Rock Rings rigged to dumbbell with carabiner

Close up of the three finger pocket in use

Pictured here is Adam Baxley, a freshman catcher at Frostburg U.  What we did with him was a 4 hold drop set – he started with the most difficult grip (3 finger shallow pocket) then when he couldn’t hold anymore, picked the weights back up with the next easiest grip, ending with the big sloper hold.  This way we were able to get his hands under tension longer, which resulted in a really tough grip exercise (he’ll attest to that).

Hand and finger strength is really under-appreciated and under-trained in the baseball community.  This blows my mind, as the last thing a thrown ball is in contact with is the (drumroll please) fingertips!  Sure, doing wrist curls, holding heavy things, etc. etc. develops grip and forearm strength, but it’s just not the exact type of strength I see as most important- fingertip strength.  If you haven’t been to your local rock climbing wall recently, you’ll realize how lacking your finger strength is – even if you have monster forearms and a great closed hand grip.

I’m hitting the rock climbing gym 2-3 times a week right now.  Do I expect it to help me throw harder?  Yes.  I do.  Can’t imagine how it wouldn’t.

As I was in there, it suddenly dawned on me: Pitchers are just unlike everyone else in the sense that what they do is so physically violent, that they have to do what is called “prehab” just to reduce the likelihood (or in reality, delay) injury.  

Its pretty much a fact that if a pitcher doesn’t do regular rotator cuff, scapula, and forearm work (basically the whole pitching arm), he is doomed to inevitable, catastrophic arm injury.  Doing prehab doesn’t guarantee health by any means, as tons of diligent pitchers still injure themselves regularly, but its our insurance policy, and at the very least gives us a better chance of not being injured.Other athletes don’t do this.  Soccer players play soccer, and when they get hurt, they do rehab and return to action.  Lacrosse, football, tennis, you name it, these sports all allow their athletes to play, with nothing intrinsic in the sport that injures them.  Sure, football and martial arts are violent and injurious, but the injuries are general and not caused by any specific physical act.

Baseball position players are also allowed to play.  Sure, they come down with the occasional arm problem, but with not nearly the regularity as the pitchers. 

No, pitchers are the only athletes that aren’t just allowed to just play their sport.  They simply can’t show up at the ballpark and leave when they are done.  They have to spend extra time strengthening and stretching their throwing arm just so it’s less likely to rip itself out of the socket.  Ever seen a pitcher’s arm lay back, parallel to the ground in external rotation?  Try replicating that in your living room, and you’ll start to understand…

The pitching motion is just ungodly stressful and unnatural for the human body.  Its  interesting how in the entire athletic community, this one position in one sport is so different from the rest.  Sure, all athletes have to strengthen their bodies to compete at a high level, but none but the pitcher are at such an injury risk where they must go above and beyond just to have a chance at longevity, and even then it’s often a losing battle.  

The only other trends like this are in knees of female athletes and football linemen.  Women are predisposed to ACL injury due to their natural body shape and unique biomechanics, and have an ACL injury rate something like 10x that of men.  A good friend of mine just tore hers for the second time.  Football linemen are so heavy and get pushed around so much that they suffer a similar fate.  

I, for one, am ready for titanium ligament replacements.  Maybe one day that will be possible.  I’ll gladly call myself a cyborg if it allows me 20 more good years.  

Think this guy has a decent fastball? I doubt it.

Many coaches subscribe to the notion that “good” workouts end with their pitchers exhausted and on the verge of vomiting. Again, this is pure, unadulterated crap. The only thing these types of workouts are good for is breaking down the muscles in a pitcher’s legs and making them weaker. Good trainers and coaches will prescribe exercises that challenge the athlete but never make them ill.

Another thing to watch out for as a pitcher is overtraining, which is “a physical, behavioral and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual’s exercise exceeds their recovery capacity.” Essentially, your body is unable to recover fully in between bouts of exercise. This means you will plateau in your fitness gains and eventually will lose strength.

