Home » 10 Best Baseball Arm Strength Exercises (2023)
Baseball Tips

10 Best Baseball Arm Strength Exercises (2023)

Updated November 2022

Sooner or later, you’ll need to master some specific exercises to increase arm strength in baseball. These types of targeted workouts are critical to any player who wishes to improve their game.

The strength of your arm plays a central role in all baseball positions, including batting, pitching, and fielding.

You can hit home runs, pitch blazing fastballs, and field with accurate and quick throws, all by virtue of a strong arm. And it is incredibly simple to gain solid strength in your arm, although it requires diligence, hard work, and persistence.

arm muscle
Image From: breakingmuscle.com

Following are a number of effective exercises that will condition your arms for great strength and solidity, enabling you to play better in the field while avoiding injury.

1. Dumbbell Curls

Dumbbell curls remain one of the simplest exercises to increase arm strength in baseball.

Hold a moderately weighted dumbbell in each hand, with the weight such that you don’t feel overstrained. Hold your arms out in front of you with your palms facing up. Now slowly lift the dumbbells toward your chest.

While doing this exercise, your elbows should be locked and you should  keep your wrists stiffly in position. Do 3-5 sets of dumbbell curls every morning and you will start to feel and see a difference within a few days.

2. Bench-Press For Triceps

Triceps are among the most important arm muscles involved in throwing and other intensive baseball activities. A great exercise to strengthen your triceps is to use the regular bench-press.

Lie down on the bench and grip the bar above you. Your hands should be almost shoulder-width apart, which will exert a greater strain on your triceps and, by working them, will strengthen them.

Add lighter weights initially and work with them by slowly bringing the bar down to your chest and lifting it again. Over time, you can add more weight.

Try 3-5 sets of this exercise every day.

3. Wrist Throwing

When pitching and throwing, wrist strength plays a vital role. If you have a strong wrist, you will be able to throw harder, quicker, and farther.

A simple yet great wrist exercise is to hold your forearm at 90 degrees to your shoulder and grip a baseball in your hand. Now support your elbow with the other hand and throw the ball by using only your wrist.

A few tosses in this position every day will add significant strength to your wrist.

4. Long-Distance Throwing

At the field, you will be required to throw the baseball at varying distances, sometimes over 30 feet, at other times over 60 or 90 feet. So you should practice long-distance throwing a few times every week.

Every time you do this exercise, practice first with a shorter distance. Make 20 to 30 throws at a 30-foot distance, then 20 to 30 throws at 60 feet, and similarly at the 90-foot distance.

Practicing throwing different distances will ensure that you have sufficient arm strength to range all distances on the field.

5. 45-Degree Raises

Hold a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand so that your arms are extended and hands are facing inward. Now raise each hand at a 45-degree angle and bring your arms to shoulder height without losing the fixed position of the elbows.

This will strengthen your muscles all the way from the shoulders to the hands. Performs 3-4 sets. Make sure that when doing the exercise, you raise and lower your arms slowly and deliberately.

6. Push-Ups

One of the simplest yet most effective exercises to strengthen your throwing arm in baseball is to regularly do push-ups. To perform this exercise properly, place your hands shoulder width apart with palms on the ground. Plant your legs outstretched with only the balls of your feet touching the floor.

Now, keeping your body straight, slowly raise yourself up with the strength of your arms, and once fully raised, slowly lower yourself down.

Two sets of push-ups every day is one of the best exercises to build solid arm power.

Products:

7. Fast Tossing

One of the best arm strengthening exercises for baseball you can use to improve your throw is quick tossing.

For this exercise, you will need a partner. Have the partner stand 10 feet from you and start rapidly tossing a baseball back and forth. Your aim should be to toss the ball accurately, quickly, and with solid strength.

This will give you the feeling of being in a real baseball game and working under a clock, so you will be able to better build your arm strength to real game conditions.

Building arm strength is critical for a good baseball player. However, to accomplish this, you must be ready to dedicate a portion of your time and energy every day to arm exercises. Doing this will go a long way in gaining professional-grade performance on the field with the well-timed throws, powerful pitches, and heavy hitting prowess with the baseball bat.

8. Band Rotations (Internal And External)

Band external rotations target deceleration muscles. Here’s how you do it.

To begin with, get yourself a resistance band for arms. With the band attached to a fixed point, stand and hold the other end of the band with one hand. Bend your elbows to 90-degrees and place a rolled towel underneath the armpit to help with the pivoting. Proceed to stretch the band until you can feel the tension and rotate your arm to a 130-degree angle from the start.

