Carter’s Home Gym(B2B), from Long Island NY, makes installing gym equipment for baseball players easy. They rent and sell professional gym equipment for sports travel teams, commercial properties, and home gyms. They specialize in putting together complete gym equipment packages that are flexible and customizable. Check the bottom of this post for contact info.
People who write about spring training not being necessary have never tried to throw a baseball – Sandy Koufax
In order to create the best baseball training program, you need to start with the end in mind. What type of player do you want to create? Are they going to be a power hitter or a pitcher? Once you know what you are working towards, you can better tailor your program to achieve those goals.
This guide is designed for bigger, faster, and stronger players who want to dominate on the diamond. With hard work and dedication, anyone can improve their skills and become a better ballplayer. This is the ultimate guide for creating the best athlete at each position. We will also list some of the best gym equipment and practice gear. Let’s get started.
The Best Gym Equipment For Baseball Players
Here is a list of the best gym equipment for baseball players. This is great all-around equipment for everyone:
1. Resistance Bands- Resistance bands are essential for baseball players because they help with muscle strength and endurance. You can do a variety of exercises with resistance bands, such as squats, lunges, and pull-ups.
2. Dumbbells- Dumbbells are great for building muscle mass and strength. You can do a variety of exercises with dumbbells, such as the bench press, overhead press, and bicep curl.
3. Squat Rack- A squat rack is a must for baseball players because it helps with squats, lunges, and other leg exercises.
5. Jumping Rope- Jumping rope is a great way to improve your speed and agility. It’s also a great cardiovascular exercise.
6. Pull-Up Bar- A pull-up bar is great for strengthening your back and arms.
7. Medicine Ball- A medicine ball is a great way to improve your strength, agility, and cardiovascular fitness.
Now that you have the necessary equipment, let’s take a look at what you should focus on when training. We will also give you some drills and exercises to help you improve your skills at each position.
Strength Training & Agility For Pitchers
Strength is vital for a pitcher. Whether you want to throw a 90 miles per hour or a wicked curveball, ensuring your arm has the strength to handle it is essential. We will focus on the most important areas for pitchers to ensure arm strength is maximized. Agility is also vital for a pitcher, so we will place importance on footwork drills to ensure they are ready for anything.
Legs – Leg strength is essential for pitchers to generate power behind their pitches. Stronger legs can create more velocity on your fastball, increase the speed of your curveball, and help you throw that nasty slider with less effort. You want your legs to be as strong as possible so they don’t wear out towards the later innings. The best piece of equipment to build leg strength for a pitcher is the squat rack.
Back– A pitcher with a strong back will gain velocity on their fastball. Without the strength to maintain your form, you could lose speed and power on your pitches. We want to be able to throw it as hard as our bodies allow without losing energy later in the game. One of the best pieces of equipment for building back strength is the lat pull-down machine.
Arms – Arm strength is extremely important for pitching, so you want to work out your biceps, triceps, and your shoulder muscles. You can achieve this by using free weights or resistance bands to build overall arm strength.
Forearm– Forearm strength is important for maintaining a grip on the ball. A good fastball grip is essential to having a powerful pitch. If you lack forearm strength and lose your grip, it could be extremely difficult to control the speed and location of your pitches. Without any power behind your throws, you will not succeed as a pitcher at higher levels of play. A good piece of equipment to work out your forearms is the wrist roller.
Chest – A pitcher needs to have the strength in their chest to be able to throw the ball from a completely extended position. If you lack strength in your chest, it will put undue stress on your arms and rotator cuff. If you want to become a better pitcher and throw the ball harder than ever before, we suggest doing bench presses with dumbbells.
Agility Drills For Pitchers
As a pitcher, agility is one of the most important skills to have. We need to be able to cover first base or field a bunt, so we want to focus on quickness and mobility. The best way to improve your agility is by doing the following warm-up exercises before practice or a workout.
Lateral Agility– This drill requires you to step over a cone, then shuffle sideways around it. This helps prepare for fielding pop-ups to your left or right. You can adjust the height of the cone to make it more difficult as you improve. Make sure you keep your head up when you do this drill so you can ensure your footing is correct.
Bounding– Bounding drills prepare your legs for long sprints. As a pitcher, you are going to have to run from one end of the mound to the other in order to make plays for your team. You can also adjust the height of your bound in order to make it more difficult.
Pro Agility– Pro agility is a great drill for preparing for quick lateral movements. You start with one leg in the air, then shuffle sideways around a cone before switching to the other leg. This is great for when there is a runner on first and you have to field a ground ball from the second baseman.
Baseball Workouts For Catchers – Gym Equipment For Baseball Players
As a catcher, you are always moving. We need to be agile enough to block the plate so the runner doesn’t score but also strong enough to snap throw to first in a hurry. Here are some workouts for building strength and agility for catchers:
Strength Workouts- Building up the muscles in your legs, core, and upper body will help you throw it harder to second base. To build overall strength, we suggest doing a mix of deadlifts and squats. These will help you develop lower body power.
Calf raises– A good pair of calves is essential for a catcher. We need to be able to remain upright in our stance when we squat behind the plate. Calf raises with a barbell or dumbbells will help build the muscles in your calves.
