Baseball Dynamic Warm Up
All baseball players need to warm up properly before performing high impact activities or speed and agility training. Static stretching was considered the norm in the past, but in recent years static stretching has become an addition to the everyday dynamic stretch routine. At Kbands Training we have put together a dynamic stretch routine that utilizes Kbands. After a small warm-up, baseball players can increase blood to their legs by running through a sequence of dynamic moves while wearing Kbands. An increase in blood flow throughout the body can improve performance and decrease chances of injury. Refer to the video below to follow along as Trevor Theismann explains to baseball players what muscles to get loose, proper technique, and things to watch out for when completing each exercise.
Baseball Player Warm Up | Muscle Groups
Baseball players must know what muscles are being used when performing in order to understand how to achieve the proper warm-up. In order to work for explosion throughout the workout the body needs to be good and loose. Baseball players must stretch their hip flexors, quads, hamstrings, calves, trunk, glutes, IT bands, groin, and upper body. Each and every muscle throughout the body is used to maximize a baseball player's performing potential. In the video below there is a sequence of exercises that will prepare a baseball player's body to play baseball.
Train | Warm Up Drills
Increase Leg Strength and Get the Heart Rate Up | Kbands Resisted Warm-Up
Now that the baseball player has completed several warm-up exercises, he is ready to increase his leg strength and get the heart rate up with Kbands resistance. Baseball players must make sure to warm up properly before putting on the leg bands. Jump right back into the warm-up as soon as the Kbands are clipped together with the long band on the front and the short band on the back. Use Kbands resistance to increase blood flow to the legs. Baseball players will notice the resistance instantly. The warm-needs to be completed with 100% intensity.
- Kbands High Knees: High Knees with Kbands will help make baseball players more explosive. Drive the knee up through the resistance as high as possible. Build muscle throughout the hip flexors and quads while developing fast twitch muscle fibers. During this exercise, baseball players must make sure to keep an erect chest pulling each knee up high while in a running motion. The focus point of this drill is knee-height and quickness.
- Kbands Butt Kickers: The purpose of this exercise is to loosen the hamstrings. In a running motion kick each foot back and up to kick the butt with each step as seen in the video. Continue this warm-up quickly for 8-10 yards to get the hamstrings good and loose so they can start to fire. The wider the athlete places his/or her feet the more glute activation the athlete will have. Working with wider legs when using Kbands will always stimulate muscle activation in the glutes.
- Kbands Glute Walks: A Glute Walk is one of the best exercises that utilizes Kbands resistance. By laterally shuffling a baseball player's feet, they will notice immediate glute activation. Glutes are in charge of running speed, power, and provides stability to the lower limbs. Glutes are in charge of internal rotation of the knee and must be strengthened to prevent possible knee injuries. Keep the feet nice and wide without letting them touch each other. Stretch the leg bands to work the glutes and the hip flexors. This exercise is great to enhance strength and hip stability as well. Baseball players must make sure to keep their feet wide during this entire exercise. Shuffling and bringing the feet back together will deplete the effectiveness of the drill.
- Stationary Squat Jumps: Baseball Players need to place their feet about a shoulder's width apart. Slightly bend the knees and jump up pulling their knees to their chest Land softly and make sure to keep the knees wide. The goal of this simple drill is to explode up.
Kbands Baseball Upper Body Warm-ups: Baseball player's must warm-up their upper body as well. It is very important for the shoulders and the arms because throwing causes tension. Get with a partner. One of the baseball players will then stand behind the other and take his partner's arms behind his back. The athlete being stretched will let his or her arms go behind the back with palms facing the sky. As the partner raises the arms towards the sky, the stretched baseball player must keep his chest up so that the shoulder are stretched properly. The baseball player will feel this in his shoulders, chest and his biceps if he is tight. The athlete should hold his partners arms up about 15-20 seconds and then let him shake it down before they repeat the exercise. As baseball players get more advanced they will begin working their biceps and lifting with their chests. This will cause tightening in the arms so this exercise is very important.
Throwing Arm Stretch: This exercise helps baseball players work on internal and external rotation For external rotation one of the baseball partners will put his partner's throwing arm up where his elbow is even with his shoulder. Roll his hand back from his elbow to the point of tension. Do not take it any farther than the tension in order to prevent injury and hold for 15-20 seconds. Then take the wrist forward loosely to relax the arm and repeat the stretch. Each player should work on getting their arm to go back farther as they stretch it out, but must be careful not to push it too far. For internal rotation a lot of players let their shoulder blade roll forward which causes the arm to look more flexible than it is. Be sure to keep a big chest and lightly squeeze the shoulder blades so that the shoulder is stretched. Again, hold this stretch for 15-20 seconds and shake out the arm before repeating. Refer to the video above for a visualization of the stretch.
Building a Dynamic Warm-Up | Baseball Coaches
A dynamic warm-up should always start slow. Baseball players, along with any other athlete should not be challenged by high impact fast-paced warm-up drills. Baseball coaches and trainers should slowly warm the body up with 1 to 2 plane movements. The best dynamic warm-up routine is completed going back and forth between an 8 to 10 yard stretch. This will allow the baseball players to get out and move to warm up their body slowly. As the warm-up continues use multi-joint movements to increase blood flow throughout the body. The best way to run a successful dynamic warm-up is to do it yourself. Make sure before adding Kbands resistance that your body has a light sweat and is ready to go. At this point baseball coaches and trainers should have their athletes begin using Kbands. Work to challenge baseball players depth, flexibility, and speed as you finish the dynamic warm-up. Baseball coaches and trainers may also end with 10 to 15 yard sprints in the bands for 6 to 8 reps and then 4 to 6 reps without the leg bands . When the bands are taken off, baseball coaches and trainers will immediately see the difference in their athletes. Their legs will feel light and free as they push the pace for the last 4 to 6 reps and their throwing arms will be loose and ready to throw.