4 GREAT STRENGTH EXERCISES FOR SOFTBALL PLAYERS

By Dan Blewett / Softball

Strength training has huge benefits for softball players…if it’s done right. The four exercises shown below are a great foundation for any girl’s lower body strength and conditioning, and will pay huge dividends if they’re integrated into a consistent training routine.

In this article, you’ll learn how to perform the Goblet Squat, Monster Walk, 1-Leg Squat and Sliding leg curl.

Four of My Favorite Strength Exercises for Softball Players

These strength exercises are both great for beginners and very effective. The #1 thing is that players stay safe as they get stronger, and these are a great place to start.

First: Great Core Exercises for Teams to Do at The Field

In this video below, I go over four of my favorite core exercises that can be done at the field, at home, or anywhere, really.

Team softball workouts are great for building strength, speed and a strong work ethic. If you’re a coach looking to add great training to practice, these core exercises are terrific.

Use these exercises as go-to’s for players who need more core stability.

1. The Goblet Squat

The goblet squat is the easiest, safest, best way to learn how to squat. It builds strong legs and can help a player throw faster, hit harder and sprint faster. It’s a great all-around exercise.

We start most softball players off with a 15lb weight if they’re new to the exercise. Start light, learn the form, then progress over time. Once a player can do 45lbs for 10 reps, we then progress them to the Front Squat.

The goblet squat is great because it’s easy, very safe and teaches excellent squatting form.

2. The Dumbbell Reverse Lunge

The dumbbell reverse lunge is a great exercise for the field, and helps build lateral hip strength and stability over the knee. Going in reverse is actually very knee friendly, so don’t think that the step backward is an arbitrary choice–backward lunges are actually easier on the knees than forward ones.

Because ACL injuries are very common in female athletes, one-legged exercises are a must and help prevent these injuries. Strength exercises for softball should include injury prevention.

One-legged exercises are also important in throwing, as lateral hip strength is a key component of good throwing technique.

Three sets of 10 per leg is a great start 1-2 times per week.

These are a lot harder than they look! They not only build leg strength, but help improve knee tracking (great for injury prevention) and lateral hip control as well.

3. Lateral Band Walk

Every single athlete in our facility does lateral band walks or one of four or five other exercises that specifically target the lateral hips. We believe heavily in injury prevention, and the lateral band walk can help fastpitch players stay healthier, longer.

The lateral band walk builds lateral hip strength, which – again – is key for helping to ward off knee injuries. This is definitely an exercise girls can do at the field that is both easy and effective when it comes to injury prevention.

4. Sliding Leg Curl

The sliding leg curl CRUSHES the hamstrings, which are very overlooked in training.

Squats and lunges are great leg builders, but they target the quadriceps (front of the thigh) much more than the glutes or hamstrings, which are absolutely critical in sprinting faster, throwing faster, or pushing off the mound (pitchers!) faster.

These are exercises that we do with every single athlete we train, and they make a world of difference. This exercise is especially great for whole teams or larger groups. The hamstrings are critical to improving sprint speed and reducing the incidences of quad strains and knee injuries.

These are a great one to start implementing right away, and when choosing strength exercises for softball players, thinking about injury prevention should always be at the top of your priorities list.

Start with three sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise 1-2 times per week.