Baseball Training - Discover the Secret to Improving Your Hitting Power!

Every baseball player uses his core abdominal strength for batting. A good baseball training program will include functional core abdominal exercises. However, a traditional abdominal crunch does not strengthen the rotating abdominal muscles, called the obliques, needed for swinging your bat.

You can use the free baseball training workout below to give you some ideas of where to start! If you'd like to get more in depth workouts, check out these designed by personal trainers.

Baseball Training Core Abdominal Workout

Baseball Swing with Kettleballs
1. Start by holding a kettleball in each hand.
2. Position your arms as if you were holding a bat.
3. Imagine taking a swing with a bat and mimic this movement.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Trainer's comments:

Sets	Reps	Weight/ Resistance
1	10
2	10
3
4
5

Vertical Hip Raise
1. Step up onto apparatus and place forearms into pads. Grasp handles and stabilize shoulders by depressing shoulders down.
2. Start position: bring knees up with hip flexed at approximately 90°.
3. Keeping back firmly pressed against back support, slowly lower legs.
4. Return to start position.
5. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Keep stomach tight (naval drawn in towards spine) throughout entire movement.

Trainer's comments:

Sets	Reps	Weight/ Resistance
1	10
2	10
3
4
5

Oblique Crunch with Medicine/Stability Ball
1. Sit in upright position on flexaball with feet flat on floor.
2. Walk feet forward allowing flexaball to roll underneath body until it is positioned on lower to mid-back region. Raise hips slightly to create a “table top” position parallel to floor.
3. Place hands above head holding a medicine ball. Head should be in a neutral position with a space between chin and chest.
4. Leading with the chin and chest towards the ceiling, contract the abdominal and raise your right shoulder up toward ceiling and bring medicine ball towards opposite hip.
5. Return to start position and repeat with the other shoulder.
6. Remember to keep head and back in a neutral position. Hyperextension or flexion of either may cause injury.

Trainer's comments:

Sets	Reps	Weight/ Resistance
1	10
2	10
3
4
5

Supine Twist with med ball
1. Lie on your back with the ball under your upper shoulders and hold onto a medicine ball above your chest.
2. Keeping the ball in front of your chest rotate your shoulders and trunk until the ball is facing the side.
3. Try to keep your hips somewhat stable and facing the ceiling during this movement.
4. The movement should initiate from your trunk. Alternate sides until the prescribed repetitions are complete.

Trainer's comments: