Increase Throwing Velocity For Baseball With Bench Press?
Increasing throwing velocity for is on every baseball players wish list! The problem the often stops them from throwing harder and lighting up the radar gun is simply " How to increase throwing velocity ?"
One study I found surprising was where they highlighted 3 groups of baseball players:
- medicine throwing group
- strength training group
- no training group
At first, I thought for sure the medicine ball and strength training group would improve because I know the power that strength training has for baseball and how it helps increase throwing velocity and help you throw harder.
It was also obvious that the players who did nothing ... we'll ... got no results. (Big surprise there!)
But I was surprised to find that the strength training group yielded the biggest improvement in baseball players to increase their throwing velocity while the medicine ball group didn't show ANY improvement in the study as you can see the results below:
The Study Details
Overview | 8-Weeks long and broken down into 3 groups of Australian baseball players aged 16-23 who could throw at least 70 MPH
- Strength Training Group - Performed 2 exercises (Bench Press & Pullovers) for 3 sets of 8-10 RM the first 4-weeks and 3 sets of 6-8 RM for the final 4 weeks.
- Medicine Ball Group - Performed 6 sets of 8-10 medicine ball throws (over head and chest pass that weighed 6.6 lbs.)
- Control Group - Did nothing but baseball practice ... Got no results
Increase Baseball Throwing Velocity
The Conclusion Of The Throwing Velocity Study
Strength Training
Med Ball
No Training
Conclusion:
Strength training can help improve the baseball players throwing velocity. It does NOT mean it is on the only way to do so - nor should you dismiss using Medicine Balls to help athletes throw harder.
All of these tools should be used together to help baseball players increase their throwing velocity by using full body coordinated movements, strengthening muscles so they can apply more force and ability to do so rapidly.
The bench press isn't the "boogie" man and isn't going to destroy your shoulder if you perform it properly and safely. It also is not the only way TO strengthen the shoulder muscles. Do push ups, DB Bench Press, Floor press etc. But don't use "bench press is bad for baseball players" cop out to avoid the exercise.
Find what works for you, keep making progress and keep varying your training to avoid overuse injuries to stay healthy and throw heat.
You can also read similar posts and opinions from top baseball sources like Driveline and Eric Cressey on this topic as well.