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Bulletproof Your Shoulders with Crossover Symmetry

Throwing a baseball takes more than just your arm. It requires the coordination of your legs, hips, abdominals, back, and shoulder in order to throw a ball with accuracy and power. However, with all of those forces working together, it is often the shoulder that sees a majority of the stress as a result.

The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the human body. This mobility also leads to it being one of the most unstable joints as well. Instability opens the door to a list of potential injuries whether you are an overhead athlete (i.e. baseball player) or not an athlete at all. Throwing a baseball places a large, repetitive amount of stress on the already unstable shoulder. So, what can you do to make sure you are protecting your arm from injury? In order for you to get a better understanding of the shoulder, let’s take a quick look at its anatomy.

Anatomy and Function

The Joints

The shoulder girdle is made up of the humerus (upper arm), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the clavicle (collar bone.) These three bones form two separate joints: the glenohumeral joint and the acromioclavicular joint.

Though the glenohumeral joint is a ball and socket joint, it is unlike the hip in that the humerus does not sit in a true socket like the femur does in the hip. Instead, the glenoid fossa of the scapula acts as a small cup that the humeral head rests against. Think of a baseball sitting on a batting tee. This particular feature of the shoulder is what allows it to be so mobile in order to move in all of its different directions. In fact, it is so mobile that the head of the humerus can actually move up to one inch out of the glenoid cavity during normal movement — even more when throwing a baseball.

Rotator Cuff

Now, you cannot talk about the shoulder without discussing the rotator cuff. As a baseball player, you have probably heard that term more times than you can count. I bet you’ve heard it so many times, that you begin to drown out your coaches and trainers when they begin to discuss its importance. As a ballplayer, it would do you good to understand exactly what the rotator cuff is and how it functions, especially when it comes to throwing a baseball.

The rotator cuff is a set of 4 muscles that pulls the head of the humerus into the scapula to provide stability to the glenohumeral joint. Not only do they help to stabilize the shoulder joint, but each of those muscles functions in a manner so as to allow you to raise or rotate your arm as well.

The Scapula (shoulder blade)

Glenohumeral mobility can only occur with a stable scapula. And stability and normal range of motion are dependent upon the surrounding musculature. The main stabilizers of the scapula are the levator scapulae, rhomboids, serratus anterior, and trapezius. Along with the rotator cuff, these muscles help to anchor and guide movement of the shoulder blade.

Throwing and Shoulder Injuries

As you can see, the rotator cuff and other scapula stabilizers play a pivotal role in the throwing process. The shoulder’s surrounding tissues are looking to stabilize the shoulder as best as possible when the environment and conditions (i.e. throwing a baseball) call for being unstable in order to perform the task. But instability can result in injury. It’s a delicate balance.

During a throw, the shoulder moves through four phases:

Cocking Phase (external rotation)
Acceleration Phase (internal rotation)
Deceleration Phase
Follow Through

Internal rotation of the humerus during throwing can reach velocities of 6,100-9,000º/sec and is followed by eccentric deceleration of the posterior rotator cuff.(1) Because shoulder forces, torques, and muscle activity are greatest during the arm cocking and deceleration phase, it is believed that most shoulder injuries occur during these phases.

As you just learned, the rotator cuff helps keep the shoulder stable during these high forces. In fact, the rotator cuff activity has to be so high that it can resist the high shoulder distractive forces that can be between 80-120% of the thrower’s bodyweight during the arm cocking and deceleration phases.(2)

At such high forces, repetitive small microtraumas can occur in the shoulder muscles, capsule, and ligaments resulting in impingement. In addition, a baseball player’s shoulder can become fatigued or strained by throwing too much, throwing incorrectly, or not getting enough rest. Fatigue, strain, or impingement can result in the rotator cuff being unable to perform its job making the entire shoulder more prone to injury.

An overworked rotator cuff is a weak and possibly painful rotator cuff, and therefore is less effective in stabilizing the shoulder. While a ballplayer may not recognize any symptoms initially, over time he can place his shoulder in a cycle of inflammation and weakness which may eventually lead to pain. If you want to be successful and keep yourself healthy, you need to take a proactive approach in the maintenance of your shoulder. The best way to do this is to incorporate a sound strength and conditioning program and pair it with a quality throwing program.

