Home Posts tagged "Baseball Workout" (Page 5)

Stuff You Should Read: 4/7/09

This week's recommended reading: LiftStrong - this compilation of writings from dozens of coaches and trainers is fantastic, and I was honored to contribute. Alwyn Cosgrove - a two-time cancer survivor - pulled this great resource together, and all proceeds benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  For a small price, you get over 800 pages of content on a CD, and help out a great cause.

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Lay Back to Throw Gas - This one is fitting, in light of all the baseball that's finally being played this week. Lower Back Pain and the Fitness Professional
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Random Friday Thoughts: 3/27/09

1. I'm feeling good.  It was our quietest week of the  year at CP, so I've actually had a few days to get myself a bit organized.  If this pace keeps up, I might even actually get my voice back by the time 2010 rolls around.  I'm sure I'll be sick of the quiet by next week, but the good news is that there is a lot of baseball to watch, and UCONN is still looking good in March Madness.

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2. Another reason to smile is that we had two high school sophomores (ages 16) hit 89mph readings on the radar gun outside in cold Massachusetts this week.  The best part is that they weren't "everyone throws 90mph on the internet" readings; they were actually legitimate.  It's going to be a fun spring around it; it's always nice to see guys rewarded for their hard work in the off-season. 3. Morgan Alexander - a member of the 2006 Canadian 4-man Bobsleigh team that finished fourth in the Olympics - is in town to train with me this week.  Yesterday, he and I visited CP client Steph Holland-Brodney's third-grade class at a local elementary school.

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On one hand, it fascinated me how brilliant these kids are with respect to working computers; each of them has a laptop at each desk, and they are incredibly proficient.  Then, just as I'm about convinced that the future of America is bright with these kids, autograph time comes.  Obviously, they wanted Morgan's autograph (and he signed a ton), but it never ceases to amaze me that they asked for mine, too.  I signed sneakers, balloons, and note cards - and I'm pretty sure that I devalued them completely (if that's even possible) just with my signature. 4. Anyone who thinks that throwing submarine-style is easier on the arm needs to check out this picture (thanks to Paul Connolly for sending it along).  This is some serious external rotation.

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As you can tell, the real change in his throwing posture comes from the hips and trunk, not so much from the arm.  As such, he'll encounter all the same flexibility deficits that regular pitchers experience if they don't take care of their bodies.

5. The folks at Precision Nutrition published a great article about artificial sweeteners, particularly Splenda.  Check it out: Splenda: Is it Safe?

That's all for today.  Have a great weekend, folks!

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A Good Rule of Thumb for Working with Injured Pitchers

If you have a pitcher athlete with good shoulder ROM (normal GIRD and symmetrical total motion), sufficient thoracic spine mobility, good scapular stability, and adequate tissue quality who has rehabbed and long-tossed pain-free, but has shoulder/elbow pain when he gets back on the mound, CHECK THE HIPS! Staying closed and flying open will be your two most common culprits; this cannot be seen in a doctor's office!  Changing lead leg positioning is a quick way to indirectly (and negatively) impact the position of the arm.  Guys who stay closed have to throw across their body, and guys who fly open often have problems with the arm trailing too far behind (out of the scapular plane). For more information, check out the Optimal Shoulder Performance DVD Set. Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive a Copy of the Exact Stretches used by Cressey Performance Pitchers after they Throw!
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Pitchers vs. Quarterbacks vs. Swimmers

