Weight Training for Baseball Players

So, you hit the gym hard, stuck with your drills, and did everything a good off-season ball player should do. Now that your games are just around the corner (or maybe they’ve already started), you can sit back, let the weight room collect dust, and kill time just looking forward to the next opening pitch. Right? Wrong.

You may have gotten yourself in peak condition during the off-season, but lifting during the season is just as important. Playing baseball at practice and in the games simply does not provide enough continuous, high intensity exercise to keep you in prime shape. If you want maximum performance, and you want to prevent injuries, in-season lifting is a must. After all, you can’t play ball from the dugout (or, God forbid, the doctor’s office); so sit back, get comfortable, and discover what you need to do during the season to play your best, and stay off the DL!

TIP #1: Work the Muscles Most Often Used
You lifted weights in the off-season to beef-up, gain power, and increase endurance. Now that the season is here, it’s time to focus your training-that means saving time and energy by working the muscles you’ll need in the games. Think about it. If you were getting ready for an algebra test, you wouldn’t crack open the history book and start studying, would you?

Exercises that will completely work the muscles every ball player uses constantly are: leg presses, pullovers, calf raises, tricep extensions, reverse wrist curls, and ab crunches (see the accompanying pictures for how to perform each exercise). Do these one after another with thirty-seconds rest between each set. Then, repeat the circuit once more. Remember, keeping the rest short is important if you want to keep your endurance high.

TIP #2: Use Training to Prevent Injury
The two most common injuries during the baseball season are pulled hamstrings and rotator cuff problems. Pulled hamstrings heal, but they hurt… and they’ll keep you out of games. Rotator cuff injuries are worse. Many times, they’ll end a player’s career-especially pitchers. So, be smart, and build a muscular, protective fort around your body with these exercises to keep you healthy and playing.
— Reverse Lunges. This movement-lunging backwards instead of forwards-not only focuses on your hamstrings while still working your thighs, but also stretches them at the same time. That way, your muscles will be free to move quickly, powerfully, and safely come game time.
— Cable Cuff Rotations. Absolutely a must for every position. Many times, players think that rotator cuff injuries only happen to pitchers. This just isn’t true. Fact is, the pitcher may use his arm more, but the rest of you often have to throw farther distances. A weak shoulder is a sure way to injury on that gutsy throw over the cut-off man.

TIP #3: The Rule of 2’s
Sure, it’s a bad idea to neglect your training during the season-but it’s just as bad to over-train. The off-season was the time to lift heavy and hard, but now it’s time to fine-tune your muscles. The rule of 2’s will help you train at just the right intensity to maximize your performance.
— 2 Sets. During the season, perform only 2 sets of each exercise. This will be enough to maintain the gains you achieved in the off-season, and it won’t drain your energy.
— 2 Days. Lift weights only twice a week in-season. Any more than this will promote growth of your muscles, and growth will restrict your speed and mobility.

TIP #4: Keep Your Workouts Short
Thirty minutes is plenty of time to complete the circuit described in tip #1. Thirty minutes is also more than enough to keep your endurance high, your strength steady, and your speed at its best. Working out too long can break down your muscles, and it takes rest time that you don’t have to build them back.

TIP #5: Keep Your Weight Light
For each exercise, lift no more than 30% of your off-season load. That means, if you were leg pressing 250-pounds in the off-season, perform slow reps with about 75-pounds during the season.

I know, it sounds like too little weight. Trust me, when it comes time to count on your legs for that steal to third base, you’ll be glad you didn’t over-work them!

If you incorporate these guidelines into an in-season workout, you’re guaranteed to play your best and stay healthy. Also, keep in mind that weight training is not a time for goofing around. You can get hurt just as easily in the gym as on the field. So be smart: warm-up before, and cool down after your workouts; train with a friend so you can spot each other; keep your movements slow and smooth; and, make sure an adult is nearby just in case. Then, when it’s game time, you can rest assured that you’ll out-run, out-swing, and out-throw all those others who thought lifting was for the off-season only. Good luck, and see you on the field!