Strengthening the Shoulder

Now that we know a little anatomy about the shoulder and how vulnerable it can be, let’s discuss what you can do to strengthen it. Obviously, a quality strength and conditioning program will be vital to the success of any ballplayer, but what can you specifically do to protect your shoulder from injury or keep it from breaking down throughout the season? For the purposes of this article, let’s keep it simple by discussing the use of resistance tubing as a strengthening tool.

Resistance Tubing

The implementation of resistance tubing exercises has played a huge role in the rehabilitation of injured shoulders as well as the strengthening and longevity of healthy ones.

While many college and professional athletes and coaches know the benefits of resistance tubing, many high school and youth ballplayers, their parents, and their coaches do not utilize resistance bands as part of a healthy arm care program.

Resistance tubing exercises have shown a huge benefit in baseball players (and all overhead athletes for that matter) by “improving strength, proprioception, muscle performance characteristics, athletic performance, and injury prevention.”(3) Knowing these benefits makes it a no-brainer to include resistance tubing in your shoulder strengthening and throwing program.

Crossover Symmetry

One of the biggest proponents of resistance tubing exercises is Duggan Moran, creator of the Crossover Symmetry system. With Crossover Symmetry, baseball players can perform a series of exercises in a variety of settings.

On the field as a warm-up for practice or game prior to picking up a baseball.
In a weight room setting as part of your strength and conditioning program.
As part of a physical therapy program designed to rehabilitate a shoulder injury.
Incorporation with a long toss program.

With Crossover Symmetry, the cords are crossed in order to provide a better angle of resistance and range of motion. Using two cords allows the ballplayer to use both his dominant (throwing arm) and non-dominant sides to create balance across the back and scapular stabilizers.

Often times with resistance band programs, players and coaches are often left wondering what exercises to perform. Crossover Symmetry takes out the guesswork by providing a structured program outlined right next to the band setup. The exercise chart has step-by-step illustrations with specific exercises listed in a specific order and shows the athlete which resistance to use and the number of reps for each exercise.

Here’s a short demonstration of the system which allows you to see the entire setup right at the ball field. Video/sound quality isn’t the best, but you can get an idea of what Crossover Symmetry is all about.

As a baseball player, your arm is your lifeline. If you cannot throw, you cannot play. You need to keep it strong and stable by taking action and developing a shoulder strengthening program for injury prevention and performance enhancement. Crossover Symmetry can help you achieve both. It is a phenomenal piece of equipment and one that you should strongly consider putting in your baseball bag.

References

1. Ellenbecker TS, Mattalino AJ. Concentric Isokinetic Shoulder Internal and External Rotation Strength in Professional Baseball Pitchers. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 1997;25(3):323-328.
2. Escamilla RF, Andrews JR. Shoulder muscle recruitment patterns and related biomechanics during upper extremity sports. Sports Medicine. 2009;39(7):569-90. (abstract)
3. Myers JB, Pasquale MR, Laudner KG, Sell TC, Bradley JP, Lephart SM. On-the-Field Resistance-Tubing Exercises for Throwers: An Electromyographic Analysis. Journal of Athletic Training. 2005;40(1):15-22.

Sample Baseball Off-Season Workout

The off-season is the best time of year for baseball players to focus on their strength and conditioning. Before beginning any program, you should make sure you define your goals and have a clear focus as to what you want to accomplish. Some general goals to keep in mind for the off-season should be to recover from the previous season, rehabilitate existing/nagging injuries, and develop a strength and conditioning foundation for the following training year.

As discussed before, the training year can be broken down into off-season, pre-season, and in-season segments. Within each season, you can break down the different months into 4 week phases.

For the purposes of this post, we will create an example baseball strength program for Phase 1 of the off-season. For this phase, our goals will be, but are not limited to:

Begin recovery work from the prior season.
If needed, rehabilitate any existing injuries.
Start a strength program that builds general strength and allows us to create a foundation upon which to build further in later phases of the training year.
Give the arm a break from throwing. Do not pick up a baseball.

Now, there is no official “start date” to the off-season. Each athlete will begin his individual program at some point after the previous season ends. Many coaches will advise to take off 2-4 weeks from everything, but you will have to make that call for yourself. If you are otherwise healthy and not feeling overly fatigued, you should start your off-season strength program sooner than later.

