5 Baseball Drills (New!)

Baseball is one of my favorite sports.  Both to play and to watch however I have yet to write about it so today I want to focus our workout drills around this fantastic sport.  Before we start be sure to stretch before doing these exercises.

The first baseball drill I want to talk about is an infielders catching drill.  You need 4 players to run this exercise.  You need a catcher, 1st baseman, 2nd baseman and a 3rd baseman.  The catcher is going to play the batters position as well.  To begin the drill the batter who is also the catcher is going to throw a fast ball to the 3rd baseman.  Now the 3rd baseman is going to throw a fast ball to the first baseman.  Finally, the 1st baseman is going to throw a fast ball to the catcher.
To continue, the batter/catcher is going to throw a fastball to the 2nd baseman, then the 2nd baseman is going to throw a fastball to the 1st baseman.  Finally, the 1st baseman is going to throw a fastball to the catcher.  From here you can repeat these two catching drills or you can continue.
To continue, the batter/catcher is going to throw a fast ball to the 2nd baseman, then the 2nd baseman is going to throw to the 1st baseman.  Now the 1st baseman is going to throw to the 3rd baseman and finally the 3rd baseman is going to throw a fastball to the catcher.  Again from here you can repeat these three catching drills or you can continue further.
To continue, the batter/catcher is going to throw a fast ball to the 1st baseman, then the 1st baseman is going to throw a fast ball to the 1st baseman, then the 1st baseman is going to throw a fast ball to the 3rd baseman.  Now the 3rd baseman is going to throw to the 2nd baseman then finally the 2nd baseman is going to throw a fast ball to the catcher.

These four catching drills are serious and they are designed to have your players effectively act off instinct.  To change it up even more the batter/catcher can throw grounders instead of throwing fast balls.

The second baseball exercise I want to talk about is an outfielders drill.  Your outfielders are basically catching fly balls and ground balls.  You are going to need an infield and an outfield to run this drill.  To begin this exercise your batter is going to hit a ball to the outfielders.  The outfielders will then catch it and throw it to the infielders.  The infielders will then run one of the infield catching drills that we previously went over.  What catching drill the infielders run depends on which baseman the outfielders throw the baseball to.  This exercise drill is meant to enhance your players speed and reaction time making their instinct more effective.

The third baseball exercise is a short stop drill.  For this exercise you are going to need a full infield including a batter/catcher, a 1st baseman, 2nd baseman, 3rd baseman and of course two short stops.  To begin, the batter is going to hit grounders to one of the two short stops.  Now the short stop will throw the baseball to either the 1st, 2nd or 3rd baseman.  From here your baseman will run one of the infield catching drills that we previously discussed.  What catching drill your infield runs will depend on what baseman the short stop threw the baseball to.  This short stop drill will enhance your short stops ability to work with your baseman thereby tightening up the infielders game.  This is an extremely important baseball drill because your short stops guard the two pockets that keep the ball in play.

The fourth baseball exercise is a catching drill that requires 8 players.  4 regular players and 4 short stops.  The 4 regular players are going to stand across from each other so that their area is in the shape of a square.  You want to have a good amount of distance between them so they can throw fast balls.  Now your 4 short stops are going to stand in between them but position themselves further back.  To begin the drill the 4 regular players are going to throw the baseball back and fourth to each other occasionally throwing grounders to the short stops.  The short stops are then either going to toss the baseball to one of the players next to them or throw a fast ball to one of the regular players across from them.  The short stops should never throw to each other.  This is a serious catching drill that will tighten up your whole infield.

The fifth baseball exercise drill is a pitching drill.  For this exercise you are going to need to hand a tire from a tree.  Now all you are going to do is stand back and pitch the baseball through the tire.  Do this baseball/pitching drill consistently and you will enhance your pitching skills.

Workout: 5 to 7 Set Rule

The hardest thing about exercising is starting out.  Even after you have picked a few effective exercises for your workout routine you still are left trying to figure out how much of each exercise to do.  Even doing push-ups requires you to follow a few principles or rules in order to achieve the results you are looking for.  Getting the most out of your workout is what's important and it's that which I am going to discuss today.  The following principle is a set rule that you can apply to all of your exercises and expect the best results out of your workout routine. 

