Baseball Workout for Speed and Strength

If you’re heading into off-season training, then you should try this baseball workout for speed and lower body strength.

If you’re not familiar with the five tools of baseball training, check this out to get back up to speed... In this baseball workout, we’re specifically working on speed and hitting for power with a focus on speed mechanics, acceleration drills, and strength training.

So follow along with the workout below. I’ll also share the full video (above) of my guys doing the entire baseball training session.

Speed Drills for Baseball Players

1. Arm Pump Drill – 4×10 seconds

The arm pump drill works on the upper body mechanics of a sprint. It consists of two “phases.”During the first phase, you swing with the arms straight (see picture above). This lasts five seconds.

For the second phase, or last five seconds of the drill, you’ll break down, bringing the arms into “sprint” position, moving through the shoulders as fast as you can with good mechanics. To do this, start with your hand next to your face, reducing the angle of the elbow. Then, chop down at the hip so the elbow angle opens up.

2. Lateral Broad Jump – 2×5

Begin with the feet just outside shoulder width in a staggered stance. From here, push off both feet getting them up off the ground as high as possible, and landing as far forward as you can.

3. Ground Starts – 3×10 Yards

Start lying on your stomach. On a whistle, you’ll push up to standing as fast as you can while maintaining your acceleration position. It helps to keep the chin tucked which prevents you from standing up too early.

4. Lateral Ground Starts – 4×10 Yards

Start in the same position as you did the ground starts, except you’ll face the same direction you would running the bases. From there, pop up and drive off your front leg moving laterally.

5. 60 Starts – 5×10 Yards

Get into your 60 stance. (For more help with your 60 sec dash, see this post). Run hard through 10 yards, then decelerate.

Baseball Workout Strength Training

1. A. Low Handle Trap Bar Deadlift – 5×4

I encourage athletes to use the low handles on the trap bar deadlift, to build strength through an extended range of motion. This is a drill I’ll begin using in a baseball workouts at the start of off season, building up to heavy 1-3 rep maxes leading up to competition.

1. B. Lateral Monster Walks 5×5 Yards Each Way

This is a simple activation exercise I like to use in between sets of trap bar deadlift. It activates the muscles of the hips that are usually underdeveloped in most athletes.

2. Bulgarian Split Squats – 3×8 Each

Bulgarian split squats might be one of the most miserable exercises to perform, but one of the best for your performance.

Make sure to sink down into the lowest position of your split squat, putting less strain on the front knee. It’s normal to feel a stretch in that hamstring and glute as they support the movement.

3. Tempo Buddy Hamstrings – 2×8 Reps

I use buddy hamstrings to build eccentric strength in the hamstrings.

In this baseball workout, I don’t want the athlete to go as slow as they can, but rather to move steadily and at a constant tempo both eccentrically and concentrically.

More Baseball Workouts

Baseball players need to build serious power. And you can’t get power from one workout.

I have a couple of baseball workouts floating around on the blog here, but I’ve also created a 90 Day Baseball Power Program… the exact protocol I use with my MLB athletes.

Inside, you’ll gain access to: