Baseball Workouts at Home - A Complete Guide

Working out is key for any sport, finding ways to combine your workout to match the unique demands of your sport can help you reach your potential. Baseball workouts don’t have to be limited to the ballpark. From MLB to little leagues, some of the best baseball training happens individually or with family at home. It just takes a little creativity!!

After you read this article, not having access to a gym will no longer be an excuse. Read through this blog to know everything you need to know about these at-home workouts.

Before we get into it, let us quickly discuss what makes it tough about creating an at home workout. Firstly, the lack of heavy weight makes it hard to overload the muscle and make it stronger.

Secondly, the thing that’s tough about creating an at home workout is that there aren’t many options for upper body pulling movements. Pulling movements are important to develop the very crucial upper back part of a baseball players body.

We’ll need to use certain at-home implements to make some classic calisthenic or body weight movements are challenging enough to build strength. 

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To move more freely through the workout and lessen the chances of an injury, use this sample warm-up beforehand:

1. Light Jog: a light jog gradually increases your heart rate and gives your body a chance to warm up.
2. Lunges: to engage core and leg muscles, stand up straight with legs shoulder-length apart. From here, extend one leg out at a time, bend your knee into a lunge position and hold.
3. Arm Swings & Circles: to loosen up and relax your arms, spend 2-3 minutes going through a circuit of arm movements. You can start by swinging each arm forward and backward, then side to side. Afterward, rotate your arms, elbows, and wrists in a circle!
4. The Stretch: Finish your warm-up with stretches to ensure a great at-home workout.

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To train our body to be fast and explosive, we want to start the workout with some explosive exercises to effectively use the strength we are about to build. This is why the warmup is so important, as going right into explosive movements is more likely to lead to injuries if not properly warmed up.

Stat with exercises that involve lateral movements as baseball involves a ton of lateral movements, we want to make sure we increase our side to side power.

When training to be explosive it is imperative that you wait until you feel fully recovered before moving to your next set. 

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For this exercise, all you need to do is assume an athletic stance and then explode ahead as far as you can jump. For the next rep you’ll just turn around and jump back to your start position. As you go, pay attention to the distance covered and try to beat that distance as you improve over time.

Make sure when you land you keep your knees out, do not let them cave in. Keeping your knees out will help prevent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries.

Benefits: This exercise will develop explosive power in all the muscles of the lower body. The power we develop here will translate well to sprinting speed as well as accelerating out of the box.

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From an athletic position, explode laterally of one leg as far as can. Land softly and in control as possible on the opposite leg. Pause for a brief second while remaining on that one leg and explosively return to the other side.

Benefits: This will develop the lateral explosiveness that is so important to a baseball player. Much of the power that transfers through the back leg up through the torso in the hitting motion is lateral in nature. This exercise should add power to your swing. 

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From a standing position, slide one leg to the side and drop down onto that leg into the side lunge position. Try and maintain as vertical a torso as possible throughout the movement. This means I don’t want to see your chest facing the ground at the bottom of the movement. Keep your shoulders back and chest proud. From the bottom position simply press of that foot and drive back up to the standing position. Repeat all reps on one leg before switching sides.

Benefits: This is another exercise that will strengthen the muscles needed for lateral movement. It’s also an excellent overall mobility exercise for the lower body as you will get a big stretch through your groin. For that reason, this can also be a great movement to place in the pre-game or pre-practice warm-up.

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This one is a classic, so it won’t need much explanation. Assume a push-up position with your abs and butt squeezed tight. Attempt to hold that stiffness throughout the set. Attempt to “screw” your hands into the ground. This will help tighten up the back and put your shoulders in an advantageous position. As you press to the top of the push-up, make sure to press as far away from the floor as you can. For many this will become too easy. When this happens, we need to add weight. Fortunately, this isn’t a real hard thing to do at home. All you need to do is grab your backpack with the books still in it and do your push-ups with it on. You can add or remove books to increase or decrease difficulty as needed.

Benefits: The push-up does a great job developing all the pressing muscles of the upper body. It is also a great move to develop shoulder stability because your back is forced to stabilize everything as you move up and down. It also can be a great way to develop strength throughout the mid-section as you are forced to remain rigid throughout. 

Lay on your back with your knees bent. Take one leg off the ground and hold it there. Staying in this position, press through the heel of the down foot and shoot your hips up into the air. At the top of the movement, there should be a straight-line knee to shoulders. Repeat all reps on one side before moving to the other leg.

Benefits: The glutes are a huge muscle group with lots of potential for strength and power. By strengthening the glutes with this exercise, we can sprint faster and accelerate with more explosion. The glutes also help hold the body in better positions so that other muscles can work properly. This is important in any kind of stance whether it be in the infield, at the plate, or even for a catcher.

