Posted by: NAC6 () on Sun Aug 31 12:22:44 2003

This is a great site!
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> > > > How would you sugggest a player, 5'7 140 lbs get stronger? What muscle groups are more important then others? What exercies do you suggest? Any web sites online? Besides working on mechanics day in and day out what else can a player do to improve himself?
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> > > > Scott
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> > > There are so many great books out there that can help you. Plyometrics and core training are the craze. For something simple and effective, do 1000 push-ups a day and a 1000 sit-ups a day and run hills, up and down, 3 to 4 times a week. You'll be a machine in 1 month.
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> > It depends on what age. Core training is a good idea. Although I don't agree with 1000 push-up / 1000 sit-ups routine. If you work your muscles too much you can actually become weaker because your muscles don't have time to heal.
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> > If you are 15 or over. I would focus on weight lifting for power. You will gain the most strength resting 2-3 days between sessions depending on your body type. Lift up as hard as you can to train your fast-twich muscle fiber and go go down normal speed. If you are under 15 you can still lift weights but don't lift more then 60% of your guestimated max at any time.
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> > You can make your workout somewhat baseball specific by concentrating on: Shoulders, triceps, stomach (middle and sides), forarms and back are most important.
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> > Also run sprints alternating with running hills. Run approximately 40 meter sprints at FULL SPEED on grass. Make sure to strech out throughly (hamstrings, quads, calves, and butt)and run at intervals.
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> > I would also suggest buying a protein supplement because there is no way you can eat enough protein to build/gain muscle if you are working out strenously 4 times + a week.
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> You didn't give your age . But take a look at this site .. http://www.ast-ss.com . Its a great site and will gain strength fast.
> They work with several pro athletes also. Forget the sales pitch for their products ( but are very good ones just cheaper at other places) just concentrate on and use the info. And they are usually very fast in answering any questions you may have.
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> And be sure to keep up your throwing and taking those swings..

Start by training the basic muscle groups on a general total body strength training workout about three times a week and the abs. Evaluate your diet...do you eat at least 3 times a day? if so increase your food intake to maybe 3 square meals and a snack in between each meal. Try to limit intake of a lot of fast food. The diet is very important in gaining quality muscle and strength. Once you develop a good strength base, you can start splitting up your muscles into different workout sessions. You cannot focus specifically on certain muslces than others, but you can avoid building excess bulk in areas such as the chest, shoulders, and biceps. Hitting a baseball is something as a result of the entire body working in unison and you do not want wasted energy because it cannot be transferred from strong body parts to weak ones. Remember to stretch and avoid a lot of distance running as it is practicing to be slower. Focus on explosive sprint type excercises. Good luck.