My WorkoutHome  
 
Ask Dan Questions
Table of Contents | Category Listing for Weight Training

The Question:

I'm a minor league baseball player and have well developed forearms, but my wrists are small and have been prone to soreness during the season. I've heard of many players injuring their wrists on check swings and "big cuts" when the force generated was too great for the wrist to absorb. How can I strengthen my wrists more besides the daily batting practice with a weighted bat?? I was told squeezing a tennis ball, are there other exercises??
Thank you! Keep up the good work.


The Answer:

Wow, there are so many great forearm and wrist exercises out there it is tough to list them all. Incidentally, training your forearms will also strengthen your wrists. It becomes more of a range of motion and flexibility concern when it comes to injury prevention for the wrists however. A checked swing is always going to be hard to guard against because you have more then just your forearms and wrists involved. You have the powerful muscles of the torso, legs and back that are generating a huge amount of power and if you have to check your swing you are asking a lot from your wrists!

Have you ever tried a rice bucket? How about basic forearm flexion and extension exercises. Do you do pushups? These can help just to improve the flexibility in your wrists. Doing rotational exercises with a dumbbell can also help improve your wrist flexibility. You can also do flexion, extension, and rotation exercises with a small sledgehammer. These are excellent for creating strength and flexibility in your wrists. Do you guys have a strength and conditioning coach that works with your team? If so, ask him about showing you some of the sledgehammer exercises. If he is good, he will know!

Thanks for your questions! You can see some forearm exercises in the Fitness Info button at the top of the right hand side of the home page. Check them out!

 
Home | My Workout | Fitness Info | Ask Dan | Feedback | Help | FAQ | Search | Logout

Fitrex.com is best viewed with Netscape Navigator 4.x or Internet Explorer 4.x and above.
Please send questions or comments about this web site to webmaster@fitrex.com.
Copyright © 2000 Asimba, Inc.