I saw the effects of overtraining firsthand last season among the pitchers on my team. As a team, we usually only got one day off every two weeks. In addition to practice and games, we would also meet as a team 2-3 times a week to lift weights. And of course, there was the pitchers’ conditioning. This conditioning took place after literally every practice and game, and consisted of nothing but long-distance running (poles, loop around campus, etc.) As the season progressed, our pitchers were getting more and more run-down and were suffering on the mound as a result. Towards the end of the season, velocities were decreasing and ERAs were soaring. Of course, to the coaches this meant that the pitchers needed to be punished by doing the very thing that had led to their problems: more running. With ignorant training philosophies such as this, we were doomed to fail in postseason play.

If your coaches require pitchers to do ungodly amounts of running, you should try to get them to do some reading about the harm that it can cause. You don’t want to piss your coach off though, so be polite and discreet about it and you may be able to get him to change his mind about the effectiveness of sustained aerobic exercise.

For more information, Dan has already written about how to effectively train as a pitcher here: A Few Words About Pitchers’ Conditioning

First off, the difference: a chin-up is done with a supinated (palms facing) grip, as opposed to the pronated (palms away) pull-up grip.

The baseball fitness community seems to be accepting of chin-ups just fine; the issue is with pull-ups, which are supposedly the cause of too much rotator cuff stress, hypertrophy, and tightness.

Why are pull-ups associated with such negatives for throwing athletes, whereas chin-ups are not?

The noteworthy difference between the two, as far as rotator cuff stress is concerned, is in the arm placement.  On pull-ups, especially with wide grips, the arms are externally rotated, which causes more recruitment (and stress) of the rotator cuff.  I agree with avoiding wide pull ups because of the high amount of rotator cuff strain.

A wide pull up - note the externally rotated arms

Chin up; note the arms are tucked close to the body, keeping the focus on the back

Because of the supinated grip on chin-ups, the arms track closer to the body, resulting in far less rotator cuff recruitment.  The arms simply cannot flare outward as easily on chin-ups, until the grip gets extremely wide.  Yet, the arms can stay tucked on close-grip and neutral grip pull-ups as well…

Close-grip Pull up; Notice the arm position - a carbon copy of the chin up

So, if the salient difference between pull ups and chin ups is arm position (externally rotated or not) then anyone who accepts chin ups into their training program (hopefully everyone -they’re a crucial strength builder for ALL athletes) should accept close-grip pull ups as well, as long as they are done with a focus on keeping the arms tucked to the sides of the body.

Neutral grip pull up - also a great choice

Mix up your overhead pulling exercises to challenge your grip strength.  A chin up grip will work the biceps and forearm flexors of the arms more, while a close or neutral grip pull up will help beef up the forearm extensors, including the brachioradialis.  The verdict: use chin ups and pull ups, but keep those arms out of external rotation.

I remember the first time I threw off the mound.  It was timed so that I started in Florida, during our spring break trip, and I can recall my 3rd bullpen session, which I threw on the side at the University of Miami.  That day I felt really fresh, and was confident in my arm after having two mound sessions already under my belt.

So I did my 45 throws or whatever at 60 feet, and I remember feeling like I was popping the ball.  It was on a line, and it had a nice crisp sound, and I was just pleased as shit about it.

3 or 4 weeks later, I was still doing largely the same routine, but throwing with more intensity.  I felt like it was time to get out the radar gun.  I was throwing 75%, so I figured I should be around 70 with very little effort.  So I start throwing, and they start shouting back my velocities…

64.  62.  61.  64.  Really?  So now I try to throw a little harder.  64.  64. 63.  What?  I just muscled up and its still only 64?  This is ridiculous.  Thing was, I didn’t feel like I was throwing 75%, I felt like I was throwing 100%.  It was the hardest I had thrown in 6 months, and it looked and felt like I would never again throw a ball over 65 mph.  Not happy.

So next time out I did the same thing, and this time it was 65-68.  An improvement, but still terrible, and it still felt like I was throwing as hard as I could.  Everyone else said it looked like I wasn’t trying, but I sure felt like I was.

