Think the way you train your players ensures the best results? What if we told you athletes use only a small percentage of their potential musculature range? The truth remains that the market for sport specific training is booming, meaning you get to add to your repertoire of how you train your champs-in-the-making.
We might not be able to give you everything that's available right now in this single blog post, but what we can do is suggest some great ways the pros are maximizing their bodies' capabilities through specific athletic training.
Not too long ago in the 80's, MLB player personnel directors were telling their players not to do so much weight training, fearing that it would “tighten them up.” How far the industry has come! Now, weight training is a must for any serious baseball prospect.
Although strength training in baseball has swung the pendulum so far the other way {steroids, over buildup, and PEDs}, the science of nutrition and training constantly improves.
Athletic Training customized to enhances baseball strengths might just be the difference you can make in order to take your players to the next level of performance.
Professional players understand the value of putting their body in the best physical condition possible.
There are some very expensive resources and businesses out that train professional and amateur players, but we'd like to include some very practical and affordable ways to sharpen your players at any level.
3 Practices That Advance Players Past the Competition
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Plyometrics: focus on explosive strength
During an actual game, there is much less emphasis on endurance than there is on explosive speed and very individual and articulate skill sets, such as pitching strikes, swinging bats and defending the bases to keep an opponent from advancing towards home. (source: FitnessBlender)
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Core strength: focus on rotational strength
Core exercises for baseball players need to help transfer force from the legs and arms to the bat or ball. Without a well-conditioned core, baseball players will never generate the power needed to throw or swing at high speeds. Worse, a weak core won't properly decelerate the muscles that swing and throw, increasing the chance of common injuries like oblique strains and lumbar stress fractures. (source: Stack)
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Core Resistance Exercises for Hitting and Throwing Power
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Physical weight training: a method to powerful muscles
"Minor league seasoning" refers to the time it takes to become a major leaguer, but what if the reps, strength, and agility needed to compete against baseball's strongest happened at a more focused rate? Young players are on the come up, and they're not waiting to train hard to get to the top.
Some might say ridiculous talent elevates young players like Bryce Harper, rapidly bypassing years in the minors, but his abilities go far beyond natural talent. His abilities speak of some seriously intentional physical training.
If you’re not paying attention to the latest techniques of cardio, weight, and speed agility training, the chances of your players competing well against those who are is...slim. Coaches can't afford to ignore the latest developments in training.
Warning: advise parents and coaches to follow established organizations like MLB's Pitch Smart, American Baseball Coaches Association, WebMD New Youth Baseball Safety Recommendations and the National Federation of State High School Associations on following training methods that are safely advancing the sport.
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