Baseball training

Baseball is a sport that places a huge variety of demands on your body. The combination of hitting, throwing, and explosive running means that workouts need to be tailored to the sport in order to be effective.

Workouts for baseball need to incorporate the following principles:

• Develop a base of aerobic conditioning in the first stage of training.
• Core strength is essential
• Perform regular sprint drills
• Focus on rotational power and range of motion for both throwing and hitting
• Practice quickness and agility drills
• Develop body awareness through jumping rope, tumbling, etc.
• In the gym, work mostly with free-weights for their more complex patterns of muscle use
• Grip strength and shoulder strength are very important for baseball players - focus on these in your workouts

What this translates to is a workout programme that emphasizes some areas over others. In the gym the focus should be on leg exercises such as squats and lunges that will develop leg power. Core exercises, for power when twisting and flexing are essential, and upper body work that emphasizes strength in the triceps, shoulders, wrists and forearms.

On the field, you can practice speed and throwing work. Good examples would be:

• 30 yard sprints. These mimic base running, and are more effective for baseball players than running endless laps around the field.
  
  
• Throwing with a weighted ball. This strengthens your shoulder and rotator cuff. When you pick up a regular ball it will feel lighter and you will be able to throw it further.
  
  
• Long Throws. By practicing throwing long, your arm will get stronger and be able to reach regular distances easier. Treat this like pitching, and only do it every three days to allow time for recovery.