Repeat the rotations and adjust the tension or band thickness as you gain more strength. As a pitcher, this exercise helps you strengthen your rotator cuff and refine your performance on the mound. It’s also part of the strength training you need to safely decelerate the forward motion of your arm so as to avoid shoulder injuries.

In the end, it’s the exercise that makes it easier for you to start, stop, and fully control the motion of your arm during pitching.

If you are training for maximum strength, you could add internal rotations. This will strengthen your accelerator muscles and improve your throw.

9. Side-Lying Windmill

The upper back is often overlooked in baseball training, yet it’s among the areas  that really require proper mobility. The side-lying windmill opens up this side of your body, enabling it to have more rotation.

It’s a pretty simple exercise. First off, make sure you have a good exercise mat. Lie on your side with the upper knee bent at 90 degrees. You can use a ball to elevate the top knee. Stretch your arms forward and bring them together as you would when clapping.

Keep one hand firmly on the ground or use it to support the bent knee and then rotate the upper hand until it makes a half circle. Let your upper back do the work as you turn and return the hand to its original position for another rotation.

The side-lying windmill is among the few baseball arm strength drills that effectively increases hip to shoulder separation. This leads to better rotational control and mobility in the hips and shoulders. The resulting torque will then help you hit harder and throw faster

10.  Shoulder Alphabet

To improve your throwing speed and accuracy, first you have to stabilize and strengthen your shoulder. This is where the shoulder alphabet comes in.

It’s one of the best arm strengthening exercises for baseball that works magic. You can use any mat or surface that’s comfortable to kneel on. Do the half kneel position where one knee is on the ground and the other out front, bent at 90 degrees.

Pick an object that’s about 2-3 pounds and hold it in the outstretched hand you’ll “write” with. Rest your other hand on your stomach and then draw the letters of the alphabet using capital letters, from A to Z. Keep the letter size between your head and waist and avoid swaying or involving the body in your hand movements.

Start with the position that’s right in front of your shoulder, then switch 45 degrees to the right and repeat the alphabet. Thereafter, move your hand back over the left side, and draw the alphabet again.

This should not only improve your shoulder stability but also your range of motion and endurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you strengthen your arm for baseball youth?

As a young baseball player still learning the game, you will always want to throw the ball with more velocity every time you play. But this could  soon result in injury because you are too vulnerable, especially if you’re a young pitcher.

To strengthen and keep your arms safe, first limit your throwing to about 15 minutes a day and make sure it’s done with a partner.  Next, learn to throw with your entire body and follow through.  Do push-ups as well to strengthen your arms, upper body, and shoulders.

Other exercises to include in your schedule include making arm circles and doing wall push-ups. Speak to a strength training coach for more guidance on how many reps and sets you should do based on age.

What exercises help you throw harder?

As a baseball player, you can only improve your throwing velocity if you focus on baseball arm strength drills that improve your mobility and endurance. Narrow down further to those that strengthen your rotator cuff, improve hip-to-shoulder separation, and increase rotational power.

Examples include the skater jump with band, chest press, Bulgarian split squat, lateral to medial jumps, kneeling anti-rotation chops, and internal external rotations, just to name a few. You can always get more ideas and help from a great baseball strength and conditioning coach.

Do not make the mistake of training like a football or basket player because movements and physical demands vary from sport to sport.

How do you increase grip strength in baseball?

Grip strength has a significant impact on offensive performance, at least according to research. To increase your grip strength, first understand that there are two areas you need to focus on: pinching strength and crushing strength.

Pinching strength is built by squeezing things between your fingers and thumb. Weight plates are perfect tools for this. You can double the intensity by increasing the weight or the amount of time you hold each pinch.

Crushing strength, as you can guess, is tied to the hand, wrist, and forearms. You have to focus on exercises that develop these three parts. Examples include wrist rollers and squeezing grippers or rubber balls.

Does long toss increase arm strength?

The answer is yes. In fact, long toss not only improves arm strength but also endurance and range of motion for your shoulders. However, an extremely long toss could be bad for your physical health.

Does grabbing rice increase grip strength?

Grabbing rice is among the rice bucket drills that not only strengthen your grip but also your forearm. For the best results, do at least 50 reps where you make a fist and then spread your hand and fingers wide. Do another 50 reps where you keep your palm flat and spread your fingers wide.

Baseball Arm Strength Exercises In Summary

Each of these exercises has a unique role to play in building your arm strength. That’s why it’s important that you give each a try.  More than half of them are actually simple and can be done at home if you have the relevant equipment.

Should you ever feel stuck, seek professional help. A coach will advise on appropriate intensity levels to use and the length of time you should dedicate to each exercise.

All the best in your workouts!