Crucial Lifts and Exercises for a Baseball or Softball Workout
January 9, 2019 Steve Boothe
With the New Year right around the corner gyms across the country will soon be flooded with resolutioners looking to begin a new year, new you regimen. It’s also the perfect time of year to find the extra motivation that some baseball/softball athletes need to get into the gym in preparation for the coming season. Like any sport, softball and baseball not only require that you hone your skills but that you strengthen your body if you want to reach peak success. While building up your entire body is always a worthwhile endeavor your focus, if you’re looking to improve your game, should certainly focus on some areas more than other. Also, for anyone just beginning their journey this offseason it can seem a little overwhelming when trying to figure out where to start. To help you out here are a few exercises that are crucial for baseball and softball players’ workout routines.
Both back squats and front squats should be at the core of your preseason training program. Increased running speed, improved balance, more power at the plate, and more are benefits of religiously hitting the squat rack in the offseason. Simply put, almost all your power in baseball and softball come from your legs and squatting is the most complete leg exercise there is.
Lateral Medicine Ball Wall Throws
Hip speed is a crucial aspect of success at the plate, as it heavily dictates how quickly you can get the bat through the zone. Not to mention core strength is second in baseball and softball only to leg strength. Throwing a medicine ball against a wall while keeping your hips and feet stationary will build your abdominal muscles and throwing it while mimicking your swing with your lower body will work wonders for your hips.
Deadlift will strengthen your hamstrings much more effectively that squatting does, therefore both exercises belong in any good workout routine. Also, your lower back is just as integral to core strength as your abs. Deadlift, if done properly, will improve your lower back strength better than nearly any other exercise.
The dynamic movements involved in lunges make them particularly adept at working your stabilizer muscles. Good balance is a key attribute to success on the diamond, especially in the batter’s box. Not to mention, if done at the right tempo lunges can double as some light cardio.
Your forearms are responsible for a lot in baseball and softball, most notably for adding the last bit of power in your swinging motion. Farmer’s carry is certainly one of the best forearm exercises around because of how effectively it improves your grip.
As is apparent from this post your upper body really takes a back seat in when it comes to being a powerful baseball or softball player. Nevertheless, some of the most common injuries for diamond sport players are in the shoulder. Low weight, high, deliberate reps with the shoulders will help build up the muscle and mitigate injury risk.
Stretching and Cardio Regimen
Finally, one of the most important aspects of a good baseball or softball workout routine is daily stretching and cardio. Stretching reduces the risk of injury and is necessary to ensure you benefit from your lifting efforts rather than become bogged down by your added mass. Same goes for the cardio, being bigger and stronger can negatively affect your endurance if you aren’t diligent in building your cardiovascular health alongside your physique.
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