Core Strength...Please Help!

[Danny03]

Hi...i am 5'10 and weight about 175 lbs. I have some muscle but want to lose my EXTRA fat in my ab, chest, and leg area. I am looking for some things i could do to build my core for pitching in baseball. The core is ESSENTIAL, and i need to build mine up. If anyone knows of any exercises could they please list them w/ sets and reps. and how many days of the week i could do. Thanks this would be a big help.

[jpfitness]

Training for sport and training for hypertrophy are two completely different methods of training, with much different end results. So what's it gonna be? I would advise that you focus on the sport, and the physique will follow.

Here is a great quote from Bill Hartman on this very topic:

Beware of hypertrophy for hypertrophy's sake. Adding muscle gained via sarcoplasmic hypertrophy/increased energy storage will be of little benefit and may in fact reduce your performance (train slow, be slow).

You will probably benefit from the power variations of the oly lifts, jerks, and the foundational strength exercises (squats, presses, rows, etc.).

The thing you need to realize is that most of the skills in baseball lay toward the speed end of the force continuum. Baseballs and bats do not weigh too much so too great an emphasis on increasing maximal strength will eventually slow you down.

Your program should always include (in approximate order of importance):

1. Baseball skill training
2. Speed activities
3. Speed-strength training (includes rotational activities)
4. Foundational Strength training
5. GPP as needed (additional energy system training, flexiblity, restoration, etc.)
6. Practice your autograph for when you make it big

The amount of each will depend on time of year relative to the season, your training tolerance, and your immediate/ongoing needs.

Good luck!

[dswithers]

Building core strength is best done with exercises that involve moving your torso through space while maintaining balance. That means exercises like squats, deadlifts, power cleans, chins, handstand pushups, dips, etc. Anything you do to incease your overall strength, coordination, balance and flexability will improve your performance in most sports. For most sports, baseball included, there are certain muscles that are more important. For pitching you need to strengthen your rotator cuff stabalizers, shoulders and arms. For batting you need to strengthen your wrists, forearms, arms, hips, legs, abs and spinal erectors. The exercises listed above can cover most of these with some added exercises for the rotator cuff stabalizers and arms and forearms.