| -- End Ad Box ---> | | | | training to yield total muscular development! |
| Baseball is known as perhaps one of the most | | | | This way of exercising will give hitters explosive |
| inactive sports there is-by this I mean you | | | | power in their arms, the neuromuscular strength |
| don’t really have to be a top athlete to | | | | that his exercise builds will cause the hitter to |
| actually be the best at the game! Compared to | | | | have faster reaction times and allow them to hit |
| other games there is far lese activity and running! | | | | that ball clear out of the park- which is helpful in |
| However strength is crucial in this game! | | | | winning games |
| When you are strong, you can hit harder, you can | | | | Plus baseball players could benefit from swinging |
| be quicker at base-running and you will have | | | | the bat as a drill! Swing drills combine Nero |
| stronger throws- all of which are the needed to | | | | muscular training and strength training which will |
| win the game. | | | | make the arms faster, stronger and leaner |
| And isn’t that what all baseball players | | | | Also needed for baseball is a strong lower |
| want to have the ability to hit home runs with | | | | body-.some baseball players prefer to perform |
| ease? And make flying passes at the bases | | | | plyometrics exercises in order to gain speed and |
| beating the throwers to the plate? | | | | power for more explosive runs. |
| Now you can say that some players are gifted | | | | One popular baseball plyometrics exercise is |
| and can hit home runns without much training. But | | | | bounding which is excellent for increasing speed |
| for most players , strength training is crucial if | | | | and explosiveness. |
| they want to excel at the game! | | | | To make plyometrics exercises more effective, |
| Fact is, you can be as strong and just as good as | | | | you need to perform squats — which is an |
| the most talented players through a solid weight | | | | universal exercise for working out the entire |
| training program no matter how skillful you are | | | | lower body |
| right now, your speed, muscle endurance and | | | | Squats should be used by all baseball players to |
| power can all be improved!. | | | | increase muscle strength and explosiveness. Other |
| It is undeniable what a good weight program can | | | | good lower body workouts include: squats, lunges |
| do to improve your game. | | | | .leg raises, hamstring curls and calf raises. |
| Evidence of this can be seen on T.V. you will find | | | | There is another effective way to increase |
| some baseball players aren’t as fast as | | | | batting strength and speed and that is using a |
| they may be fit and they always get taken out | | | | heavy bat to hit the ball! |
| at the plate by a faster player | | | | A heavy bat is a baseball that is weighted and is |
| Baseball primarily involves explosive movements | | | | used by hitters to swing at balls. This exercise drill |
| with little endurance movements involved in it | | | | stimulates the exact muscles used during a swing, |
| For example -a slugger hits the ball then explodes | | | | so It is most efficient exercise you can perform |
| to the plate then waits there until the next | | | | for increasing hitting power and speed. Caution |
| slugger finally hits another strike-which could send | | | | should however be used when using a heavy bar |
| him to wait at the next base. | | | | because there is a risk of injury of flinging heavy |
| As you can see there is very little endurance | | | | weights. |
| required in baseball and there is more than enough | | | | Now we move onto strength training for pitchers! |
| time to catch your breathe at each play , plus | | | | The weight training program here differs slightly; it |
| you also get to rest after you pass home base. | | | | becomes more specific because pitchers need |
| So all baseball players should focus on explosive | | | | arms that are powerful as well as enduring |
| training workouts for both their upper and lower | | | | They also need the endurance to last the whole |
| bodies. | | | | baseball game |
| The main focus however should be on upper | | | | They should also use a variety of exercises to |
| body strength development! | | | | develop the whole body! |
| However the best workout that any baseball | | | | All workouts should be compromised of strength |
| player can perform is neuromuscular training, | | | | training, plyometrics and endurance training. |
| neuromuscular training is important for one | | | | Here is an example of what a pitcher weight |
| reason, it improves neuromuscular efficiency | | | | workout would look like: |
| —which is the rate at which your brain | | | | Bench press |
| sends signals to your muscles (hands and arms- | | | | Flies |
| which is crucial for hitters). | | | | Should presses |
| Neuromuscular strength is what allows encourages | | | | Dumbbell front raise |
| faster swings and better hits. | | | | Upright rows |
| However when it comes to pitching it’s a | | | | Dumbbell flies |
| different story because a pitcher also has to be in | | | | Bicep curl |
| good overall shape because pitching a baseball | | | | Preacher curl |
| requires the work of the whole body: legs, abs, | | | | Triceps extensions |
| arms and chest | | | | Front face extensions |
| And its focus should be on explosive strength | | | | Squats |
| training, endurance is also crucial. I refer to | | | | Leg raises |
| endurance of the arms -pitchers need endurance | | | | Hamstring curls |
| in the arms because they have to pitch the ball | | | | Calf raises |
| repeatedly throughout the whole game. | | | | As a general rule, perform 3-4 sets each and |
| All baseball players however can benefit from a | | | | train explosively with repetitions in the 4-8 rep |
| good weight training program. Strength training will | | | | range! |
| give every baseball player-Better performance, | | | | More specifically: Pitchers will need to use 3 to 4 |
| injury avoidance/career longevity, improved | | | | reps for power and mix it up with 10 to 16 reps |
| recovery rate, improve pitching speed, sustaining | | | | for endurance. |
| increasing muscle strength and balance, and | | | | Hitters might also perform 3 full sets of power |
| improved upper body strength | | | | repetitions! By that I mean, they should use 3 to |
| You can’t argue with these results. Fact is, | | | | 4 reps to build neuromuscular strength and |
| a stronger baseball player will always out perform | | | | power, which they will need for both throwing the |
| an average baseball player — if we assume | | | | ball and lasting throughout the whole game. |
| they have the same skills! | | | | When it comes to medicine ball workouts, it |
| Now as for a Hitter | | | | should consist of |
| A hitter needs to have strong arms for better | | | | Medicine ball chest passes |
| bat swings etc .the main muscle for both a hitter | | | | Over head passes |
| and pitcher are the shoulder muscles. So emphasis | | | | Medicine ball crunches |
| should be placed on both the shoulders and arms! | | | | This medicine ball workout increase power and |
| The muscles of the shoulders are the main | | | | neuromuscular efficiency |
| muscle for pitching and swinging. | | | | Which also helps to improve the range of motion |
| And exercises that are good for hitting and | | | | and power of the body- because they will be |
| pitching are: Internal/external rotation at 90 | | | | performing explosive movements in a wide range |
| degrees bent-over raises medial rotation | | | | of motion, which will develop power and increase |
| raises Dumbbell shrugs and Lateral raises | | | | the range of motion in the pitchers body. |
| Hitters also need to have good neuromuscular | | | | For example, the medicine ball chest passes will |
| connection it’s a must in almost all sports | | | | increase explosive power in the arms and chest, |
| but more so in baseball | | | | which will help with the power of the pitchers |
| Hitter’s should perform their workouts with | | | | pitch. |
| a repetition range of 3 to 4 to encourage | | | | Plyometrics baseball exercises would consist of |
| neuromuscular strength development! This should | | | | the following: |
| be followed by a set of 6 to 8 repetitions on the | | | | Bounding jumps |
| next set to encourage maximum strength | | | | Squat jumps |
| development. | | | | Lunge jumps |
| And then finally a third set of 3 to 4 reps to | | | | Box jumps |
| encourage explosive strength development. | | | | These exercises will develop the explosive power |
| So all baseball players other than hitters need to | | | | needed in the legs for explosive movements such |
| follow the same method of training, using 4 sets | | | | as sprinting to the plates, which is crucial when it |
| that combine neuromuscular training with strength | | | | comes to winning games! |