How to train for baseball
Strength training is actually very important in baseball, because a variety of groups of muscles are used to play. Each position requires slightly different movements; for instance, a pitcher utilizes his arm more compared to a catcher, who uses his lower body for squatting at home plate. Baseball training is split up into four different sections of the year, and each incorporates a slightly different exercise emphasis.
Early Pre-Season Baseball Training (January-February)
The early pre-season is used for more general workout routines, like running. These workouts will progressively transfer into more rigorous training – the main element here is to not start off too strenuously, because that will add overuse and strain to rested muscles, increasing the opportunity for injury. You want to get your body back in condition after the off-season before you begin pushing it too hard. You want to start building your foundational strength, which basically your overall strength. The core muscles are most essential to a baseball player; they facilitate movements like turning, jumping, and twisting. Bodyweight training is great when used in a circuit as they lower the risk of injury by depending only on body weight for resistance.
Late Pre-Season Baseball Training (March-April)
Late pre-season is where your workouts should get more intensive. You’ll want to be working on developing your optimal strength, or basically the amount of strength in a single repetition. This is how a lot of baseball players get it wrong – they try too hard to bench press too heavy a weight and find themselves with an injury. The thing is to peak with your explosiveness and strength in the time of in-season. Medicine ball workouts are ideal for late pre-season, and there is a wide range of exercises you can do using a medicine ball. The medicine ball will help build explosiveness, which leads to more power.
In-Season Baseball Training (May-September)
In-season is centered on maintenance. You’ve already worked hard, developed your explosiveness and power, and now you only want to sustain everything that was gained while in pre-season. There shouldn’t be strenuous or rigorous training performed, given that, once again, pushing yourself too hard can lead to injuries. This really is the time to focus on balancing out your muscles. Most baseball players only hit from a single side and throw from one side, consequently , the other side is just not getting as much of a workout. Having unevenness among muscle groups will also cause injury – definitely something to prevent.
Off-Season Baseball Training (October-December)
Off-season is the time to consider some slack away from your workout and let your body rest. A 3-4 week break is good – too much extra time and you chance the loss of a lot of the muscle mass that you gained. Towards the end of the off-season, you should begin centering on your foundational strength, and that will point you back to the early pre-season.
Baseball training for strength is all about preventing and avoiding injuries by doing a workout which includes a variety of options – resistance training, body weight exercises, and medicine ball exercises. A number of exercises should be avoided; in particular, you must never press with heavy weights, as it adds too much stress on your shoulders. Rotator cuff injuries can be prevented by using bodyweight training as an alternative to larger weights
