| Baseball is a great sport. After all it is the great | | | | Another reason that sport specific training is |
| American past time. From little league to the big | | | | important for all athletes is that it trains the body |
| leagues people love to be a part of it. In addition | | | | as a whole, which is how it is used during a |
| to the serious baseball athlete, many people enjoy | | | | baseball game. In other words no time or energy |
| baseball as a recreational sport. No matter where | | | | is wasted doing bicep curls or shoulder presses, |
| your interest in baseball lies, I'm here to tell you | | | | instead the entire body is challenged in creative |
| that you can see great improvements in your | | | | and effective ways that specifically work to |
| game with sports specific exercises. | | | | improve the skills needed for baseball. |
| Baseball, like all sports, requires unique strengths. | | | | The importance of core strength, which is vitally |
| Each position puts a specific demand on the body. | | | | important for stability and strength, can not be |
| To properly train your body you need to prepare | | | | underestimated. The core is the body's |
| it for those demands. That is the concept behind | | | | powerhouse and the source of all of its |
| sports specific training. This type of training | | | | movement. A strong core equals a strong athlete, |
| mimics the planes of motion and position an | | | | it's that simple. Whether you realize it or not, your |
| athlete encounters and then adds resistance and | | | | core is involved with all athletic movement, |
| balance challenges. Sport specific training enhance | | | | providing you with power, balance and stability. |
| baseball specific strength needed for hitting, and | | | | The strength, or weakness, of your core will |
| core strength and flexibility needed for grounding | | | | dictate how easy or difficult it is for you to play |
| and pitching. | | | | your position on the field. |
| Much baseball coaching and training is spent on | | | | When you are moving through your baseball |
| game skills and drills. This is incomplete. It doesn't | | | | game you are using your body in its most |
| matter that you know what to do if you are not | | | | functional state, in other words, as a whole. You |
| fast enough or agile enough or have enough | | | | are using your lower body and your upper body |
| power to do it. Generic workouts do nothing to | | | | together; you're throwing, twisting, hitting, running |
| help you on the baseball field. Think about the | | | | and sliding. The list goes on and on. Your core is |
| bench press for instance, an exercise that many | | | | the basis for all of this movement and once again |
| baseball players perform. A bench press is | | | | the strength or weakness of that core will dictate |
| designed to build strength and size in the chest. | | | | the ease in which you move on the field. Baseball |
| It's great to have a strong chest but think about | | | | players often find themselves in an unstable |
| the game of baseball and game situations that are | | | | environment, like landing on one foot or throwing |
| faced. Where would a chest press help? It would | | | | from an awkward position. You need balance, |
| not. You want to perform exercises that train | | | | your balance comes from your core; a strong |
| you to hit with more power, throw with more | | | | core equals good balance. |
| power, run with more explosive speed off the | | | | Here is a perfect example: Think of the shortstop |
| plate and most of all build the core strength that | | | | diving for a grounder and then springing up to |
| is required for every move on the field. These | | | | throw it to first, all while twisting and virtually in |
| are just some of the skills that are developed | | | | mid air. Can a situation be less stable? The power |
| through my baseball specific workouts. | | | | to make that play must come from the core! |