Baseball: Medicine Ball Training: Is it worth it?

Studies: 2 studies identified attempted to find the answer to this question [1,2], both utilized populations of untrained individuals.

Study 1:  Examined medicine ball exercises to a 12 week resistance training program.  Medicine ball exercises were performed 3 times per week with baseball specific exercises performed twice per week and total body medicine ball exercises once per week.  This study was performed in high school baseball players.  The control group simply participated in a periodized resistance training program.  Both groups also took 100 swings per day with their game bats.  Medicine ball throws used were: hitter’s throw, standing figure 8, speed rotations, standing side throw, granny throw, standing backwards throw, squat throw [1].  The last three were considered the total body throws and were performed on Wednesday, the others were performed on Monday and Friday.  The med ball weight, sets, and reps were periodized over the program and ranged from 6-10 repetitions for 2 sets.

Study 2:  This study utilized a slightly older population vs study 1, they used junior baseball players ranging from 16-23 years old.  These individuals never participated in resistance training.   The groups were split into a traditional resistance training program, a control group,  and a medicine ball program.  The traditional resistance training group performed upper body exercises combined with normal baseball training.  The med ball group performed med ball training in addition to normal baseball activity.  The control group only participated in normal baseball activities. The resistance training group performed the bench press and pullover exercise.  The med ball group performed the chest pass and overhead throw (periodized from 3 x 8 to 3 x1 0).  Both of these groups performed their respective exercises twice per week [2].

Results:  Study 1 found that the additional medicine ball routine increased torso rotational strength vs. resistance training alone (approximately 17-18% vs 10%) and also medicine ball batter’s throw.

Study 2 found that traditional weight training produced superior results verses med ball only exercises in throwing velocity (4% vs none) and strength.

My Take:  Both studies have their merits, study 1 utilized a much more comprehensive, intense, and specific medicine ball program.  Although it found significant results in torso strength, it failed to measure actual baseball measures (throwing velocity, batted ball speed, running speed), so we don’t actually know if any of the improvements increased baseball measures.  Study 2 utilized a much more docile approach to med ball training, with only two exercises and neither being overly specific to the sport.  Research continues to demonstrate that in untrained individuals, simply performing traditional resistance training exercises with elicit performance benefits.  I do think that adding additional medicine ball training will likely help, even if it simply allows untrained individuals to develop motor patterns.   At this time, it seems worthy to add medicine ball exercises to a traditional resistance training program in untrained athletes.

1.  Szymanski, D. J., Szymanski, J. M., Bradford, T. J., Schade, R. L., & Pascoe, D. D. (2007). Effect of Twelve Weeks of Medicine Ball Training on High School Baseball Players. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21(3), 894. doi:10.1519/r-18415.1
2. Newton, R. U., & McEvoy, K. I. (1994). Baseball Throwing Velocity: A Comparison of Medicine Ball Training and Weight Training. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 8(3), 198. doi:10.1519/1533-4287(1994)008<0198:btvaco>2.3.co;2