Post by Admin on Dec 16, 2012 18:58:31 GMT -5
This is a subject that is getting a lot of attention lately, as it should. There are so many specialized instructors out there teaching the mechanics, but so little review of general conditioning. Yes, there are speed camps and sports-specific training that you can get into with a licensed professional, but it's going to cost you. Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do on your own. So to review, training workouts for pitchers should contain the following:
Cardiovascular Conditioning: Biking, jogging, walking, adding inclines, elliptical, jump rope, rollerblading, or any other activity that would increase your heart rate for 20 minutes or more.
Flexibility: This is a sustained or dynamic stretch that should include major muscle groups: quadraceps, hamstrings, gastrocnemius (calf muscle), low back, trunk rotators, biceps, tricpes, pectoralis muscles, forearm muscles, and the rotator cuff muscles.
Strengthening: I am a big fan of using your own body weight as resistance. Start off with squats, split lunges, heel raises, sit-to-stands, wall squats, sit-ups, planks, push-ups, and reverse curl-ups. The "core" which is your abdominal area is crucial for control of the entire pitch. I often see injured athletes, pitchers in particular, who complain of back pain and have terrible abdominal strength and lack of flexibility in their lower torso. So the key is to engage in a total body conditioning program to create muscle balance and strength. Do all exercises for 2-3 sets of 10 reps. It usually takes 4-6 weeks before muscle fibers will make any change for strength goals. So keep at it—you will see results in your pitching.
Proprioception (Body Awareness): This is just balance awareness. See how long you can stand on your right leg—your goal should be 60 seconds without holding on. Then see on long you can balance on your left leg. This should be equal—if not, work on the leg that is most difficult to balance on.
Agility/Endurance: I combined these two because the more you work out for agility, the more you will build the endurance component. The cardiovascular portion will also help your endurance. Agility is something that tends to be sports-specific, but for pitchers it involves being quick on your feet after throwing a pitch, so you can quickly return to a defensive position to field the ball. Being agile also helps prevent injuries in the long run. Endurance is important because a pitcher can easily start to get gassed after pitching a full game in the midst of heat. You may also be your team's only pitcher throwing 2-3 games in one day. In that case you'll have to dig deep, and your endurance level will help you get through it.
Overall, this is a basic program anyone can do on their own without any specialized equipment. If you need extra resistance, the TheraBands suggested above are great. They can be added to all the strengthening exercises, you just need to be creative.
Good luck with your conditioning and keep at it—it will pay off in the long run
Cardiovascular Conditioning: Biking, jogging, walking, adding inclines, elliptical, jump rope, rollerblading, or any other activity that would increase your heart rate for 20 minutes or more.
Flexibility: This is a sustained or dynamic stretch that should include major muscle groups: quadraceps, hamstrings, gastrocnemius (calf muscle), low back, trunk rotators, biceps, tricpes, pectoralis muscles, forearm muscles, and the rotator cuff muscles.
Strengthening: I am a big fan of using your own body weight as resistance. Start off with squats, split lunges, heel raises, sit-to-stands, wall squats, sit-ups, planks, push-ups, and reverse curl-ups. The "core" which is your abdominal area is crucial for control of the entire pitch. I often see injured athletes, pitchers in particular, who complain of back pain and have terrible abdominal strength and lack of flexibility in their lower torso. So the key is to engage in a total body conditioning program to create muscle balance and strength. Do all exercises for 2-3 sets of 10 reps. It usually takes 4-6 weeks before muscle fibers will make any change for strength goals. So keep at it—you will see results in your pitching.
Proprioception (Body Awareness): This is just balance awareness. See how long you can stand on your right leg—your goal should be 60 seconds without holding on. Then see on long you can balance on your left leg. This should be equal—if not, work on the leg that is most difficult to balance on.
Agility/Endurance: I combined these two because the more you work out for agility, the more you will build the endurance component. The cardiovascular portion will also help your endurance. Agility is something that tends to be sports-specific, but for pitchers it involves being quick on your feet after throwing a pitch, so you can quickly return to a defensive position to field the ball. Being agile also helps prevent injuries in the long run. Endurance is important because a pitcher can easily start to get gassed after pitching a full game in the midst of heat. You may also be your team's only pitcher throwing 2-3 games in one day. In that case you'll have to dig deep, and your endurance level will help you get through it.
Overall, this is a basic program anyone can do on their own without any specialized equipment. If you need extra resistance, the TheraBands suggested above are great. They can be added to all the strengthening exercises, you just need to be creative.
Good luck with your conditioning and keep at it—it will pay off in the long run