This was how the next month or two went.  I would feel like I was throwing my hardest, but I really wasn’t recruiting much of my arm or body.  Velocity crept up in each bullpen, and I gained 3-4 mph per session for a couple of weeks.

But even as velocity crept up, I felt so far away from throwing the way I used to. After seeing 75 mph leave my hand and feeling like it was the best I could muster, I couldn’t believe how I ever used to throw a ball 90, or would again.

I still suffered from that months later, and I had been sitting in the upper 80s for about 2 weeks.  The velocity has been stabilizing in my outings, but I still wasn’t where I once was.  So I wondered, had I finally plateaued?  Everyone said no.

At that time I was doing nothing but pitch from a mound, and I had no idea how little extension I was getting until I finally long-tossed.  What a difference.

Since I was throwing so much on my rehab program, I also had no idea how fatigued my arm had gotten. It wasn’t until I took 5 days off that I realized, again, what a fresh arm felt like. What a difference.

Those little victories came and went, and over such a long time of throwing and rehabbing I had forgotten the little nuances of my delivery, such as really reaching out, and how to schedule my throwing, including when to rest up.  I finally broke through my plateau and started throwing a few ticks harder because of it.  It just took a new stimulus and a little rest.

Little plateaus will happen, and it’s hard to not get frustrated when you wonder if its finally THE plateau at the end of the recovery, when the new you is finally fully baked.  I’m still not there yet, even 13 months later, because I had a 2 month battle with forearm tendinitis.   I decided after taking care of that and going to a tryout, I was gonna take my off-season rest, which I am currently enjoying.

Doctors and trainers say that a lot of times it takes that first off-season before the new elbow reaches its full, and hopefully greater, potential.  As much as seeing the changes throughout rehab was exciting, man, it feels nice to not worry about it for a little while, and focus on myself in other ways.  To be continued.

So set some goals.  If you don’t, it will be much harder to stay on track this winter as the weather turns sour, school starts to wear on you, and your comfy bed calls your name.

Get there.

I like to set my goals at the upper limit of what’s realistic, and I don’t worry too much if I don’t reach them, as long as I come close.  Many people need to do the opposite, and set many smaller, more manageable goals to act as stepping stones toward a final, better product.  To each his own.  But, no matter your method, there needs to be a finish line somewhere and the vision to reach it.

So for my winter, which lasts from now until March, my strength goals are the following:

-Reach 195 pounds while staying below 8% bodyfat.

-Deadlift 450×5

-8 Reps Rock Ring Chin-Ups with 45lb added

-Develop the core of a gymnast

My assault on these milestones is going to be pretty complex, so brace yourself: I’m going to:

-Deadlift, chin-up, and lift my ass off

-Eat like a man twice my size

-Only eat carbs for breakfast, and pre and post-workout

-Eat more vegetables than a vegan hippy

I also have pitching-specific goals, but they are more broad, not worth sharing, and really just sum up to: be the most polished, healthy and powerful pitcher I can be. That’s every pitcher’s goal, anyway.

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 palms facing up, curl the weight toward you using your wrist.

Forearm Extension

With palms down grip, curl wrist straight up

Radial Deviation

With a thumbs up grip, curl wrist straight up

Ulnar Deviation

Stand with palm facing the thigh (neutral grip), curl wrist straight back, as if taking your pinky to your elbow

Forearm Pronation & Supination

Start with palms up, raise to neutral; lower on other side until palm faces floor, then raise back to neutral

Sets, Reps and Tempo

It is important to do all six of these exercises 3-4 times per week to ward of elbow problems, but you may have to adjust your volume during the season depending on how well your arm recovers.

Pick a weight or band thickness to allow 12-15 reps with a controlled tempo of 2 sec concentric (up) and 4 second eccentric (down).  Going slow with these makes a big difference.

Using a 12-15 rep range isn’t going to fatigue your forearms too much after the initial first two weeks, so it’s okay to perform 2-3 sets of these regularly, even close to your next game outing.

The following are two of my favorite exercises that aren’t very well known, both of which, ironically, start with a Z.  These were introduced to me by my strength and conditioning coach at UMBC, Fred Cantor.  

