• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

Breaking Muscle

  • Fitness
  • Workouts
    • Best Shoulder Workouts
    • Best Chest Workouts
    • Best Leg Workouts
    • Best Leg Exercises
    • Best Biceps Exercises
    • Best Kettlebell Exercises
    • Best Back Workouts
    • Best HIIT Workouts
    • Best Triceps Exercises
    • Best Arm Workouts
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Best Pre-Workout
      • Best Bodybuilding Supplements
      • Best Supplements for Weight Loss
      • Best Creatine
      • Best BCAAs
      • Best Multivitamin for Men
      • Best Collagen Supplement
      • Best Probiotic
      • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workout
      • Athletic Greens AG1 Review
    • Protein
      • Best Protein Powder
      • Best Whey Protein
      • Best Protein Powders for Muscle Gain
      • Best Mass Gainer
      • Best Protein Shakes
      • Best Organic Protein Powder
      • Best Pea Protein Powder
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Weight Plates
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Home Gym Machines
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Cable Machines
      • Best Trap Bars
      • The Best Pull-Up Bar
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Cardio Machines
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Weighted Vests
    • Certifications
      • ISSA Review
  • News
  • Exercise Guides
    • Legs
      • Back Squat
      • Bulgarian Split Squat
      • Goblet Squat
      • Zercher Squat
      • Standing Calf Raise
      • Hack Squat
    • Chest
      • Bench Press
      • Dumbbell Bench Press
      • Close-Grip Bench Press
      • Incline Bench Press
    • Shoulders
      • Overhead Dumbbell Press
      • Lateral Raise
    • Arms
      • Chin-Up
      • Weighted Pull-Up
      • Triceps Pushdown
    • Back
      • Deadlift
      • Trap Bar Deadlift
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Inverted Row
      • Bent-Over Barbell Row
      • Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
      • Pendlay Row
Fitness

Science Says: The Bigger Your Bench the Better Your Bat Speed

How much can you bench? Science says the more you can bench the better your bat speed in baseball. And if you're a serious baseball player, that's important. So get benching!

Joshua Wortman

Written by Joshua Wortman Last updated on July 5, 2012

Compare today’s athlete to one of the past, and odds are today’s athlete is much stronger and faster. Baseball athletes are no exception to this occurrence and have definitely evolved over time. Overall, the players today are much more muscular and faster than the players of the past. This can be attributed to a myriad of factors that has evolved the game to where it is today.

No matter the era, bat speed has always been important in baseball. An increased bat speed results in possible longer decision time, decreased swing time, and increased ball velocity. Up to now, there have been many reports that muscular strength and leg power were the important components for increasing bat swing speed. A recent study was performed to determine the relationship between upper-body strength and bat speed in high school players, as well as the relationship between bat swing speed, bench power, and isokinetic chest press.1

This newest study consisted of 30 male high school baseball players, all of which had at least five years of competitive experience. The participants practiced 3 hours a day, 6 days a week. Players who were considered “homerun hitters” were placed in one group, while the others were placed in a “mediocre” group. The same bat was used for all participants, a 907 gram Mizuno metal bat, which was 83 centimeters long. Bat speed was measured 3 times for each player, with the top speed being recorded.2

Since bat speed is often associated with upper-body strength, baseball players frequently use the bench press in their training programs in an effort to increase performance. So, for this study each player had to determine his one rep max on bench press. Next, the isokinetic chest press (uses the same movements as a traditional bench press, but with different types of muscle contractions) was performed at three speed patterns. A bench power test was used to evaluate upper-body muscle power for each subject, and peak velocity and peak power were calculated.3

The results of the study showed significant and middle correlations with bat speed and one-rep max on the bench press and isokinetic chest press. The group with the “homerun hitters” had significantly higher values in bench power and isokinetic chest press than the other group.4

It can be concluded that bench power may be a beneficial to add to a training program to help improve hitting power in baseball. Researchers also concluded that the best way to build power might not be through performing a one-rep max, but rather through working with lighter resistance loads.5

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Joshua Wortman

About Joshua Wortman

Joshua began lifting in high school, but really doesn’t consider his effective training to have begun until the last few years. Joshua was always very strong for his bodyweight, but he didn’t just want to be strong, he wanted to look strong. At 140 pounds, no matter how strong he was for his age and weight, the size wasn’t there.

During his last year of college, Joshua began research on bodybuilding, and since his graduation, he has taken his bodybuilding to a whole new level. Josh experienced a minor setback in 2009 when he experienced an L5-L6 disc herniation while doing deadlifts. Consequently, his lower body training was very limited for almost a year. Thankfully, he has self-rehabbed his back to pretty much full strength.

Since he graduated from NC State University with his Bachelor’s in Civil Engineering, Joshua has taken his bodybuilding to a whole new level. His knowledge has increased ten fold since when he began, and both his knowledge anpersonal progress have also bred success in the fact he started up Get Right Get Tight Fitness.

View All Articles

Recommended Articles

The False Prophets of Baseball
baseballsuccess
From Minors to Majors: How to Get Scouted in Baseball
tiffany brooks, professional baseball, women in professional baseball
Tiffany Brooks: Blazing the Way for Women in Men’s Pro Baseball
choosing baseball coach, baseball coach, baseball manager, good baseball coach
How to Choose the Right Baseball Coach For You

Primary Sidebar

Latest Articles

Derek Lunsford Crushes Chest and Ab Training 6 Weeks Out From 2023 Mr. Olympia

Best Cable Machines for Home Gyms of 2023 (Wall-Mounted, Compact, Budget-Friendly)

The 2024 CrossFit Games Are Officially Coming to Texas

Powerlifting Records: How to Compare Your Lifts to the All-Time Greats

Latest Reviews

The Best Pull-Up Bar of 2023, According to a Strength and Conditioning Coach

Best Pea Protein Powders for Weight Loss, Muscle Building, and More (2023)

Three weight vests on a red background

Best Weighted Vests for CrossFit, Running, Walking, and More (2023)

Three types of gym flooring on a red background

Best Home Gym Flooring Options for Over Carpet, Concrete, and More (2023)

woman lifting barbell

Be the smartest person in your gym

The Breaking Muscle newsletter is everything you need to know about strength in a 3 minute read.

I WANT IN!

Breaking Muscle is the fitness world’s preeminent destination for timely, high-quality information on exercise, fitness, health, and nutrition. Our audience encompasses the entire spectrum of the fitness community: consumers, aficionados, fitness professionals, and business owners. We seek to inform, educate and advocate for this community.

  • Reviews
  • Healthy Eating
  • Workouts
  • Fitness
  • News

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed

© 2023 · Breaking Muscle · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy · Affiliate Disclaimer · Accessibility · About