The Complicated Relationship Between Baseball and the Bench Press

The Complicated Relationship Between Baseball and the Bench Press

It is no secret that some baseball coaches live to hate the bench press. The bench press develops the muscles of the chest and anterior shoulder, and, when used too often in strength training programs, can cause tightness and imbalances that put baseball and softball players at risk for shoulder injury. But does this mean we should simply ditch the bench altogether? Scott Colby, M.A., CSCS, lends his expertise on the relationship between the sport of baseball and the bench press, and makes a case for keeping this controversial lift in your training program.

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Grip It and Rip It: Grip Strength and Batting Power

Grip It and Rip It: Grip Strength and Batting Power

Coaches know grip strength is important in many sports: football, gymnastics, and rowing, to name a few. But how does grip strength—or grip endurance—correlate to sports that involve striking with an implement, like baseball? Coach Scott Colby, guest author, has conducted a research study into the topic and shares his findings today on the Volt blog.

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