With the many baseball athletes we have been training as well as the professional guys headed back to Athlete's Arena next month, it's time for an article covering?..BASEBALL! Not to mention the fact that there are a few things I need to get off my chest about proper training for baseball.

Baseball is a very "specific" sport as far as the skills needed to be successful. Learning the proper swing or throwing mechanics is a skill baseball players spend a lot of time doing. Where many players lack is not in those areas, but in the area of sports performance and injury prevention. Look at the research and you will see the epidemic occurring in the rise of injured youth baseball players. Most of which is due to overtraining and over-participation as well as inappropriate modalities of training implemented on our youth.

I'm gonna attack a few things I have an issue with in training baseball players but also offer some solutions! I was once told, if I see problems or issues going on with the training of an athlete and don't say anything in attempt to not "hurt someone's feelings" and that athlete gets hurt, then that's blood on my hands! 

The Bench Press

Problem
Many baseball players are subject to the training done by the football team. Many are subject to "strength" programs that implement the bench press. I have previously written about the bench press and have had many people see me as a "hater" of the exercise. I do not hate the bench press! I hate the over-use of the exercise on high school athletes which leads to shoulder dysfunction on injury. For baseball players, the negatives out-way the positives to the point that omission of the exercise is recommended. Its affects on thoracic spine mobility and shoulder stability will not just lead to poor throwing performance but injury as well.

Solution
Focus on thoracic spine flexibility and shoulder stability exercises and limit pressing exercises to one day per week with dumbbells or Log Bars. A proper shoulder warm up prior to throwing of lifting is essential as well as hip flexibility. Recent research has shown a direct correlation between hip mobility and pitching longevity.

Bottom line, there are MANY ways to get baseball players strong, powerful and athletic without bench pressing?too risky!

Bench Press Alternatives Video
http://www.youtube.com/user/AthletesArena#p/u/4/u_UPWuXeeXY

Long Distance Running or Steady State Cardio

Problem
I am still waiting for someone to tell me what running a 5K has to do with the energy system required by baseball. Repetative, sub-maximal, steady state jogging or cardio increases wear and tear on the body by reinforcing inefficient movement patterns in youth athletes let alone is ineffective when trying to get baseball players "in shape". The definition of "in shape" is not determined my how far you can run in 12 minutes or how fast you can run a 5K or even a mile. Another issue here is that research has shown long distance running will decrease power output and diminish strength gains the athlete has worked hard to achieve in the off-season or just make weak athletes weaker! Bottom line: there is no place for steady state cardiovascular training. The only reason it is implemented is because it is easy to make kids go do!

Solution
A better way of conditioning a baseball player is with interval sprint training and agility drills while adjusting rest periods each day. For instance, one day you may run short spring of 30 yard with longer rest periods for developing speed and power while to other day you may run repeat 60 yard sprint with a shorter rest period for more of an aerobic affect. The third day would be great for change of direction and agility training. This is much more affective for improving the energy systems specific to baseball. Bottom line: there is no place for steady state cardiovascular training

See this video
http://www.functionalstrengthcoach3.com/intervals.html

Great Article Too:

http://ericcressey.com/a-new-model-for-training-between-starts-part-1

Prehabilitation

Problem
Many coaches forget that the #1 goal of any program is not performance but injury prevention. Many programs lack the prehabilitation side of sports training that will decrease the risk of injuries that plague so many baseball players. Proper exercises for the shoulder, thoracic spine and hips as well as exercises focused on improving posture and decreasing rotation in the body are often omitted by many baseball players.

Solution
The solution for this problem is to implement shoulder / t-spine prehabilitation exercises 2 times per week with and hip mobility exercises 2 times per week within your program. Proper screenings of your athletes and testing protocol with help you identify those at risk for injury. Another great tool for decreasing injuries is the Proper Warm up and Proper Cool Down tailored towards baseball players' needs.

Shoulder Prehab Video
http://www.youtube.com/user/AthletesArena#p/u/5/p2VbWtE4ZnU

Lower Body Stretching Sequence Video
http://www.youtube.com/user/AthletesArena#p/u/2/tNtFzaxejWw

I know these are some "crazy" concepts for baseball players and coaches to get if they are used to bench pressing, doing steady state or long distance training or have not implemented prehab programs in there training but the solutions here are all based on research and are not just "pulled out of the hat" ideas. Try them, comment below and ask questions or leave comments or email me at josh@athletesarena.com!!