Q: I know that you're tops when it comes to keeping baseball guys (especially pitchers) healthy and performing at the top level. How would your approach to training baseball players in general, and pitchers more specifically, differ when working with somewhat similar athletes such as: (a) football quarterbacks (b) swimmers other than backstrokers (c) swimmers specializing in the back stroke I realize there would be obvious differences, especially for C, since that is actually the opposite of pitching, so I'd love to hear some of your general thoughts on this. A: This is actually a great question.  I guess it's one of those things you do subconsciously and then think about after the fact.  I'm assuming you are referring to the shoulder and elbow demands in particular, so I'll start with that. Training football quarterbacks and pitchers would be virtually identical in terms of demands on the hips, ankles, and shoulders.   Anecdotal experience tells me that there would be a higher correlation between hip dysfunction and shoulder/elbow problems in pitchers than in quarterbacks, though. Swimmers would be similar at the shoulder, but I don't see the same kind of correlation b/t hip and shoulder dysfunction.   Obviously, though, issues like scapular stability, thoracic spine range-of-motion, and tissue quality would all be present in all three populations. Backstrokers would have comparable scapular stabilization demands, but different glenohumeral rotation patterns. With them, you assess total shoulder rotation and go from there (this is my strategy with everyone, but it just warrants extra mention in this discussion). Above all, you've got to realize that while you might see trends in different athletic populations, each one is still unique, so assessment tells you what you need to know. For instance, I have a few pro pitchers throwing well over 90mph, and from looking at their shoulders, you'd never know they had ever thrown a baseball in their lives.  At initial testing (i.e., right after the long season ended), the total motion among my eleven pro pitchers from this past off-season ranged from 133 degrees to 186 degrees. The guy with 186 degrees actually had more external rotation (135 degrees) than the least "lax" guy had in total motion!

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So, a guy with a 3/4 arm slot is going to have different adaptive changes than a guy who is more over-the-top or sidearm - and you can certainly carry those variations across the board to different throwing styles in football, and the wide variety of shoulders you'll see in a swimming population that might be proficient in more than one stroke. Related Posts: Flexibility Deficits in Pitchers The Truth About Impingement: Part 2

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Click here to purchase the most comprehensive shoulder resource available today: Optimal Shoulder Performance - From Rehabilitation to High Performance. Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive a Copy of the Exact Stretches used by Cressey Performance Pitchers after they Throw!
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Static Posture Assessment Mistakes: Part 2

In a continuation of last Tuesday's post, here's another common mistake you'll see in the static posture of overhead throwing athletes.  Many times, folks will see a low-shoulder like the one below and automatically assume is means "scoliosis."

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In reality, this is a function of both the structural and functional adaptations that take place in a baseball pitcher's shoulder girdle over the course of a throwing career.  I am not of the belief that you can altogether eliminate this, given the structural adaptations that have taken place over the course of years of throwing. However, I firmly believe (and have observed frequently) that as long as one normalized range of motion and strength/stability of the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers, modest improvements in this posture can come about. Phil Donley goes into great detail on this topic in his presentation in the 2008 Ultimate Pitching Coaches Bootcamp DVD Set.

It is worth mentioning that in some populations, this may be a function of an ankle, hip, lower back, or other issues.

For more assessment information, check out Building the Efficient Athlete.

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Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive and Receive a Copy of the Exact Stretches used by Cressey Performance Pitchers after they Throw!
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It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year…

You might find it weird that I'm playing this song on March 16.

Then again, if you really know me, you know exactly what I mean.  Yes, folks, it's the first day of the high school baseball season.  Loads of great kids busted their humps with us this off-season, and now we get to go out and watch them perform.  I'm also excited to take a few road trips to catch our pro guys in action.  I love it.

Meanwhile, we've been getting more and more variety around Cressey Performance.  While about 74% of our clients are baseball players, and we always had people from different disciplines, we've been getting a lot more hockey, football, basketball, and endurance athletes, plus adult fitness clients.  I love being a "baseball guy," but variety is always great, too.

We've had a good run of weather in the Boston area, too.  Anytime you can get temperatures over 60 degrees F in Boston before St. Patrick's Day, you've got to consider yourself pretty lucky.  A few of us have been sprinting stadiums over at Soldiers Field at Harvard for the past few weekends, and the weather's been really cooperative.

I also get to travel a fair amount this time of year for seminars.  And, while I am not fond of sitting in airports, I love interacting with fitness professionals and strength and conditioning coaches at these events.  Everyone has a unique story to tell, and I enjoy getting questions that push me to be better at what I do.  It's also a great chance to catch up with great friends and colleagues across the country who I may only see 2-3 times per year.

It's also an extremely productive time for me as a writer.  My days at the facility start a bit later now, so I can focus a bit more on writing.  And, when I write at night, I know I can always listen to the online broadcast of one of our pro baseball guys playing anywhere from Portland, Oregon to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.  If you have particular topics you'd like covered in blogs, newsletters, or articles, by all means, please offer some suggestions in the comments section below.  I've already got a new product in the works.

