In the second part of this Baseball Training FAQ post, we want to look at some of the common questions and issues that arise as baseball players move from the 12-13 year age group into the high school and collegiate years.
It is in these years that a solid weight training program can begin and more specialized training methods like speed and agility training can be incorporated. Although the training methods become more specialized, the athlete can still compete in multiple sports and resist the temptation to become a victim of sports specialization.
A weight training program that aims to generally strengthen the major muscle groups and targets the posterior muscle chain can begin at this stage.
The four most important areas to develop are:
- the posterior muscle chain
- the shoulder scapulae retractors
- the external rotators of the humerus
- the hip and knee extensors
Exercises such as squats, lunges, rows, chin-ups, pull-ups, push-ups and glute-ham raises are effective for baseball players.
After the athlete acquires a foundation in the basic exercise movements, we have always favored the “Big Three Lifts” – The Bench Press, The Squat and the Deadlift and their derivatives and the “Quick Three Lifts” – The Clean – The Snatch and The Jerk as our fundamental strength and power exercises.
If you employ these lifts within an intelligent periodization plan and practice sound nutritional habits, the sky is the limit. You will reach your full potential as a ballplayer.
Medicine ball exercises that mimic the same movements employed in the gym and on the baseball field. Caber tosses, granny throws, forward overhead (soccer throw-in) passes, basketball chest passes and similar movements help transfer the general strength built via weight training into power. (Strength + Speed = Power)
Kettlebell exercises that are similar to the exercise performed in the weight training area are effective for building explosive strength (i.e. POWER)
Clubbell exercises can be developed to mimic both the bat swing and the throwing motion and develop strength, speed and power throughout the relevant range of motion.
Exercises that build grip strength can be added using old-school tools such as the sand bucket exercises to newer technologies like the weighted agility gloves.
Your training goals and focus should be built around building power rather than absolute strength. Generally speaking, you want to perform exercises that build bat speed and throwing velocity.
In these areas, relative strength is more important than absolute strength. The athlete that can perform more weighted chin-ups relative to body weight has more valuable relative strength than his peers.
The athlete with a higher relative strength in the bench press than absolute strength will correlate better to higher bat speed.
Higher grip strength measures correlate well to improved bat speed as well.
So the measures we are looking to improve are:
- Wtd Chin-Up Strength to BW
- Bench Press to BW
- Grip Strength
Exercises that strengthen the lats and subscapularis will improve speed of movement for the throwing motion.
Exercises that increase the strength of the lats, triceps, knee extensors and hip extensors lead to improved bat speed.
Core exercises that focus on rotational strength are not effective for building speed in the throwing motion or the bat swing.
Recent data suggests that the recent trend to focus on core strength building is actually leading to an increase in oblique muscle strains.
Core strength does not correlate well to bat speed increases because the trunk rotators are not well known to have high potential for increase in strength relative to other muscle groups.
It would be more effective to focus on rotational range of motion than rotational strength in your training. This transfers more effectively to improved bat and ball speed.
Strength + Speed to develop Power.
Relative Strength over Absolute Strength.
Rotational Range of Motion over Rotational Strength.
Some of the following tests can be used to evaluate strengths and weaknesses prior to beginning a training program and as the program continues to assess the overall effectiveness of the program.
Overhead Squat Test:
It is the best test to evaluate the muscular chains and assess for weaknesses.
To assess the length – tension discrepancies of the various muscle groups, the Overhead Squat with a snatch grip can be used.
Backward Overhead Medicine Ball Throw
To test for explosive power and overall athletic ability, this test is probably the best. It displays the ability to generate power and incorporates high neuro-muscular activation, coordination and proprioception, and general ability to move across multiple planes.
The test is an integrated, total body movement that displays key movement patterns that are relevant to the ability to generate power from the lower body, through the trunk and to the upper body.
There is not probably nothing more important to success in most sports that having this ability. It’s the essence of athleticism.
Caber Toss Test
To perform this test, you need three different weighted bats and baseballs. For hitters, we use their game bat and bats weighted +/- about 20% of the game bat weight. For baseballs, we use the game weight baseball of 5 ¼ oz. and weighted baseballs of +/- 20%.
We have adapted this test for throwing and bat speed using weighted balls and bats to assess the player’s ability. You measure ball velocity and bat speed achieved using the various weights.
If the athlete is like most, a 50/50 mix of fast / slow twitch muscle fibers, the difference between the values obtained when testing will be about the same as you move up and down the weight scale. On a graph, the slope is relative smooth.
If the values increase as the weight gets lighter, this indicates a higher level of fast-twitch muscle fiber.
If the values decrease as the weight gets lighter, this indicates a higher level of slow-twitch muscle fiber. They cannot generate speed over the same line of force regardless of the weight employed.
Superior athletes have higher levels of fast-twitch muscles and can generate higher force against lighter loads.
The higher the differential (greater slope on the graph) at the lighter end of the weight scale, the greater potential to generate speed.
In addition to motivation, these graphs can also be compared to other throwers. Some may have a steeper trend than others. A thrower with a steep line is relatively stronger in the lighter implements. This person is probably relatively weaker, but able to accelerate faster. The thrower with the flatter curve may have better countering positions, or may be stronger. Comparing curves may give throwers more insight as to their strengths and weaknesses.
This defines the athlete with the greater potential for success.
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