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Directions: In this series, you’ll do a side plank on both sides and then finish with a traditional plank without resting. For the side plank, all your weight will be on one elbow/forearm and the side of your foot. For the traditional plank, you’ll be on both elbows and both toes. For both exercises you’ll want to focus on keeping your glutes and abs tight while being as long from head to feet as you can.

Benefits: The core is hugely important in baseball. It is what transfers force from the powerful legs to your upper extremities. If our mid-section is weak, you will “leak” power before it ever reaches our arms. 

Directions: For this exercise, you’ll have to assume a bent over position as if you were lying face down on an incline bench. From there, with your thumbs up towards the sky, you’ll raise your arms up over head in “Y” shape.

After completing the Y-Raise reps, you’ll move straight into the T-Raise reps. While holding the same position with thumbs still up, raise your arms up to the sides by squeezing your shoulder blades together. With both movements, you want to try and feel the muscles around your shoulder blades working. Hold the top of each rep for about a second and then repeat.

Benefits: These movements will directly train the musculature of the upper back which is very important for keeping the shoulder joint healthy. These exercises must be taken seriously to help prevent throwing injuries at the shoulder. Once using just your hands becomes too easy, you can do the exercises while holding onto to two baseballs. 

Directions: Step back with your left leg into a lunge. Lean back slightly and reach your left arm to the sky as you twist your torso over your front (right) leg. Step into the next lunge and repeat for 10 reps, then do 10 on the other side.

Benefits: This decreases the risk of injury in the lower back while stressing the hip flexors, which will give you more rotational ability each time you throw the ball.

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Directions: Turn your hips to the left and reach back with your left foot until it’s two feet outside and behind your right foot. (Your legs should effectively be crossed.) Make sure your left toes are pointing at your right heel. Finally, rotate your hips to a neutral position so you’re facing forward again. Slowly lower yourself into a squat. Drive off your right leg, stand up, and repeat for 10 reps. Switch legs and do another 10 reps.

Benefits: To improve flexibility in the hips and glutes, which play major roles in all baseball movements. 

Directions: Stand facing a solid wall about three feet away. Hold the ball at waist level. Rotate your trunk away from the wall. Start the throw by powerfully rotating your hips toward the wall, followed by your trunk, arms and the ball. Catch the ball with one hand under the ball and the other behind it, and with your arms slightly bent. Repeat for 10 reps, then switch sides.

Benefits: This improves your ability to store and release energy from the hips, which is crucial when swinging a bat or throwing a ball. 

Directions: Stand balanced on the right leg, with the left foot on the ground. Squat slightly with the right leg, then use the leg and glutes to jump laterally. Extend through your ankle, knee, and hip, and land on the opposite leg only, making sure to maintain your balance. Repeat to the other side. Hold for a count of three on each side. Do 10 per side.

Benefits: To build explosive lateral power in your legs, which is important when on the bases and in fielding. 

Directions: Hold a kettlebell with two hands against your chest as if preparing to drink from it goblet-style. Squat by sitting your hips back and down, keeping the weight in the heels of your feet without lifting your toes. Make sure the kettlebell is touching your chest throughout the move. Your elbows should gently touch your knees. Rise and extend powerfully through the hips. Repeat for 10 reps.

Benefits: To develop power in the lower body.

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Directions: Holding light dumbbells or using just your body weight, step out into a lunge. Lower the hips toward the ground by squatting back and down. Without letting the back knee touch the ground, drive your weight back up with the front leg. Do 10 reps with that leg forward, switch legs and repeat.

Benefits: This increases balance and strength in your hips and leg muscles. 

Directions: Place a mini band around your legs, positioned just above the knees. Move to the right by pushing with your left leg and stepping laterally with your right. Bring your left foot back to the starting position and continue for 10 reps. Switch sides.

Benefits: This helps you focus on shifting weight, which is crucial in baseball whether you’re throwing or batting. 

Directions: Start in a push up position with elbows extended. From that position, fire your legs explosively, making sure to use your arms for momentum, and sprint forward 10 yards. Make sure you drive your feet hard into the ground, in a piston-like motion, as you run. Rest 30 seconds and repeat for five reps.

Benefits: This improves acceleration, an underrated baseball skill, and one that’s especially valuable when sprinting out of the batter’s box, going from first to third, or running down balls in the outfield. 

The importance of cooling down cannot be stressed enough. Cooling down prevents future injuries and reduces muscle soreness.

Here are some stretches to make sure you’re finishing your home workout the right way:

Iron crosses: While lying down and keeping your back flat on the floor, bring your arms out to form a “T” pose. Gradually bring one leg up to its opposite arm and hold.

Knee to chest: While lying flat on your back, bring one knee up to your chest while keeping your opposite leg relaxed.

High kicks and butt kicks: Work these kicks into your cool-down routine to improve and develop your form.

Overhead stretch: To stretch your arms and upper body, put your fingers together and push your palms, arms, and back up. 

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