Total-Body Movement Exercises for Baseball and Softball Training

Total-body exercises can be great tools for baseball and softball players. They allow you to work the many muscle groups involved in the game in one fell swoop. One such exercise, according to Frank Velasquez, director of sports performance for Allegheny Health Network, is the Turkish get-up.

“The Turkish get-up has been around for years and years and years, and it’s used in all realms of athletics and activity,” he says. “What we like about it is that it takes about every joint to move to get [you] from the lie-down position to the standing position.”

This exercise can be done with or without weights, making it adaptable for all skill levels. For this example, we’ll use a kettlebell.

To perform the Turkish get-up, start by lying on your back. With a kettlebell in one hand, raise your arm straight up in front of you and lock your shoulder in for stability. Bend your knee on the same side of your body as your raised arm. Place your other leg outstretched on the floor at a slight angle. Your first movement should be to sit up, propping yourself up on your elbow. Then, straighten your arm to place your balance on your hand. Remember to always keep your eyes fixed on your raised hand.

Once you’re up on your hand, pause for a second and then lift your hips. Your next movement will be to swipe your straightened leg through the other side underneath your hips. You should end up resting on your knee behind your bent leg. Once your leg is through, hinge at the hip to bring your back hand off the ground. Swing your back foot out to become more in line with your body. Finally, rise into a standing position, or what Velasquez calls the “Statue of Liberty.”

The Turkish get-up is not complete, however, until you are back on the ground in your starting position. “Hit the reverse button,” Velasquez says. “Hand down, leg through, hips down, elbow, back.”

Velasquez also says to keep your eyes on the weight and your shoulder stable.

Another quality total-body exercise for baseball and softball mobility training is the reboot. This exercise requires a small piece of resistance tubing gripped at both ends. Begin the reboot with your arms extended overhead, with your hands holding the tubing like you would a barbell. From here, according to Velasquez, you will forward flex like you’re trying to touch your toes.

Next, move into a deep squat, like a catcher, and snatch the tubing from your feet to an overhead position again. Stand and repeat for a few more repetitions to complete this exercise.

Total-body workouts can be efficient, effective additions to your training this season. Use these Pro Tips to boost your workouts from head to toe.

Want to add more to your training schedule this season? Try plyometric drills, agility and footspeed exercises and training for improved rotational power for more layers you can incorporate into your baseball and softball workout program.