With baseball season in full swing, young athletes who are passionate about the sport and want to up their game while also reducing the risk of injury can benefit from spending time focusing on improving shoulder strength. Shoulder exercises for strength and stability can help baseball players improve their throwing and pitching performance while also reducing the risk of shoulder pain, impingement, and injury. This is important in baseball, especially in young athletes, to ensure the game can be enjoyed for many years.
The best shoulder workouts progress from building a strong base of shoulder strength from foundational exercises, to exercises that more closely replicate throwing motions, and progress to moves that require speed and coordination. As shoulder strengthening exercises advance, they help improve endurance, range of motion, and stability, all essential components of success not only on the baseball diamond but also behind home plate and on the field.
A 4-Week Shoulder Strengthening Program
This training program is designed to be completed with minimal equipment and space and was created with middle school and high school athletes in mind. However, all the exercises can be modified to either increase or decrease the level of challenge. For each of the four weeks, athletes should aim to complete the routine 3-4 times to ensure they’re ready for the progression of the program. Each routine should take about 15-20 minutes to complete.
-
Shoulder Strengthening: Week 1
This week we will focus on building the basics of shoulder strength for baseball players. The fundamentals are crucial for all levels of baseball player. Having a strong base of shoulder strength will help maintain shoulder health and reduce the risk of injury.
-
Shoulder Strengthening: Week 2
In week two we will focus on building off some of the foundational exercises from last week and starting to transition to strengthening exercises that more closely replicate the throwing positions. We will also start to introduce concepts of rhythmic stabilization and how to train scapular loading at home.
-
Shoulder Strengthening: Week 3
This week we are starting to focus on developing skills with exercises by introducing exercises that require coordination and speed. These exercises should help with endurance and improve shoulder stability during the throwing motion.
-
Shoulder Strengthening: Week 4
For week 4 of our 4-week shoulder strengthening program, we have progressed to more challenging exercises that require coordination and speed. Don’t be afraid to try to push your limits with the speed exercises. If you are not pushing yourself and making mistakes, you won’t get faster!
Are you having shoulder pain?
This program was designed for players without shoulder pain. If you are having shoulder pain while throwing, and would like professional guidance from a PT, please click on the link to schedule an appointment.