And, perhaps most significantly, this time of year is when I make my best gains in the gym.   It's just my nature to put all our athletes' needs way ahead of my own, and that usually manifests itself in the form of achy knees from spending long hours on the hard floor at CP. I've also been sick twice this winter, which is unheard of for me; I never get sick.  In fact, I lost my voice for both Friday and Saturday and was practically coaching in Morse code and "thumbs-up/thumbs-down" signs.  I'm feeling better now, though.

As a result, my training frequency and volume isn't as high during the baseball off-season, but once things get going in March-May, we ramp it up.  Later this morning, I'm headed over to get a massage to get the ball rolling.

So, if you don't have anything to smile about today, just smile on my behalf!

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Random Monday Thoughts: 3/2/09

1. There were no Random Friday Thoughts last week, as my girlfriend and I were in Fort Lauderdale for a quick 3-day "the guys are off to spring training, so Eric is going to regain his sanity" vacation.  As you read this, I'll have just returned to Boston (Sunday night), refreshed and ready to go for the last three weeks before the high school baseball season starts. 2. With almost all the guys done for the off-season, I figured that this was as good a time as any to send out some spring training well wishes to all the Cressey Performance pro baseball guys:
  1. Chad Rodgers (Braves)
  2. Will Inman (Padres)
  3. Tim Collins (Blue Jays)
  4. Tim Stronach (Mets)
  5. Shawn Haviland (A's)
  6. Nate Nelson (Blue Jays)
  7. Steffan Wilson (Brewers)
  8. Steve Hammond (Giants)
  9. CJ Retherford (White Sox)
  10. PJ Zocchi (Indians)
  11. Matt Morizio (Royals)
  12. Ryan Reid (Rays)
  13. Matt Kramer (Braves)
  14. Dave Wasylak (Nationals)
  15. Jason Lavorgna (free agent)
  16. Matt Cooney (free agent)
  17. Chris Gusha (free agent)
Good luck this season, fellas.  Thanks for all your hard work. 3. I often get asked what we do with folks who can't go right to foam rolling with the Foam Roller Plus (a more diesel version that is just foam on top of PVC).

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In these folks, we usually start them with a foam-only roller - and ideally one that has been "broken in."

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Another option that Cressey Performance has pioneered is suited up in catcher's gear before rolling.  Safety first, folks.

4. Just wanted to give you a quick heads-up on an upcoming seminar (4/17-4/19) in Central Virginia with an outstanding line-up of speakers.  I'm bummed that I can't make it, but you should definitely check this out if you're in the area: Central Virginia Performance Seminar They have limited the event to 75 attendees, so be sure to register sooner than later. 5. My girlfriend had the Oscars on last weekend, and I couldn't help but wonder who the heck this guy is and what he did to Ferris Bueller!

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Have a great weekend!

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Medicine Ball Madness

EricCressey.com Subscriber-Only Q&A Q: My question pertains to medicine ball workouts for pitchers.   Are they only off-season training drills, or can I do them with my pitchers between starts? And, are there good ones for pitchers arms, in particular?  I know you mentioned doing some one-arm drills with your pitchers. A: It's safe to say that we probably do more medicine ball work than anyone on the planet.  In fact, we've broken 17 medicine balls (16 featured in this photo) thus far this off-season.

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Our destruction of medicine balls has been so epic that our equipment supplier actually asked us if we were throwing them against a wall with "jagged edges," as nobody had ever had similar problems, much less with as much regularity.  So, suffice it to say that we hammer on medicine ball work a ton in the off-season, and the useful life of a ball around here is 4-6 weeks.  But, I don't want to digress... After the season ends, pitchers usually get a two-week break from anything that involves overhead throwing or rapid elbow extension after they are done throwing before we integrate any of this.  Position players start right up with it. I think it's crucial to start up right away so that you can teach proper scap and hip loading so that guys will get the most out of it when the time comes to throw with more volume and complex exercises that help to maintain pitching-specific mobility, as Stanford-bound Sahil Bloom shows:

