5 Shoulder Exercises Every Youth & College Baseball Player Should Do
Scapula and rotator cuff exercises to strengthen and stabilize the shoulder that will result in increased velocity, more command, better stamina, and lessen your chances of injury.
Doesn’t every kid want to throw harder? Don’t you, as a parent, want to see your kid throw more strikes and be more accurate throwing across the diamond? It’s more than possible to see velocity and command/control increase but proper preparation and work is critical. Implement these 5 different exercise into your/your kid’s weekly training sessions and you’ll see some great results if done correctly and consistently.
If you’ve been to a minor league or major league game you’ve probably asked yourself how the pros on the field throw so hard on the mound, or how the infielders are so accurate throwing across the diamond with very little effort. Yes, they have plenty of God-given talent, however, they’re able to do this because of their dedication in doing the little things to prepare. Walk in to any minor or major league clubhouse and you’ll see similar exercises being done by most all players on a daily basis. A stable and strong scapula is a baseball player’s best friend.
Important notes when performing these exercises
Be slow and be controlled on both the up and down phase of these movements. Notice on the first exercise in the video, our friend Michael moves his arm at much too quick of a pace.
How many reps should you do? Until the last three start to burn, somewhere around 10-15 depending on the age of the person and the weight being used.
An unopened can of soup at the house makes a perfect 1-2 pound weight, or you can use a small traditional weight between 1-5 pounds.
You should not burn yourself out while doing these exercises. You want to be able to move this weight freely with light resistance; these exercises aren’t meant to be heavy weight that you struggle through.
Do these 3 to 5 times per week.
How many sets should you do? Mix it up each day! One day do one set of 15 reps with each exercise, and the next time do two sets of 10 reps with each exercise. Variety is good here.
Find a local current or former pro baseball player to introduce and monitor this type of program for you or your kid. Find a local pro at our website here.
Note: the exercise with the thumb down at 45 degrees – some physical therapists will say this is an “impingement” position for the shoulder, however, throwing athletes typically have more internal and external range of motion than the average person so if there is no discomfort with the movement then there’s no reason to worry. This exercise is performed by nearly all pro baseball players.
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