Lifting for baseball?

[M Mike]

I'm a freshman trying to make the High school baseball team and need to get stronger if i am to have a chance of making the team this year. Try outs are on march 24. I'v been doing a whole body workoutfor about 1 month so far, seeing pretty good gains in all areas, strenth, and size. What can i do to help my out some more? By the way I'm a pitcher/ second baseman.

[Pitcher3]

Make sure you focus on your core and lower body. That means squat! To get stronger make sure you are lifting to get stronger by doing low reps with high weight. 5x5 3x3x2 etc. Lunges are great for pitchers too. Just make sure you hit every lift you can to make your legs as strong as they can be because that's where you generate most of your power.

Also do abs. Use medicine balls and weights to make your core strong as well.

Don't forget your upper body though. Many people disagree about different techniques for upper body but it is still vitale to a ball player's game. I believe either doing towel bench so that my arms go parallel to the floor and don't hyperextend or dumbell bench. Try and do rotator cuff excercises as well to get your arm in shape to prenvent injuries.

Make sure you are fueling your body with what it needs. Intake plenty of protein and water.

Good luck! And update us on your results.

[M Mike]

HAHAHA I Made the team!!!! Now that i'm on it should i lift during the season or wait till its over, its only 2 months?

[Pitcher3]

Originally Posted by M Mike

HAHAHA I Made the team!!!! Now that i'm on it should i lift during the season or wait till its over, its only 2 months?

I definetly suggest lifting during the season. Or else you risk losing all the gains you have made. If you are pitching lift lower body after you pitch and then the next day do upper body. Just try to get in 1 or 2 workouts a week and you'll be in great shape.

[joeywetmor]

I'm a pitcher myself (college), and I'm with Pitcher3. If you stop lifting now, you risk the chance of losing a lot of these improvements you've seen.

I use a protein supplement to help myself recover from the workouts a little faster, but you're a little young. I don't know if I'd recommend that kind of stuff to a high school freshman.
I would advise being careful with your workouts--don't push yourself as hard as you were in the offseason. Shoot for more reps and lower weights; a trainer I had even said to go with 30% of what I was lifting in the offseason (which seemed too little to me, but apparently it works--I go about 40-50%).

I'd say focus on the squats and lower body workouts. The majority of your power comes from there anyways.
You're young, and you don't want to push yourself too hard. Try starting off with just 25-30% of your regular weights with the arms, and just see how you feel. With all the throwing you're going to be doing, you'd be surprised what a workout you can get from just lifting a fraction of what you usually lift.

Workout during the season--just be smart about it.