What is the 5 to 7 rule?
The 5 to 7 rule is a basic rule that states that you do five to seven sets of each exercise.

What is a set? What is a Repetition?
Although in this case the exercise doesn't matter I am going to use push-ups for this explanation.  A repetition is the number of push-ups you do at one time.  So if you do 10 push-ups than you have done 10 push-up repetitions.
Now a set is how many times you have done those 10 push-ups.  If you have only done 10 push-ups then you have done 1 set with 10 push-up repetitions in that set.  If you do another 10 push-ups then you have done 2 sets of push-ups with 10 push-up repetitions in each set.

This is the rule that you want to follow for each exercise.  You are going to do 5 to 7 sets of each exercise with 10 to 15 repetitions in each set.  Building your workout around this principal will guarantee a safe and steady growth rate.

When starting a workout routine you do 5 sets of each exercise with 10 to 15 repetitions in each set.  After you have done this for a while you increase the set rate to 6 sets for each exercise still doing 10 to 15 repetitions in each set.  Again after you have done this for a while and as it becomes easier to you then increase the set rate ratio again to 7 sets of each exercise with of course 10 to 15 repetitions in each set.

As far as weight increasing goes make sure you don't over lift and make sure to balance out your repetitions properly so you don't injure yourself.  Your sets and the appropriate amount of break time between each set will prove more effective than pushing to much weight in each set.  Make sure you stretch before each workout to avoid injury.

Before I end this post I want to talk about a cardiovascular workout that will increase stamina and endurance as well as enhance muscle growth.  Being a fan of boxing exercises I want to briefly talk about an intense workout with a punching bag.  Because I don't have time to go to the gym I workout on one of my own at home.  I usually do a 30 min. warm down after an intense workout.  I break the whole workout into 5 to 7 sets with 5 to 7 min. intervals.  In only a short time I have noticed some serious results.  For a cheap and easy way to start an extreme boxing workout visit:  http://myweave.blogspot.com

Leg Routine Workout: Spartans, Bunny Hops (with a twist), Front Stance Leg Press

How do you pick a routine that will guarantee the results your looking for?  Personally I prefer to find the area that needs the most work and build a routine around it.  Today I want to discuss a leg routine that will not only help shape your legs but massively enhance your lower and upper leg structures.  I'm talking about your thighs, calves, ankles and upper legs.  This routine includes three simple but serious exercises that will workout these major areas giving you not only the look you are going for but also the strength you need to enhance the rest of your body.

First I want to talk about Spartans.  Spartans are a cardiovascular exercise that gives a workout to your legs, abdominals as well as your upper body.  There are different variations of this exercise.  One way of performing this workout is by doing it without weights and the other of course is by using weights.  I recommend starting out by doing this exercise without weights however after you have been doing this workout for a little while and you are comfortable with it you add weights for a more intense workout.  To begin this exercise stand with your feet shoulder width apart.  Now bend down touching your hands to the ground then throw your legs back into push-up position.  Immediately bring your legs back up and stand up into starting position.  Do 5 to 7 sets of this exercise with 15 to 20 repetitions in each set.  When you're ready to add weights do the same thing.  Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.  Set the weights out in front of you.  Now bend down grabbing the bar of the weights.  Sprawl your legs back into push-up position then immediately bring your legs back up to the bar.  Keeping your back straight stand up lifting the weights up to your chest then set the weights back down on the floor in front of you.  Do 5 to 7 sets of this exercise with 10 to 15 repetitions in each set.

The next exercise I want to discuss is one that not only gives a workout to your legs but also works out your hips.  Bunny hops are an extreme exercise that enhances the whole leg structure however these are bunny hops with a twist.  To begin this workout, squat down with your hands behind your head.  Now you are going to bounce up and down just like a regular bunny hop however with these you are going to turn your hips from right to left.  Do 5 to 7 sets of this exercise with 10 to 15 hop repetitions in each set.  Be sure to stretch first before doing this exercise.  It is an extreme workout and it puts pressure on your knees.  I recommend warming down by jumping rope.  That way your legs get a good after stretch.

