To get you into fighting shape, we've designed a regimen that will build a baseline of leg strength and performance for most summer activities, from running the diamond to hoofing it up to that secret alpine lake for a day of fly-fishing. You want explosiveness, like in a cannon. The better you pack and prime the charge, the more firepower you have. Aside from making you look like the all-powerful supreme being that you really are, this conditioning will also toughen up ligaments and tendons. Without training, those easily overlooked connectors could make themselves known, rather painfully, on your first ferocious leap at the ball.
Connective tissue is much more vulnerable to injury than muscle.
But decreasing the risk of injuries in general is the best reason for a conditioning program. That, and being in prime shape to mount a sneak attack on the competition come July. Your program consists of three four-week phases, with the final week of each serving as a recovery from the weight room. Throughout the program, you'll only be doing a handful of leg and torso drills. In phase two you'll add more weight and reduce the number of reps, strengthening the muscles as much as possible.