Archive for the ‘Pitchers' Homework’ Category
March 9th, 2010 | 
Author: I’ve been getting some questions about pitchers stretching routines, so I’m gonna share what I use as a pretty straightforward top to bottom stretch. In about 20 minutes you can hit all of your major muscles and joints, and be ready to go. I like to start with the lower body, and move between stretches as fluidly as I can.
First, get some blood flowing. 5 minutes of moving around at a good pace to build some muscle and joint warmth will improve all of the stretches.
I am listing these exercises in the most fluid and logical sequence, so do them in this order and they will flow together nicely.
1. IT Band
IT Band Stretch
The IT band is an aponeurosis, or flat tendon band, that stretches from the lateral hip to the knee. This is tight on many athletes, and can restrict the thigh in multiple planes of movement, as well as cause knee problems.
To stretch, straighten one leg and cross the other in front. Lean into a wall while keeping the stretching leg straight, and you will feel a stretch down the outside of the leg.
2. Hip External Rotators Read the rest of this entry »
Here are three more shoulder stretches, that when done in addition to the sleeper stretch, will help keep one’s arm nice and loose.
Posterior Deltoid and Infraspinatus Stretch
Pull the arm across the chest to feel a stretch in the back of the shoulder. This will get the infraspinatus (a rotator cuff muscle) and the posterior deltoid.
This stretch can also be done at different angles across the body to get the muscles in a new direction.
Middle Deltoid Stretch
With the arm at 90°, grab the forearm and pull the arm across the back. The range of motion won’t be very long, but you will feel a stretch in the middle aspect of your shoulder.
Anterior Deltoid Stretch
Keep your arm straight and pull directly down the middle of the back.
The key to this stretch is keeping good posture – maintain a high chest and keep your shoulders square.
You don’t want your shoulder to sag or rotate backward as you pull. This would take the muscle out of proper position to stretch.
Notes
In addition to standing, these three can also be done laying face down on the floor.
The perfect time to do them is right after sleeper stretches, as you can just stand up or roll over onto your stomach and complete your shoulder stretching circuit.
The following six exercises are prescribed to any ballplayer with elbow pain. Be it tendinitis, UCL strains, sprains, or surgery, these forearm exercises are the ones that strengthen the whole forearm and ward off future elbow problems. To the untrained thrower doing this prehab can also add a few MPHs, as the forearm and hand are the last mechanical parts in the delivery of a throw. Today is the perfect time to start doing these exercises regularly.
These exercises can be done with dumbbells or a flat or tubular Thera-band (Flat is preferred). You can find Thera-Bands here: Thera-Bands 6 Yard Box (6 in. wide)
Pronation, supination and ulnar deviation are best done with a ban, mini-sledge hammer or baseball bat (though they are shown below with a dumbbell).
Forearm Flexion
With a palms up grip, curl the wrist straight up.
Forearm Extension Read the rest of this entry »
Having a strong shoulder is of the utmost importance for pitchers. Throwing velocity, injury resistance, durability and stamina are all improved by developing strong, stable shoulders. Why strength and stability? Because strength is what is going to allow you to throw as hard as you can, and stability keeps your upper arm firmly in the shoulder socket, preventing wear and tear on connective tissue.
Shoulder pops and clicks when you move it? Those are a result of weak stabilizers. Good thing is, the following shoulder circuit is going to make those a thing of the past, and add a few MPHs in the process.
This shoulder circuit is done for 2-3 complete cycles of 12-15 reps per exercise. For beginners, this is going to probably require only 2lb dumbells, and the goal is to build up to using 3, and then 4lb dumbbells with perfect form for 3 sets of 12-15. The circuit is performed straight through, but I have grouped the exercises according to the body position (prone or standing).
Prone Segment
This segment is performed on a tall bench, training table, or bent over with a flat back. Notice it consists of the LYTP circuit plus prone skiers and scapula pushups.
L-Raise
Start with back flat. Pinch shoulder blades and raise arms. Finish by externally rotating
Y-Raise
Keep shoulder blades tight and reach out with hands
Are you a chronic sufferer of hip external rotator tightness. You are not alone. The good news? There is help.
Pitching is a rotational activity, and the hips and core are the chief couplers of power to the arm. As the stride foot lands the internal rotators of the hips, along with the core, rotate the midsection to face the plate. The hip external rotators, if tight and inflexible, will impede this rotation. (Remember that the hip internal and external rotators are antagonist muscles, which means they oppose each other and that one must stretch while the other contracts.)
So while the internal rotators fire, the external rotators relax and stretch. If the external rotators are tight and do not stretch to their full and normal range of motion, the whole kinetic sequence is impeded. This, in turn, makes the arm bear an extra burden by being in the valgus position longer while trying to catch up and get in the proper position to deliver the pitch. Dr. Morgan and others told me that they believe this leads to elbow problems, including UCL tears.
Ed Bach's arm laying back in the valgus position
Pitchers are weird people, mostly because of the physical act of throwing. The motion is so violent and powerful that it throws a pitcher’s body out of whack and causes major asymmetries in strength, size, flexibility and range of motion, bone structure, etc.
One major adaptation of the pitcher is in shoulder range of motion (ROM). Pitchers have incredible, otherworldly external rotation. The average person couldn’t dream of contorting his arm in such a way.
My buddy Andrew Germuth showing off his external rotation
And what price do we pitchers pay for enjoying such lavish external rotation? You guessed it! A tight rotator cuff and a subsequent deficiency of internal rotation. (there is always a catch!)
So what? Does it matter if a pitcher has poor shoulder range of motion internally?
The answer to this question is unequivocally “yes.” Any trainer or physical therapist will tell you that a lack of ROM in any joint is pathological and indicative of underlying problems. Normal ROM should exist in all one’s joints, and if not, there is a probably a problem as to why. In many populations these imbalances in flexibility might not impair day-to-day functioning, but for athletes and especially pitchers, inflexibility poses major problems.
Dr. Craig Morgan and colleagues are researching the link between elbow pain (up to and including full blown ligament tears requiring Tommy John surgery) and internal rotation. What he is finding (as he found in me) is that a huge amount of pitchers coming to him have significant GIRD (glenohumeral internal rotation deficiency), and once that GIRD is reduced to an amount within 20 degrees of the internal rotation of the non-throwing shoulder, the pitchers very often return to throwing without pain. Internal rotation deficits are caused by posterior shoulder capsule tightness, which can be alleviated using the sleeper stretch. Restore your internal rotation ROM and you will be throwing healthier and harder. Read the rest of this entry »