We typically go 3x/week medicine ball work with anywhere from 80 to 120 throws (never more than eight per set) per session from October through December (the last month overlaps with throwing programs where these guys are just tossing - nothing too challenging).  This continues right up through spring training for all our position players.  For pitchers, though, as January rolls around, we add in more bullpens and aggressive long tossing (and weighted balls, for some guys), and the medicine ball work drops off to two times a week with less volume and a more conservative exercise selection.  This twice a week set-up goes right through Spring Training. We always pair our medicine ball work with various mobilizations so that guys are addressing flexibility deficits instead of just standing around.  It might be thoracic spine and hip mobility drills from Assess and Correct.  Combining these mobilizations with all our medicine ball work, warm-ups, foam rolling/massage, and the static stretching programs guys are on, we have no concerns about pitchers "tightening up" with lifting.  Blue Jays prospect Tim Collins doesn't seem to be all "muscle-bound" here, for instance:

I don't do a ton of medicine ball work in-season with my higher level guys; it's usually once every five days.  A lot of the focus is on the non-dominant side.  So, a right-handed pitcher would do more rotational stuff from the left side to keep as much symmetry as possible.  With high school athletes, on the other hand, I see no reason why you can't use a slightly higher volume of medicine ball drills in-season.  Kids are resilient and in many cases, undertrained, so there is always a big window of adaptation ahead of them. With respect to the one-arm smaller medicine ball work, we use those two variations around this time of year.  It's usually just two sets of eight reps right after throwing sessions twice a week.  I like the idea of consolidating the stress with throwing outings.  That said, there are some people that do them as warm-ups prior to throwing.  Here, Atlanta Braves prospect Chad Rodgers demonstrates a few with a 1kg (2.2lb) ball.

As a random aside, off to the side in this video, you'll see how we tend to pair mobility/activation movements with power training, as Royals catching prospect Matt Morizio goes back and forth from clap push-ups to scapular wall slides.

This is really just the tip of the iceberg, so for more information, I would encourage you to check out our resource, Functional Stability Training; it is incredibly thorough, including plenty of options for both off- and in-season medicine ball work. Enter your email below to subscribe to our FREE newsletter:
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Peak Power or Vertical Jump?

The answer is both! The question?  "What do you test?" My rationale is this: if you have a skinny athlete who adds 15 pounds during a two-month period, but his vertical jump stays the same, a VJ-only assessment protocol won't tell you that he gained a ton of peak power. As such, we use vertical jump in conjunction with body weight to calculate estimated peak power output using the Sayers equation.  While recent research demonstrates that this equation typically underestimates peak power, the important thing for me is reproducibility (not complete accuracy). As an example, last week, I posted a video of Tim Collins, a Cressey Performance athlete and Toronto Blue Jays prospect who vertical jumped 38.7 inches at his final test of the off-season.

More impressively, he went from 27.9" on October 3 to 38.7 on February 4 while adding six pounds to his frame. Without factoring in the six-pound weight gain, we are looking at a 34.8% improvement in peak power.  When we factor it in, though, it becomes a 37.2% mprovement.  That 2.4% might seem insignificant to some, but the truth is that it's an impressive result for an entire year's hard work for many elite athletes with less window of adaptation ahead of them.

Vertical jump is a measure of relative power.  Peak power is a measure of absolute power.  Both have implications in the world of baseball, as you have to decelerate your body weight on each pitch, and you have to sprint, which is a function of the force you put into the ground relative to your body weight.  Conversely, the push-off during pitching and the hitting motion are all about absolute power.

So, all things considered, you've got to track body weight and vertical jump, then plug them into an equation.

Click Here for the Best Baseball Training Resource Available!

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Stuff You Should Read: 2/10/09

Here is this week's list of stuff worth checking out - both from me and others: Just One Missing Piece Active vs. Passive Restraints 38Pitches.com: Curt Schilling's Official Blog - I've been fortunate to work with Curt over the past month, and in the process, I've been privileged to get to know a genuinely good guy who is overwhelmingly passionate about everything in his life - from his family, to baseball, to politics, to his gaming company.  As all my other pro guys will agree, he has loads to teach and a unique perspective on the world of baseball - particularly in light of the events of the past few weeks.  This is always a great read that I check in on daily.
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