At the ripe young age of 23, Sidney Crosby already has an MVP Award, an Olympic Gold Medal and, most important, his name etched on the Stanley Cup. He is truly one of the most dominant players to ever step on the ice.
Recently, Crosby took some swings at PNC Park, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, to test his baseball skills. Turns out he also has some talent at the plate—he jacked a 360-foot home run over the left field wall. Crosby was surprised and happy with his accomplishment, which ended the day with a smash.

After viewing the video, people may wonder how Crosby, an athlete who thrives on the ice, can hit a home run. Although the two sports are polar opposites, it’s actually not a huge surprise.
Crosby’s accomplishments on the ice are a testament to his devotion in the weight room. Like other elite hockey players, he has tremendous core and leg strength, which helps him generate his blinding speed and explosive moves. This strength is fundamentally important in all sports, so it’s no wonder Crosby is able to crank a home run.
To develop leg and core strength like Crosby’s, perform exercises such as Olympic lifts, med ball tosses and other auxiliary lifts. They will target the muscles that generate power when taking a slap shot, swinging a bat or throwing a ball, while still keeping your trunk stable.
For a few starter exercises, check out how Edmonton Oilers center Shawn Horcoff develops his explosive strength with a Clean Sequence, and how New Jersey Nets guard Devin Harris builds an explosive core. For additional exercises, see Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh’s Lower-Body Auxiliary Lifts and Crash Conditioning’s Split Squat.