Strength training can have a positive effect on your ability to play baseball well and win. From the core and upper back strength required to knock one out of the park, to the hip and leg strength needed to sprint between bases or chase down a fly ball, strength training is a key factor in baseball success.
Barbell Squat
The barbell squat, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine's manual for fitness professionals, "Essentials of Personal Fitness Training," is the basic exercise every athlete needs. The squat focuses on the hips, thighs and lower back. It also strengthens the rest of the body through dynamic stabilization of the barbell throughout the exercise. The squat benefits the baseball player in two ways: by strengthening the hips and lower back, which helps him hit the ball harder, and by strengthening the muscles used for running, thereby improving his performance on the base paths and in the field.
Power Clean
The power clean is a dynamic exercise used to train power athletes in numerous sports. It strengthens the muscles of the entire posterior chain, including the legs, lower and upper back and hips. As strength coach Mark Rippetoe explains in "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training," the power clean helps athletes move faster, using the strength they develop with other exercises. Baseball players need posterior strength for fielding and batting. The power clean should be included in every baseball player's strength training program.
Russian Twist Crunch
The so-called Russian Twist is a crunching movement with a twist in the top, contracted position. This serves the purpose of not only strengthening the abdominus rectus, or "six-pack" muscles, but also the oblique muscles. These are the same muscles used for twisting the torso when swinging a baseball bat, or twisting to catch a hit ball. The Russian Twist Crunch should form the foundation of a baseball player's abdominal strength training.
References
- "Essentials of Personal FItness Training;" National Academy of Sports Medicine; 2007
- "Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, 2d Ed;" Mark Rippetoe; 2007
- "Complete Conditioning For Baseball;" Steve Tamborra; 2007
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