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It was a crisp weekday
morning, a light fog hugged the ground and settle over the track next to the
gym. Twenty baseball players trudged
slowly through the fog into the gym for their offseason strength training. The peaceful scene quickly
changed inside and music filled the weight room. A few early morning athletes
were in the midst of their conditioning, however, the room was quickly full of baseball
players occupying every weight bench, tricep machine, and curl bar.
I’m not certain what it was
about baseball players, egos, and lifting big weights to create big muscles (chest and bicep
especially) that are essentially useless in the quick twitch sport of
baseball. What we ignored in our
collegiate training was the fact that strength and focused muscle group work was more
essential to preventing injury than the
250lb bench press many of us were working on!
The bottom line guys is this:
strength training has changed! Therefore, if you’re at the age
where you are beginning to shape your muscles for athletic improvement, here are some
suggestions as you work.
Buy a medicine ball - one of
the training pieces of equipment out there. A medicine ball
will allow you
to strengthen your mid-section, which is highly valuable for generating energy as a pitcher
and hitter.
Buy a good jump rope - Find
yourself a rope routine you can do a couple times per week. This will build leg strength and
explosive power in your legs. Combine it with some sprints
afterwards and you’ll be on your way to achieving Ichiro-like
speed!
Use body weight
exercises. Lunges, chin-ups,
and push-ups are great for
strengthening and are low-risk for injury. If you’re not experienced with
weights, this is a great alternative.
If you are looking for a
great off-season (and in-season for that matter, check out my friend, Barry Lovelace.
His Core Power for
Baseball program kicks
butt.
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