Three exercises baseball players should NOT do

Though there are few absolutes in life, except for death and taxes. The following exercises should be approached with extreme caution for baseball players, other overhead athletes, and anyone with shoulder pain. For baseball pitchers these exercises should almost never be performed. I am sure some professionals may still recommend these exercises for overhead athletes, but in my experiences they are much more likely to contribute to both shoulder and elbow injuries than prevent them.

Pull-ups

Pull ups strengthen the latissimus dorsi muscle, the large V shaped muscle on your back. Although pull ups strengthen the lats, they also create considerable tightness in the lats, thus limiting shoulder elevation which is required to throw a baseball. When the lats become tight, an individual is not able to fully raise the arm and keep it in line with the trunk. When this occurs to a baseball pitcher, the elbow drops while throwing and increases the risk of elbow injuries.

Replace pull ups instead with a Middle Trapezius exercise. Lay on your stomach with arms straight out, squeeze your shoulder blades together and raise your arms off of the floor making sure your shoulders, elbows, and hands are all level. You should feel this between the bottom of your scapulae/ shoulder blades.

If you are a baseball player and feel you must exercise your lats, perform lat pulldowns but first squeeze the bottom of your shoulder blades together and use a light weight performing at least 20 reps. Beginning a stretching and foam roller program for your lats is also beneficial and will help improve your flexibility.

Barbell bench press

Bench press primarily strengthens your pectoralis major muscles. It leads to forward and rounded shoulders, the exact opposite position desired for pitchers. Pitchers with forward rounded shoulders are at increased risk of shoulder pain and injuries as they lose the ability to elevate or raise their arms overhead. (To simulate this position, roll your shoulders as far forward as they go and try to raise your arms straight up, now repeat by squeezing your shoulders blades back without shrugging your shoulder; almost everyone will find it easier to raise your arms up with your shoulder blades back). Performing the bench press with a barbell exacerbates this position.

A better alternative is to replace this exercise with a Push up Plus to strengthen the serratus anterior. Start at the top of the pushup position and push your body away further with your shoulder blades coming out to the side and elbows remaining straight, then lower your body by squeezing your shoulder blades together again keeping your elbow straight and not shrugging your shoulders. If this is to hard initially, begin with your hands on the wall instead of floor.

You can also replace the barbell bench press by performing push-ups, but I recommend performing the push up plus afterwards. If you still insist on doing a bench press, do it with dumbbells and perform a plus motion afterwards, dumbbells will increase the stabilization within your shoulder.  Make sure to use less weight as dumbbells are usually harder than a barbell.

Shrugs

There really are no place for shrugs in the pitchers' workout. Shrugs also lead to a forward rounded shoulder. They strengthen the upper trapezius muscle which is almost never weak.

Replace the shrug with Lower Trapezius exercises. Lie on your stomach, squeeze your shoulder blades together and raise yours arms up making a "y" without shrugging your shoulders. Unlike the other exercises, I really can't give you a safer way to perform a shrug,again it really has no place in baseball and should be removed from all baseball workouts.

Performing pull-ups, bench press, and shrugs are great exercises if you are looking to build your beach muscles. However, if you are looking to play baseball, replacing pull ups, bench press, and shrugs with low trap, middle trap, and push up plus exercises is one step to maintaining the health of your arm this baseball season. Good luck and stay healthy.

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