Step up your game this baseball season by performing the best exercises to bring out the very best baseball player in you!
Baseball is a full body sport. And so, the best exercises for a player must address all the muscles and not just a select few. For when one is attuned to prioritizing only a number of muscles, some significant imbalances might ultimately lead to an injury. Just think about a young player not getting a proper catchers mitt and youd know just how crucial these exercises are.
Today, weve collected only the best exercises that are needed to maximize your potential as a baseball player. Whether youre looking to improve your power and mobility, strengthen your shoulders, or train the entire body, we’ve got it all covered for you.
Without dilly-dallying, here now are the best exercises for baseball players:
Note that these exercises are chosen by baseball experts to meet the needs of this ball game.
1.) Rotational Cable Row
For baseball players who need to improve on their power and hip rotation, the Rotational Cable Row is a great exercise to address these needs. This is also advised for those who want to level up their throwing and batting.
Make sure feet are slightly more apart than the shoulders. Next, reach right across your body before grabbing the cable.
How To:
- With a cable machine to your right, stand with both your feet slightly wider than that of your shoulder-width.
- Reach right across your body using your left hand. Next, turn your hips and shoulders toward the cable machine. Hold the handle set in the low position.
- Rotate your hips to the left in an aggressive manner then bring the handle across your body right above and outside of your left shoulder.
- Return to start position.
- Repeat on your advised reps.
- Perform it on the opposite side.
2.) Alternating Lateral Lunge With Overhead Reach
If you happen to come with issues on balance, this specific exercise should accommodate such need. The Alternating Lateral Lunge With Overhead Reach is essentially the exercise that corrects your balance and works on your mobility.
Work on this exercise if you’re a pitcher or a field player.
How To:
- Stand in an upright position. Ensure that both your feet and arms are at your sides.
- Step laterally then sit back into your hip as you extend your opposite leg.
- Once at the bottom of the lateral lunge, keep your arms straight and raise them into shoulder flexion.
- After reaching overhead, lower your arms and push back to your starting position.
- Repeat for the specified number of reps on both sides.
3.) Prone Planks
Planks are a great exercise for all baseball players. They focus on your stability right to your core while improving your balancing and beefing up your body strength.
How To:
When performing the prone plank, ensure that you have these on your checklist:
- Your chin must be tucked and neck should be in good alignment with the rest of your body. Eyes should also be gazing right in between your hands.
- Forearms should be parallel to each other while your elbows are directly under your shoulders. Hands should also be placed on shoulder width-apart.
- The shoulder girdle should be neutral.
- Abdomen should be drawn in. Also, your pelvis should be neutral and is adjacent with your head and shoulders.
- Your hips, knees, and feet should be aligned ? with hip width-apart. Ensure that your legs are straight.
- Toes must be tucked, too.
For Advanced Exercisers: Do planks with feet in foot cradle of The Human Trainer suspension gym
4.) Standing Cable Baseball Swing
For players who want to improve on their trunk rotation, stability on their abs, alongside the core strength with resistance training, the Standing Cable Baseball Swing is a tried and tested regimen.
This exercise also levels up the power behind the bat while protecting the players back and shoulders.
The only detail that needs to be present while doing this exercise is the rotation from the hips, as opposed to stiffening it in the hips.
How To:
- Set the cable machine high and hold the handle with both of your hands, standing sideways to the cable.
- Next, move your hands from the high position, across the body, right to the opposite hip, keeping your arms straight while rotating the body.
Do it at Home:
A great alternative to a cable machine a Suspension Rotational Pulley, the pulley can be attached to a kettlebell or another external resistance object on one end with a handle on the other to replicate rotational and sport-related movements.
5.) Medicine Ball Overhead Stomp
Developed for pitchers and players who may lack extra power when delivering a ball to a base, the Medicine Ball Overhead Stomp is one of the most reliable exercises to have come upon to cater to this very need. This is due largely to its capability to mimic the power that is necessary to rev up ground power.
You may watch this video to see how to perform this exercise.
6.) Glute Bridge
If your swing isn’t exactly at its strongest and at its most stable, the Glute Bridge should bring about that much-needed power and stability that are both required to produce power and the right amount of weight.
Heres how to perform the glute bridge.
7.) Standing Trunk Rotation
One of the most important goals for baseball players is rotation. This one occurs when pitching, batting, or throwing. When this movement is impeded, this causes unnecessary back pain which often leads to shoulder injuries.
Also one of the most flexible exercises out there for baseball players, the Standing Trunk Rotation can be performed with a bar, barbell, medicine ball, or even a resistance band.
Resistance bands are a quick and effective tool as they can be set-up nearly anywhere and come in many different tensions for beginners to advanced athletes. Simply by attaching the band to a door anchor, versatility anchor or just looping the band around a sturdy and soft-edged beam, you can replicate movements including the Torso Twist, Wood Chop that relate to a baseball swing, hockey slap shot and other racquet sports including tennis and squash. These exercises help to build greater trunk and core strength, power and rotation.
Heres how to do it right.
8.) Medicine Ball Side Throw
Alongside the Standing Trunk Rotation, the Medicine Ball Side Throw is also a great exercise which focuses on rotational power. Also, this exercise eases pressure thats usually found on the lower extremities right on the field. When done properly, form and stability are also achieved.
The medicine ball side throw can be performed in this way.
9.) Front-To-Back Lunge
Another exercise that’s specifically developed to benefit your lower extremities is the front-to-back lunge. Essentially, it elevates the stability and flexibility of your lower extremities all at the same time.
Before you delve into this exercise though, ensure that your core muscles, glutes, and thigh muscles are already activated.
How To:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Next, take a step forward and then slowly bend both of your knees right until your back knee is just above the floor.
- Stand back up then take a step back with the same leg. Bend both knees until your back knee is just above the floor.
- Repeat this regimen for the entire duration of the set.
- Switch legs.
10.) Hops
Hops, whether they’re lateral or the mini ones, come with numerous benefits. Famed for its simplicity. Some of benefits when hopping include directional movement improvement and side-to-side transferal perks. Ultimately, they also make your feet noticeably lighter.
Other benefits are hip improvement, knee flexion, agility, and coordination.
If you’re a fielder or an infielder who is in need to improve on these, this one’s for you.
Concluding Thoughts
For a baseball game to be thoroughly enjoyed and be successful at it, one must be focused on balance, power, agility, rotational power, and stability. And just like with any other exercises, the ones that are developed to cater to baseball needs must be done properly, alongside the mastery of any player about the game’s mechanics. If these are achieved side-by-side, your success on the field is more than doubled!
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