The last extreme exercise I want to talk about is a leg press that gives your legs a serious workout.  To begin this workout stand and hold a weight in your arms.  Now with your right leg step forward bending your knee and keeping your left leg straight.  Hold this position for a second then push yourself back up to starting position.  Now switch and step forward with your left leg.  Keeping your back straight hold this stance for a second then push yourself back up to starting position.  Do 5 to 7 sets of this exercise with 10 to 15 press repetitions in each set.  This exercise will workout your calve structures as well as your upper legs.  Again I recommend warming down by jumping rope.

There are so many ways to workout your legs and so many ways to build a routine that promises results in those major areas that everyone wants to enhance.  You have to decide what you want out of your body and then plan your routine with exercises that lead you to those goals.  Make sure you can intensify your workout according to your growth and remain consistent to your workout schedule.  Your diet needs to also follow that of your exercising goals and routine.  Remember that you put into your body is what you should expect to get out of it.

Before I close out this article I want to talk about cardio exercises and how they can improve your overall muscle gaining routine.  I find that cardiovascular exercises are good for following up intense workouts and should be planned to follow your routine and overall exercising goals.  Swelling up is what we want out of our weight gaining routines however we also want to tighten up that swell and define those areas that we've worked out.  Building stamina and endurance helps us to extend out muscle gaining workouts and that's what we want.  Being a fan of boxing exercises I find that exercising on a punching bag is extremely beneficial and I've noticed real results in only a short time.  Now if you are like me and don't have the time to go to the gym then do like I do and work on your own at home.  For a cheap and easy way to start your boxing exercises visit:  http://myweave.blogspot.com

How to make weights for free?

Some people have problems finding weights to workout with however there are easy ways to deal with this problem and most won't cost you a penny/baht.

The first solution I want to discuss is by using a simple bucket either filled with rocks or cement blocks and a rope.  Below I have listed five types of exercises that you are able to perform with this equipment.

• Curls
• Shoulder Pull-ups
• Shoulder Presses (with rope)
• Punch Press (with rope)
• Pull Downs (with rope)

The second solution to this problem is by making dumbbells.  For one dumbbell you are going to need (2) two liter soda bottles, mixed cement and a stick about 2 feet long.  To make your dumbbell you have to make each weight separately.

1. Cut the 2 liter soda bottle in half.
2. Take one of the bottom ends of the soda bottle that you cut and fill it up with cement.
3. Dip the stick in the middle and let the cement harden.  (Dry Completely)
4. After the first cement in the weight hardens completely take the other bottom end of the soda bottle and fill it with cement.
5. Now take the other end of the stick and put it in the center of the bottle.  (Let cement dry completely) 

If you want two dumbbells then repeat this process.  Below I have listed 5 types of exercises you can do with dumbbells.

• Curls
• Butterfly Press
• Overhead Press
• Butterfly Pulls (Back)
• Shoulder Pull

These two simple solutions will provide you with the proper equipment to increase your fitness goals.  When working out with weight I suggest you workout every other day to give your muscles time to heal.  Remember that muscle growth doesn't come from working out which tears down the muscles but resting which heals the torn muscles and allows them to grow.

With any type of weight gaining exercises I usually like to add cardiovascular exercises as well.  Since I'm a huge fan of boxing I like to warm down my workouts by training on my punching bag.  If you can't find enough time to go to the gym then do what I do and work your own at home.  For a cheap and easy way to start your boxing exercises visit:  http://myweave.blogspot.com

Extreme Push-ups & Elbow Drops

Push-ups are to be considered a powerhouse sit-up however they are also one of my favorite exercises.  Now even though I can talk about push-ups all day, today I just want to discuss one extreme workout that will even strengthens your wrists, forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders (lats), back, abdominals, hips, buttocks, upper legs, calves, and even fingers.  Before we begin please remember to stretch before any type of workout to avoid unnecessary injuries.

