In anticipation of the upcoming baseball season, you’re probably kicking your training up a notch before you hit the diamond. America’s favorite sport demands speed, agility, mobility, and power, which means that your training must cater to these specific needs. Without needing to head to the gym, baseball players can utilize at-home workouts as part of their spring training.
Can You Really Do Spring Training At-Home?
The short answer? Yes.
You might be thinking, “But wait, the only way to get better at baseball is to play more baseball.” Of course, spending time on the field is crucial. However, approaching the sport holistically — and adding in exercises that don’t necessarily involve pitching, catching, or batting — will still translate to how well you perform during practice and game time.
Think of it like cooking a meal. It requires all sorts of ingredients. The meal is the big game. The ingredients are all the workouts you do to prepare for it.
Best Exercises for Baseball Players
As we mentioned earlier, baseball challenges its athletes in specific ways:
- Explosiveness: When an athlete is up to bat, they must explode at the core and shoulders to launch the ball across the field. The same can be said for pitching.
- Speed: Running from base to base requires athletes to be quick and powerful on their feet.
- Agility: Athletes must be prepared to start, stop, and change directions abruptly.
- Mobility: Baseball is especially challenging on the shoulders.
- Core strength: While pitching, catching, and batting would seem to utilize mostly your shoulders, none of these things are possible with a solid core.
Keeping these things in mind, here are some at-home exercises perfect for baseball players.
Explosiveness
Anything that has you starting at a dead stop and then exploding into movement will help. Think of exercises like:
✓ Squat jumps
✓ Burpees
✓ Tuck jumps
✓ Seated jumps
✓ Kettlebell swings
The goal is not to move as fast as possible, or do as many reps as possible (although this provides its own benefits). Rather, focus on how much air you’re getting. With tuck jumps in particular, think of bringing your knees as close to your chest as you can.
With kettlebell swings, pick something heavy that’s going to force you to really use your hips to launch the kettlebell upward. You can also use a dumbbell for these swings.
Speed
Baseball players have to be quick on their feet. It can be as simple as:
- “Sprinting” in place.
- High knees.
- Butt-kickers.
- Bunny hops.
Unlike the previous explosiveness exercises, the goal here is to move your feet as quickly as possible. Stay light and springy.
Agility
While there is some overlap between speed and agility, agility also refers to being able to change direction quickly. In this case, footwork really comes in handy, like:
✓ Lateral hops
✓ Ladder drills
✓ Side-step toe touches
✓ Cariocas
A simple way to train agility is to perform an exercise for a set amount of time, followed by a brief period of rest. For example, you might perform one of the above movements for 40 seconds and rest for 20 seconds, then repeat for five rounds total.
Mobility
Baseball makes for a lot of wear and tear on the shoulders in particular. Mobility is an important part of warm-ups, cool-downs, and rest days. It’s vital in encouraging recovery and protecting you from injury.
Here are some simple shoulder mobility exercises:
- Shoulder circles.
- Pass-throughs (using something like a PVC pipe).
- Doorway stretch.
- Child’s pose.
Don’t forget, too, that part of good mobility is strength-building. Dumbbell exercises like shoulder presses and lateral lifts are great for targeting those harder-to-reach muscles that can sometimes be the location of an injury. Even your standard push-up will work.
Core Strength
There are countless ways to train your core at home. You’re not limited to sit-ups and crunches. Here are just a few suggestions: Planks (and the many plank variations).
✓ Leg lifts
✓ V-ups
✓ Russian twists
✓ Flutter kicks
✓ Mountain climbers (try slowing them down for a serious core burn)
A strong core is going to help you pitch farther, bat harder, and run faster. Remember, your core connects your top and bottom halves. So, it plays a huge role in every movement you perform — from running to second base to bringing the groceries inside.
If you have equipment available to you, you can also incorporate movements like deadlifts and squats. You might not think they target your core but they’re compound movements. They trigger multiple muscles and are literally impossible without engaging your midsection.
Using Technology to Monitor Form
You might think that these at-home workouts for baseball players mean you’re on your own when it comes to your training. No gym, no coach, no support, right? Not so.
These days, you have all sorts of smart technology available to you that’ll help monitor your form, make suggestions for adjustments, help you understand what exercises you should be doing (and what weights to lift), and so much more.
Tempo allows you to train at home with a built-in coach. Our 3D Tempo Vision monitors your form and provides real-time feedback so that you can make progress with every single workout. Plus, the smart home gym system can create a program based on your unique needs. If you’re in the midst of spring training and need at-home workouts to get you game-ready, Tempo will help you move more efficiently toward your goals. And with thousands of classes, you’ll never get bored.
Tempo Studio gives you a full home gym in one compact setup. Complete with dumbbells, a barbell, plates, and a workout mat, the freestanding studio makes spring training simple. Tempo Move requires only a TV or monitor and an iPhone, and you’re off to the races.
Spring training doesn’t have to be complicated. Without even leaving the house, you can build strength, improve agility, and become a faster, more powerful baseball player.
