Baseball Leg Strengthening Exercise | Power Broad Jumps
Baseball player should always be looking for the best or effective power drill. Power is generated from the hips and must be trained in a different way than other body parts. Leg exercises such as the Power Broad Jumps with the Reactive Stretch Cord should be an essential part of every baseball players training regimen. The leg strengthening Power Broad Jumps will help build explosive power through resistance as the Reactive Stretch Cord extends, as well as, through assistance. Baseball players should spend some time reviewing this leg exercise to ensure proper body mechanics and drill set up. Watch the video below and read on as we discuss each element of the drill.
How To Maximize Resisted Jumping Results
The resisted leg exercise portion of the Power Broad Jumps is going to be a lot easier for baseball players to maintain form than the Assisted Broad Jump section. To begin the resisted portion we will need to have our anchor utilize the RSC Anchor Strap to ensure safety of all athletes. He will wrap the Anchor Strap around his wrist and then grip the Anchor Strap so that it is secure. Next, the anchor will back away from the athlete, pulling the Reactive Stretch Cord tight. This will be roughly 8 to 10 feet. The resistance will change depending on the level of athleticism of each athlete. The Reactive Stretch Cord can stretch up to 20 feet, which is a perfect distance for us to perform this drill during indoor or outdoor baseball training.
As the baseball player begins this leg exercise he will begin by throwing his hands down to load the body. During plyometric jumps such as this, athletes must utilize their arm to initiate the stretch reflex of the body. Imagine the body is a rubber band. To get maximum potential out of each jump we must first stretch the rubber band. By throwing the arms down, explosively back and then forward, we will load the muscles of the legs for a more explosive jump. Also keep in mind that squatting lower in the legs doesn't necessarily mean a more powerful jump. We must train within an athletic stance that feels natural.
As the baseball player begins to jump into the resistance they will want to focus on jumping past each cone. This is a great way to maximize jump distance. As the jumping athlete lands they will immediately load the legs again with a powerful arm swing and move directly into the next jump. The least amount of hesitation the better. During this portion it is also important that anchors continue to move with the athlete. The amount of resistance given to the jumper will be too much to maintain proper form if they stand in one place. Remember power is the key. Power is done in a resisted range so that max velocity can be maintained. Training at a higher resistance level will defeat the purpose of explosive power gains.
Play with the distances a little bit with each athlete. All athletes require different resistance levels to maintain proper form. Now that we have moved to the resisted jumps let's focus on assistance training.
Long Jumping Leg Exercise | Assisted Jumps
The assistance portion of this drill is going to be a very different leg exercise. The Broad Jump remains the same but the functions which the body undergoes will be very different. Athletes must maintain focus and understand how to keep proper form with this different angle of resistance. To begin, the Reactive Stretch Cord must be stretched to initiate the Broad Jump. Anchors must still maintain proper hand grip on the Anchor Strap as they move 8 to 10 feet away from the athlete. Some baseball players may be stronger than others and 13 to 15 feet of length can be applied. The main concern here is maintaining proper form throughout the jump. With assistance there will be much faster turnover and some athletes will struggle to initiate arm action. Baseball players must focus on maintaining the same exact form and chest tilt even with the assistance provided. The arms still must begin the stretch reflex but must be sped up. During this type of training we will be able to train our neurological functions and connective tissue to fire faster. This is a great way for us to improve muscle memory during this power specific leg exercise. Each baseball player must land on the balls of their feet and rock forward letting the RSC assistance take them farther than they have ever jumped before.
The Anchor must be mobile moving backwards very quickly in this sequence of jumps. The Broad Jumper will approach rapidly so a slight jog backwards may be necessary to maintain a level amount of resistance throughout the four jumps.
How Many Broad Jumps Should You Do
By completing 4 to 6 sets of this leg exercise baseball players are going to build strength and power in their legs. Hitting and throwing are very complicated movements that require proper technique and body control. This exercise will allow baseball players to challenge power with body control correlating into game like performance.
As you work through the repetitions and you begin to fatigue there are some things that you want to be aware of.
1) Maintain explosive arm action.
2) Continue landing on the balls of your feet with proper chest position.
3) Do not hesitate between jumps.
4) Stay in an athletic jumping stance, don't squat to deep.
5) Maintain 60 to 90 seconds of rest in between sets.
More Training? Train Shoulders, Legs, Hitting, and Throwing
Utilize this leg exercises 2 to 3 times a week after a dynamic warm-up. Adding in some core training before you begin throwing is a great idea as well. Lastly, be sure to get your shoulder work in during each practice. You can do this before or after throwing, the only difference will be intent. If you are going to be pitching you will want to limit the sets and use it more as a warm-up. If you are on an off day you can move through the KB Powerbands Shoulder Progression workout as a rotator cuff strengthening exercise. Let us know if you have any questions in the live chat box in the lower left-hand corner of the website.