Wii Sports Warm-Ups, Part 2: Baseball

The second blog in the Wii Sports Warm-Ups series involves Wii Baseball, with a discussion about the muscle groups involved in playing baseball, including the muscles involved for batting and pitching. Even though Wii Baseball does not involve running around the baseball diamond, the discussion does include the leg and lower body muscles involved.

Batting and pitching

Arms
The proper pitch occurs in six stages: wind up, stride, arm-cocking, arm acceleration, arm deceleration, and follow-through. The primary muscles on either side of the upper body involved in the arm movements of batting and pitching include the following:

Pectoralis Major

Per side

Simultaneously

Posterior Deltoid
Teres Major (diagram only)
Latissimus Dorsi

Abdominals
In order to become a consistent batter, working out the abdominal muscles is essential since batting involves a powerful twisting motion during the swing. Batters must concentrate on strengthening the following abdominal muscles:

Upper

Lower

Rotational

Leg Strength
Why is leg strength important in batting? The batter pushes off the ground with his legs prior to swinging the bat, drawing all of the energy that goes into the full swing. Developing the necessary leg strength requires strengthening the following:

Calves

Quadriceps

Standing

Lying on your side

Hamstrings

Standing

Free standing

Groin

Even though most of the running done by actual baseball players takes place when they run around the baseball diamond, retrieve a fly ball infield, or run after a ball outfield, people should understand how doing running drills helps increase speed and efficiency while also maximizing the potential hamstrings and quadriceps muscles.