Off-Season Baseball Strength Program – Overview

Each training day will include the following segments, and each segment will be done in the order listed:

Foam Roll/Soft Tissue Work
Pre-hab
Dynamic Warm-up
Strength Work
Conditioning
Post-Training Session Static Stretching
Foam Roll

For the purposes of this article, a 3-day per week program will be considered. A baseball off-season strength program can be 2-5 days depending on the individual and how the program itself is structured. Before we dive right into the exercises and movements, let’s take a moment to discuss soft tissue work, pre-hab, and a dynamic warm-up. These aspects of a baseball strength program are often overlooked or very poorly executed. So, let’s take a quick look at these first three training methods.

Foam Roll/Soft Tissue Work

Soft tissue work is often the missing piece in many athletes’ training programs. Ideally, every athlete would have a manual therapist or massage therapist that they could see on a regular basis to help with sore muscles, injuries, and overall recovery. Unfortunately, these services often cost more than most young athletes and their parents can afford. So, we look toward a more economical approach – the foam roller. The technique is simple – apply pressure to sore muscles by placing your bodyweight through the foam roller. Prior to a training session, foam rolling can help decrease muscle “tightness” and contribute to a better warm-up. Foam rolling after a training session can help muscles begin recovery from exercise. So in the example program below, you will see foam rolling listed at the beginning and end of each training day. If you do not have a foam roller, we strongly suggest you pick one up and make it a part of your training routine. You can pick one up on Amazon for a very reasonable price. We like this one.

Pre-hab

Many coaches and young athletes have never heard the term “pre-hab.” If rehab is what you do after an injury, pre-hab is what you do to protect against injury. Now, injury prevention is never 100%. But, by incorporating pre-hab exercises in your training program, you can work on ironing out muscle imbalances caused by repetitive movements and hopefully decrease the chance of injury. For baseball players, pre-hab work is most often focused on the shoulders, hips, thoracic spine, and core. As a ballplayer, you want stability through your shoulders and core, while having stability and mobility through your hips and thoracic spine. Pre-hab exercises work on these areas. When designing a strength program, pre-hab movements can be inserted almost anywhere within a given workout. However, placing them near the beginning of a training session can also serve to activate, or “wake up,” those areas of the body and prime them for the upcoming training session.

Dynamic Warm-up

Let’s cut straight to the point regarding a good warm-up. Static stretching should be saved for post-activity and dynamic stretching should be done prior to activity. This not only applies to training sessions, but practices and games as well. Dynamic stretching movements stretch a muscle for 4-6 seconds and follow that stretch by a contraction (or shortening) of that muscle. Static stretching involves a slow, controlled movement that has the athlete hold a stretch for an extended time of 30-60 seconds. Looking at it another way, the goal of static stretching is to relax your muscles while the goal of dynamic stretching is to wake them up. You definitely want active muscles when training or playing. Using a dynamic warm-up will also increase your body temperature, heart rate, and blood flow to your muscles. Your long-term mobility and flexibility will improve too.

Now that we have covered these areas of a training program, let’s take a look at this sample 3-day baseball training program.

Sample Off-Season Baseball Strength Program – Phase 1

When starting your off-season program, be sure to train on non-consecutive days. You’ll want to give your body 36-48 hours to recover between training sessions. While the examples below will include conditioning on the same days as lifting, you could perform your baseball conditioning on non-lifting days. For example, if you strength train on Mon/Wed/Fri, you can perform you conditioning after your lifting session on those same days or on Tues/Thurs/Sat. If you decide to complete your lifting and conditioning on opposite days, be sure to have at least one day per week that is devoted completely to recovery. In this example, that would be Sunday. That means no strenuous activity. Either take the entire day off or focus just on soft tissue work and static stretching.

**We understand that you may not be familiar with many of the exercises listed below. A quick search will direct you to videos and explanations that can help you better understand the movements. However, just watching a video will not take the place of a qualified strength and conditioning coach who can demonstrate technique and properly correct form if there are any issues. When in doubt, do not perform the movement. Seek guidance and instruction. If any exercise causes pain, use common sense and do not do it.**

Day 1

Foam Roll

Glutes – 1 x 60 seconds each side
IT Band – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Quads – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Groin – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Hip Flexor/TFL – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Mid/Upper Back – 1 x 60 seconds each side

This is a good starting point for foam rolling. However, be sure to listen to your body. It will tell you if certain areas need more or less focus. You can always spend longer on one area if need be.

