Ab Exercises for a Softball Player

A softball coach will bark countless times about bending your knees and staying low to the ground. You have to lower your center of gravity to maintain balance and change direction quickly. In addition, the major movements of softball – running, jumping and throwing – require a strong core, which consists of your abdominals, lower back and hip muscles. A regimen of sit-ups, crunches and leg lifts is not enough. If you want to shine on the softball field, you need to follow a core conditioning program that develops functional strength in your entire abdominal region.

  1. Traditional Abs Training vs. Core Conditioning

    • Traditional training for the abs was originally drawn from bodybuilding, the objective of which is to build and define muscle mass. But there is a difference between training your abs for aesthetic reasons and conditioning your core for performance in softball. Instead of isolating and building up a muscle, aim to train your trunk as a unit and engage stabilizing muscles during movements. For example, traditional abdominal exercises fail to work the transversus abdominus, which is a deep abdominal muscle that functions to stabilize your whole trunk, according to an article on Bodybuilding.com. When playing softball, a stable core enables you to transfer maximal amount of energy from your legs to your upper body.

    Periodization of Your Regimen

    • Core strengthening exercises should follow a progressive order, which is known as periodization. Develop stability first, proceed to strength and then work on power. Begin by developing the ability to stabilize your trunk while initiating movement. Focus next on strength exercises that will help you to produce the maximum amount of force possible. In the third stage of a training regimen, perform exercises that enable your muscles to contract with strength and speed. A stable core is the foundation for speed and power, but this is typically ignored in abs conditioning for softball. Without proper posture and balance, you’ll produce dysfunctional movements.

    Stabilization Exercises

    • Core stabilization exercises will develop your ability to isolate and maintain a contraction of your deep abdominals. For example, perform two sets of the bridge position, holding the peak position of the exercise for 30 to 45 seconds. Another exercise is the mountain climber in which you lean over a stability ball and place your elbows and forearms on it. Draw one knee at a time toward the ball while sucking in your abdominals. Perform two sets of eight to 10 reps for each leg. Sit-ups on a stability ball will also strengthen your abs while activating your stabilizing muscles.

    Strength and Power

    • Exercises for functional strength hinge on working your trunk as a unit. By using an exercise ball, you’re forced to use your stabilizer muscles while simultaneously building your abs. For example, perform a jackknife exercise on the ball. Begin by moving into a push-up position on the floor and place your shins and the tops of your feet on the ball, supporting your upper body on your hands. Slowly bend your knees to roll the ball toward your arms. Curl your body into a tucked position, rounding your back, and then return to the starting position. Another exercise involves a push-up position on a wobble board. With your hands on either side of the board, turn it as if you’re steering a car. To develop power, perform overhead throws with a medicine ball. For a more softball-specific exercise, throw the medicine ball with stride, hip rotation and throw motions.