Baseball and Gymnastics Strength Training

Hey everyone!

I have been exploring this forum for a while now and have finally decided to post because I have a lot of questions (and this community seems very nice, informative, and willing to help out!) 

I am looking into doing GST and I am a complete beginner with no background in gymnastics at all. I am a college baseball player looking to get stronger and become more athletic for my sport. I want to be explosive, strong, and have all the attributes of an elite athlete (I am sure you've heard this many times before). I was wondering what you guys would recommend for me as a baseball player; I am reaching out on this forum to hopefully obtain some advice on where I should go with my strength and conditioning. I know that it really is undisputed that GST is the best way to gain upper body strength. I was hoping that I could use gymnastics training, as it seems to improve movement and strength in multiple dimensions and I want to use it to advance my baseball skills. 

I am writing this post to ask you guys, the GB community, if you think starting with F1 would give me what I am looking for in regards to strength, mobility, flexibility, and explosiveness. Getting massively big is nice and all, but that has a means to an end in baseball. It only takes you so far. In using gymnastics training and becoming stronger and more flexible, I hope to become more flexible and have the ability to make better plays in the field (I play shortstop, a position that requires a lot of movement and athleticism) and I was wondering if you guys believe F1 would be a good place to start all this. 

Thank you guys so much for taking the time to read this post, and I look forward to hearing you're feedback!

Doesn't your baseball team have a trainer that covers this or are you on your own because it's the summer?

What year are you in? 2 or 4 year school? Goals of just playing college ball or beyond ( TBH, I'll probably just end up asking my old boss as he played at the University of Texas [not really sure what kind of program that is]).

It's summer at the JuCo now so all the athletes have gone home and are probably doing whatever. But in season, they would be under the direction of their coaches and whoever is doing their S&C.

Since you are a position player, your training doesn't have to be as specific as a pitcher ( and of course that would differ based on starter, middle innings guy setup man, closer, etc)



I think it would be good as an adjunct to your training but not solely if you are looking towards furthering your potential as a collegiate or professional baseball player. Time is critical if you only have 1-3 years left of college ball.

http://www.ericcressey.com/5-things-that-might-surprise-you-about-our-baseball-strength-and-conditioning-programs

http://www.baseballstrength.org/season-strength-conditioning-overview-professional-baseball-player/

http://www.baseballstrength.org/speed-training-for-athletes/

 

No trainer in the summer! I am going to be a junior. Definitely planning on playing professionally. If GST is the best way to build upper body strength, wouldn't it translate very well into other sports as well?? It also seems like Olympic lifts are the best way in which to develop lower body strength and explosion, but I do not even know where to start on the integrating the two nor do I have any idea how to program, so I figured F1 would be the most logical starting point. I have lifted before, obviously, I am just looking to take a new approach with GST!

Thanks so much for the response!

The answer to your question really depends on what your goals for baseball are. Just like Blairbob said, do you plan on playing past college, or is that the end of the line? What year you're in is also going to dictate the approach you take to training.

1) What were you currently doing for S&C during the school year?

2) What is your strength like (pullups, dips, squat, deadlift. feel free to list bench press, snatch, clean, etc)

a) do you need to bring up your throwing arm or bat speed. Are you more of a singles/doubles hitter relying on speed on the bases or do you have the ability to hit doubles off the wall and the long ball ( could range anywhere as a SS).

3) You could call and email Cressey. I'm sure they would talk to a bit and push you toward their HighPerformanceHandbook which costs 99-129$ or about coming in to a camp or their facility in Massachusetts or Florida. No idea if those are close or making a small trip is feasible. Knew a kid who was on these forums a few years ago and was close to them apparently and eventually trained with him and always had good things to say of them. Supposedly he trained with Chris Lincecum.

a) doesn't necessarily need to be Cressey but he's the only one I know of offhand (besides my old boss who works more with youth baseball players) Pick someone or something and stick to it. You have less than 2 years in your college ball career (minus something like redshirting a year or something). My boss was a 2nd baseman who know owns/runs a S&C/fitness gym in Sac (which also houses a Weightlifting team and used to share space with SuperTraining [Mark Bell and Powerlifting]). I could probably get you in contact with him if you wish (I'll give his gym info and you can tell him I sent ya).

