The third push-up exercise is a short routine of arm exercises. Once again, the [tag]baseball coach[/tag] knows the emphasis is on building [tag]arm strength[/tag] which is necessary for pitching, throwing and batting.
It starts with 30 seconds held in the plank position. The plank position is done like a modified basic push-up. Athletes balance on their toes with their backs straight, like a push-up. Instead of normal push-up arms, [tag]baseball[/tag] players balance on their elbows. The point of this exercise is to work the arm and abdominal muscles by keeping the body straight and not allowing the back to arch up or dip down.
After 30 seconds of the plank, athletes should move into Up and Down Push-Ups. To do Up and Down Push-Ups, athletes should begin in the basic [tag]push up[/tag] position. They then sink down onto their elbows, one at a time. For example, to do this on the right, athletes should begin in the basic push-up position and lower their right elbow to the ground. This should be followed by the left elbow, so that the athlete is in the plank position. From the plank position, athletes push back up onto the right palm. This is followed by the left palm, so that the athlete is back in the basic push-up position. Athletes should do 10 of these, 5 on each side. As athletes get stronger, they should progress to doing 10 each on the left and right sides.