Baseball, like most sports, requires players to possess a good amount of strength, endurance, hand-eye coordination and balance to perform many of the game’s tasks. Each of the body’s major muscle groups, which include the lower and upper body and core muscles, are used to play baseball, making a full-body workout routine an effective way to prepare for the demands of the game.
Upper-Body Muscles
The upper-body muscles come into play while playing baseball in several maneuvers, including batting and throwing. Strengthen and tone these muscles, which include the pectoral, bicep and lat muscles, using a variety of weight room lifts, including bench presses, lat pull-downs and curls. Having access to weights is not mandatory; you can target the muscles by doing push-ups, dips and pull-ups. As with any weight-resistance workout, do not perform the exercises on consecutive days. Allow for at least one day of rest so that the muscles have time to repair themselves, which, in the long run, leads to increased muscle mass and endurance.
Core Muscles
Your hips, lower back and abdominal muscles make up the core muscle group and are vital to maintaining balance and enabling you to twist and turn, each a common element of baseball. Target these muscles with an assortment of exercises, such as sit-ups, abdominal crunches and dumbbell side bends, at least three times a week. Stretching these muscles is of the utmost importance and can be done using one of many types of stretches, including the standing lateral stretch, toe touches and scissor kicks.
Lower-Body Muscles
Working the lower-body muscles is accomplished by performing exercises such as running, weightlifting and stretching. Long- and short-distance running should be a part of your full-body workout routine at least three days per week to strengthen the leg muscles while increasing muscular endurance. Stretching these muscles should be a regular component of your running regimen and can be done prior to and immediately following the running exercise. Several weight room activities, such as squats and dead lifts, also can help you develop these muscles, which play a central role on the ball diamond.
Considerations
Devising a full-body workout routine for baseball should take the every-other-day aspect of weight training into consideration. A schedule of full-body weight training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and running routines on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday is an effective way to help develop various fitness-related aspects of your off- or in-season workouts. This schedule allows for the proper resting of muscles for optimal strengthening and toning results. Jumping rope, court games and swimming also are good activities to work into your routine. These activities improve hand-eye coordination, stamina and agility, each of which can help improve your game between the lines.
References
- BodyBuilding.com: Exercise Guides -- Abdominal Exercises
- BodyBuilding.com: Exercise Guides -- Chest Exercises
- BodyBuilding.com: Exercise Guides -- Quadricep Exercises
- MayoClinic.com; Slide Show: Exercises to Improve Your Core Strength -- Abdominal Crunch; Mayo Clinic Staff
- The Jump Rope Institute: Benefits of Rope Jumping
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