Strength Conditioning Drill: 14 Best Gym Exercises For Baseball Players (Baseball & Softball)
Olympic strength coach Dane Miller presents 14 exercises to train every key muscle group for baseball. Covers shoulder/elbow strength (44% of player needs), core/trunk stability (25%), and hip/groin power (31%). Includes progressions from traditional movements to advanced explosive exercises.
How to Run This Drill
- This video covers 14 exercises organized by muscle group based on a poll of 5,700 baseball players.
- SHOULDER & ELBOW (Exercises 1-5):
- 1. Dumbbell External Rotation - Slow eccentric, 4x5-7 reps. Build to 8-10% of bench press.
- 2. Incline Y Raises - 4x7 reps, retract scapula at top, fixes wonky scaps.
- 3. Meadows Swings - 3x30 reps for upper back pump, squeeze shoulder blades.
- 4. Chaos External Rotation - 5x5-7 reps with band instability, speed and squeeze.
- 5. Drop External Rotation - Light weight catch drill, do closer to season.
- FOREARMS (Exercises 6-7):
- 6. Forearm Roller - Rotate quickly, 5-6 reps as finisher.
- 7. Zottman Curls - 4x12 reps, rotate at top, lower with palms down.
- LEGS & CORE (Exercises 8-11):
- 8. Zombie Squats - Front squat with arms extended, requires stable trunk.
- 9. V Up Throw - Core exercise, fulcrum on butt not lower back.
- 10. Single Leg Squat - Progress from bodyweight to goblet to barbell.
- 11. Ab Wheel Rollout - 4-5 sets, focus on lats and hollow position.
- POWER & ROTATION (Exercises 12-14):
- 12. Crow Hop Medicine Ball Throw - Shot put style, not overhead. Feel ground force transfer.
- 13. Power Snatch - 5x3 or 6x2 or 4x4, builds impulse expression.
- 14. GHD Rotational Back Extension - Alternate rotation sides, add plate to progress.
Coaching Points
- Shoulder/elbow work controls the bat and throwing health
- Core/trunk provides stability and rotation for hitters and pitchers
- Hips/groin generate power and ground reaction force transfer
- Co-contractions are key in shoulder, hips, and knees for joint stability
- Pair exercises as supersets: Zombie Squats with V Ups, Single Leg Squat with Ab Wheel
- Baseball players: it is okay to bench press - you do not need to avoid weights
- Start light on Olympic lifts, learn proper progressions before adding weight
Quick Actions
At a Glance
- dumbbells
- barbell
- bench
- incline bench
- resistance band
- kettlebell
- forearm roller
- squat rack
- medicine ball
- ab wheel
- GHD machine
- bumper plates
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