By Nunzio Signore (BA, CSCS, CPT, NASM, FMS)
As we get closer to a new year I would like to look back and get a bit reflective. A few years ago, I started a series in which I posted the most popular blogs of the year. These are the articles that received the most traffic, according to our hosting statistics. It seems to be a favorite of everyone, so here we go again with Part 1, covering the Top 5 most popular strength-related articles of 2018.
1. Improving Speed and Power from the Stretch – The back leg is the initial power source in pitching and when pitching from the stretch, so improving the ability to load and the unload the back leg gives a pitcher the greater advantage with runners on. This was the topic of my presentation at this year’s Pitch-A- Palooza conference in Franklin, TN. The response was incredible… [click here]
2. A Guide to Training Strength and Power with Velocity-Based Training – Baseball is an explosive sport where things happen fast and hard. This requires massive amounts of power and finding the best methods to get our athletes there is our number one priority. In this article, I review force-velocity profiling in athletes which something that I believe to be a “game changer” in programming. I will also highlight how you can pinpoint and train the specific strength zones needed utilizing Velocity-Based Training… [click here]
3. Four Ways to Improve Your Command and Control on the Mound- in the Weight Room- Generally, when players start to struggle with throwing strikes, they’ve been conditioned to modify their mechanics. Many times, this is completely unnecessary. Anatomy often tells us that in order to fix a “control” issue, strength and stability may need to be addressed before looking deeper into the situation… [click here]
4. Three Great Ways to Create a More Powerful and Efficient Lower Half – I was sitting in my office analyzing pitching video and thinking to myself “are folks understanding what I’m talking about when I tell them they’re not using their lower half efficiently?” It prompted me to write this quick tutorial as to how lower half rotation unfolds differently for different type bodies, while helping to initiate the power that ultimately gets transferred through the core and into the arm… [click here]
5. Weighted Balls and Strength Training – First, let me begin by answering a few quick questions. Yes, I believe weighted ball programs work but as with any protocol, the “dosage” (volume and intensity) is paramount to maximize their effectiveness safely. This article isn’t about the pros and cons of weighted ball programs, it’s about the importance of why you should include and implement a monitored strength and conditioning program alongside of it… [click here]
Stay tuned for Part 2 where we will outline the top 5 most popular pitching related articles.
See ya’ in the gym…