Pre-hab

Perform the following movements in a circuit by completing one set of each exercise and then return to the start and complete any movements with additional sets.

Glute Bridge Hold – 2 x 20 seconds
Lateral Band Walk – 1 x 10 steps each direction
Quadruped Rotations – 2 x 6 each side
I’s, Y’s, T’s, External Rotation with band – 2 x 10 each
Plank – 1 x 45 seconds

Dynamic Warm-up

The following should take 10-12 minutes to complete. Set up two cones 10-15 yards. Start on one cone and move in the direction of the second. When you complete the required distance for a movement, jog back to the starting cone. Complete each movement deliberately. Do not just go through the motions.

Reverse Lunge with Twist – 1 x 10 yards
Inverted Hamstring Stretch – 1 x 10 yards
World’s Greatest Stretch – 1 x 10 yards
Inch Worms – 1 x 10 yards
Straight Leg March – 1 x 10 yards
High Knees – 1 x 10 yards
Butt Kicks – 1 x 10 yards
Lateral Shuffle – 1 x 10 yards each direction

Strength

Exercises listed below are paired in supersets. Training in supersets means that you will perform one set of the first listed exercise and then one set of the second listed exercise. Take 45-60 seconds of rest and then repeat for the second set of each. Continue this method until all sets in a given superset are completed. Then, move to the next two exercises that are paired together as a superset.

Box Jump – 4 x 5
Medicine Ball Rotational Throw – 4 x 5 each side

Trap Bar Deadlift – 3 x 5
DB Bench Press – 3 x 6

DB Reverse Lunge – 3 x 6 each
Inverted Row – 3 x 10

Stability Ball Hamstring Curl – 2 x 12
Scapular Wall Slide – 2 x 12

Cable Pallof Press Hold – 2 x 10 seconds each side
Prone Low Back – 2 x 10

Conditioning

Short Pick-ups – You’ll will need a partner and two baseballs. Have your partner start with both baseballs and setup roughly 5-7 yards apart. Start by moving laterally as your partner rolls you a ground ball. Field the short groundball and toss back to your partner as you begin moving back in the direction from where you started. Your partner should already have started rolling you the second ball. Repeat for prescribed number of reps.

4 x 20 pick-ups; rest 1-2 minutes between sets

Static Stretching

Hamstrings – 1 x 60 seconds each
Groin – 1 x 60 seconds each
Piriformis Stretch – 1 x 60 seconds each
Hip Flexor Stretch – 1 x 60 seconds each
Calves – 1 x 60 seconds each

Foam Roll

Glutes – 1 x 60 seconds each side
IT Band – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Quads – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Groin – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Hip Flexor/TFL – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Mid/Upper Back – 1 x 60 seconds each side

Day 2

Foam Roll

Glutes – 1 x 60 seconds each side
IT Band – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Quads – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Groin – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Hip Flexor/TFL – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Mid/Upper Back – 1 x 60 seconds each side

Pre-hab

Perform the following movements in a circuit by completing one set of each exercise and then return to the start and complete any movements with additional sets.

1-leg Glute Bridge Hold – 2 x 10 seconds each side
Quadruped Hip Abduction- 2 x 12 each side
90/90 Stretch – 2 x 6 each side
Rhythmic Stabilizations – 2 x 10 seconds each arm
Side Plank – 1 x 30 seconds each side

Dynamic Warm-up

Walking Lunge with Knee Hug – 1 x 10 yards
Walking Quad Stretch – 1 x 10 yards
World’s Greatest Stretch – 1 x 10 yards
Inch Worms – 1 x 10 yards
Lateral Lunge – 1 x 10 yards each direction
High Knees – 1 x 10 yards
Butt Kicks – 1 x 10 yards
A Skip – 1 x 10 yards
Lateral Shuffle – 1 x 10 yards each direction

Strength

As with Day 1, exercises below are listed as supersets. In one instance, you will see a tri-set. Tri-sets are performed similar to supersets, but instead of two exercises back-to-back, you now have three.

