Strength training drills for baseball should focus on general development of speed, power, and quickness! As a baseball player, you can only be as competitive as the best athlete, so you have to focus on training to be the best athlete you can be, right? This makes sense to me, but even as a strength and conditioning professional, I’m amazed at how many baseball players don’t share this same sentiment.

Kettlebell Jerks: Strength Training for Baseball

If you’re looking to implement a strength training program to prepare for the upcoming baseball season, then you don’t have the luxury of wasting time. If you want to develop a truly functional body in order to play the sport of baseball, then you need to engage in kettlebell pulls! Read on if I have your attention.

The kettlebell is an ancient strength and conditioning device that has been around for over three centuries and has been used by the world’s most talented athletes. We’ve established that you should strive to be a better athlete, right? So this is where you have to start. If this has worked for the world’s greatest for over three centuries, it will work for you too!

A great lift for you to participate in with the kettlebell is the push press or jerk. You do this by first cleaning by raising the bell towards your chest to start. Make sure your stance is slightly wider than shoulder width in length. Next, you’ll want to execute a “hip pop” by quickly partly flexing and then extending both your hips and knees to create momentum to propel the bell vertically overhead. Once you press the kettlebell over your head, be sure to secure it by keeping your shoulder sucked into the socket. This will stabilize the weight and protect your shoulder with the load on your head.

The kettlebell pull is great for developing shoulder stability, core strength, hip power, and total body control. All of these are essential features for your performance in the game of baseball. If you haven’t already started implementing the use of kettlebells into your baseball strength and conditioning program, then you’re missing out. Remember most athletes can train hard but only champions train smart my friend! Give it a try.