Search
Related Links



    

Informative Articles

Fishing In Hawaii
Hawaii Fishing Tips The opportunity to be on a boat ready to catch fish, enjoying the beautiful scenery, and the camaraderie with the crew of the boat is the best experience in fishing you can find. Here are some helpful tips to enjoy...

Making All City Baseball In Newark NJ
Making All City This Was a Great Moment In My Life. Toward the end of my junior year at Weequahic High School in Newark New Jersey, I started hearing from my friends that I was going to make All City. How did they know I asked myself? In my...

My Top 10 Baseball Coaching Tips
If you are new to the game search out veteran coaches and ask for coaching tips. Find websites like this one that will teach you the fundamentals. What ever you do, always look for new ways to reach your players. Times are different then when I...

My Top Baseball Teams of All Time - Part two (Also in no particular order)
My Top Baseball Teams of All Time Part two (Also in no particular order) 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers They won the pennant by 13.5 games. Scored 857 runs while allowing 650 runs Finally beat the New York Yankees in The World Series. They had five...

Real Baseball Players Hit With Wood
Real Players Hit With Wood Let me say this up front… I do not like aluminum bats . . . but I’ll win with them. Practice with wood . . . and you’ll win with aluminum. It’s really very simple. An aluminum bat swing can be mechanically flawed but...

 
Strength Training Develops Solid Softball Players

Lynn VanDyke delivers a strength training article for any athlete, but specifically geared towards softball and baseball players. It provides general guidelines and sample exercises for sport specific situations.

Softball is a popular sport these days. Corporations, adult leagues and inner-city competitions are fueling the demand for skilled and competitive players. While softball may be experiencing a surge of interest, the basic techniques to improve your game and gain a competitive edge have remained the same.
Many do not realize that basic softball movements such as batting and throwing are not a directly related to arm strength. The movement begins in the legs. The power is then transferred into the hips, the torso, the upper back, the chest, the shoulders and then the arms.
A proper softball strength training routine will include an exercise for each muscle group. During the off-season, athletes will be able to strength train 2-3 times per week. Training should be reduced to 1-2 times per week during the season. Each exercise should be performed 8-12 times for 1-3 sets.
Quickness, speed, agility, balance, explosiveness, and power will be enhanced as the strength training program progresses. Below is a list of sample exercises


for the commonly used muscles in softball. There are many other exercises you could perform, but this will provide a starting point.
Quadriceps- Squats, One-Legged Squats, Jump SquatsHams & Glutes- Lunges, Explosive Lunges, Bridge on BallHip Adductors/Abductors- Lying Side Leg Raises, Ball SqueezeObliques- Oblique Crunch on BallRectus Abdominis- Ball Crunch, 180 Ball CrunchErector Spinae- Plank PoseDeltoids- Shoulder Press, Military PressPectoralis Major- Chest Fly, Chest Press, Push upsLatissimus Dorsi- Bent Over Row, Reverse FlyTriceps- Overhead Extensions, Skull crushersBiceps- Bicep Curl, Hammer CurlA powerful softball strength training program will produce powerful players. Use a full ROM (range of motion) for each exercise. Generally free weights provide a better ROM than machines, but use which ever feels best to you. The ultimate goal is to create a solid program that will deliver a well-rounded athlete.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lynn VanDyke is the proud owner of http://strength-training-woman.com . Her expertise in strength training and fitness is quickly becoming recognized by industry leaders. You may grab your free strength training log by visiting her site.


Sign up for PayPal and start accepting credit card payments instantly.