The Zercher Squat

The Zercher Squat is a front squat in which you carry the bar in the crux of your elbows.  Yeah, you could put a pad or towel there, but that takes the fun out of it.

It’s a great exercise because it easily allows proper and deep squatting form, and it requires more core recruitment to prevent forward lean.

And, it is fun to do with a partner because you can laugh as you both grimace in pain.  You can also compare pain tolerances and find out which one of you is the soft one.  

The Dreaded Zercher Squat

The Zottman Curl

This is a cool exercise because it combines a concentric bicep curl with an eccentric reverse curl.  Gives a nice blast to the brachioradialis and the forearm extensors.

A special thanks goes out to Andrew Sacks, the bad mofo demonstrating in the video.  Without an intact ACL or a working pancreas, he still had the courage to do the video .  Commitment.

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 LYT 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

T-Raise

Tightly pinch shoulder blades together

Prone Skiier

With arms straight, extend arms back toward your butt and up to the sky

Scapula Push Up

In pushup position with arms locked, let shoulderblades slump together, then press up fully keeping arms straight

Standing Segment

Front Raise (thumbs up)

Thumbs up front raise

60° Scaption (thumbs up)

60 degree raise on the scaption plane

30° Scaption (thumbs up)

30 degree scaption plane

Abduction (palms down)

Side raise with palms down

Rotation Raise

Start with arm at opposite side, palms down; Raise and gradually rotate to finish with palms up

Sword Raise

Start with arm on opposite side, raise up as if unsheathing a sword. Be careful to not go behind the body, which would stress the elbow.

Side Lying External Rotation

Pictured with left fist propping the right arm up. Use fist or a towel to keep the arm off the torso

Internal Rotation (pictured with band)

Starting position

Ending position. Note fist under the arm to bring humerus forward

Yes, the circuit is 13 exercises long and takes the better part of an hour,  but it is worth it.  Being diligent with this circuit 2-3 times per week is going to bombproof the shoulder and rotator cuff and make you a stronger, more durable, and more than likely, harder throwing pitcher.

I want to thank Michelle Daniels, who was my athletic trainer at UMBC.  She taught me these exercises and brought me back to life following my surgery.

Throwing is the same way: throw sparingly and you won’t develop your arm to its potential.  Throw often and your arm will be strong and durable.  Ever see an infielder, especially a catcher, go down with arm problems?  Probably not too often. But if you’ve been around baseball long enough, you’ve surely noticed that outfielders complain about their arms hurting as much as anyone.  The reason for this is that outfielders infrequently throw, both in practice and in games, and when they do it is often with maximum effort.

Why, physiologically, does throwing a ton make you throw harder?  Your body just recognizes the need to build strength because the muscle group is consistently stimulated.  This is why climbers have incredible hand strength, and cyclists have monster calves and thighs.  They’re both just doing what they do for hours a day, and their bodies respond by sending the muscular reinforcements.

Pitchers should not consistently go hard and rest on alternate days.  It’s stressful, the arm doesn’t learn to recover quickly, and the repetition needed for growth isn’t there with too many off days. Off days are needed every week, but limiting them to 1 or 2 is ideal, and the other days should be filled with high volume, low intensity throwing to keep your muscles working.

The Repetition Recommendation:

-Add more high-repetition, low-intensity throwing days into your weekly workload.  As long as one’s arm is without pain and deadness, then throwing 5 or 6 days per week should have a very positive effect.

What does one of these high-rep days look like, you ask?  

100-140 very light but crisp throws from 45-75 feet.  This is the time to work on mechanics and pitches, all without stressing the arm. If done at the correct intensity, you should breeze through the 100+ throws without fatigue, and feel fresh the next day.  This is going to get your body used to throwing often, making it able to recover faster.  Additionally this will give you tons of reps to perfect mechanics, arm slot, pitches, etc, all of which add up to better pitching performance aside from velocity.

These high-volume days should be combined with regular bullpen sessions, as well as long toss, which is extremely important and is another huge contributor to throwing that cheese.