Lateral Bound- 4 x 3 each direction
Medicine Ball Slam – 4 x 6
Forearm Wall Slide – 3 x 8

Box Squat – 3 x 5
1-arm Medicine Ball Push-up – 3 x 6 each side
Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch – 2 x 60 seconds each side

DB RDL – 3 x 6
Cable Row – 3 x 10

DB Goblet Lateral Squat – 3 x 8 each side
TRX W’s – 2 x 10

Stability Ball Plank Rollout – 2 x 10
Stability Ball Reverse Hyper – 2 x 10

Conditioning

Build-up Sprints – Build-up sprints start with the baseball player already in motion. In the example below, you will run a total of 40 yards, but only the second 20 yards at 100% effort. Set up cones, use a track, or perform in the outfield. Set up cones at 20 and 40 yards. When you perform the Build-Up sprints, begin your run at 50-75% effort. As you hit the halfway mark, increase your speed to 100% effort.

2 20-yard sprints at 50% effort
8 40-yard Build-Up sprints: first 20 yards at 75% effort, second 20 yards at 100% effort

After each sprint, use your walk back to the starting line as your rest.

Static Stretching

Hamstrings – 1 x 60 seconds each
Groin – 1 x 60 seconds each
Piriformis Stretch – 1 x 60 seconds each
Hip Flexor Stretch – 1 x 60 seconds each
Calves – 1 x 60 seconds each

Foam Roll

Glutes – 1 x 60 seconds each side
IT Band – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Quads – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Groin – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Hip Flexor/TFL – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Mid/Upper Back – 1 x 60 seconds each side

Day 3

Foam Roll

Glutes – 1 x 60 seconds each side
IT Band – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Quads – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Groin – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Hip Flexor/TFL – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Mid/Upper Back – 1 x 60 seconds each side

Pre-hab

Perform the following movements in a circuit by completing one set of each exercise and then return to the start and complete any movements with additional sets.

Glute Bridge – 2 x 15
Lateral Squat – 1 x 10 each
Standing Rotations – 2 x 6 each side
Prone W’s – 2 x 12
Supermans – 1 x 12

Dynamic Warm-up

Reverse Lunge with Twist- 1 x 10 yards
Quad Stretch with Toe Touch – 1 x 10 yards
World’s Greatest Stretch – 1 x 10 yards
Inch Worms – 1 x 10 yards
Straight Leg March – 1 x 10 yards
High Knees – 1 x 10 yards
Butt Kicks – 1 x 10 yards
A Skip – 1 x 10 yards
Lateral Shuffle – 1 x 10 yards each direction

Strength

Again, supersets and tri-sets are utilized similar to Day 2. The final two exercises/movements are listed by by themselves and not together. For the second to last movment, perform the first set, rest for 30-60 seconds, then repeat for the second set. Then, move to the final exercise and perform in the same manner.

Broad Jump – 4 x 5
Split Stance Medicine Ball Overhead Throw – 4 x 3 each leg in front
Rhythmic Stabilization – 2 x 10 seconds each side

BB Glute Bridge – 3 x 8
TRX Push-up – 3 x 10

1-leg DB RDL – 3 x 6 each side
Chin-up – 1 x 10, 1 x 8, 1 x 6

Side Plank Rotation – 2 x 12 each side

Body Saw – 2 x 12

Conditioning

Heavy Sled Pushes – 6 x 30 yards; rest to full recovery between sets (at least 1-2 minutes, longer if needed)

Static Stretching

Hamstrings – 1 x 60 seconds each
Groin – 1 x 60 seconds each
Piriformis Stretch – 1 x 60 seconds each
Hip Flexor Stretch – 1 x 60 seconds each
Calves – 1 x 60 seconds each

Foam Roll

Glutes – 1 x 60 seconds each side
IT Band – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Quads – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Groin – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Hip Flexor/TFL – 1 x 60 seconds each side
Mid/Upper Back – 1 x 60 seconds each side

Week by Week Progressions

Remember, Phase 1 is one month in duration – 4 weeks. Each week you should be making small adjustments to each exercise so as to change the sets, reps, or weight. Here are some quick guidelines to help you make those progressions.

Power-based exercises such as jumps, bounds, and medicine ball throws should be adjusted minimally. Add one rep in Week 2, another in Week 3. For Week 4, return to the same rep scheme as Week 1.
The deadlift and box squat can be kept at 3 sets of 5 reps each week. Add 5 pounds each week to each lift.
For exercises involving dumbbells (DB) or cables, increase 6 reps to 8, and 8 reps to 10. Keep the weight the same when making these rep increases. After completing a week at 10 reps, return to 6 reps for the exercise, but increase the weight.
For bodyweight exercises such as those that use the TRX or no equipment at all, follow a similar method using 8, 10, and 12 as your rep increments.