Start in a regular push-up position with your chest down on the floor.  Now tuck your arms into your sides instead of balling your fists up.  Now extend you fingers and flex your whole body pushing yourself up off the floor.  With your arms fully extended hold for a second then release.  Remember to breath in on your way down and out on your way up.  Do two sets with three to four push-up repetitions in each set.  Be careful when doing this exercise or you might pull a tricep.

The next exercise is the elbow drop.  This is another exercise that works out the whole body promising to enhance your upper body as well as your abdominals, lower back and upper leg structure. 

In push-up position, drop your right elbow down to the floor then drop your left elbow down.  Now push back up with your right hand and then with your left hand.  Do five to seven sets of this exercise with ten to fifteen repetitions in each set.

Doing a cycle of elbow drops and a cycle of sit-ups is all you need to gradually gain muscle mass.  You must be consistent to your exercise regime and make sure you balance your diet according to your fitness goals.  Also remember to stretch before your workout to avoid injury.

Another way to balance out your workout is by continuing cardiovascular exercises with muscle gaining workouts.  Below I have listed an extremely effective cardio exercises that will work on reducing fat and help shape up those hard to get to areas.  Cardiovascular workouts tone your muscles and improves definition.

• The first exercise I want to discuss is a basic jump rope workout that builds the calve structure, upper leg muscles and abdominals.  Jumping rope is overlooked however doing a fifteen minuet cycle in five minuet intervals will absolutely structure your muscle gaining workouts.  Personally I like to start with a run or a jog and then dive into my weight gaining exercises.  After I usually warm down by jumping rope or training on the punching bag.  Get creative with your workouts.  There is nothing wrong with interchanging your individual exercises.

• The second cardiovascular workout I want to discuss is a boxing exercise that is personally one of my favorites and in my opinion is on of the most effective cardio workouts you can do.  Speed bag training exercises your upper body including your shoulders (lats), biceps, triceps, abdominals, upper leg muscles as well as your calves.  It also strengthens your hands and wrists.  I usually do a thirty minuet cycle on the punching bag breaking the workout in five minuet intervals.  This helps to give me the definition I'm looking for.  Again this workout is a great exercise to complete an intense muscle building workout.

If you are interested in effective punching bag workouts but don't have the time to go to the gym then visit:  http://myweave.blogspot.com

Pull-ups & Squats

Everyone is looking for a new extreme exercise however pull-ups are the most basic form of a full body workout.  Below I have listed this workout so you can benefit from its potential.

• Pull-ups are done by holding on to a structure posted over your head.  With your hands shoulder width apart, cross your legs.  Now flex your shoulders and triceps pulling the weight of your body up..Hold this positions for a second then release.  Do 5 sets of this exercise with 10 to 15 pull up repetitions in each set.  Remember to stretch well before this exercise.

• The second set of pull-ups I am listing are "Pull-up Swivels".  Pull-up swivels are an exercise that workout your lower body and your upper body including your upper legs, lower back, abdominal structure, pectorals, shoulder (lats), triceps, biceps and forearms.  Hold for a second then release back down into starting position.  Do this workout for 5 to 7 sets with 10 to 15 pull-up repetitions in each set.

• The third set of pull-ups are bicycle pull-ups.  Holding the structure above your head pull-up flexing your upper body along with your lower body.  Hold this position for 5 seconds peddling with your feet, then release.  Do 5 sets of this exercise with 10 to 20 pull-up repetitions in each set, then relax.  This exercise gives an extreme workout to your upper legs, thighs, abdominals, pectorals, shoulders, triceps, biceps, forearms, and back (lats).

The next exercise I want to talk about is also a full body workout when done properly.  "Squats" concentrates on an area that symbolizes greatness.  At least that is what I've heard.  Always remember to stretch before any exercise regime helping to avoid injury.

• The first set of squats are without weight.  Hold your hands behind your head with your fingers interlocked.  Now stand with your feet shoulder width apart then squat down.  You should feel your whole body flex, especially your abdominals and lower body structure.  Hold this positions for a second then push back up to starting position.  Do 5 sets of this exercise with 10 to 15 squat repetitions in each set.  If you preform this exercise consistently your are sure to notice a serious physical change in your mid-section and lower body structure.