4) GST should cover your bases fine as towards core and upper body development. Tack on a basic lower body development program such as GSLP or 531/Beyond531 for the summer. Obviously in season, I'm guessing you will have to do whatever S&C the baseball team does besides the S&C coach writes [that's how they do it at this JrCollege in which my buddy, the WL coach, is the S&C coach]).

 

I am not going to lie and say I am incredibly strong. I cannot just bang out push ups and dips and if I can probably do a few pull ups correctly. I am a tall and skinny kid. About 6 foot 4 inches 180-185 pounds. If gymnastic bodies would cover my needs for upper body development, how do I implement weights for lower body development? I am reading as much as I can, but I know if you do not train correctly then you would not make as much progress as if you were to follow a program that is made by someone who knows what they are talking about. That is why I am leaning towards F1. I know bodyweight exercises are best for the upper body, but weights are best for the lower body. I just do not know how to combine the two.

How does a college level athlete not have the ability to do push-ups or dips....

Are you really a baseball player?

tbaseball said:

If gymnastic bodies would cover my needs for upper body development, how do I implement weights for lower body development? .... I know bodyweight exercises are best for the upper body, but weights are best for the lower body. I just do not know how to combine the two.

Foundations actually has both covered. The FLS progressions take care of leg strength starting with body weight exercises and later incorporating weights.

Sean, you'd be surprised how weak some of the ball players at our JuCo are. I have no idea if our team is any good or not nor do I really know if SacState was (though they seemed to be stronger and bigger than our guys). There are a few guys with decent strength (I think one of the pitchers who is a big ole guy PC near #300 and BS about #450 but only throws mid to high 80's).

Being a shortstop, it does make a lot of sense as most tend to be slim. Gotta have a good arm and glove and it's always a plus if they can slap the ball and run the bases. There are a few SS who can now hit for some power but it's never been a position where it's necessary to have a powerful bat. 

You've got about 2 months left before you go back to college. I think our JuCo spring was done in early May so that gives them about 3 months off. No idea what our JuCo guys are doing now back home. Some are strong guys while quite a few are fairly scrawny and I wouldn't call them strong by any stretch. I should ask the S&C/WL coach what he told them for the offseason.

Have you asked your coach what you should do or whoever is doing the S&C at your college? Is there any S&C facility near your home right now? Or hell, even a 24HR to set yourself up on GSLP or 5-3-1 on. Those are fine programs for beginners so long as you have a clue how to squad, dead, and press. There is nothing saying you have to do the Olympic Lifts for these 2 months. 

Seriously, go ask the professionals instead of some gymnastics dudes on the internet. That's including me.

Gymnastics can build upper body strength per bodyweight the best. But it's not a fast route. You have 2 years and that means you definitely need to be A LOT stronger by fall 2016. 

Of course, what really matters is transferring over this newfound strength to speed on the bases and putting a charge in the ball. I'm not sure deck squats and single leg squats are going to give you that speed and power. GST is a long journey.

A buddy of mine have long talked about the amalgam of the barbell for lower body and GST for upper body though as a position player it wouldn't probably wouldn't hurt to be doing pulldowns and rows if your pull strength is so weak. Most of our Juco guys aren't jerking but they are cleaning with even some snatch work and lots of pulls work. Squats, pulls, bench, dips, pullups (though there is more care when dealing with pitchers than position players), plyos, ab stuff and whatever stupid things they come up with for grip work in their own time (seriously, they love coming up with stupid exercises for their grip like bouncing a plate off the ground and catching while kneeling over a low bench).