Strength Testing for Baseball Players
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When it comes to picking the right exercises for testing, it is extremely important to understand how each exercise relates to the specific task of becoming a better baseball player.
I can provide you with some suggestions, but ultimately, you must decide which is best for yourself or your athletes (if you are a coach).
Here are a few examples of strength exercises you might test and why:
BB Back Squat, BB Front Squat, or Deadlift: These provide representations of how much force athletes can produce into the ground. This is a requirement for high throwing and batting velocities for most athletes. Plus, these exercises are staples within most strength training programs, so we know athletes will get a lot of practice executing them safely.
BB/DB Split Squat or BB/DB Reverse Lunge: These are representations of how much force athletes can produce into the ground in a split-stance (also referred to as "unilateral stance"). Since many baseball-specific actions are performed on one leg or in a split-stance, it may be preferable to the bilateral squat or deadlift.
BB/DB Bench Press: This is a measurement of upper body pressing strength, which requires stability and synchrony of the muscles that surround the shoulder in order to effectively transfer force and move the external load (barbell or dumbbell).
DB One-arm Row: This is a measurement of upper body pulling strength, which also requires stability and synchrony of shoulder and back complex. It is particularly important that strength and proper patterning is developed in these areas in order to aid in effective throwing mechanics.
I want to emphasize that growth in these exercises does not guarantee results on the field. Adequate strength is a foundation for power and speed, but increasing your back squat 10-15 lb will not guarantee an extra 3 mph out of your hand or off the bat.
Additionally, this list only includes exercises that are tested in the weight room. I also highly encourage on-field evaluations that are higher on the velocity spectrum, such as throwing velocity, bat speed, exit velocity, acceleration (sprinting), and change of direction ability, if possible.
As a final note, I would like to pose the idea that constant monitoring and tracking may be safer and may provide more useful data than intermittent testing. However, there are practical barriers to monitoring and tracking such as data collection, technology, and data analysis, particularly within small coaching staffs that are already time-deficient. For this reason, some coaches may opt to utilize intermittent testing in order to establish baselines and monitor improvement throughout a development cycle.
For more information related to athlete testing, see 3 Rules for Testing Your Athletes.
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