Agility Workouts– Catchers need to be quick on their feet. We need to be able to pop up out of our stance and make a strong throw quickly without losing momentum. Some agility drills we suggest are:
- high knees
- leg swings
- A skips
- B skips
- T drill
- line hops
- hurdle jumps
The Ultimate Catcher Speed & Agility Drills For Explosive Speed Power
Legs– Calf raises 3×15, front squats 4×8, goblet squats 4×8, barbell squats 4×8
Back– Pull-ups 3×10, chin-ups 3×10, 15 degrees bent over row 4×8
Chest– Bench press 3×10, dumbbell bench 4×8, cable flyes 4×12
Shoulders– Dumbbell shoulder press 3×10, dumbbell side raise 4×12, front dumbbell raise 4×12
Arms– close grip bench press 3×10, overhead tricep extension 4×12, standing wrist curl 3×15
Core– Ab wheel from knees 3×10, ab wheel from toes 3×10, Swiss ball Russian twist 3×10 each side
Fitness Training For Infielders
Some of the muscles that infielders should work on are the legs, core, shoulders, and arms. Infielders need to be quick enough to get to grounders but also have the strength in their legs to hold runners at first base. Here are some of the areas we suggest working on for building up your body:
Legs– We need to have enough endurance in our legs to run from first base to second or third. Doing sprints on a track or in an open field are some of the best ways to develop leg strength.
Core– Having a strong core is essential for a fielder. We need a strong core for when we have to make a throw from our knees or while stopping a ball in the hole. Doing planks are a great way to build up the core without putting too much stress on other muscles.
Shoulder– We can’t be afraid to dive for a ball or throw our bodies around. Track and field type workouts such as pushups, power cleans, snatches, and handstand pushups.
Arms– Having a strong arm is essential for any infielder. Using either free weights or resistance bands to do bicep curls and overhead tricep extensions is great to help build arm strength.
Agility Training Drills & Workouts For Infielders
Infielders need to have strong legs because of the amount of running that they do. When you are training, you need to focus on building leg strength and speed. We suggest doing a few types of exercises:
Squats– Squats build strong legs that will help you propel yourself faster toward first base. You can use a barbell or dumbbells for these. 3×8 is a good place to start, but make sure you are using proper form. You should be able to maintain proper posture with your back straight.
Lunges– Lunges are great because they work almost every muscle in your legs. 3×8 each leg is a great place to start, but don’t forget to do both legs!
High Knees– High knees running in place is a great drill to build speed and endurance for infielders. 1×50 yards is a good starting point, but make sure to challenge yourself.
Position Drills & Workouts For Outfielders – Gym Equipment For Baseball Players
Outfielders need to be able to run down fly balls for their team. Sprinting after fly balls is an essential skill for outfielders. Since outfielders are typically playing larger parts of the field, they need to have endurance in not only their arms but also their legs. We suggest focusing on the following muscle groups for outfielders:
- legs
- core
- back
- shoulders
- arms
Here are some drills and exercises we recommend for building those muscle groups for outfielders:
Sprints– Sprinting after fly balls is one of the most important skills an outfielder can have. We suggest running 100 yards, but you should work up to this number. You can do 20 or so sprints with a rest of about 30 seconds in between each one.
The T Drill– The T drill is a great conditioning drill. We suggest doing the T drill in sets of five or 10, with about 30 seconds of rest in between. This drill will build endurance and speed that outfielders need when running from the wall to a fly ball, or vice versa.
Overhead Press– The overhead press is a great shoulder exercise for any baseball player. It’s especially good for outfielders because it helps build strength and endurance in their shoulders. You can do this exercise with dumbbells, a barbell, or even using resistance bands. We suggest doing 4×8 with a lightweight, but make sure you have good form! Proper form when doing any shoulder exercise is essential for injury prevention.
Pull-Ups– Pull-ups are great for building up the arms and back muscles. It’s important to be able to throw from different angles and pull yourself up properly when you make a
Bench Press– The bench press is a great upper body strength and stability workout. We suggest doing 4×8 with a lightweight, but remember to keep proper form! Proper form when doing this or any other type of bench press will make sure you don’t get injured and it will help you become a better athlete.
Core– Doing planks, side plank raises, and other similar workouts will help outfielders with endurance in the midsection. You can do these exercises by themselves or add them into your workout routine after doing an upper body or lower body workout.
Baseball Training Tips To Help You Succeed
Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your training:
1. Make sure you are well-rested before each workout.
2. Warm-up properly before each workout.
3. Lift weights and do cardio three times a week.
4. Do drills and exercises We have broken it down by position group.
5. Always focus on proper technique.
6. Drink plenty of water and eat a healthy diet.
Carters Home Gym Can Help With Your Baseball Specific Workouts
So, what is the best gym equipment for baseball players and training programs? The answer to that question depends on your goals as a player. Do you want to become a power hitter or pitcher? Or maybe you’re aiming to be the next Mike Trout.
No matter what your aspirations are, start by figuring out where you want to end up. Once you have a destination in mind, it will be much easier to map out the steps needed to get there.
If you’re looking for more specific information and guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at Carter’s Home Gym. We specialize in building small custom home gyms at an affordable rental price. We also offer baseball gym design services for your entire travel team.