Final Words

The program outlined above should give you a fantastic starting ground to begin your off-season baseball strength program. Phase 1 will allow you to work on the basics, iron out some inefficiencies in your movement patterns, and create a foundation upon which to build even more strength, mobility, and stability.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us using the contact page on the menu above.

Good luck!

TRX for Baseball

Many athletes are beginning to include more bodyweight training into their strength and conditioning programs. Baseball players are no exception, and the TRX Suspension Trainer is one of the tools baseball players and strength coaches are using to incorporate bodyweight training.

Baseball is a sport that requires strength, mobility, and the ability to rotate powerfully. Baseball players definitely need to lift heavy weights during the off-season, but utilizing a piece of equipment like the TRX can help incorporate bodyweight exercises as well. Some of the TRX movements used by baseball players can also help reduce the risk of injury.

Depending on the time of year (off-season, in-season, pre-season), the type of athlete, or the training program itself, a baseball training program can include various TRX exercises. In some rare cases, baseball players can even perform an entire baseball workout with just the TRX.

Portability

The TRX is lightweight, portable, and easy to set up. It also fits into its own carrying bag, so ballplayers who own one can take it with them anywhere. This gives ballplayers the ability to maximize their training time with full body, efficient workouts wherever they are – in the gym, on the field, or even when on the road for those travel teams, college players, and pro athletes.

Versatility

Whatever level of the game you play, the TRX can adapt for any level of baseball fitness. Baseball players can train in three planes of motion with the TRX, allowing various muscle groups to work together to build muscle strength and core stability – not to mention flexibility and balance.

There are literally hundreds of exercises that can be performed on the TRX. Once younger athletes learn and master the more basic movements, they can try more advanced movements or combine different TRX exercises to create challenging movements that can be included in a baseball training program. For baseball players, the greatest benefit of the TRX comes with incorporating mostly back, core, and posterior chain exercises.

Put a TRX in Your Baseball Bag

Now don’t go thinking that the TRX is the end-all-be-all for baseball strength training. Baseball players still need to lift heavy weights, throw medicine balls, and push sleds. However, the TRX can be effectively included in a well-designed baseball training program. To learn more about the TRX and how it can benefit you, check out the TRX Training website.

Strengthening the Core for Baseball

Core training for baseball has come a long way from situps and crunches. In today’s world of baseball strength and conditioning, strength coaches teach their athletes that the core is the center of power. We are not just talking about the abs here. When discussing the core, you need to think about the hips, abs, obliques, low back, and even the scapular area. Some ballplayers have trouble relating the athletic movements needed to hit, throw, and run with core exercises that can improve these attributes. Again, core training is more than just situps.

The Core as it Relates to Baseball

Most know that the core muscles help with rotating the body for swinging and throwing. However, another important function of the core involves power transfer. The legs generate the initial speed and power, but the core helps transfer that power from the legs through the torso and into the arms and hands. This is where bat speed is created for hitters and where arm speed and velocity is generated for pitchers. Needless to say, if you have a weak core, you will not be able to effectively transfer power created by your legs and apply it to your baseball-specific skills.

As we mentioned before, situps are a thing of the past for ballplayers looking to strengthen their core. Instead, baseball players should incorporate movements that involve rotation, flexion, and lateral flexion to enhance the similar movements we see in hitting and pitching.

You need to be selective with these exercises, though, as you do not want to cause overuse injuries to the core muscles that also stabilize and protect the spine. To strengthen the core stabilizers, you can perform anti-rotation, anti-lateral flexion, and anti-extension movements.

3 Sample Baseball Core Exercises

Whether reinforcing on-field movements or stabilizing to protect against injury, baseball core training can use medicine balls, cables, power bands, or just the athlete’s body weight. Let’s take a look at 3 sample baseball core exercises that you can begin using in your strength and conditioning program today.

Pallof Press

Split Stance Medicine Ball Rotational Throw

Body Saw

Core Power for Baseball

If you are looking for more ways to help create a stronger core, check out Core Power for Baseball. With this program you’ll learn core training and baseball training exercises designed to drastically improve your throwing power and bat speed. This program includes videos detailing every exercise with progressions so all levels of athletes can perform the designed baseball workouts. Check it out today!

Good luck!