me…I thought for sure you were going to tell me how the DeFranco Bar got you so fired-up that you went on a shooting spree and killed a bunch of cute rabbits and innocent people! [Sigh of relief]…that was a close one! Anyway, thanks for the feedback on the bar. I’m glad you like them!
FYI, I’ve decided to prolong my holiday SALE on the bars another week or two - so stock up now!
And although I appreciate your offer on the dead duck, I’ll stick to eating my warm, chewy DeFranco Energy Bars fresh out of the microwave!
Dead ducks make me sad :(
…warm DeFranco Bars make me happy :)
Joe D.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
