This offseason, I had the pleasure of working with MLB outfielder Blake Dunn from the Cincinnati Reds organization. From day one, our approach was highly collaborative. We spent the first hour discussing what had worked for him in the past and identifying key areas of focus for his offseason training. Based on that conversation, we designed a personalized program tailored to his needs.
After a highly successful offseason, I wanted to share some insights with our parents and athletes specifically:
1. What Blake wanted to improve and how we addressed it.
2. His key performance metrics in the gym.
Many of our athletes aspire to play professional baseball or compete at a high Division 1 level. Blake’s training is a great example of what it takes to excel as an outfielder in professional baseball especially in the context of gym work. This is valuable for two key reasons:
It provides a look at the physical development of a professional athlete.
It emphasizes the importance of focusing on certain qualities that many high school athletes tend to overlook.
Addressing Strength and Injury Prevention
One of the first things Blake mentioned was his need to regain strength. During the season, his organization hadn’t placed enough emphasis on maintaining strength, and as a result, he felt he lost some of the explosive power that was a major asset to his game. He also noticed an increase in minor injuries, which he attributed to this strength loss and a lack of individualized corrective exercises something that, in his words, only became a focus when he was on the injured list (which, in my opinion, was too little too late).
A key takeaway here is that Blake understood a fundamental concept: if his strength wasn’t maintained at a high level, his speed and explosive power would decline. This is something many high school athletes have yet to fully grasp. Speed doesn’t develop without a solid strength foundation. Strength is the ability to produce force, while speed is how quickly you can apply that force. If an athlete lacks strength, it doesn’t matter how fast they try to generate force they’ll still be slower than they could be.
Blake’s Weekly Training Breakdown
Here’s what Blake’s weekly lifting schedule looked like:
Day 1 Dynamic Effort Lower Body
Focus: Speed and explosive power
Sprint and jump variations to start
Velocity-based primary lift (light weights moved as fast as possible against bands or chains, ensuring acceleration throughout the lift)
Minimum bar speed of 0.8 meters per second with short rest periods
Accessory exercises targeting weaknesses
Day 2 Heavy Upper Body
Focus: Strength and shoulder health
Rotational power movements (med ball tosses, rotational landmine variations)
Heavy lifts (1-5 reps) with shoulder-friendly movements
Extensive arm care and warm-up routines
Avoidance of traditional bench press and overhead press (except when occasionally beneficial)
Day 3- Speed & Movement
Focus: Speed, agility, and endurance
Sprint mechanics and change-of-direction drills
Jumping and rotational explosive movements
Finished with Zone 2 cardio (30-60 min) for aerobic base development and recovery
Day 4 Heavy Lower Body
Focus: Maximum strength development
Heavy squat or deadlift variation
Single-leg movements (split squats, Bulgarian split squats, lunges, sled pushes)
Posterior chain finisher (reverse hypers, back extensions, glute-ham raises)
Day 5 “ Dynamic & Repetition Upper Body
Focus: Power, endurance, and mobility
High volume rotational power work
Shoulder-friendly upper body exercises (6-10 rep range)
Extensive arm care and T-spine mobility exercises
Progression & Sport-Specific Adaptations
From the start of the offseason to the end, we transitioned training from general to specific. For example:
About six weeks in, Blake began integrating skill work with his workouts. His warm-up was followed by hitting and fielding for an hour, then finishing with his gym session.
We gradually increased sprint, jump, and rotational power volume while reducing lifting volume.
By the final phase, one-third to one-half of his workouts consisted of sprinting, jumping, and rotational power exercises.
Results & Key Takeaways
Blake made significant progress he was stronger, faster, and more explosive than ever before. The periodization system we used is the same structure I apply with most of my high school athletes, though customized based on their experience, training frequency, and sport demands.
The conjugate system we followed was originally developed by the Soviet Union to train their Olympic athletes, who dominated international competition at the time. The philosophy behind it is simple: elite athletes need all key physical qualities”speed, power, strength, endurance, and mobility”developed simultaneously. The key is adjusting the balance of these attributes based on the athletes sport and individual needs.
Blake Dunn’s Gym Stats
If you’re wondering, How close am I to the physical abilities of a pro baseball player? here’s what Blake achieved:
Deadlift: 585 lbs
Box Squat: 520 lbs
Bulgarian Split Squat: 330 lbs
10-Yard Sprint: 1.28 sec
20-Yard Sprint: 2.46 sec
Sprint (1st to 2nd base): Under 3.2 sec consistently
Box Jump: 50 inches
Vertical Jump: 36 inches
Other Key Performance Indicators
Thoracic Spine Mobility: Excellent
Shoulder External Rotation: Over 120 degrees with end-range strength
Total Shoulder Rotation (External + Internal): 180 degrees or more
Grip Strength: ~170 lbs per hand
Final Thoughts
While you don’t need to hit these exact numbers to become a pro, this gives you a solid benchmark to aim for. If you’re serious about reaching the next level, your training must be intentional and well-structured. The best athletes don’t just work hard”they work smart.
Rick Kompf
Kompf Training Systems
BS, CSCS, CPPS, PN1
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