• The second set of squats are done with weights.  From starting position, standing with your feet shoulder width apart.  Hold the weights crossing your hands over the bar.  With your head up, bend your knees and squat down.  Keep your back straight and hold the stretch for a second.  Now push back up to starting position.  Do 5 sets of this with 10 to 15 squat repetitions in each set, then relax.

To build an effective routine you need to combine a series of extreme exercises and remain consistent to them on a set schedule.  Your overall goals need to be met with a well balanced diet and an appropriate amount of sleep.  For these two routines I suggest balancing out your food intake with lean proteins/ calcium and carbohydrates.  Include:

1. White Breads / 45 grams    / 120 calories    / 23 g. Carbohydrates  /3 g of protein
2. Eggs/ 243 grams                 / 347 calories    / 2 g. Carbohydrates   /31 g of protein
3. Mackerel/ 190 grams          / 296 calories    / 12 g. Total Fat          /44 g of protein
4. Tuna / 154 grams                / 179 calories    / 0.0 g. Carbohydrates/39 g of protein
5. Nuts / 1 ounce                    / 168 calories    / 7.2 g. Carbohydrates/4.9 g of protein
6. Milk / 1 gallon (whole milk) / 2,380 calories / 4,412 mg of calcium / 123 g of protein

 For a mean cardiovascular exercise try giving the punching bag a try.  For a cheap and easy way to start your boxing exercises visit:  http://myweave.blogspot.com

Bench Press

Muscle gaining exercises are usually the trend style of exercising and the bench press is the workout I want to talk about.  The bench press works out your triceps, back (lats) and chest.

• The first style of this exercise is the regular "Bench Press".  Lay on the bench and grab the bar with your hands shoulder width apart.  Lift the bar from the rack then breathing in bring the weights down setting the barbell on your chest.  Now push the weights back up breathing out.  Do 5 sets of this press with 10 to 15 press repetitions in each set then relax.
• The second set of presses are the "Vertical Back Presses".  Vertical style presses are done by sitting straight up.  Lifting the bar up off the rack throw the weight over your head onto your shoulders.  Now push the weight up, extending your arms out stretching your triceps and lats.  With your arms fully extended, release the weight bringing it back down again resting on your shoulders.  Again breathe in on your way down and out on your way up.  do 5 to 7 sets of this exercise with 10 to 15 press repetitions in each set.
• The third set of bench presses are "Military Style Presses".  Sitting on the bench at an incline, lift the bar off the rack with your arms extended bring the weights back down setting the bar on your chest.  Now push the weights back up again extending your arms.  Do this exercise with 10 to 15 press repetitions in each set.
• The forth set of bench presses are down at a downwards incline.  Laying with your back at a lower incline remove the bar from the rack.  Breathing in bring the weights down posting the bar on your chest.  Hold for a second then exhale pushing the bars up.  Do 5 sets of this exercise with 10 to 15 press repetitions in each set, then relax.

The next workout I want to discuss is "Squats".  A leg press that works out the upper leg, lower back, calve muscle and abdominal structure.  With your hands on your head interlocking your fingers, stand with your feet shoulder width apart then squat down working out your upper leg muscles as well as your lower back and abdominals.  Do 5 sets of this exercise with 10 to 15 squats in each set.  Remember to stretch before exercising and make sure to relax between each set.

One more quick exercise that I want to discuss are "Plank Board" exercises with a twist.  Laying down with your legs extended straight out in front of you put your hands behind your head interlocking your fingers and flex your abdominal structure lifting your torso up off the floor.  Turn your body to the left, touching your right elbow to your left knee.  Hold for a second then release back down into starting position.  Again, flex your abdominals pulling your torso up off the floor only this time twist your body tot the right.  Hold this position for a second then release back down into starting position.  Do 5 sets of this exercise with 10 to 15 repetitions in each set.  Make sure to properly stretch before the workout and make sure your diet follows that of your workout.

If your looking for a mean cardiovascular exercise that will workout your full abdominal structure then take a look at http://myweave.blogspot.com