With only one weekend left before softball practices start, it is time for probably the most known lift for anyone: the Squat. And no it is not lifting your team Squad to a higher level btw ;)
It is quite obvious that a catcher would Squat, since they do it 24/7 on the field. Nevertheless it is also the perfect exercise for any other player on the team.
The main muscles used for the Squat are the quadriceps (knee extensors) and hip extensors. There are many variatons of the squat, the most common ones are the back squat and the front squat (see the photo (and video on Instagram)).
The Squat involves not only the legs and hip muscles, but also the core. In order to lift heavy and with correct form it is imperative to tighten that core and control the movement. Compound exercises like the Squat ask the body to activate itself almost entirely just to be able to hold and control heavy weights. (compound excercises use multiple joints, thus more muscle groups are recruited)
Why would a softball player Squat? Sprinting and producing power are the main elements of the physical part of the softball game. Controlling the weights down and then pushing them up as fast as possible trains the body in handling heavy loads while activating the entire body. The heavier you can lift the lighter your own body starts to feel and the easier you move around.
Looking at different aspects of the sport this is what a softball player does: sprint 1/5 of a 100m to a base, stand/jog for a marathon duration and then throw like a javelin thrower... The game is not as lazy as it seems to be! The squat and other compound exercises like the deadlift are mostly to benefit the short distance sprints and the explosive actions of the throwing and hitting.
Conclusion: run, lift, get fit. Your fitness is one of the few factors of the game that you can control by just you.
Eva