| While the spectators are on the cusp of baseball | | | | are great for late pre-season, and there are a variety |
| watching season, the players have been hard at | | | | of exercises you can do with a medicine ball. The |
| work getting ready for the season. Strength training | | | | medicine ball will help build explosiveness, which leads |
| is extremely important in baseball, because a variety | | | | to more power. |
| of muscle groups are used to play. Each position | | | | In-Season (May-September) |
| requires slightly different motions; for instance, a | | | | In-season is all about maintenance. You've already |
| pitcher uses his arm more than a catcher, who uses | | | | worked hard, developed your explosiveness and |
| his legs for squatting at home plate. Baseball is | | | | power, and now you just want to maintain |
| broken up into four different parts of the year, and | | | | everything that was gained during pre-season. There |
| each includes a slightly different workout focus. | | | | should be no strenuous or intense exercise |
| Early Pre-Season (January-February) | | | | performed, because, again, pushing yourself too hard |
| The early pre-season is used for more general | | | | can lead to injuries. This is also the time to focus on |
| workouts, such as running. These workouts will | | | | balancing out your muscles. Most baseball players only |
| gradually shift into more intense workouts - the key | | | | hit from one side and throw from one side, which |
| here is to not start off too intensely, because that | | | | means that the other side is not getting as much of |
| will add stress and strain to rested muscles, increasing | | | | a workout. Having unevenness among muscles can |
| the chance for injury. You want to get your body | | | | also lead to injury - definitely something to prevent. |
| back in shape after the off-season before you start | | | | Off-Season (October-December) |
| pushing it too hard. You want to start building your | | | | Off-season is the time to take a break from your |
| foundational strength, which basically your overall | | | | workout and let your muscles rest. A 3-4 week |
| strength. The core muscles are most important to a | | | | break is good - too much longer and you risk losing a |
| baseball player; they facilitate movements such as | | | | lot of the muscle that you gained. Towards the end |
| turning, jumping, and twisting. Body weight exercises | | | | of the off-season, you should start focusing on your |
| are great when used in a circuit because they lower | | | | foundational strength, and that will guide you back |
| the risk of injury by depending only on body weight. | | | | into the early pre-season. |
| Late Pre-Season (March-April) | | | | Baseball strength training is all about preventing and |
| Late pre-season is where your workouts should get | | | | avoiding injury by doing a workout that includes a |
| more intense. You should be working on developing | | | | variety of options - weight training, body weight |
| your maximum strength, or basically the amount of | | | | exercises, and medicine ball exercises. Certain |
| strength in one repetition. This is where a lot of | | | | exercises should be avoided; for example, you should |
| baseball players go wrong - they try too hard to | | | | never press with heavy weights, as it adds too much |
| bench press a lot of weight and wind up with an | | | | stress on your shoulders. Rotator cuff injuries can be |
| injury. The goal is to peak with your explosiveness | | | | prevented by using 3-5 pound weights instead of |
| and power during in-season. Medicine ball exercises | | | | larger weights. |